Vegetarian clarifies commonly held myths
Even though not everybody is suited for vegetarianism, it is important for everyone to be respectful to those who have chosen this way of life.
COMMENTARY
Jenny Specht

The longest commitment I’ve ever made has been a five-year relationship with vegetarianism. We’ve had our ups and downs, of course, but I think that’s typical with anything one is involved with. I am happy with the decision I made at age 16, when I sat at the Reata in downtown Fort Worth and realized that the steak I was eating could have come from the same cow whose hide I was sitting on.

The connection I made in the restaurant, that both things came from a living, breathing, animal, led me to choose vegetarianism as a way of life. My father created a standing dinner-table joke of pretending to cry when he cut his vegetables; my friends thought I was trying to be trendy.

I anticipated that I would have to face some difficult situations; what I didn’t expect were the ridiculous responses that I received from others. It never ceases to faze me that those who endlessly preach about ignorance, tolerance and discrimination will mindlessly disrespect others’ choices if they happen to be of a unique disposition.

Therefore, as a public service to all of the vegetarians at TCU, and elsewhere, I would like to clear up a few common myths for you carnivores.

Ridiculous response No. 1: Okay, so, what do you eat?

Answer: While vegans avoid all animal products, many vegetarians avoid only meat (i.e. beef, ham).

Ridiculous response No. 2: Fish (or chicken or escargot) is not really meat. Why don’t you eat it?

Answer: Are you joking? Yes it is.

Ridiculous response No. 3: Seriously, though, hot dogs aren’t really meat.

Answer: This makes me even less inclined to eat them.

Ridiculous response No. 4: Well, this is pepperoni pizza. You can just pick the pepperonis off.

Answer: I wish I could claim that I invented the following theory, but I can’t. It’s from a friend of a friend of mine: Substitute the word “poison” for the word “meat” in these sentences. As in, “This is poison stew, but you can pick the chunks of poison out.” In other words ... no, I’m not going to eat that.

Ridiculous response No. 5: You’re not getting enough protein.

Answer: Turns out, most Americans get way more protein than they need — which is not necessarily a good thing. Moreover, a veggie dog, depending on the brand, can have more protein than three ounces of sirloin steak.

Beyond the ridiculous responses, I’ve also identified several unique phenomena that occur with the presence of vegetarianism.

The first I call the theory of vegetarian compensation, frequently practiced by TCU food service employees. This principle is present in instances where a vegetarian orders, say, a cheese sandwich.

The food service employee then feels compelled to compensate for the absence of meat on the sandwich by placing extra of something else on it. This accounts for the time I counted 16 pickle slices on my Deco Deli sandwich and the ridiculous amounts of ketchup McDonald’s employees put on meatless hamburgers.

The second theory should be a relief to anyone nervous about where to take a vegetarian to dinner. I’ve had some interesting dates with guys unsure about where I could find something to eat (the worst guess — Luby’s). What I have discovered is that almost every restaurant has a token vegetarian dish one selection of pasta or roasted vegetable dish that is suitable to eat.

While vegetarianism is my personal choice, I realize it is not for everyone. That’s fine — I’m not out to convert, and I don’t care if you eat an entire Big Mac in front of me. Let this column be a lesson to everyone, however: first as a cure for ignorance on the subject, and, more importantly, as a reminder that the best approach to differences is to respect others’ choices.

Jenny Specht is a senior English and political science major from Fort Worth.