Rynn Berry is in the New York Post today / tomorrow – http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/answers-about-the-vegan-lifestyle-in-new-york/
See the related / linked pages also.
Excerpt –
Can you give us a summary of the history of veganism within the general context of the history of the vegetarian movement? Thank you.
— Posted by Marc L.
In Leicester England in 1944, Donald Watson and his wife Dorothy coined the term vegan, which they formed from the first three and the last two letters of “vegetarian.” With this new term, the Watsons wanted to encompass the meaning of “vegetarian” imparted by the Pythagoreans and Buddhists, i.e. one who for reasons of compassion, abstains from consuming all foods and other products of animal origin. It took time for the word to catch on in the United State, but now it has become almost a competing term with vegetarian. To help win recognition for the vegan concept in America, Mr. H. Jay Dinshah started the American Vegan Society in Malaga, N.J., in 1960. Dinshah, of Parsee descent, infused veganism with the Jain and Buddhist doctrine of ahimsa-(non violence to all living creatures). In fact, Ahimsa was the name of the journal (latterly The American Vegan) that Mr. Dinshah and his wife published quarterly. Mr. Dinshah’s wife, Freya, published the first vegan cookbook, The Vegan Kitchen, in 1966, which remains a steady seller. Largely due to the efforts of the Dinshahs and countless unsung others, veganism has become a hip urban lifestyle, and New York City has become the most vegan-friendly city in the world.
dbowland (7 comments)
The comments on the NYTs website are perfect. They illustrate in living colour how vegan “activists” push away those that would otherwise consider or adopt a vegan diet if it weren’t for the self-rightous and self-centred attitide and writings of many vegans. I will write on this subject later, but I have a suggestion that I ask that you simply consider- if you want to influence people you first must understand what already influences them and you must understand and appreciate their world. Attacking them from you point of view will push them away. If you CARE about people and animals then be compassionate to ALL and offer a way for meat-eaters to live their life in a way that serves them (not you) AND can be better for their health and the welfare of all animals. Food for thought.
JohnnySensible (32 comments)
Hiya “d” – I could not agree with you more.
Rynn Berry is a gem – he presents compassionate eating / living superbly – he writes so well – here is an audio which you may like to listen to – http://www.globaltalkradio.com/ondemand/shows/wakeupamerica/2007Sep10/index.asx
Promoting HappyCow.net excites me because the direct result is less animal suffering.
Fewer animals die when people can very easily find veggy eating places & read accurate Reviews of them.