“…Interview With a Vegan: Jack Norris RD…(‘The idea behind ethical veganism is not only to remove one’s self from support of animal cruelty … but to be part of a growing movement … that will one day become the norm’)…”

“… Jack Norris and Matt Ball started Vegan Outreach in 1993 to fill a void they saw in animal activism at that time.

With the help of volunteers, they now distribute over 1 million pamphlets about the practices of modern animal agribusiness to college students every year.

Devoting a good chunk of his life to animal activism put Norris in touch with former vegans and vegetarians who had gone back to animal products for health reasons.

To figure out why this was and what he could do about it, Norris became a registered dietitian … and founded VeganHealth.org.

And through his blog JackNorrisRD.com, Norris dispels vegan nutritional myths (like that vegans don’t need to worry much about B12 or calcium) …

… and comments on new studies that are relevant to vegans and vegetarians.

I hadn’t heard of Norris when I quit veganism at the end of 2007.

If I had, maybe I would have hit him up for some brain fog dissipating tips before self-medicating with salmon, flounder and Thanksgiving turkey …

… enjoying the results and abandoning veganism forever.

Might I still be vegan if Norris had intervened in time?

If his reputation is to be believed, it’s not impossible.

I’ve heard from multiple vegans who say that following Norris’ Daily Recommendations for Vegan Adults is the surest way to avoid failure to thrive on a vegan diet.

There are plenty of ex-vegans who couldn’t hack it on raw, macrobiotic or low-fat vegan diets …

… but I have yet to interview an ex-vegan who said “I followed all of Jack Norris’ recommendations … and still couldn’t get it to work.”

That — along with Vegan Outreach’s willingness to critique counterproductive aspects of the vegan movement …

… rethink and improve its own strategy … and treat meat eaters as potential allies —

– makes Jack Norris one of the most formidable individuals promoting veganism today…”

(and..this is a p.s at the end of an excellent/informative interview..)

“…Is there anything you want to add?

The reason I decided to do this interview is that I suspect that you are saying publicly what a lot of people are thinking about veganism.

It would be easy for us in the vegan movement to pretend that people with your view should be dismissed as unreachable …

… but I think it’s a conversation our culture is going to have to have.

I just read your post about vegan weddings and it got me thinking about the difference between how you see the world …

… and how most ethical vegans see it.

While some animal liberation advocates approach the subject from a purely rational point of view …

… my sense is that most vegans come to view animals the way they do because they have had a meaningful relationship with one or more.

These relationships led to viewing animals as very similar to humans … with many of the same emotions and having an inner life.

To us, animals are “persons.”

In your post on weddings, you say the following about comparing killing animals to human slavery …

…. “Of course it’s an outrageous comparison, but that’s how many ethical vegans see it (your eyes can open to some truly offensive comparisons once you accept anti-speciesist logic).”

I have never seen someone explain how these comparisons are so offensive; …

… they simply state that they are … and then rely on other humans -who have a clear self-interest in seeing the world that way – to agree.

History has been riddled with one group exploiting another group … and justifying it by convincing themselves that the exploited group is inferior.

The exploiters have failed to recognize these claims of inferiority for what they were at the time – self-interested rationalizations.

So how likely is it that we have finally reached the pinnacle of moral evolution …

… and are now able to set aside our own self-interests to accurately recognize which other groups are inferior?

Even if human slavery is much worse than animal slavery …

… there is still room to believe that animals are more than just pieces of meat to be enjoyed at a wedding.

I hope most people would not consider their dog to be only a piece of meat to be eaten at a wedding reception.

Another difference is that you think veganism is only about symbolism … and doesn’t actually do any good.

If you believe that, then I can see why your attitude is critical towards vegans who are causing such a fuss over something you think is merely symbolic.

The idea behind ethical veganism is not only to remove one’s self from support of animal cruelty …

… but to be part of a growing movement that will one day become the norm.

If someone doesn’t actually become vegan themselves (or close to it) … they cannot be part of such a movement.

You have said that you believe it’s inevitable that any given vegan will one day reject veganism.

While some people try veganism for a while and then stop …

… I know many people who have been vegan for decades … and show no indication of changing.

Our numbers and impact are growing…”

(recommended-read..)

go to source/story>>>Let Them Eat Meat : Interview With a Vegan: Jack Norris RD