The KInd Life Community Forum

Alicia, I've ordered your book and I love all the good work you do - I even remember when I was in high school and some teen magazine or another had a story about how you supported not dissecting in schools and I thought it was great because I was having some issues in my school and no one else really got it. I was disappointed in reading a recent quote from you, though, that when you're out and there's nothing else you'll pick the "least offensive option," citing things like a salad with goat cheese or potato salad with mayo. I know that people often don't like the hardline, absolutism of veganism, but being vegan really means never eating those things because it's about the idea that if it caused animal suffering it's not food (or clothing, etc). I'm not trying to judge, though I know it will be interpreted as that by some, but I'm really frustrated by these kinds of lapses in ethics - there's no other ethical stance in which that would be acceptable. No one says that rape is horrible, but okay if you're really in a bind. I know that's not completely relatable because we need food to live, but I live in one of the most vegan-unfriendly areas in North America and I've never had to compromise my ethics to eat. You're such an amazing inspiration to so many people, and I appreciate everything you've done, but please don't support the opinion publicly that some compromise is okay some of the time, especially when it's such a slippery slope!