In case you are reading this (all "none" of you) and thinking, "Aren't all vegans either hippies or tattoed, 30-something post-modern hipsters? If I become vegan, will I suddenly be seized by a desire to have a full-color tattooed sleeve on one arm, take up yoga, or live in a yurt in the forests of Vermont? Will I have to vote Democratic?"
The answer is, no, of course not.
"Will I have to associate with people like that?"
You might encounter them while grocery shopping.
"Aren't there any vegans who are fourth-generation cattle farmers from someplace like Montana, who served in the military and who aren't totally removed from the issues faced by America's farmers by their PhDs and their urban sensibilities? Someone who looks more like this:
Why, yes! Yes, there are! Well, there's one. At LEAST one! And he wrote a book! And it's called "Mad Cowboy", and you should totally check it out!
I have seen vegan web resources where people insist that being vegan and politically conservative at the same time isn't possible. I have also heard people insist that in order to be REALLY vegan, you have to be engaged in veganism as a political issue, because the factory farms and other institutions that perpetrate animal abuse are politically driven. But attempts to pin veganism down to a single definition have been hotly contested. There are no vegan police. There are some general areas of agreement: if you eat fish, drink milk, eat cheese, or partake of chicken, you're not vegan. You can't be "lacto-ovo-vegan". Some wear second-hand leather, others eschew all animal-based clothing. Lots of vegan people get really upset by vegans who support PETA or HSUS, because they advocate "less cruelty" instead of total abolition of the commodification of animals. And I totally agree with abolition as a goal. But I say, every little bit helps. Baby steps are still steps.
I suppose it's true that the typical Republican (I usually envision Dick Cheney) doesn't strike me as being particularly animal-friendly. But neither does the typical Democrat (I remember John Kerry going duck hunting during his campaign, the Clintons' dog got hit by a car because he was running around off-leash, and neither Obama nor Clinton is even vegetarian). Neither does the typical American.
But even having just 7% of Americans go vegetarian has made a huge difference in the public's awareness of vegetarianism, the availability of vegetarian options in stores and restaurants, and consciousness about animal rights issues. So heck, who cares why you're doing it, as long as you do SOMETHING. I think people of all political affiliations love animals and have a sense of right and wrong. Vegans, we have a lot of outreach to do, so let's reach with both hands.
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