Vegans have recently been in international news due to the folly of a couple and their child in Atlanta Georgia. First, I will admit, they fucked up. For those who may not be familiar, the couple caused the death of their infant child through malnourishment derived from their vegan beliefs. They are now both serving life in prison for their ignorance. I have seen this article spark debate/conversation a number of websites, and having followed it on cnn.com and bbc.co.uk, I have been looking at how the articles have been written and how the 'public' is perceiving them, and I have been disheartened on all accounts.

First off, I must say, that I am vegan and have been for roughly the last 7 years. It is a lifestyle I believe in, and while my current convictions aren't as strong or opinionated as they once were, I still subscribe to this choice in diet. I do believe that a vegan diet can be an extremely healthy one and the benefits to health, agricultural, economical, and environmental sectors is un paralleled by any other diet. But I am not writing here to tell why veganism is a good option. I am trying to cover how this is another portrayal of ignorance and intolerance on behalf of those who write the media and those reading it.

Starting with the coverage in the media, there is an obvious stance on how they are portraying this couple and subsequently vegans in general. I want to iterate again, that what these people did is incredibly dumb and they ought to be brought to some form of justice through their ignorance. Having a child is a responsibility not to be taken lightly or ignored. Now, the media links these peoples actions as a sort of pre-requisite to all vegans. They are placing all vegans under one umbrella here and using these people as the example. Frankly, you can't do that, and I am once again dismayed about how the media has portrayed something that is largely unknown and/or misunderstood. On the bbc article, they went on to directly link to an article that states that the vegan diet is a disastrous one and that you can't get all the nutrients you need unless you eat meat. Plain and simple, not true. I am proof. Tests from both sides, carnivores and vegetarians, have shown time and time again that they are right, but the main point is that the mainstream news is supposed to be objective in this matter, which it clearly is not.

How the portrayal in the news is casting a grim light on vegans is having an impact on how many people perceive this lifestyle. While already not commonly understood, and cast in a wierd light of 'hippy-dom', the tolerance and open-ness to learning about something prior to judgement is becoming more difficult. On Newstoday, a design web portal of all sites, there was a thread with a number of derogatory comments towards vegans, and this couple. Granted I am not defending the couple, though the death of their infant was due to stupidity, not malicious intent or veganism. While no one voices a supportive voice for vegans, the mob furthers takes the stance in an extremist area. I would have not been surprised to see the Al Qaeda is the result of Vegans somewhere down the line. Where did all the objectivity and understanding go? Have we not learned through countless horrors in this world that things are rarely black and white, and that you can't pass judgement before understanding what you are judging?

The main point is that understanding on open-ness to others is something that we should not lose in this current world. At constant conflict with all aspects of life, I only wish tolerance and understanding would prevail prior to casting judgement and sending people to the gallows (strong metaphors I know). I do not assume that everyone will agree, but learning what it is you are discussing is a responsibility that we all have and must own up to.

Thanks for hearing me out, if you made it this far.