Veganism is Not a Religion!

Every once in a while, as I peruse the various new sites while munching away on my breakfast of brown rice, I read an article that leaves me gobsmacked. That is, I am left speechless in absolute amazement as to how weird our world is and, at least in my opinion, how misdirected some people are about what is important.

At some point this week I read a story about an Ontario forest fire fighter who is going to " the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario against his employer, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, over his treatment and subsequent suspension while fighting a fire near William's Lake, B.C., in 2017" (CBC). The individuals says that he is a vegan for ethical reasons which makes his veganism a creed. His employer, therefore, is obligated to cater to his dietary needs. He argues that because there was no food suitable for him to eat, he was forced to work without sufficient proteins which led him to act irrationally and to be suspended because of his behaviour. For what it is worth, while he may have not had the opportunity to eat plant-based protein, I suspect what firefighters need is lots of high-calorie foods to maintain their energy.

At some point early in 1973, I decided to not eat meat. I have not knowingly eaten meat since. There are a number of reasons why I made that decision, but over the years choosing to not eat meat on a daily basis has been an integral part of my life. It has shaped many of my values and my personal belief system. It has not always been easy. There have been times when I have been travelling where my choices have been very limited. I have been to numerous training weeks or conferences where all that there was for me to eat was the salad made up of iceberg lettuce and a sliced up radish. I can remember one dinner where I somehow ended up just below the head table when the Lieutenant - Governor of Ontario was sitting. I can remember her looking at me with a strange, partially amused expression as I traded the roast beef on my plate for mashed potatoes and carrots. One does what one has to do to survive - even if it is at a semi-formal dinner. While I have seldom missed the opportunity to remind people that a more expansive menu would be appreciated, I have never once considered it my right to have my diet served to me.

Veganism is not a creed - it is lifestyle choice. The individual was not forced into that job, he did not have to go to BC - he chose to. It is not up to the state to support those choices when it would cause undue hardship or chaos for them to do so. They were fighting a bloody forest fire in what some would refer to as the middle of nowhere, People were losing their life's possessions, people's lives were at risk - no one had time to cook a separate meal for someone who had decided he wanted to follow a different diet.

There are millions of people starving every day. Countless numbers of children go to bed hungry every single night of their lives - and this guy wants to have his diet been deemed a creed to he can get his job back? Really - we should all have more important things to worry about.