My teen's wonderful Internet encounter.

[jobycom]

My kid related this to me this morning.

She was talking to a random stranger through some chat service or other (Yeah, she's 17 and knows the dangers blah blah blah). The guy asked about something meat related, and she said she didn't eat meat. So the guy says "Don't tell me you're one of those vegetarians?" So she said yes, she is. The guy immediately begins helping my daughter win the Bingo toaster, covering every possible point from "Humans are made to eat meat" to "farming kills baby bunnies." So far, pretty standard encounter with a certain type of person.

But wait, there's more.

She defends herself admirably (why she keeps failing English, I'll never understand), but never goes on the offensive. Just not her style. The guy can't really counter any point she makes, so he just keeps heaping more attacks on her. By now I'm thinking not just "defensive carnivore" (not a comment on carnivores, just on a certain type of person vegetarians encounter sometimes) but "Freeper." So he finally comes up with one I'd never heard before.

"Eating meat is AMERICAN!" (Yes, all caps).

By now there's not much discussion, so she just tries to politely back out of the encounter. He has no desire to be polite, though, and fires a few parting salvos about her and "her kind" and how much better she'd be if she ate meat, and then closes with... "You probably voted for that (insert word I'll never use but that you can figure out if you think worst case scenario) in the White House, too," and breaks connection.

Nothing to add to it. No great insightful summary to conclude with. Just one of those things.

The Kiddo is not traumatized by such things, in case you are wondering. She's heard it all before, living in Texas, where we have the best of people and the worst of people. (No idea where the guy was from, though).

[ceile]

1. Good for her standing her ground.

:thumbsup:

[TZ]

2. I'm a carnivore but

it sounds like he's the classic example of the dangers of eating steroid loaded meat..rots the brain function

[jobycom]

3. I think the personality was related more to his politics than his diet.

You rarely meet true liberals who respond like that.

[siligut]

4. Good point, I think it is because repugs just repeat what they are told

Good for your daughter too.

[jobycom]

5. yeah, that, and they are afraid of change.

Liberals hear someone say "I don't eat meat" and they think "Wow, they don't eat meat." Conservatives hear "I don't eat meat" and think "They are attacking me for eating meat." They respond that way to everything--a right to an abortion implies they have to have one, gay marriage means they have to marry someone of their own gender, not forcing school prayer means they can't pray in school... They are just fundamentally wired badly.

[kentauros]

8. To paraphrase The Haunting (1963 version)

"A brain born bad." :P

As a fellow vegetarian, I've noticed the same thing. The indignant meat-eaters are usually the conservative ones.

[gratuitous]

10. Can't understand the other person at all

Were I to engage with a vegetarian online, rather than try to "convert" that person, my first thought would be, "Cool, more hot dogs for me!"

[kentauros]

11. Well, maybe not more for you.

Supply and demand and all that, ya know ;)

[Mopar151]

16. A superb point

Deserving of its own thread

[elleng]

6. Should be 'My WONDERFUL teen's . . .,' imo.

[jobycom]

7. :)

Thanks. She is wonderful. I've been posting about her here since 2002 or so. :)

[kimmerspixelated]

9. Thanks for posting this.. You're right some of the best people live in Texas!

But that chatter, he sounds crazy to me. I hope she doesn't talk to him again.

[MiddleFingerMom]

12. You know, if she DID eat just a little red meat, she might have been more aggressive with that ass.

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"Oh, YEAH?!?!?!? You wanna know what ELSE is made of meat?"
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"Yer mom."
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OK, OK... maybe a LOT of red meat.
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[jobycom]

13. Ha!

:rofl:

[kimi]

14. Ya know, I've noticed something about liberal carnivores

They tend to be a lot more tolerant of vegetarians than the conservative carnivores. Which, it sounds like, your daughter ran into. And she did good, standing up to the jackass and not getting sucked into his anger.

Most of those I associate with eat meat. Which is fine with me - their lives, their bodies, etc. But most of those I associate with are also progressives and liberals, and not one has EVER tried to dissuade me from my eating choices. When I visit them, they go out of their way to make sure that I'm comfortable with where and what we eat. I appreciate that consideration, it's reciprocated - I'd never try to "convert" someone, out of anything. I'm a Christian, but I don't convert; I'm a vegetarian, same thing.

Your daughter sounds like a strong and safe young lady. Thumbs up to her!

[Odin2005]

15. I don't mind Vegitarians, I just like to pick on them.

:)

[kimi]

17. Hah!!

I get it, LOL!

Gonna use that line sometime, too. :hi:

[Odin2005]

18. Yup!

:evilgrin: :)