In regards to eating meat

[Monica]

When it comes to rednecks and the like, these are generally people who really do love animals.

I live in 'redneck' country and I think many of these people were traumatized when they were little, when they raised the calf for 4H and really loved it, but then later had to get 'macho' when it was sold for slaughter.

They have deep layers of armoring and aren't very in touch with their compassionate nature, in regards to animals. They may be very conflicted, because their lifestyle is so entrenched in the meat industry.

I have a nephew who seems like a really cool guy. He's a hunter and a bullfighter. This seems very incongruent to me, from what I know of him.

My brother, on the other hand (different brother, not the nephew's dad) is the epitome of the stereotypical 'redneck' and quite proud of it. He's one of those people who has said laughed at me, while bragging about his BBQ ribs or his steak. He's very bigoted towards humans and just generally a jerk. No incongruency there.

So I guess it can go either way.

What I'm saying is that the people who say stuff like that to vegetarians are the people who feel bad about their own meat eating--these people are on the fence on some level. The people who feel no emotional reaction to the vegetarian message, on the other hand, will not engage in this childish behaviour but also have no chance of ever adopting vegetarianism.

I think that's true in some cases. Sometimes really otherwise nice and considerate people engage in such tactless 'jokes' about vegetarians. I suspect it's either because they are just uncomfortable and feeling guilty, but unable to acknowledge it, OR they just really are bigots and simply taking advantage of an opportunity to ridicule someone who is different from them.