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BlueHeron
 
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rick etter wrote:

> "BlueHeron" > wrote in message
> .. .
>
>>
>>rick etter wrote:

<snip>
>>
>>The one thing that you seem to keep forgetting Rick, is that language,
>>especially the English langauge, changes.
>>======================

>
> Not and have any real meaning...


Not true, becasue the /meaning/ of the word changes for everyone.

A "hack" is no longer primarily someone who rides around aimlessly on a
horse, nor is it a prostitute. To some degree it is a poorly written
piece of work that gets the job done, and mostly it is a quick and dirty
piece of programming code. Yet, at one time, it had completely
different meaning.

A "geek" is no longer primarly someone who will eat anything (especially
live animals).

That is the nature of language.

>
>
>
>>Find a dictionary that puts ethics in to the word "vegan" and I will be
>>impressed. Most dictionaries give the dietary definition, and so that
>>is how many people us it.

>
> =================
> But, it is not a 'dietary' choice. It is, and alwasy will be a lifestylr
> choice. Except of course by those that want the word but are too lazy to
> actually live the lifestyle. You can change the definition all you want to
> fit your lazyness, but the real meaning is as it was coined in the 40s.


Wrong. It has been, and currently is, a lifestyle choice. Will it
always be? I wouldn't presume to say, but I don't think so. There are
far too many people, at least here in Quebec, who adopt it for health
reasons, and don't care, or know, about the ethics behind it. Sure,
"stict-vegetarian" would be a better label, but most of them use
"vegetalien" which directly translates to "vegan".

Language and culture has started to corrupt the principles behind it.


>>I am afraid that you might just have to learn to deal with that.

>
> ====================
> I have, that you make excuses for laziness is apparent...

<snip>

Vegan, as an adjective, describes four main things:

* People (who avoid all animal products)
* diets (exclusivly plant based)
* food (containing no animal products)
* products (containing no animal products)

I can't think of anything else to which we apply the word, but it's
always possible that I have missed something.

Now, as a noun, a vegan is a person who follows a vegan lifestyle.

From the Memorandum of Association of the British Vegan Society
(http://www.vegansociety.com/html/abo...memorandum.php), it breaks
the definition down in to two parts. The first part describes the
philosophy and ethics behind it, and the second part describes the
dietary terms:

"The word 'veganism' denotes a philosophy and way of living which
seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practical — all forms of
exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other
purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of
animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, including humans
and the environment.

In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all
products derived wholly or partly from animals."

So, when I say "I practive a vegan diet", I am specifiying in terms that
are easy for people to understand what it is that I eat.

Considering that this is a newsgroup about the food, not the ethics, I
think that is pretty fair. What I do or do not do with the rest of it,
is frankly, non of your concern. But most of us are in a.f.v. for the
dietary aspect.

Cheers!

-- Blue