Here is an article I found in Friday’s edition of the Tampa Bay Times.   (11/16/07)

Vegan Thanksgiving

Tampa Bay’s 2nd annual Vegan Thanksgiving Day Feast is Thursday at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa, 11400 Morris Bridge Road. Social hour is from 1 to 2 p.m. followed by the potluck dinner from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults who bring a dish to share or $15 without a dish. Children under 12 are free. To RSVP, call (813) 365-0317 or visit www.vegtampathanksgiving.com. Already have plans for Thanksgiving? Local vegetarians and vegans meet for dinner at 5 p.m. the second Saturday of every month at Trang Viet Cuisine, 1524 E Fowler Ave. in Tampa. —Ah, Thanksgiving, a time for friends, family and, of course, feasting.   For most Americans, food plays no greater role than on this day of thanks. Taking center stage: Tom Turkey.  But what happens if you don’t eat meat? If the sight of a dead bird on the table makes you sad, even sick?   It’s a situation seen in dining rooms across the country.  “It’s a very stressful day for most vegetarians and vegans,” said Joan Zacharias, a 10-year vegan who used to eat McDonald’s every day in college.  You and your meatless plate of sides become the center of attention. Meat-eating relatives roll their eyes and wonder aloud why you won’t eat the main attraction. You feel like a target.  “Thanksgiving is really all about the bird,” said vegan Michelle LaFleur. “It becomes offensive to some people when you don’t eat it.”  To make the day happier for herbivores, Zacharias and LaFleur are organizing a vegan Thanksgiving Day feast in Tampa. No meat in the gravy. No milk in the mashed potatoes. No eggs in the pumpkin pie.  “We wanted vegans to have a place to go where they didn’t have to say, ‘What’s in this, what’s in that?”‘ LaFleur said.  The women, who are active in local vegetarian groups, came up with the idea last year. They thought it would be a success if even 10 people showed up (after all, most people have family obligations on Thanksgiving). Much to their surprise, 150 people came from as far as Orlando and Sarasota.  “I never expected it to be such a hit,” said LaFleur, 36. “People were walking in with tears in their eyes.”  Guests brought their favorite vegan dishes, enough to cover nine 8-foot-long tables. From the tofurkey to the (eggless) nog, everyone went home stuffed. Proceeds went to the Adopt-A-Turkey Project, which rescues turkeys from the baking pan.  “I could eat everything that was on the table,” said vegetarian Tanya Cherifi, 31, who plans to attend next week’s dinner with her sister. “A lot of times (restaurants) put sausage in the stuffing, chicken broth in the vegetable soup and bacon in the baked beans.”

Vegetarians and their more extreme vegan counterparts, who don’t eat anything made from animals, choose the lifestyle for health and animal rights reasons.  Roger McDowell, who plans to skip his family dinner for the vegan potluck, stopped eating meat to lower his cholesterol after his dad had a heart attack. A few years later, he became a vegan after a having a epiphany with a cow at the state fair.  “I looked into those big cow eyes, and it hit me,” he said. “I decided I don’t have to take this guy’s life to sustain my own. I thought, I’m going to go all the way.”  So does Robert Barrington. A 285-pound body builder, he says it’s a myth that vegetarians can’t gain muscle weight. This Thanksgiving, he’s grateful for his family, friends – and the smell of a meatless kitchen.  “We’re too technically advanced to be eating animals anymore,” he said. “And I don’t think there’s anyone who eats more meat than I did.”

And here’s my letter to the editor: 

     First if all I’d like to thank you for the story on the vegan Thanksgiving in Tampa.  It’s very rare to even see the word vegan in a mainstream publication.  I would however like to express one concern.  I was somewhat offended when the article referred to vegans as being extreme counter to vegetarians.  I understand to many who don’t really understand what it means to be vegan, our lifestyle may seem extreme, but truly it is anything but.  Many vegans are ethical vegans.  The reason we don’t consume any animal products, wear them, or condone animal exploitation in any way is the same reason most people don’t eat meat.  The suffrage of animals is all the same- if not worse in the production of things such as milk, cheese, and eggs. 

Let me try to present this with a different perspective.  Take a group of Christians for example.  Within this group some may feel more ethically driven by living to the full extent of their beliefs by following all the commandments and/or scriptures to the best of their ability.  While others may feel a stronger ethical responsibly towards only that in which they feel affect them personally.  Would the first person be considered ‘extreme’ in comparison? Or lets consider Catholics.  Would you consider the Pope to be ‘extreme’ in his religious beliefs when compared to the ordinary worshiper?  I don’t believe so.  If a vegetarian is so for ethical reasons then they are somewhat hypocritical and confused, thus reinforcing the ‘extreme’ view people have when it comes to vegans.   Vegans aren’t really extreme or radical we just seem that way because we live in a meat and dairy driven society.   

 Thanks again for the article and thank you for your time,
Megan Majeski