Crashing Vegan Stereotypes

I get that there are stereotypes and that people are going to instantly think they know something specific about me when they find out I'm vegan. They may think I'm a granola-eating tree hugger or that I only eat vegetables, or that I'm anemic or any other number of things. Tonight I came across something I'd never heard before. On a Web site where people post questions and "experts" answer them, someone asked about the morality of eating meat. The question was in the philosophy section and most of the answers were well thought out until I got to the last one. This fellow's argument was that animals were lower than humans and of course people should eat them. He also stated that there are no proteins in a plant based diet (what?) and then he said that it had been observed that people who don't eat meat are cowards.

This guy had lost my respect way before he got to this last unfounded statement, but this statement blew me away. People who don't eat meat are cowards. Why would that be? Because we choose not to harm animals? Because we dare to express an opinion and a lifestyle choice that differs from yours? If anything, I'd say that most vegans are brave. Having a conviction and following it through? That takes courage. Being different and choosing not to go with the flow? That takes courage. Calling him out about his ignorant assumption? That took some courage too, but it felt good. I could have lectured on and on about the benefits of a plant based diet and the fact that there are many sources of plant-based protein, but I was good and reigned myself in.

I have to say that this guy really riled me up. He made some pretty ignorant statements. I fail to see how what a person eats has any effect on their level of cowardice. It just doesn't make sense. I'm truly baffled. I'm shaking my head; I really don't get this. I'm quite sure this is the craziest and most baseless stereotype of vegans I've seen or heard. That doesn't mean there aren't others that I'm not aware of.

I'm inviting you to share your tales of vegan stereotypes here so we can smash them.

I wasn't going to share the link to the question, but after thinking about it some more, I decided to add it here. Is Eating Meat Morally Wrong