I’ve been increasingly aware of (and annoyed by) militant vegans. I’ve read books slamming vegetarians as hypocrites and table tents on campus telling people that they cannot be environmentalists if they choose to eat meat.

Many vegans are quite spectacular people. Vegans make a commitment to alter their lifestyles out of love and compassion. Unfortunately, they can turn many people away from their cause through lack of tact and respect.

Two things come to mind when I think of lack of tact and respect shown by the conscious eating movement. First, there are table tents in dining halls describing the horrors of factory farming and why people should become vegetarians or vegans. How could you NOT get defensive as you eat a steak or drink a glass of milk and read about what a terrible person these people think you are?

I have made a point to avoid talking about the reasons I went vegan while others are eating. I do not want people to feel guilty about what they are eating. Rather, I want them to genuinely feel compassion. Making people feel guilty for their choices will not make them change their lives.

Another point of lack of tact and respect comes to the treatment of the staff at the dining halls. I have seen people be very loud and very angry when the vegan options aren’t at their peak, or when something is mislabeled.

Vegans at Pomona College are fortunate to have a dining hall that caters to their lifestyles. My vegan friends at other schools repeatedly tell me how amazing our dining halls are compared to theirs. Every now and then, we’re all disappointed with dinner. And when something is mislabeled, don’t go off about how incompetent the staff is. They are spectacular people who deserve respect; yelling at them when something has a green sticker instead of an orange one is uncalled for. These displays of anger just make it seem like being a vegan is an extremely difficult task that requires constant anger, sacrifice and vigilance. It’s not.

Still, it isn’t easy to be vegan. My dietary choices were never questioned until I became a vegetarian. I was heckled even more when I went vegan about a year and a half ago. I know that it is frustrating to do something out of compassion and be belittled as a result. Still, there is no need to make things worse for other vegans by pushing your views on others.

I have very strong convictions about being a vegan. I firmly believe that I am doing the right thing, and going vegan was the best decision I’ve ever made. My health has improved, I can think more clearly, and I have a moral/spiritual clarity I’ve never experienced before.

This transformation did not happen due to people telling me that I was going to hell for eating meat. Rather, I took my time and realized on my own what an impact I could have on animal welfare, the earth and myself.

You don’t have to be vegan to make a difference. You don’t have to be a vegetarian. It’s not an all or nothing thing. If you want to help out, you can. If you want to help by buying free-range chicken whenever you can, thank you. If you stop eating meat on Tuesdays, power to you. You can make a difference even if you don’t think you can make a total commitment to eliminate certain foods from your diet. If you tell yourself "I could be a vegetarian but I could never give up carne asada…" then give up everything but carne asada. Labels don’t matter.

We aren’t going to get anywhere by making people feel bad about their lifestyle choices. Remember that veganism is an act of love and compassion. If you’re doing it for a bit of moral superiority, please don’t bother. You’ve just making it harder for the rest of us.