Path: utzoo!hoptoad!amdcad!decwrl!ucbvax!ernie.Berkeley.EDU!jwl
From: jwl@ernie.Berkeley.EDU (James Wilbur Lewis)
Newsgroups: alt.flame
Subject: Vegetarians in the Workplace
Message-ID: <22293@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 23 Dec 87 09:25:38 GMT
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: jwl@ernie.Berkeley.EDU (James Wilbur Lewis)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 49

The recent "Religious Intolerance" discussion got me thinking about 
discrimination and harassment at work.  It occurred to me that there is an 
injustice being perpretrated which dwarfs even the celebration of religious 
holidays in the workplace!

The ones responsible for this scourge are the insensitive, cruel bastards
who not only support the torture and killing of animals for food, but
even FLAUNT their filthy habit by eating meat right out in the open, at
the company cafeteria, on company time, and even with company funds.
At least X-mas comes only once a year....*these* swine offend our sensibilities
day after day, without even a second thought to those who might be offended
by the sight, and even the sickening smells, of dead burnt animal flesh!

Indeed, many of them don't even give it a *first* thought!  Imagine
my revulsion when a co-worker once offered me half of his ham sandwich.
His reaction, when I explained why I didn't appreciate the offer, was so
typical of his kind:  "WHAT?!?!?  You mean you don't EAT MEAT?!  How
can you possibly get a balanced diet?"  I guess his primordial mind-set
couldn't cope with the fact that some of us manage to get along quite
well without meat, and have succeeded in overcoming our vulgar carnivorous
instincts.  How can I ever be comfortable in the workplace, when my
choice of lifestyle is constantly being denigrated by these clowns?

Dammit, I've had it up to HERE with people who feel it necessary to
promote *their* dietary preference, in the workplace,  above all others.  
Oh, sure, they're in the majority, but does that make them right?  What is 
so goddamned difficult about eating a *healthy* meal once a day, instead of 
the fleshy crap they stuff their ignorant faces with?  Have they no common
courtesy?  

I'm tired of being discriminated against, and harassed *day after day*
by being exposed to this disgusting fetish;  it's just impossible to
look at a medium-rare steak and not be reminded of the continual 
slaughter being perpetrated by these carnivores, in their lust for dead
animal flesh.  It's a good thing we have laws against discrimination
and harassment in the workplace, and I intend to make myself aware of
*all* of them! 

Of course, I'd hate to promote the image of vegetarians as self-righteous,
intolerant rabble-rousers.  In a spirit of compromise, I will not embark
on a campaign to rid the workplace of meat comsumption: all I ask is that
all references to "meat" in its various forms be replaced by "non-vegetable
protein supplements".  Is that so difficult a thing, to accomodate my
preju...er, preferences...and make vegetarians feel a bit more welcome
in the workplace?   If you simply *must* eat meat, at least eat it at
home, where I won't be offended by it.

-- Jim Lewis
   U.C. Berkeley