to fellow vegans

[shelsmaha]

to any fellow vegans out there...How do you feel about Cathe teaming up with Egglands Best eggs? I am having a hard time with her promoting buying eggs from a huge egg producer. If you want to eat eggs you should at least buy from a small local farm. I am against eggs since egg laying hens are treated with such cruelty. I don't care if she eats eggs but it seems like she is promoting buying factory farmed eggs and I wish she would promote buying small and local.

 

[PhyllisG]

I agree. I stated in another thread that I would never buy eggs from that company because of the inhumane conditions. I can't even watch their commercials and turn them off immediately.

 

[pixiesis]

Well, I'm a vegan, and yeah, Egglands Best is one of the worst offenders for chickens, and it's fair to say that chickens may suffer the most inhumane conditions of all factory-farmed animals. Not a good association for Cathe to have IMO.

As an aside, I was vegetarian for about 13 years (have been vegan for the past 4-5), and the last time I ate eggs I got terrible food poisoning that sent me to the ER...I had eaten an omelet made from Egglands "Best". I still shudder when I think about that experience, so for me Egglands Best is offensive on more than one level.

Amy

 

[NY25]

Ditto that!! I refuse to buy their eggs. I buy only free-range, humanely farmed eggs. I'm pesca-tarian, so eat dairy, but I really watch where my food comes from. Eggland's is not now nor will it be on my shopping list. I hope they don't ask us about that at the event, because I will be honest if questioned.

 

[shelsmaha]

NY25 what does pesca-tarian mean? I was veg for a long time and finally went vegan. I do miss the taste of eggs sometimes. They were my fav food! I am surprised with how so many of Cathes followers are into animal and enviromental rights that she would team up with a company like Eggland's Best.

 

[Afreet]

Yeah, I am a little unsure of what this whole partnership means...if I buy another Cathe workout, am I also supporting Eggland's Best? Because unfortunately, if that's what it means, I won't be buying any more Cathe anything.

I will be very, very, sad, but I guess the point of having an ethical position isn't to surrender it when it's inconvenient.

Hmm..now that I'm thinking about it, if she's actively promoting eggs and lending her image to a company that exploits animals for profit, that's about as un-vegan as it gets. Crap. I guess I'd better go cancel my pre-order.

 

[shelsmaha]

Afreet unfortunately that is how I am feeling also...I just can't get over being aligned with such a cruel company. My heart sank when I got the email

 

[poohpeggy]

I just googled Eggland Best cruelty...not good. I am bummed Cathe is doing this. Peggy

 

[lesliew1]

Well, I'm sorry you all feel this way and I admire your convictions, but Cathe isn't a vegan, nor does she have a large following of such. She wants her name out and this is money in the bank for her, so she probably sees it as a win-win situation. Maybe this question should be brought to her attention in the Ask Cathe forum. I'd be interested to read her opinion on the subject.

 

[pixiesis]

Well, I'm sorry you all feel this way and I admire your convictions, but Cathe isn't a vegan, nor does she have a large following of such.

And you know this how? And besides, vegans aren't the only people offended by the mistreatment of animals, so I'm sure there are more Cathe fans than you think who will find this upsetting.

Amy

 

[sparrow13]

I'm going to go hug my hens.

 

[GMonkey]

Well, I'm sorry you all feel this way and I admire your convictions, but Cathe isn't a vegan, nor does she have a large following of such. She wants her name out and this is money in the bank for her, so she probably sees it as a win-win situation. Maybe this question should be brought to her attention in the Ask Cathe forum. I'd be interested to read her opinion on the subject.

completely agree

 

[lesliew1]

And you know this how? And besides, vegans aren't the only people offended by the mistreatment of animals, so I'm sure there are more Cathe fans than you think who will find this upsetting.

Amy

Well, I know Cathe isn't a vegan, as she writes about eating turkey burgers and such, and I'm not referring to people who are offended by the mistreatment of animals in my post, I'm referring to vegans, and let's face it, they are a minority in the general population.

 

[crazystepr]

Drama, drama, drama.

*sigh*

You just can't please everyone.

 

[sparrow13]

I don't really see it as drama. Not supporting companies that practice animal cruelty is one of the major reasons I've gone veggie. I would never tell anyone else how to live or speak for anyone else but for me, and how I see the world, this is a real issue.

Sparrow

 

[LaughingWater]

I'm a brand new vegan (going into my 2nd month only).

I'm currently reading Being Vegan by Joanne Stepaniak. I assume most of you have read it, but in the event someone hasn't, she addresses ethical dilemmas like this.

I believe at one point, she mentions that if we can find a more compassionate alternative, then we should work to do so. If we cannot, however, then it is reasonable, and in fact preferable, to participate in a hobby or sport even if it isn't totally vegan. She used ice skating and the leather in ice skates as her example. She said the suffering one would create by giving up a beloved, stress-relieving activity would do more harm than buying maybe...used ice skates, keeping them as long as possible, and consistently writing to skate manufacturers about creating vegan alternatives.

Just something to think about.

 

[caseysmomgo]

I buy Eggland's Best Cage Free eggs. I thought letting hens roam free was humane treatment... I am a total animal lover, but I do eat eggs, and I looked this up out of curiosity and it doesn't sound that inhumane to me...but I'm really not well versed in the matter, so maybe I shouldn't even be speaking up....

www.egglandsbest.com/egglands-eggs/faq/hen-treatment.aspx

...but, it's a business decision and I applaud Cathe for expanding her fan base and getting the word out about how fabulous her workouts are. She has inspired a great many people and changed their lives for the better. She has my utmost respect and I will continue to buy anything she puts out there in the market.

I don't mean to offend anyone, but that's just my humble opinion.

Denise

 

[LaughingWater]

Denise, I thought "cage free" and "free range" meant cruelty-free too. Turns out this is something that isn't closely regulated, so companies can print these terms on their packaging yet still subject their animals to a shortened but cruel existence.

You wouldn't know any of this though unless you went specifically looking for the information. There's a huge disconnect between how we think we get our food, and how it is really produced. Linda McCartney summed it up nicely: "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, the whole world would be vegetarian."

 

[Govtgirl]

To start this off, I am a lacto-ovo (maybe 2 eggs a year at most!) vegetarian!

In this day and age, I think it is simply not possible to base your life and purchasing habits on whether or not the owners, CEOs and employees of companies have ethical compasses that point exactly the same way yours do. You may think you are, but you can't possibly be.

Some people seem to think "they know Cathe, the person". No, you don't. Maybe up until now you have had that luxury becasue she has been so accessible to everyone and giving of her time on this forum, but guess what, the woman runs a business, and the more that business takes off the less time she will have for you. Do you want her chit-chatting on the forum here, or out there producing more workout DVDs?

And do you know the whether or not the CEOs and presidents of the companies of the products you use eat eggs, use outsourcing from India, or always buy American?? If you are a vegetarian do you screen your plumber to make sure he doesn't eat meat before you have him unclog your sink ? If you don't, then that means you are supporting the killing of animals by giving him the money that you could have given to a "cruelty-free" plumber. Yes, that sounds ridiculous, but the concept is the same.

If you don't want to buy from Cathe anymore because she is promotes Eggland, that's your choice, but don't give yourself any illusions that the 1,000s of other products you use come from companies in 100% compliance in your beleifs. They can't possibly.

 

[sparrow13]

To start this off, I am a lacto-ovo (maybe 2 eggs a year at most!) vegetarian!

If you don't want to buy from Cathe anymore because she is promotes Eggland, that's your choice, but don't give yourself any illusions that the 1,000s of other products you use come from companies in 100% compliance in your beleifs. They can't possibly.

I think this is true to a point. We have to operate in the real world and sometimes make choices; most of us aren't in a position to live in a yurt and eat acorns. However, in my own experience I've found that a lot can be achieved in our day to day lives. With a little research and planning I have been able to bring a lot of my products in line with what I believe to be ethical. In some cases I've simply cut out products if I couldn't find an ethical alternative. When I have the info, be it about Eggland's Best or Hershey's, I have to make what I believe to be the ethical choice.

It's not perfect but it's a start.