There are some very ignorant people

I get so tired of people who are completely ignorant of what it means to be a vegetarian or a vegan trying to tell me I am wrong or that I am a hypocrite for caring.

It's not as though I go out of my way to shove my beliefs down people's throats: I hate having to constantly argue the same thing over and over and so I'd personally much rather keep quiet about my lifestyle choices until challenged. And if I am challenged I will, of course, fight my corner. Why people then claim that I am being preachy is beyond me.

If I found out a friend was a Buddhist I wouldn't start demanding to know why and try and prove them wrong on every point they make. First of all I respect their choice to believe in something, secondly because it'd be rude to do so. But let's say for the sake of argument I DID challenge them and they beat me back on every point that I made. I wouldn't then tell them that they're being preachy because I INITIATED THE DISCUSSION.

When I go out to do the shopping and choose not to buy milk, eggs or meat, it does not affect what any omnivores do. So why do they feel the need to argue my lifestyle choices? I don't tell them what to do and they have no right to tell me what to do. The only reason I can think of is that my moral choices have forced them to inconveniently consider their own, and as they don't want to have to think about whether it is right or wrong to slaughter animals their knee-jerk reaction is to attack my own choices.

If people want to debate the morals with me in a calm discussion, that's fine. What I am sick of is all of the ridiculous comments claiming I am a hypocrite, or preachy, or don't know what I am talking about, or that somehow my moral decisions DO affect them.

I wish they'd all go away and do some reading and then get back to me on the matter.