I think one of the reasons people hate vegans so much is because so long as we aren’t around, they aren’t really making a decision. In a group of meat eaters, no one is having to decide about whether or not to partake in eating flesh, it is the rule and the norm of the group and involves no moral judgement. But as soon as a vegan arrives, suddenly there are those who eat animals and those who don’t. A distinction must be made and staying in that group becomes a moral decision; suddenly they go from just “eaters,” to “meat eaters” and it is no longer an unnamed norm.

This is why a vegan can be silent and still be accused of shoving their beliefs down people’s throats. It’s why a vegan can be a “live and let live” apologist and still be resented. This is why they mock us, revile us and try to derail our posts. Consciously or not, we remind them that eating animals is a choice.