veg·an (noun)
A person seeking a lifestyle that does "the least harm and the most good" (Also known as ahimsa). This lifestyle is free from animal products for the benefit of people, animals and the environment.

mi·li·tia (noun)
An army composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers.

ar·my (noun)
A large group of people organized for a specific cause.

The dictionary has eloquently stated the premises of my hopes here. I'm an unrepentant idealist, and I hope that never changes. All I want from my life is to know that I've done all I can to make a positive difference for the things I believe in. I'm still figuring out exactly where I fit in the grand scheme of things, but I know I am called to promote veganism/animal rights. This website encompasses my continually growing knowledge, a desire to affect change, and a media I work well with. It's a good combination.

By definition, vegans are an army of citizens organized to work towards a lifestyle that will benefit everyone. The purpose of this site is to spread the ideals of veganism and to grow that loose militia. There's a wealth of misinformation circulating, and maybe even more unfortunately, a lot of nonspecific anger towards vegans. I've read some of the most ridiculous and totally groundless accusations hurled at vegans, and I know it comes from ignorance. When the only exposure a person has to veganism is reading about the tragedy of the negligent vegan parents who nearly starved their child, it's no wonder omnivores use anger as a way to write off veganism. That horrible news story alone may be enough in someone's mind to decide that all vegans are stupid, malnourished, and fanatical. That's certainly no excuse to write off a million humans without trying to learn about their beliefs, but I can understand the shock and anger some anti-vegans feel. If you don't know both sides to the story, you can't make an informed opinion.

When someone unfamiliar with veganism does a Google search for information, I have my fingers crossed that they will end up here and I'll have covered enough information to at least lead them in the right direction. Ditto for aspiring and even old skool vegans.

A note on my writing style... It's greatly toned down from the last version of the site, but my beliefs are uncompromising and that often leads to me sounding like a big old jerk. In my search for information I was disappointed to see a lot of very calm vegans. It's a bit of a joke that you can tell the newbie vegans from the ones who have been at it for a while by the amount of 'vegan rage' they display. The newbies being more angry and militant, and the veterans having cooled down after time. I find that as I learn more I become more appalled and my sense of urgency increases. Knowing that 25 billion lives a year (just in the US) are snuffed out by omnivores gets me riled up. I don't want to be placating or "catch more flies with honey", I want to tell it like it is. I want to get everyone out of their comfort zone and up making a change. My intent is never to alienate or anger anyone, but instead to motivate change and a search for more knowledge.

On a quick technical note I get all of my information from various publications and websites. Throughout the site I often times provide a link to my source, or name the book(s) that will provide more information. The facts are staggering, aren't they? I sometimes wonder if I could write a sci-fi novel with figures like these and not make it sound ridiculous and apocalyptic.

Personal information is located here, and anything not covered can be asked. I hope you enjoy your stay, and more importantly I hope it motivates you to make a positive change!