Vegans in the news

Why is it when vegans are in the news it is something horrible? Why are there never any articles about normal vegan going about their lives, making a difference in the world? Why is it always weirdo vegans? Weirdo vegans make the world think that all vegans are freaks.

Case in point: Couple in France who were vegan and their 11 month old baby died. Most of the articles I read started with the fact that the baby was—gasp! still being breastfed. However, many health organizations recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, including:

• The American Academy of Pediatrics
• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• The American Academy of Family Physicians
• The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
• The World Health Organization
• The United Nations Children’s Fund

In fact, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, continuing as long as mother and baby wish, while the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or longer.

They were claiming that the baby was vitamin deficient so therefore the mother’s milk was deficient therefore the vegan diet must be suspect. Yes, a person who doesn’t eat well can be low on nutrients. You could be a vegan and live on fries and coke. But most of the vegans I know (including us) eat a well balanced diet with more fruit and veg and wholegrains than any omnivore we know. Our cholesterol is normal, we don’t have a myriad of heath problems due to inadequate diet. We are bursting with vitality and energy. Yes, I do take a B-12 supplement. What of it? 99% of my vitamins and minerals come from beautiful, colourful, healthy food.
This where regular and weirdo vegans get mixed up. If I had a cold I would probably take echinacea and zinc and drink orange juice and breathe steam and rest. Nothing wrong with that. If the cold turned into a sinus infection or bronchitis I would see a doctor who would give me antibiotics. No problem there. But this couple only believed in homeopathic meds. When their baby got a respiratory infection, instead of taking the baby to hospital the couple tried to treat her with cabbage and clay poultices and massages with camphor and garlic oil. Again, freaking weirdo vegans making us regular vegans look like nutjobs when in reality we are just people who care  passionately about food and the planet and the welfare of all God’s creatures.

Why are there never any articles about that?