Now keep in mind, this *isn't* a hypothetical situation. But it could be. Earlier tonight, I ordered food from a Chinese place. A Tofu and Vegetable Chow Mei Fun (rice noodle stir fry), with no egg added. I gave my friend 7 bucks (he ordered it) and told him to bring it to my room when it got here. So 45 minutes later, it gets brought over, and he's like "hey man, look, they put eggs in that shit," and sure enough, there's eggs in it. Now, I'm vegan. So this is the thing. I want YOUR help (collectively), to think through this situation, morally. What, exactly, should I do. My vegan stance comes from animal cruelty. I don't eat meat, eggs, etc. because of the way they are obtained. And I make it a point to not give my money to organizations for products that they use animal cruelty to obtain. I decided a while back that, I WILL give money to a company that offers a vegan product, even if they also offer non-vegan products. In doing so, the vegan products will gain (ever so slightly) more popularity, and perhaps their business focus will change a bit; that's the good I see in it. The bit that troubles me is, this has egg, and it's already paid for; there's nothing I can do about it at this point. I'm also against wasting. If an animal has already suffered to produce a product, it is better to use that product for what it was intended than it is to waste that product. The exception to that ideal being food such as meat and egg, because they are not healthy (and if this were not the case, the average vegan would not live 15 years longer than the average omnivore). So, here are my options: I can eat the mei fun, without eating the egg; I can pick that out. I am not bothered that much by the egg being stir fried in there, for the same reason I don't care much about using an oil frier that is used to cook things like chicken fingers in, which is the same reason why I still support organizations that offer both vegan and non-vegan products. The little bit of egg that might be on the rest of it is trivial as far as health concern goes. And, this way, I am not wasting the food that has already been paid for. I don't have a car to take back the mei fun, so that limits my other option, to take it back. Even if I could take it back, they are closed right now, and I doubt they would even give me my money back in the morning. Or, I can just not eat it, because it has egg in it. For all you fellow vegans, or vegetarians who have considered veganism, or anyone who has a CONSTRUCTIVE viewpoint, I want your thoughts, to think this moral dillemma through a bit. I want to come to a sound conclusion as to what should be done in situations like these.
hmmm... They are all very good points. I think you have thought about this well and I am fond of your reasoning I dont think youre doing a disservice to the cause if you eat it, you seemed to have justfied your reasons for why you would eat it and I think your making the best out of a tricky situation. I think maybe youre best not order from there any more to avoid future dillemas I did have one question though, of you consider meat and animal derived products to be in the same leauge in matters of cruelty and mistreatment, applying the same argument as above, technically you would still be justified in eating it had they put bacon in it.... So my question, considering the above : paid for, not wanting to waste it, not being able to exchange it, to you is would you eat it if it had meat in it? Perhaps you should see if you can feed it to a vegetarian friend in exchange for their lunch tomorrow...
god...cute and smart... do you have an older clone? I have single friends..... but to your comment: I see the similar paradox, and I also tend not to make waves with meals i buy out as 99 percent have some "contamination." having said that, here goes stream of consciousness: you did not intend to have the animal product. you did not order it. lesson learned for next time to verify on the phone and when the pick up is made "no eggs." claim allergy, claim whatever. you will do no good wasting it, unless you have a street beggar who could use the meal. Paul and I often would overcook when we first got together as he took months to realize my idea of a portion (1/4 of his) we fed lots of hungry hippies at the campground. If you have no one to pawn it off on, you are faced with eat or toss. To me wasting food that is so close to your limits is very close to scandalous. My personal issue is rennet cheese. Stray bits get picked out. I cannot eat much of it (see portion control comment above) and the heaviness means leftovers...of something I don't wish to eat. I will toss no more than 1/3 but I consider the neighbors neglected dog an option for disposal. in that situation, I would have picked the egg out.
Even if you had a car, taking the meal back would have only resulted in them throwing away the entire meal, rather than just the egg. It is against the law to resell it to another person. I'm faced with this pretty much everyday because I am a cook at a restaurant... If I over/under cook a steak by even a little... it gets thrown in the garbage. Restaurants are very picky about these things. So in my mind that option is ruled out... I would rather waste only the egg that the noodles, vegetables, etc. At this point I guess it comes down to how you arrange you priorities and how you let your morals affect them. Are you so strongly against consumption that you would actually see the natural resources, energy, and human effort gone into making this egg wasted if you dispose of it? Or do you choose to avoid wasting the egg by eating it because, disposed of or not, the rest of the world would not know any difference. Or you could have just given it to your friend who so bluntly stated taht there was egg in it
Lol ... I have a long story of how this turned out ... Well my friend ended up eating it for breakfast in the morning while I was asleep. Anyway, I called them back earlier today around 1PM, and got hung up on FOUR TIMES and was threatened with calling the cops (all of this *by the manager*) by the Chinese place I ordered from, so we got together a couple guys and went down to the place, where we confronted the manager and he finally decided not to be a shithead and to make us two new mei fun's without eggs. I just finished eating it, and it was mucho delicious, but that place won't ever be getting my business again, nor anyone's on my dorm floor. So I guess all's well that ends well. Thanks for the feedback, all of you ... (haha, sorry drumminmama I'm the eldest child and my sister is a demon-spawn ... not that age matters ). I think I'd probably have ended up picking the egg out of it and eating it. I just really don't like situations like this because there's something bad about each choice.
Me personally, I'd have seen if anyone wanted to eat that one so it wasn't wasted, and then called & complained... UNLESS you didn't have anything else to eat at the moment, at which point I'd have picked the egg out & eaten it myself. I don't agree with wasting food either. But now what do I do with the 16lb turkey in my freezer??? The food shelf won't take it, and nobody in my house really likes turkey. (sigh) love, mom
I would have just picked the egg out, simply because I hate the taste, have no desire to let egg enter my body and I don't want to waste food. And I'd give the egg bits to a friend (unless they're vegan too).
Hikky, I'm usually impressed with how you think things out. I don't give out as many compliments as I should on here, and I'll work on that. But you are a clever young man with his head straight. Don't you think that all survival choices are between bad and potentially worse? We are fleas on mama earth's skin. And she is going to Roll Over.
Well, thank you! =) I suppose that is true, about survival choices ... still, it SUCKS that we have to make such choices. *shakes fist at the sky* Why can't the world just be perfect?! I mean, come on, guy upstairs!!
Hey Joshers, even though i already read how it turned out.... I would definitely just find someone else to eat it, as to not waste it.... Picking out the eggs is just as wasteful to the chicken, in my opinion, so I wouldn't go with that. But, I wouldn't want to eat it either.... so, I'd definitely just first, try to find someone else to eat it. Even refridgerate it, if I couldn't find someone else to take it that night or something...hehe. Anyway. That's my two cents, even though it's already resolved.
Yeah, the reason I wouldn't eat the eggs is because of health. Granted that, if an animal suffers for a product which is as good as any other product ... a leather belt, or prime rib, or whatever ... If an animal suffers for, say, an egg, but the egg doesn't do me any good physically, there's no point in really eating it myself, is there? Better wasted and not having a bad effect on me, than eaten. But of course better than both of those choices is giving it to someone else ...
I don't have much input at this point, but thanks, Hikaru, for bringing up this issue! It's great to see lots of vegetarians' opinions on that sort of thing. ~Nova
I definitely would have tried my best to find someone to eat it too. I couldn't eat something with eggs in it, moreso for health too and I don't find them appealing at all.
I definitely would have tried my best to find someone to eat it too. I couldn't eat something with eggs in it, moreso for health too and I don't find them appealing at all. Its late and I can't think of anything more constructive to say!
