Quite a few members of our Blue Valley Southwest community are choosing a different path when it comes down to what they consume in their daily diet.

For most, they choose the road decked out with ham, chicken, sausage, pork, beef, and all other meaty entrées their little hearts desire. While, for the handful who choose the road made up of veggies, veggies and more veggies, meat isn’t included in their ‘array’ of choices.

When a person shares the fact that they are a type of vegetarian, many comments are thrown around, be them good or bad. Some are praised, with such things as ‘oh, you are so committed!’ and others are harassed for their lifestyle choice by some who say ‘that’s so stupid, you just want to seem cool.’

For those of you who bash these people with a greater commitment to their diet and compassion towards animals than most people have towards anything, you need to grow up.

Sure, some people may do it for the heck of it or because they simply don’t like meat, so they just go with the name. Does this necessarily mean they are in it for the attention?

For some, their life revolves completely around the world of vegetarianism.

From food to furniture, even to footwear, some of vegetarians, known as ‘vegans’, go far beyond the dietary aspects in order to protect animals and the environment.

Such things take serious commitment and dedication, more so than most think. Don’t judge these vegetable-consuming superstars by their choice in grub, they deserve more respect than many give them.

Cutting out meat isn’t a sin, it is merely a step in the right direction, for health reasons and a big ol’ thank you from the cows and chickens.

Many people do not understand why or what is seen as ‘bad’ in the food industry and meat production. What many of these skeptics are unaware of is the inhumane conditions these poor animals are suffering through before headed to the slaughter-house.

After being shoved into small, crammed cages with no room to roam and fed chemically enhanced ‘feed’, the fat and unhealthy animals are shipped off to their doom. Personally, I can’t blame the vegetarians of the world for not wanting to encourage such disturbing actions to be inflicted on innocent animals, it just is not right or accepted by most.

So, stand up and give a vegetarian a hug, tell them you appreciate their commitment and respect their decisions.

I admire all those vegetarians of the world, and wish that, one day, I would be able to have such commitment for something I believe in. So rock on, veggie-lovers, and keep doing your thing, one tofu burger at a time.