The parents neglected their child, starved a 6-month-old infant and are going to spend the rest of their lives in jail for their crime. The fact of being vegan is irrelevant to the facts pertaining to the case, as the prosecutor has stated blatantly, yet the American media have crazed over headlining their articles “Vegan couple …” to serve life sentence for killing infant. We wouldn't report “Meat-eating couple …” in the same manner, so why the antagonism toward vegans? Would media get away with this headline if it read “Black couple ..”? Doubtful. This is all part of the ongoing campaign against vegans and their lifestyle that has refused, for animal rights or environmental or health reasons, to not eat any animal or a product derived from their bodies. It is, for most, an ethical choice, one that should not be belittled, just as one's choice to convert to another faith should not be. It is a personal decision. The media, however, must see it differently. Despite all the coverage of Bill Clinton's new vegan diet, which has made him healthier, have more energy and reduce his risk of heart disease dramatically, traditional media have taken it upon themselves to deride the vegan lifestyle at every chance they get. The case of this Atlanta couple – who were not ready to be parents and had not educated themselves on proper nutrition – and the press on Megan Fox's decision to start eating meat again – she obviously doesn't know how to eat properly – show the belief in mainstream media that vegans are the enemy. This couple's child was malnourished and, according to doctor's reports died of starvation due to a lack of essential ingredients. If we move past the fact a 6-week-old infant should probably be breastfed, the reality is there are numerous options available for those parents who wish to maintain a vegan diet while raising a child. Emily Deschanel has made good use of her celebrity to talk about this publicly. Instead, the media are focusing on a detail that is about as important as if they had been meat-eaters. Malnourished children are present across the globe, and it is the responsibility of parents to understand how they want to feed their children. “No matter how many times they want to say, ‘We're vegans, we're vegetarians,' that's not the issue in this case,” prosecutor Chuck Boring said during the trial. “The child died because he was not fed. Period.” If that is the case, then why the headline. For whatever reason, denying the facts on the ground about vegan eating, the media appears to have a grudge against vegans. It probably doesn't help that one of the organizations promoting the lifestyle has angered many over its campaigns in recent years, but for all the errors of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) they are correct that a vegan diet is a better one. Check it out for yourself and see. The China Study – conducted over 20 years by Oxford University, Cornell University and The Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine – has shown that meat consumption has put Americans on, literally, a deadly path. The study details the connection between nutrition, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. That doesn't sound so bad. For some reason the media loves to show vegans as being too skinny, unhealthy and “stupid” in their choices as human beings. The reality is there are fat vegans, just as LOST's Jorge Garcia, who has talked openly of his love for vegan dessert. Like any diet, being vegan must be complete, and everyone who starts the process must learn what essential items are necessary to keep them healthy. This couple would most likely had killed their baby had they been meat eaters. They were stupid and sadly it cost the life of a child. In the end, however, their crime should not be reduced to their vegan diet. The idea that vegan is bad must end. The media has a duty, whether they like it or not, to explain the facts of a vegan diet. Sure, scientists disagree, but choosing only one side only creates more ignorance. BM
