Do you ever find yourself compromised?

Michellenman

Just wondering if you ever find yourself in a situation where your vegetarianism is compromised? I don't eat meat or fish and I don't eat or use anything (knowingly) that has been made from animals or fish.

But... I work in a shoe shop. Now, I don't wear leather or suede or sheepskin shoes or insoles myself, I make a point of buying shoes/boots that are not made from animals but sometimes I'm forced to sell these animal derrived products to customers. If a customer comes in to buy leather shoes, I have to sell them to her if I want to keep my job. I do my best to suggest alternatives and I rarely sell leather insoles because I make a point of pushing the latex ones if someone is looking for insoles at all but sometimes it can't be helped.

So I guess I was just wondering if anyone else finds themselves in a similar situation, something they have to do but that goes against their vegetarianism/veganism. Anyone else?

Sapsorrow

I'm sure theres thousands, anyone who works in a cafe or supermarket for example who serves/sells meat products. You're not compromising yourself by working in a shoe shop though, it's your personal decision to be a vegetarian and it's the customers personal decision to buy leather shoes. It doesn't really have anything to do with you. If you were supplying leather shoes wholesale to shoe shops it'd be a bit different!
My boyf got desperate for work a while back and had a brief stint working as a delivery man selling fish and frozen meats (he quit after a few weeks awful awful work), the deicision wasn't taken lightly by him and he wasn't very happy about it but these are desperate times and any jobs a good job at this rate. I'm sure plenty of people who believe in the organic movement or buying local foods thing have had to compromise their values and start buying tesco value with people losing their jobs left right and centre. The main thing is to do your best not to cause any harm as much as you can within your own means.

Michellenman

That was just my own example. I was just wondering if anyone else has found themselves in a situation where they've had to go against their personal choices really. I get what you mean though, it's not me who'd buying the shoes

Vegan Wannabe

A stint making coffee.I never felt I was being a hypocrite though. I needed money. The lonely soya milk stayed in the fridge for most of my year there! It never ever crossed my mind to suggest it to someone though. That would be crossing the line. ( Unless it was a veg / vegan establishment)

I used to find out for certain if the soup in the cafe was veggie friendly though.

If your work makes you feel that guilty you may need to rethink it- after the recession!!I flat share. I don't drink milk but would I buy them a litre of milk if I knew we were out? Hell Yeah. I'll even make my boyf bacon butties. Hmm I sound like the worst vegetarian ever!

Michellenman

I'm not saying I feel guilty... I dunno how to explain it really... Like, I don't feel a particular urge to spread vegetarianism. In fact, despite being vegetarian for almost a year only a few of my friends know, because I don't go on about it.

And you're right, pushing the soya milk over the regular milk would be crossing the line. When I said that I recommend the latex insoles I don't mean that I forced people to buy insoles, what I mean is that when both cost the same and do the same job and someone is going to buy them anyway I just recommend the latex ones. If the person wants the leather ones, fair enough.

I guess I was just wondering what other situation could arise that would compromise it, doesn't necessarily have to be in regards to working.

Vegan Wannabe

I grew up on a beef/ tillage farm. I never really did farm work. But maybe helping to move animals into a shed knowing that they're being sent off to slaughter. I've done that.

entropi

I dont usually feel compromised as a veggie, we do have a large leather corner sofa thing that sits 6 or 7 in the sitting room, i wouldnt expect any vegans to be sitting on it tho!:) Sometimes i have to explain why i am reading ingredients from food/drinks wrappers to some friends or strangers but i dont mind it really. In general i dont think i should do much compromising but i do sometimes wander into tesco to buy some stuff...

Vegan Wannabe

In general I never feel that i'm put in a difficult position. I've found Ireland to be veggie friendly. Vegan friendly now i'm not too sure!
I was going to mention the leather couch example!

Crumble Froo

ive been vegetarian for a few years, and antivivisectionist for about two years, ill refuse to buy anything that's been tested on animals as long as i have a choice. (e.g., can't get suncream in new zealand that hasn't been tested on animals ), but i do work in a hepatitis c clinic, and work relatively closely with Roche, the pharmaceutical giants who manufacture the only hepatitis c medications used in new zealand. we get resources sponsored by them, and refer people on to use their product. im in the middle of writing up an information pack, that's probably going to get published, sponsored by roche. :x

i hate it, i really do, but what can i do? i love my job, i love the good work we do with and for people, but i do hate the compromise of certain beliefs of mine.

ContyHooks

My last job I worked in a company who had thousands of clients some of which were mcdonalds, kfc, galtee, to name a few. Companies who were not exactly known for their ethical treatment of animals. It didn't feel right working supplying a service to make those companies more money when I thought about it. I'm not working there any more (for a different reason) but I did for a while and was always conscious of it.

BickNarry

I wear two pairs of Docs that i got before I was veggie,in fact my buddy robbed em for me so I didn't even pay for em.And i simply don't have the money to go and replace em for pleather ones.Meat eaters love to point that out,but what would I accomplish by throwing em out?More waste.I wouldn't serve meat,or cook it for anyone.I haven't touched it in two years,however,the amount of times ive forgotten that jellies have animal by products in em....numberous.Didn't even know since bout 2 months ago!