Language matters.  Words have power and meaning.  As an undergraduate majoring in French, I had to understand the subtleties and nuances of words having multiple meanings, both of which could be correct at the same time.  When translating a foreign language, translators have the daunting task of picking only one of the meanings.  For example in French, the word flamme literally translated to English means a flame from a fire, but it can also figuratively mean flames of passion.  A particular scene in the novel Madame Bovary illustrates this point.  When read in the original French, both meanings work. However, in the translated English version, they had to use the literal translation, losing the subtlety and nuance of the scene. As a law student, I became even more practiced at the use of words.  The distinction between using “and” versus “or” can have a huge effect in a legal document. Exact meanings had to be made as clear as possible.  Because of my education, I am a stickler for proper wording.

As a vegan I find language to be incredibly important and something with which we all need to become more skilled.  When I see a product labeled “vegetarian” and look at the ingredients only to find (dairy) cream or eggs in it, I wonder what plant these came from.  My biggest pet peeve however is when, after reading a menu at a non-vegan restaurant, a vegan says, “there is nothing here I can eat.”  My sticking point is with the word, “can.” Let’s be honest, we can eat anything.  Eating simply requires putting something in your mouth, chewing and swallowing.  To say you can’t eat something is saying you a physically incapable of doing it. It harkens back to elementary school and asking your teacher if you can go to the bathroom.  We have all heard the famous reply, “I don’t know, can you?”  What is meant in this situation is, “may I go to the bathroom?” We are looking for permission. In the restaurant situation, to say there is nothing you can eat means you are incapable of ingesting anything, and I sincerely hope that is not the problem.

I challenge all of us to stop using this phrase.  The comment, “there is nothing here I can eat,” is very defeating. It makes the speaker seems powerless, almost a victim. Take your power back. Show everyone you are making a choice in what you put into your body.  Instead we should say, “there is nothing here I choose to eat,” or “I won’t eat anything here.”  Using this phrasing shows that we are in control of what we choose to eat.  And remember, while many menus don’t have specifically vegan options, we can often find things that can be made vegan.

Saying, “there is nothing here I can eat,” is an easy way to avoid being seen as a difficult and, more importantly, is not what we truly mean. By affirmatively declaring that a restaurant has nothing we would choose to eat, we are calling attention to ourselves. We are forcing the people we are with to acknowledge our choices.  We need to step out of the shadows and stop being so polite all the time. We need to make our voices heard. And if the people we are with don’t like it, then tough.  How others react to our speaking our truth says very little about us, but speaks volumes about them.  When we make an affirmative declaration of our choice to not consume animals, their products and secretions, the people we are with are forced to confront their own choices to do so.  Sure, it might result in fewer invitations to dine out, but it might also get others to really examine what they are eating, too.  People might start to look at menus from a different perspective, and who knows where that could lead?  Perhaps the next time you are making plans to go out with non-vegans they will look at the menu first or even call the restaurant and ask what vegan options are available.   The more we speak up, the more the message of veganism will be heard.  Our silence is a luxury the animals cannot afford.