The Baltimore Vegan November Meetup

Please join us at Mr. Chan's for great food and stimulating conversation! Our group welcomes anyone who is interested in talking about any aspect of the vegan or veg lifestyle, including health, food preparation, compassion for animals, spirituality, activism, ecology, and more. Our meetings have been fun, lively, and supportive.

Mr. Chan has a wonderful selection of vegan menu options, probably the most of any Baltimore area restaurant. Try the vegan chocolate mousse for dessert!! Mmmmm good!

Mr. Chan is located on Reisterstown Road across the street from the old Pikes Theatre. There is often street parking available. And there is free parking behind the restaurant, and a public parking area adjacent to that lot.

Some of our members have said that they would like to be more adept at handling the questions and challenges (with reference to their lifestyle) that sometimes come their way. So if there's a question or special challenge you would like to discuss, we will be happy to engage on your topic. See below for some possible topics.

To which quotes or studies do you like to point to support the claims that veg*ns live longer and avoid the chronic diseases that kill most Americans? Do you know the key differences in body design between humans and true carnivores? Do you know which foods are eaten by the species to which we are most closely related?

How do you respond when someone says that it?s perfectly natural for certain species to eat other species, and that we veg*ns are out of touch with the real world, the natural world? And what about the lifestyle of the early Native Americans? Don?t they provide good eco-friendly role models for us? And aren't the Eskimos healthy, despite the fact that they eat a diet of nearly all animal flesh?

What evidence can you show people to prove that the common chronic diseases that kill Americans aren't caused primarily by bad genes, or by air pollution, or by exposure to electronic fields?

What makes you so certain that the reports and recommendations of government and other major institutional health agencies are attuned more to the bottom lines of big business than to the needs of the consumer? And if veg*n was clearly healthier for us, wouldn't that be more widely announced by the media?

Most of the world?s greatest athletes eat (or ate) meat. Doesn't that prove that we are natural meat eaters? What do you tell someone who says that you will never convince everyone to go vegetarian?

What do we tell those who justify meat eating by saying that the creator gave us dominion over animals, or that animals have no souls? How do we respond to those who say that they just don?t have the time to learn how to cook and eat in a new way?

Maybe you don't want to be a veg*n activist, but would like to have some of these questions answered for your own needs or curiosity. Feel free to join us at Mr. Chan!

What are some of the questions you have difficulty answering? Please bring a list, and we?ll see if we can help you come to a better understanding.

And please mark Saturday, Nov. 22nd, on your calendar. That is the date for the next Earthsave Baltimore Veg Dinner Series event. This will be our annual Turkey Free Celebration, with live music from Doug Mattingly, Don Robertson, and others. We will also have group discussion topics, cooking awards, and more! For more information, see http://earthsavebalti.... Hope to see you there!

You might also want to check out the Baltimore Vegetarian Meetup group, which is very similar to this one, but meets in Towson on the first Sunday of the month at noon. To register for those meetings, go to http://vegetarian.mee.... We think you will enjoy the great food and atmosphere, like-minded people, and lively, casual conversation.