I'm a vegetarian, what can I use as a good comeback?

Question

The question I posted before about a vegetarian eating shrimp got a lot of answers saying that I should stay away from eating any seafood. When I told my parents I would not be eating it my mom was totally supportive but my dad on the other hand said...

Dad: "Psssst come on it lives in the sea"

Me: "Yea but it suffers when it is drown by air"

Dad: "Oh does a grape suffer too when it is pulled off the vine??"

What can I say next time he bugs me about this?

Answer 1

Just ignore him!

its childish but it proves to be the best response,

i've been a vegetarian for 3yrs for some time i ate seafood because it was an easy way to maintain essential vitmains minerals and nutrients but i later chose to just stick to vegetables. My father isn't that accepting of me being a vegetarian, but more out of concern for my health there are alot of health risks associated with being a vegetarian, namely: iron deficiency

but as long as your eating the qppropriate foods like lentils and mushrooms you should be able to maintain your health but be careful if you dont understand the importance of a proper vegetarian diet your health could suffer

dont be bothered by your dad he probrably just worried about your health :)

Answer 2

Maybe next time you can say to your Dad that he is an uneducated oaf. That tends to shut men up

OR

Depending of course, on how much pocket money you want from him this year!:

"Grapes don't feel pain as they don't have a brain..........and nor do you".

Fish have central nervous systems, so they can feel pain when suffocating or having a hook removed.

Grapes don’t have central nervous systems.

Besides that, you should stay away from seafood because most of it contains high levels of mercury and pesticides from pollution.

.

Answer 3

Say "In fact, yes it does." and just leave it at that. Plants live, right??

Answer 4

Tell him it's your body and your choice what you put into it.

Answer 5

Tell him that just because he helped to give birth to you, doesn't mean he owns your life, in a respectful way of course.  Tell him to please respect the good things you want for yourself or are getting out of life.

He just might be concerned because he is not educated in this area.  So buy him a book on this matter.  You could take him to a slaughter house.  eeeew!!!  

Those places will make anyone rethink their eating habits.  Honestly.~~

Just educate him and ask him to be supportive.  If he doesn't than just don't get into those kinds of confrontations.  Pretend your listening, but let it go in one ear and out the other!!

My dad don't care.  As long as I'm happy and healthy, that's what matters to him.

If he keeps bugging you, then just start up a conversation about being a vegetarian.  Be consistent, so maybe he will tire of bugging you.

mm

Answer 6

Just tell him you don't want to eat it. Go ahead and mention a central nervous system if you want to. Most likely he's just worried about you getting all the nutrition that you need. Just assure him that you are.

Answer 7

Say "Gee dad, since when did grapes have central nervous systems? Since when have they been able to feel pain?"

Answer 8

grapes don't feel pain they don't have a brain

Answer 9

"No grapes are inanimate objects they have no life, no feelings, no heart unlike fish which have all three until u take it away"

Answer 10

tell ur DAD to grow up!

Answer 11

Your comeback should be, "I choose not to eat animals but it's fine if you choose to do differently".

There are no good comebacks when it comes to talking to people about vegetarianism.

Answer 12

if he is large then say "you know, at least I'm not a f****s"

or you could be mature and go into the fact that fruits and vegetables are not sentient, and therefore do not feel pain, they do not suffer

Answer 13

Tell your father it is a part of being consistant to your beliefs. You are a vegetarian, that means you don't eat any animals - fish are still animals, and so are insects. You can have any other biological kingdom of life - anything from plants to yeasts - but you can't have anything biologically classified as an animal.

Also, explain to him that a distinguishing characteristic of most animals are the ability to feel pain. Animals have nervous tissue, nerves, brains and oftentimes visible reactions to pain - from cries of pain to other physiological reactions.

Plants, however, do not experience any pain, plants are nowhere near as complicated as animals biologically. If they have a reaction to someone plucking their fruit off of their bodies, it is strictly chemical and doesn't translate past basic cellular activity. There is no brain, no complicated nervous system, that will translate the outward stimulus into pain.

Animals feel and register pain like we do, it is just as horrible as it is for us, and most animals are also very innocent and child-like in their ability to understand. Pigs have the intelligence of 3 year old children, most cats and dogs range between one and three year old children. A fish and an infant child can feel pain in exactly the same way, and it is horrifying and puzzling and terrible through and through. Harming an animal because it seems less intelligent is just as cruel as abusing a child because they are stupid or too young to remember. At the moment the abuse and pain occurs, they feel it in all the same agony that we can.

Ask your father, cynically, if he really thinks a plant can feel pain. Now ask him if he knows that fish have brains and nervous systems and can feel pain. No plants do, meanwhile.

Also, just as a side note, eating plant life is usually the only way for a plant to keep living - meanwhile when you eat an animal, it's dead forever. Most plants are colored attractively solely to attract animals to their fruit and seeds.

An example of this: if a gorilla were to pick a fruit from a tree and eat it, he would eventually have to poo. The fruit seeds would come out, undigested, and would fall to the ground, along with fertilizer (poo). The plant the fruit grew on would still be alive, and having animals eat it's fruit gives the plant the ability to reproduce and live on. Meanwhile, eating an animal is eating death through and through. A cycle of life does not perpetrate or continue on.

Maybe instead of quick one liners and puns, honestly talk to your dad about what vegetarianism means to you and explain to him that you just want to follow it in all aspects. If your dad has a religious belief, ask him if it makes sense for him to be that religion (let us say Christian) six days a week, but take Sunday off and instead worship a completely different religion instead. Ask him if it makes sense to live your life along to very clearly defined beliefs and principles, and then toss them aside on a whim now and then.

Say that vegetarianism, like any belief or philosophy, is for life and you can't just "let it go" or "get over it", just like he can't "get over" his own philosophies and beliefs because of the pressure of others. Then, ask him to love and tolerate you and leave you alone, you aren't hurting anyone.

Answer 14

hah, he made a point, an absolutely valid point, everything we eat suffers...no matter how silly or stupid it is.

anyways, a good comeback can be to ignore him..not really a comeback but still....good luck

Answer 15

It depends on why he's giving you a hard time. If it's because he's worried about your health, print out some info from a good website and show him you know how to eat right w/o eating meat. You also might mention to him that shrimp is high in cholesterol.

If it's because he just doesn't approve of vegetarianism, there is little you can say. You might try "I don't bug you about your dietary choices, why bug me about mine?"

Answer 16

Sounds like your dear ol' dad is just trying to yank your chain, and if you GIVE him a comeback, then he knows he has got you.  Your best bet would be just to give him a sweet smile, a kiss on the cheek, then say "oh, dad, you are such a fud-you just wouldn't understand".  It confuses them when they don't get the reaction they want, lol.

Answer 17

It is best to be quiet and not say a word.  Your mom will talk to him after you have left the room.

Answer 18

stick to fish, that what vegetarian do

Answer 19

they must (grapes) because they turn to wine!  So should you drink that??