Now thats telling him!! How quickly he forgets though, did you guys not send him a simular one last month? Just goes to show a large percent of people in this world DON'T know what the heck is "Vegan"! We should all have it as screen savers on our computers... just automatically comes on!! Go- Veg anyone!!

Posted by: Carla | February 14, 2008 12:32 PM

A good letter, but saying he looked "completely clueless" was a bit harsh. Most of us would take that as an insult—not the best way to develop a rapport.

Posted by: Mike Quinoa | February 14, 2008 12:33 PM

That's awesome that you took the opportunity, PETA, but why in the world was someone asking him if he was vegan?

Posted by: Canaduck | February 14, 2008 12:34 PM

The comment about worrying about a cellmate totally destroyed the letter. It was unnecessary and a cheap shot and had nothing to do with the point you otherwise claimed to want to make. If you had left that out, the letter would come across as a well-intentioned effort at education.

So I assume that your goal wasn't really to educate or reach out to those who have never heard of vegan but merely to poke him in the eye and get a laugh for your staff while hoping that someone in the media will be amused enough to give you a little blurb.

Posted by: Mabel | February 14, 2008 01:14 PM

This is a really great letter.
But I must tell you.
I go to a few partys here and there and there are people there that eat no meat of any kind, and I told one man how did it feel being a Vegan.
He had no idea what I was talking about.
There are so many people out there that do not eat meat for the right reason "Ethics".
And they no nothing about PETA.
They do now.
But these people are so busy working with their nose to the ground that the only thing they listen to is T.V.
I went home and got in my box that PETA sent me about a year ago and stapled the papers all together and handed the packets out.
That's one way too kill a party. LOL not
But they keep inviting us back. and I bring my PETA PAPERS.
I DON't GIVE A DARN WHERE I AM
I HAND THOSE PAPERTS OUT.
Jack, by the way ,I need more, please. LOL

Posted by: Judith, Freedom Fighter for Animals | February 14, 2008 02:10 PM

I think they asked him that because he was saying that his trainer gave him "vitamin B12 injections," not steroid or HGH injections.

:)

Posted by: Emily | February 14, 2008 02:59 PM

Hey Jack, no problem, it was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.

I swear he looked like he was gonna pass out.

Maybe you can attach a clip from the hearing, where they are asking him the question. Then I can watch it again, and everyone else can be amused, too.

Poor Roger...heh. Not to get political, but heard that he would get pardoned if charged. He is friends with G.W.B., you know, the big guy in the white house.

Posted by: Tamara | February 14, 2008 03:27 PM

Wow, I'd love to see his face when he actually reads that letter.
But, I'd think he's already stressed out enough.

Posted by: Deepshikha | February 14, 2008 05:19 PM

Question about the loads of athletes who are vegan: Was Carl Lewis vegan for only a year? Why did he quit it? It seems like if he was vegan for only a year out of a very long career, then being Olympian of the Century has nothing to do with his diet; even if his year as a vegan was his best year, he won year after year despite eating meat most of that time. Besides Carl, the letter only lists 3 athletes that people who aren't fans of that particular sport would likely never have heard of. If there are loads of vegan athletes, the list of examples ought to include some bigger names!

Posted by: Ashes | February 14, 2008 05:36 PM

The clip was the moment of Zen on The daily show tonight... Pretty funny stuff...

Peace.

Posted by: Hitchjr | February 14, 2008 11:34 PM

Ashes,

This should answer your questions.

"In fact, my best year of track competition was the first year I ate a vegan diet. Moreover, by continuing to eat a vegan diet, my weight is under control, I like the way I look. I began eating vegan for health reasons and continue primarily because of that."
- Carl Lewis.

Three of the higher profile vegan athletes are Dr. Ruth Heidrich (vegan for 24 years), Scott Jurek (vegan since 1999) and Pat Reeves (vegan for forty years).

Ruth is a six-time Ironman triathlon finisher, holder of more than 900 gold medals from every distance from 100-metre dashes to 5 kilometre road races to ultramarathons and triathlons. She has completed more than 60 marathons all over the world, including Boston, New York and Moscow, and has held three world fitness records in her age group at the Cooper Clinic in Texas.

Scott finished first in the Western States 100 mile endurance run 7 years in a row (1999-2005 and all on vegan fuel). Scott finished first in the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon in 2005 and 2006, as well as setting a course record. In 2006 he won the 246K Greek Spartathlon, and in 2007 came first at the Hardrock Hundred (as well as setting a course record).

British female power-lifter Pat Reeves was a vegan for ten years before beginning her career in powerlifting in the late 1980s. In addition to once holding the world title, Pat is European champ and has retained the British Masters competition for the last ten years.

Posted by: Mike Quinoa | February 15, 2008 03:18 PM

Steve: PETA's goal is helping ANIMALS, not HUMANS. I donate money to PETA to help animals and that is how I, and all other contributors, expect it to be spent. If you want to help humans, find another website. Also--I fail to see how your "experiment" proves anything re: veganism. Can you explain that?

Posted by: Antigone1000 | February 16, 2008 01:36 PM

I caught that question at the hearings, too "Are you a vegetarian? Are you a vegan?"
What's up with THAT? (They must be trying to determine whether or not he's a domestic terrorist?? :-)
But why ask if he's a vegan in a 'roid trial?

Posted by: Susannah S | February 16, 2008 05:26 PM

Steve,

You're welcome to think what you want to think. Your reference to your obviously flawed (by your own admission) statistical study bears no relevance.

I think a few vegan athletes (my post above yours, Feb 15) would beg to differ with your assessment that "Being Vegan does not make you healthy". You can, of course, be a vibrant or a sickly vegan. It all boils down to eating healthfully.

You said, "Suicide is second only to vehicle accidents as the most significant cause of death in australian farming communities."

Is that any different anywhere else in the world for a given age group? Canada and the USA have more suicides than Australia.

Posted by: Mike Quinoa | February 17, 2008 01:12 PM

Why exactly does anybody give a rat's ass about Roger Clemens? If he's not proven guilty, which is 99% impossible, nobody's gonna wanna be associated with him anyway. He's always been an asshole.

Posted by: e | February 18, 2008 08:48 PM