i think its more the land it takes to raise the crops to feed the animals (that also take up land---unless you want to cram them into 3x5x5 cages)
A republican in my office is not only a vegetarian, but a vegan. No milk or animal products of any kind. He won't wear leather shoes or belts or even wool, even though no animals are killed to obtain wool or milk. He won't even eat animal crackers! Kooks exist all across the political spectrum.
He can't eat in most places. In Indian or Chinese restaurants he can usually order something vegan. But he talks with the chef to make sure, except in his regular haunts where they place his special order when they see him come in the door. But he swills beer, where he gets a lot of his calories. I keep telling him that billions of innocent yeast bacteria died horribly in that beer . . .
I hate going out with people who can't enjoy themselves when they are eating in a restaurant. I knew one girl some years back that took pleasure in pointing out that Snuffer's cheese fries (here in the DFW area) were FULL of fat and calories. As if we needed to know that? Everyone that goes to Snuffer's orders them--it's required; it's WHY people go there. I have an Indian friend who's vegatarian, but to Gayathri's defense, it's religious in nature, and I can still go out to eat with her and enjoy my dinner. She isn't pompous about it. Of course, I only see her once a year now when she's back in the States since she moved back to India four years ago.
