An Australian vegan resident is facing backlash after sending their neighbor a letter to stop cooking their meat with the windows open.
A Burns Beach resident wrote the letter requesting that their neighbor, Kylie, should keep their window closed when cooking meat. The letter was submitted to Hey Perth on Facebook. The letter reads: “Hello neighbor, could you please shut your side window when cooking? My family are vegan, we eat only plant-based foods and the smell of the meat you cook makes us feel sick and upset. We would appreciate your understanding- thanks. Sarah, Wayne, and kids.” However, the letter sparked backlash as hundreds of commentators said they were stunned by the letter and feel like the neighbor was overreacting.
“Dear God! 🤣🤣🤣 You can’t stop people from having a BBQ. I don’t know who this family thinks they are lol. Go and move out to a rural property in thr middle of nowhere if you don’t want to smell a neighbours BBQ. Entitlement at its finest lol,” one user wrote.
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Another said, “Wow… really? I don’t eat meat and haven’t for years, but the thing is in my every day life there is meat products everywhere, being consumed or sold or advertised and I think I’d be a very unhappy and likely lonely person if I didn’t accept others can make their own diet choices that are different to my own. My friends and family eat meat at get togethers, my housemates, colleagues, classmates are same.”
“I don’t even remember making the conscious choice to not be annoyed by their already life-long diet choice because I changed mine? Probably because its obvious id spend my life arguing with people and looking like a fool. BBQ is part of our Aussie culture, and very common, as is opening windows when cooking…I didn’t mind the first letter, I thought it was just a polite enquiry with no expectations BUT to expect a neighbour to change their lifestyle is,” they continued.
“I had a Filipino neighbor who cooked this fish dish that involved fish that had been buried in the ground for a year. She cooked it outside, it smelled horrendous. Did I ask her not to cook it? No. I did ask her to let me know ahead of time so I could close my windows. She agreed and that worked wonderfully for both of us.”
The degree to which the smell of cooked meat bothers vegans or vegetarians can vary depending on the individual. Some vegans and vegetarians may find the smell unpleasant or offensive because it reminds them of animal suffering and death, while others may not be bothered by it at all. For some vegans and vegetarians, the smell of cooked meat may be a trigger for negative emotions or memories associated with their decision to avoid animal products. Others may have been vegetarian or vegan for so long that the smell of meat no longer has any particular effect on them.
It’s worth noting that many vegans and vegetarians choose to avoid animal products not only for ethical reasons but also for health and environmental reasons, so the smell of meat may also be a reminder of the health and environmental consequences associated with meat consumption.