"It takes many colors to make a rainbow". This old adage speaks to the diversity of all life on earth, from micro-bacteria colonies, to complex rainforest ecosystems. Humans, for some strange reason, have the tendency to create divisions among themselves.

Just the other day I was engaged in a heated debate about what constitutes a Vegan/Vegetarian. Is it one who refrains from eating animal products, a dietary vegan. Is it one who refrains from using any animal products whatsoever, an ethical vegan. Or is it one who chooses not to use animal products for environmental or sustainability reasons. Among vegetarians you have lacto, ovo, macrobiotic, Buddhist, Jain and Hindu Vegetarians. Fruitarians, Raw, Pescadarians, and many many more categories and sub-categories.

The debate went something like this; You're not a Vegan because you do this and this, and she isn't a Vegetarian because she does this and doesn't do that. Hey, wait a minute! 

We all have made a conscious decision on some level to exclude or refrain from consuming animals. Whether it be for spiritual, environmental, moral, health, or ethical reasons; The important thing is the act of giving up something for a positive, life enhancing benefit. It's up to the individual to decide what the particular reason is, and the extent to which they move forward with that decision.

The beauty of the rainbow lies in the combination of all the colors. Remove one or two colors and it loses its brilliance. The same is true within the Veg Spectrum. Lets work on making it as beautiful and harmonious as the rainbow.

K.N. Wie