Very Gluten Free

 The more I read this dismissive post on Pandagon.net by Amanda Marcotte over and over again ('Consumer discovers Taco Bell not as bad for you as expected; sues'), the angrier I get. Because she such a huge online presence. Because a fair amount of people in that thread agree that the lack of transparency and honesty about ingredients in any product is okay in the name of an extremist dietary ideology that Marcotte has, that we do not deserve to know and that we should have ingredients like soy shoved down our throats without our knowledge. That Marcotte didn't even bother to say she was sorry, much less recognized that sneaking in ingredients without a person's prior knowledge because ALLERGIES CAN KILL. So can food intolerances, if consumed over a period of time, because medical conditions like Celiac, a form of food intolerance (at least last I checked, correct me if I am wrong), can lead to diseases like cancer. But in not apologizing, admitting she did anything wrong, and thereby giving a terrible message to her fellow vegetarians, she is putting the lives of those with with food allergies and intolerances in danger. If, after all, Marcotte believes it's okay to sneak in ingredients in the name of her cause, vegetarianism, and is more than happy to state it without apology, think of the impact this will have. It's already bad enough so many people don't take allergies and food intolerances seriously as it is already. Marcotte is making this worse by not only not acknowledging the criticisms, but influence. Think of how many will be medically injured, or even worse, die, because of her? What is worth more to Amanda Marcotte, the lives of those with allergies and food intolerances, or a dietary ideology in which choice is completely absent, even on behalf of multinational corporations (how progressive of her!)? I believe it's pretty damn clear right now.

 Thus I believe a call to end any donations and advertising to her site is in order. ie, a boycott.


ETA: Well of course I should of expected stupidity from Marcotte, look what I found via Google, Marcotte's insinuation that vegetarians are oppressed like women are. Fits in the Hipsters Are An Oppressed Group bullshit I saw on Pandagon awhile back.