Game on

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Antler is a small Toronto restaurant that uses wild game as a major part of their menu. The owner uses local, ethically sourced meats like bison, venison and boar in a virtually farm-to-table operation. Until about a week ago, the place was relatively under the radar. Then, almost inexplicably, the vegans showed up.

I say inexplicably, because this is a tiny restaurant, and Meat-is-Murder protests are usually reserved for giant corporations that do not treat the animals they process into food in a very humane way. Which makes sense. Waving signs and camping out in front of Antler? Not as much. The general sentiment is that there’s a personal agenda behind it, although the protesters claim otherwise. Whatever their reasons, they’d already been there a few times, subjecting Antler’s customers to a visual onslaught of vegan propaganda, showcasing the “murder” of cows, chickens and pigs in slaughterhouses. Finally, the owner hauled out a leg of deer and proceeded to dress it in the window of his restaurant, in full view of protesters waving slogans saying meat-eating is immoral, violent and unnecessary. Cue injured feelings. “He was taunting us!”

Was he, though? Maybe a little. But it’s his restaurant. If he wants to butcher a leg of deer in front of all and sundry, that’s his prerogative, the same way it was the protesters’ prerogative to gang up on a local business and wave meat-is-murder signs in front of paying customers all because its owner had the temerity to write “Venison is the new kale” on their sandwich board. And I like the ballsy response. If a guy wants to have a place that focuses on serving ethically raised, locally sourced meat, that’s his choice. Don’t force a restaurant to change their whole raison d’etre because you think animals have feelings and humans shouldn’t eat meat.

The resulting news piece garnered a lot of traction, and if you’ve ever read an online article just for the comments, it’s like going down a rabbit hole of commentary, which is par for the course when it comes to a topic as polarizing as vegans versus the world. At any rate, Antler is now very much on the map, with meat-eaters going in droves. They’re booked solid for three months out.

Veganism as a lifestyle makes sense from a health and environmental standpoint, but the way these protesters went about promoting it did not. If you’re okay with voicing your opinion that meat-eating is wrong, you should be okay with others who think otherwise. Having a preference is a right that belongs to everyone, and having someone claim to educate but actually be intent on ramming their own beliefs down one’s throat is sanctimonious, preachy, and rude. There is a difference between education and straight out indoctrination.

I’m all for people who don’t eat meat and animal byproducts as a life choice, but mess with my life choices, and I will chew on beef jerky just to piss you off. I’m Filipino. Meat is a status symbol. Venison is the new kale!

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Author’s Twitter: @nikkajow

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