Two Reasonable Vegans

He went from not liking animals to dedicating his life to advocating on their behalf. Australian vegan activist James Aspey began his vegan journey with a twelve-month vow of silence “to raise awareness for animals and promote peace over violence.” Foremost an advocate for animal rights who now travels the world to spread and promote the cause, James once suffered from bulimia, battled cancer when he was 17, began appreciating animals when he was 26, committed to a 24-hour tattoo session to raise awareness for animals and money for animal charities, and has given hundreds of talks about veganism—to name a few of his achievements. Tune into this special episode of 2RV to learn about James’s transformational journey from meat eater to vegan activist, and to listen as Glenn, Marty, and James discuss how logic is at the root of their vegan journeys, share statistics that illustrate the tragedy of the meat industry, reflect on the impact and importance of bearing witness, debate the media’s influence and the impact of messaging on the narrative of eating meat, confer on the legality of classifying eggs as a health food, unpack the successes of of vegan cuisine among non-vegans and non-vegetarians, and wonder at non-dairy milk sale successes in the United States, and so much more! Warning: Contains adult content

After a powerful day of bearing witness at Cargill, EARTHLING ED (animal activist, co-founder and co-director Surge: a grassroots animal rights organization whose mission is to end all animal oppression, organizer of the official animal rights march, and documentarian) and ABBY MCCUAIG (animal activist, event organizer for the London Save Movement and the London Pig Save, and committee member for VegFest London) stopped by the 2RV table to share in a spirited conversation with Glenn and Marty about the importance of compassionate and strategic activism, how the food choices we make are linked to morality and consciousness, how veganism is ultimately rooted in logic, and how knowledge truly is power. Tune into this special episode of Two Reasonable Vegans for an hour of inspiring conversation between four brilliant minds that empowers, encourages, educates, and engages the public on the various tenants of veganism. Warning: Contains adult content

In this episode, Glenn and Marty discuss how raising their children on a plant-based diet is one of the ways in which they arm their kids with reason, logic, and fierce independence. They argue that raising a vegan family is the ultimate parenting style and bring this argument to fruition by talking about easy substitutes, debunking the protein myth, teaching ethics-based beliefs and morals, and sharing relatable parenting anecdotes. This episode is for parents and non-parents alike; it’s for all those who are interested in learning about the perils and triumphs of raising vegan children. Questions for Glenn and Marty about raising vegan children? Reach out on Facebook @TwoReasonableVegans or on Instagram @TwoReasonableVegans.

2RV Tackles the Big Question: “Does the End Justify the Means?” The vegan community has recently been grilling Impossible Foods, the California-based company whose mission is to “make meat using plants, so the world will never have to use animals again.” It was revealed that Impossible Foods agreed to participate in animal testing to earn official approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In a nutshell, Impossible Foods voluntarily had 180 rats killed to test their proprietary ingredient “heme”, which is what gives their burgers that “beefy” flavor. Join Glenn and Marty on this episode as they delve into both sides of the controversy: Did Impossible Foods do the right thing? Are advocates for veganism justified in their outrage, or has their absolutism lead them to missing the bigger picture? Join Two Reasonable Vegans for what is sure to ruffle a few feathers! Warning: Contains adult content.

Episode 7 – Trump’s Detention Camps & Animal Slaughterhouses: “Exploitation is exploitation is exploitation” Glenn and Marty offer a systematic analysis and comparison between Trump’s disgraceful detention camps and the animal entrapment in factory farms. Examining how human & non-human persons alike, should never face such evils, Two Reasonable Vegans​ explore topics of fear, nationalism, morality, compassion, the importance of promoting everyday activism, and more, this politically-charged episode is summed up in what Marty very pointedly says: “exploitation is exploitation is exploitation.”

In Episode 6, Two Reasonable Vegans take on the Yulin Dog Meat Festival. This festival takes place in Yulin, a city in the Guangxi province of China, from June 21-30 to mark the Summer Solstice. It’s estimated that as many as 10,000 dogs and cats are savagely beaten, tortured, and slaughtered for consumption every year during this barbaric and vile event. However, the outrage that the Yulin Dog Meat Festival generates in Western cultures is so hypocritical that it borders on satire. Bringing this to light, 2RV questions: Why only dogs? Why does the Western world only seem to care when it’s dogs being brutally slaughtered, but not other animals? A collective blind eye is being turned to the cows, pigs, sheep, chicken, and turkeys that are also being barbarically slaughtered—hundreds of thousands of them, every single day. It’s noted that there are a portion of protesters at the Yulin Dog Meat Festival who are also anti-slaughterhouse activists, but there is also a large portion of protesters who will shamelessly eat a hamburger for lunch right after protesting or signing a petition to abolish the Yulin Dog Meat Festival. Listen in as Glenn and Marty expose this hypocrisy. Yulin runs for one week out of the year, and while the West seems to vehemently condemn what happens there, it also fails to acknowledge the atrocity of animal slaughter that is happening right here at home, everyday.

Episode 5 - Rob McNeil by Two Reasonable Vegans

Episode 4 - What Are "Two Reasonable Vegans"? by Two Reasonable Vegans

Join Glenn Whitehead and Marty Menard as they discuss, argue, and debate everything from news and food to business and parenthood, all through the lens of veganism. Sometimes they’ll have guests, sometimes they won’t. TWO REASONABLE VEGANS is a take-no-prisoners style show that isn’t afraid to provoke either side of any debate.

In Glenn and Marty’s third episode, they take a look at how a new wave of mass consumption is invoking change, and how art—particularly music, in this case—is indeed a weapon that can change our perspective. Costco recently sold over 1 million veggie burgers in 60 days… that’s 16,666 burgers each day! This shift in purchasing power shows us how consumers and big business in North America are recognizing that vegan is the future. Another seismic shift indicating the spread of veganism—specifically its tenants of tolerance and justice—is taking place in the world of art and culture. An important figure in this shift is Lenny Kravitz, who is using his music to raise awareness about problems involving animal agriculture, extreme violence, war crimes, etc. His art is moving the conversation forward, and serves as a tool of encouragement to Glenn and Marty in this inspiring episode of Two Reasonable Vegans.

If The London Free Press’ recent articles (linked below) about the vegan community got you fired up, then you’ll definitely want to tune into this podcast. Join Glenn Whitehead and Marty Menard in their first airing of Two Reasonable Vegans, to hear their perspectives on the capitalization of the vegan movement, the misplaced concept of ’victimization’, and a food fight happening in the Forest City that has little to do about food itself and much to do about the politics of food. Also get a glimpse into their support for local businesses and London’s grassroots vegan movement, the comforts and discomforts of social change, and the importance of protest. A podcast like no other, Two Reasonable Vegans is sure to turn heads, get things heated, and move the conversation forward. SIDE NOTE We’re passionate, we know! We do our best to get all of our facts straight, but sometimes we slip up when we’re caught up in the moment, and we want to correct and clarify a few things we said in Episode One: -When Marty mentioned a “Facebook bitch”, it may have come across as if he was calling a particular person a “bitch”, however he was using the word in the context of a “Facebook rant”; -Glenn mentioned that there are trillions of victims, however the number is closer to 50-60 billion; -We noted how the news articles were published by Sun Media, however it is Postmedia Network; -Glenn mentioned Cuddy Farms, however he meant Cargill