The Pew Research Center has done a survey of both the general public and scientists. The whole thing makes interesting reading but there were a couple of points I wanted to highlight.

The first one concerns using animals for research. I would have thought this one was pretty popular with both groups. You know, the whole “medical research saved my grandmother,” type of thing. While it is very popular with scientists (93%), regular folks were much more skeptical (52%). That’s still a majority but a lot better than I would have guessed.

And the other issue is the effect of regulations on animal research. While I think the regs we currently have are pretty much a joke, that doesn’t stop the other side from trying to get out of them. So do the scientists think the laws are restricting progress? It seems only 27% do.

I’m struck by the fact PETA or HSUS could be commissioning these sorts of polls and it would be very useful information. Much more than a new Holocaust ad or a new happy meat campaign.

It must be that time of the year again. The ‘You can’t raise a child vegan! It’s abuse!” crowd is out again. And I think this is the third or fourth time I’ve looked these links up so I’m just going to put them on my blog where I can find them again.

For anyone stumbling across this, the ‘ringing bell’ that’s invoked the Pavlovian response this time is a couple in Scotland whose 12-year old daughter has some pretty serious bone issues. I don’t know anything about the case so I’m not going to try to defend them. It’s all too easy to get vegan nutrition wrong. Believe me, I know.

But, I will not sit idly by and let people use that as a springboard to stigmatize all vegans and especially, vegan parents. It is possible to raise healthy vegan children and it’s not just me saying that. That’s what I want to record here.

The ADA and Dietitians of Canada have issued a position paper on vegetarian and vegan diets. The money quote, “Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence.”

The KidsHealth site, run by the Nemours Foundation, has a page on children and vegetarian/vegan diets. Quote from this one, “A vegetarian diet can be a healthy choice for all children, as long as it’s properly planned and adequate nutrients are eaten.” They roll up vegan diets with other vegetarian options.

The Nina Planck editorial about the Crown Shakur death is here. The New York Times public editor condemnation of that editorial is here. And Amy Joy Lanou’s (an expert witness at Crown Shakur’s parent’s trial) is here.

UPDATE: What does it say about me that I’m worrying about whether or not A-hole should hyphenated?