After a column I wrote about vegans recently, I received a few notes from people who wanted to let me know, in the kindest possible way, that I’m a horrible, bloodthirsty neanderthal who is destroying the planet, torturing animals, and destroying the planet, in that order. They also informed me that, because I eat meat, I’m at greater risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and hemorrhoids, and I should stop to improve my health.