the manners police

"Ewww... How can you eat that? Don't you care how that animal suffered?"
"Humans are supposed to eat meat. We're carnivores." (Actually we're omnivores, but let's not get picky.)
"Would you eat your cat or your dog? After all, they're animals, too."
"Don't be disgusting."
"All that animal fat isn't healthy."
"What's healthy about all that weird stuff you eat? Seaweed? Tofu? Yuck."

"OK - everyone leave the table until you can be civil."

Sounds like a recipe for indigestion, doesn't it? If your vegan was formerly "just" vegetarian, you've probably already been through this, but expect it to escalate now. You must be the manners police or your dinner is going to turn ugly. Be prepared to referee. Better yet, have a friendly chat with family members ahead of time and insist that everyone (including vegans) keep their opinions to themselves at the table. There's plenty of time after dinner for philosophical discussions (otherwise known as arguments). Step in quickly if anyone "forgets". Results may vary. Fortunately, my family is past this now......at least at the dinner table.

No matter how you manage everyday mealtimes, things can heat up a bit at large family gatherings where relatives of all ages eagerly weigh in with their opinions. It's not easy to tell a relative, especially an older one, to back off. I'll revisit this topic later.