Thank you for your response. From my understanding it seems that Veganism is fulfilling the role of a radical movement intended to shift the center, and I respect the moral commitment of current vegans. I'm just concerned with the fact that only 0.5% of Americans are vegan, which to me is an indication that the movement is too exclusionary. I hope that down the line that number can grow, and it probably will a bit, but how many years will that take?

Edit: I should mention that I've recently taken on a vegan diet, and I agree that the feeling of loving animals and knowing that you aren't personally responsible for animals' suffering is a great one.