The Supposed Trend Of Veganism

I'm surprised and slightly puzzled in a way as to why some people refer to veganism as a current "trend". People have always had different diets (whether it be vegetarian or vegan or whether it simply means eating more of one food than another), but I think people just haven't had as many labels as they do now. I do know some vegans for example can be more activists than others, but most aren't that way. I personally just do what works for me and yes I tell people about it, but don't say everyone should do the same, because it's only a decision one can make for oneself. After all, what works for me may or may not work for the next person. Having said that though, there do seem to be more vegan and vegetarian and other dietary-related things than there were, or perhaps it's just because I look for the stuff that I notice it more or both. One thing I find myself somewhat struggling with is whether to wear or work with animal products like wool or hair etc. Although the animals that give the wool or hair or loose their antlers haven't been killed at that point in order to get the things, you don't know if they have gone to any harm when being clipped or sheered. At some point I think it would be useful to visit some sheep or alpacas or someone when the sheering is happening to see how they do it. I don't use leather or suade or bone though, because the animals are killed in order to get those as well as fur. In short, I try and get things that are made as ethically as possibly, to the point of when I use plant-based materials I will gladly pay more if it's organic and the people have been treated and paid fairly. I do the same for clothes and I rarely if eever get anything with synthetic fibres, then again that's mainly because I find they irritate my skin. I also realize that synthetic fibres don't do any favors to the environment, but that's another discussion for another day. On a somewhat different note, I have heard in news items that some people think veganism should be considered as a religeon. I don't agree with this as such, because you're not worshipping anyone. Having said that, a lot of pagans are vegetarian or vegan and worship nature as a whole. Similar applies to some of the Indian and Tebetan religeons, they all just include diet etc as part of their religeous practices, just like meditation or prayer. Meditation or prayer is something people do in their own way though and even if they don't necessarily follow a particular religeon. And so I digress. I do think though that different people's views should be respected even if they're different from one's own. Otherwise how can there be any kind of conversation if everyone is always agreeing? I still get certain people including Grandad who come out with "if there were no meat-eaters there would be no animals", but I find this eroneus, because there would still be wild animals even if there are no domestic ones. For example there are sheep and goats all over the place in mountains and on hgher ground, just not on low ground because they don't belong there. There are wild horses and ponies and cattle of sorts, just different breeds than one is used to seeing on a typical farm, because on farms and in riding schools and other places where animals are used as a tool for work rather than just being animals and doing whatever they do, they're bred for a specific purpose and at times appearance.