A better protest than going vegetarian

[DrOswald]

I would like to start by saying that I have nothing against vegetarians. I just had a thought and decided to share it. Please don't flame.

I hear all the time that people are vegetarians because they are protesting cruel factory farming and similar practices. To me, it seems like a better protest would be to instead buy meat from sources that don't use such cruel methods, thus supporting reform in the meat industry.

Thoughts?

 

[Dimitriov]

Logical: I like it.

 

[Chasing-The-Light]

I'm a vehement carnivore, and while I do understand where people are coming from in their thoughts on the the treatment of animals, I think you have a very good point, here.

 

[FrostyChick]

A nice, logical and well thought out argument.
However I don't see it convincing many (if any) vegetarians to pick up a few packs of free range meat anytime soon.

P.s.: I'm an omnivore.

As a side note. I don't think anyone in this thread is a carnivore, well unless their diet consists of meat and nothing but meat. (i.e. no dairy, no bread, no rice/pasta/other starchy foods.)

 

[Salad Is Murder]

Buy smaller and local, etc. I think the biggest problem I have with that 'going vegetarian protest' line of thinking is that it goes after the wrong group...or maybe in just the wrong way. Why not contact state and federal governments and talk about subsidies, tax breaks and whatevers that not only make that large-scale kind of 'factory meat-farming' profitable, but lock out small farmers/butchers from providing a better, more sustainable and conscionable product.

And biologically we're omnivorous scavengers anyways, so let's keep everything on the plate. We do have a pretty terrifying bite as well.

 

[Ace of Spades]

That actually makes a good deal of sense. Also,

As a side note. I don't think anyone in this thread is a carnivore, well unless their diet consists of meat and nothing but meat. (i.e. no dairy, no bread, no rice/pasta/other starchy foods.)

You're right. I call myself a carnivore, and it's a gross exaggeration. I just love meat

 

[Daystar Clarion]

It's a good idea.

But never eating meat is better.

I mean, it's not like millions of insects, rodents and other wildlife are killed every year by the machines that harvest our vegetables etc...

 

[omega 616]

As a side note. I don't think anyone in this thread is a carnivore, well unless their diet consists of meat and nothing but meat. (i.e. no dairy, no bread, no rice/pasta/other starchy foods.)

I agree but you could be a pork-aterian 'cos it's not like vegetarians avoid dairy, bread, rice etc, they just avoid meat. A porkaterian could just eat meat but no veg, could have an apple or a banananana (I always get carried away).

On topic. If they did that very logical thing they could no longer be pretentious self centred ass hats, these are the people who say "I am a veggy, I don't eat any meat ... except fish". Ah, the same fish that grow out the floor and consist of vegetation and not things that swim in water and made of meat ...

Or they try and force there choice down your throat like a jehovah's witness, you chose to stop eating meat, don't try and convert me. If you have a veggy over to eat you have to make a whole different meal just for them, it's not exact a dietary requirement like they can't eat meat, they just won't till it gets to a stage were they can't.

If a veggy is ok with eating the same meaty meal as me but without the meat there peaches by me.

 

[Abedeus]

Well I think the best solution is to accept that 90% or more of the human race is omnivorous and won't stop eating meat anyway.

And biologically we're omnivorous scavengers anyways, so let's keep everything on the plate. We do have a pretty terrifying bite as well.

Almost right. Our ancestors were first herbivores, then scavengers. We are, in theory, hunters - our direct ancestors hunted animals, cooked and ate their meat. No scavenging unless dire circumstances emerged.

And while we're at biting - I heard from my professor that every human is strong enough to bite his own fingers off. The only things stopping us are fear of pain, pain itself, perspective of being crippled and above all, logic and reason. But in the face of mortal danger (like I dunno, a black widow bit the finger and poison is gonna spread, but you are 5 hours from any civilization...), it is possible.

 

[SsilverR]

Yeah, but the problem here is that It's waaaay less dramatic and attention seekers get less attention that way, It's logical and I like it ... but there are alot of "Rebel veggies" that only do it for the "awwwwww, you're such a nice considerate soul" factor

 

[DEAD34345]

My mother is a vegetarian, but for her it's more that the entire thought of killing and eating another (once) living, fairly intelligent creature repulses her.

I've never heard of anyone being vegetarian to "protest" cruel farming techniques, but in that specific case, yes it would be better to simply eat food from places with kinder techniques. However, I think most vegetarians are protesting the killing of animals for food altogether, rather than just the crueller techniques of doing so, so it doesn't really work.

 

[Nickolai77]

It's a good point, but i think a lot of people whom are vegetarians for moral reasons are against killing animals for food full-stop. It's also worth pointing out that there are a lot of non-moral vegetarians whom aren't fussed about animal rights, they simply don't like eating meat.

 

[Apollo45]

As a side note. I don't think anyone in this thread is a carnivore, well unless their diet consists of meat and nothing but meat. (i.e. no dairy, no bread, no rice/pasta/other starchy foods.)

I only drink the blood of my enemies and consume the flesh of living creatures.

On topic, extremely well thought out argument. I think I'm going to have to use this next time I get in to an argument with my friend about her vegetarianism. Not sure it'll counter the whole "killing all animals is wrong" argument that I'm so used to hearing, but I've got other ways to counter that.

 

[Salad Is Murder]

And let's not forget about the plants here, they are living things as well. Just because you can't hear them scream when you bake a potato doesn't make it any better. If that cabbage had motility you'd better believe he'd be running from your green thumbs.

Vegetarianism is the worst kind of killing...against something that has no means to defend itself, no voice to make its cries heard and apparently has been labeled as an acceptable target by everyone.

 

[BristolBerserker]

A better protest would be to go full on carnivore to protest the vicious raping of the land to cultivate vegetables. They don't call it rapeseed because it takes you out for dinner do they. Also carnivores are awesome.

 

[Blue2]

To me being vegetarian is like being in a religion. I don't care what you do, It's your body anyway but if you are making such a big deal about everything (Example: About to bite into a chicken burger and then you tell me how millions of chickens are slaughtered everyday and boohooing like a PETA member) and trying to make me a vegetarian also, That is when I lose my patients (spelling?) and just leave.

 

[00slash00]

A nice, logical and well thought out argument.
However I don't see it convincing many (if any) vegetarians to pick up a few packs of free range meat anytime soon.

Got it in one, for two reasons;

A. Apart from people like PETA, do people actually GIVE a shit if their chicken was killed with a knife alive or dead?
B. Free range is like £10 a slab of meat. In times like this, where I can barely afford to feed myself, why should I buy the more expensive one just to make a cow in Italy feel better before it meets Ol' Mister Boltgun?

because factory farms mistreat humans as well as animals. the chemicals they use frequently leak into water supplies, nearby family farms are rarely able to compete and often have to sell their land, the poor conditions of these factory farms mean the meat has to be pumped full of antibiotics and since germs grow resistant to antibiotics, factory farms fight an uphill battle against contamination (many hamburger patties are made using ammonia, just to prevent salmonella), they that may one day lose. also, while some factory farms are worse than others, many times the workers arent treated well and it is not uncommon for workers to catch diseases from handling the meat and get extremely sick (and many factory farms have shitty or nonexistent health benefits, particularly since a large chunk of their workforce is composed of illegal immigrants)

also, yes, i do think many people care how a chicken was killed and that is why most people dont want to hear about the animal conditions there

i do think, however, you hit the nail on the head with the price issue. it would certainly be better to buy organic free range meat and dairy but a lot of people cant afford it. im on a theatre budget, i dont even eat every day

 

[00slash00]

To me being vegetarian is like being in a religion. I don't care what you do, It's your body anyway but if you are making such a big deal about everything (Example: About to bite into a chicken burger and then you tell me how millions of chickens are slaughtered everyday and boohooing like a PETA member) and trying to make me a vegetarian also, That is when I lose my patients (spelling?) and just leave.

as a vegetarian, i agree with this, but both sides are guilty. i have never tried to convert someone or make someone feel bad for eating meat around me, but i think all of my friends, at some time or another, have tried to trick me into eating meat or tried to convince me to go back to eating meat.

basically what im saying is that no matter a persons diet, people are douches

 

[GamerKT]

Yeah... Gotta control the animal population, anyway... And stop eating all the oxygen-making plants, goddammit!