My ecology teacher had something great to say about vegetarians. Basically, it went "I don't understand the whole not eating anything alive mentality. Plants are alive. Take coleslaw for instance. First, you take the lettuce, ripping its body from the ground, then shredding its flesh so that bodily fluids go everywhere. You then mix it with mayonnaise and other stuff and eat it. What's the difference between that and a cow?"
I paraphrased it quite a bit, but that's the basic gist of it. The way he said it was hilarious. I personally don't have anything against vegetarians. I tried it once, my uncle used to be vegetarian, and my grandfather still is (he gave up meat for Lent and never went back). I think that there is so much hype about it becasue it is different from what traditional eating habits were like. During the olden days, you had to eat meat to survive. Now, however, you can get vitamin supplements and eat a broader range of foods, so you don't have to if you don't want to. Of course, it is slightly different from what is considered a basic norm, so therefore people think that it is strange.
And don't bring up the "but animals have feelings too" argument. I don't doubt that they do, but I would eat anything if it meant my survival...even a live human being.
