From: Loki100l00@aol.com
Date: Sun Feb 24 2002 - 14:16:43 MST
In a message dated 2/24/2002 12:25:53 AM Central Standard Time,
squooker@mweb.co.za writes:
> Zphobic wrote
> <snip>
> [Z] You can be humane and kind, if you wish, by eating less or no meat.
> This reduces the numbers of animals grown for food and animal slaughters,
> which is probably very kind to them.
> <snap>
>
> [Blunderov]
> I have to confess that I am in a bit of a quandary lately; I am a very
> carnivorous person but I have a sneaking suspicion that I would eat a lot
> less meat if I had to kill it myself. I'm OK with fish but the even thought
> of wringing the neck of a chicken appals me. I feel a tad hypocritical about
> this.
>
> Abashed,
>
> Blunderov.
>
I personally like to see people taking a shot at intra-species ethics, and
unlike some I do not lose respect for people based on their dietary choices.
I find it interesting that people will choose veganism or vegetarianism for
ethical reasons. Though I currently eat some portions of meat, mostly
chicken and fish, I went through a few times in my life where I became either
vegetarian or vegan for largely ethical reasons. I don't regret that at all.
Yes, we humans evolved with an omnivorous diet. However, we modern humans
seem to take it as a matter of right (except perhaps for those living in
third-world places) that we have meat with EVERY meal, or at least every day.
For most of humanity, for most of our tenure as a species, meat served more
as an exceptional treat rather than standard fare. Also the incredible
population load that we now place on this planet should instruct us to eat
lower on the food chain lest we eat ourselves into massive food shortages.
Finally, eating higher on the food chain tends to put us at greater risk for
food borne illness, and disorders caused by fat soluble poisons and
pesticides that tend to concentrate higher on the food chain. I don't see
any sense in heaping shame on people for eating in the ways that their
parents and this culture have encouraged, but I do generally see it as a good
thing when people try to make more conscious and responsible decisions about
their diet. From this point of view, I think it a good thing to see someone
eating less meat even if they do not finally choose to abandon it entirely in
their diet.
-Jake
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