Any Vegetarians/Vegans?

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I stopped eating meat for about 2 years when I was a teen. Don't know how I did it or if I could ever do it again. I will be quitting dairy though, which will be harder than quitting meat. Pork and Cheese are the best tasting foods ever. Bye Bye Cheese

 

[G51989]

Vegetarian for over 23 years.

Why?

Because I want to reduce the amount of suffering that I require other animals to endure for my sake.

And yes, my shoes, belts, wallet are vegetarian as well. If the alternative is available and affordable, I try to use it.

Question. Not poking, but am wondering.

Why do you care about farm animals suffering? I personally do not to an extent. ( Now I do care about all that awful factory farming stuff, but I buy my mean from a local organic free range farm ).

Lets say if everyone decided to stop using animal products, tomorrow. What would we do with all the animals?

Is it maybe some kind of emotional connection you have with farm animals that many do not have?

Personally, I don't think I could care to much about a deer I shot, because I'm going to be eating the thing.

 

[Hastings101]

No, simply because the health benefits are not worth losing the enjoyment I get from eating meat lol. I'll be happy living to around the average of 78 or whatever, the vegans can keep the very miserable looking 80's and beyond to themselves.

I *know* there's also a whole philosophical side to Veg/vegan as well but I don't really take it into account right now only because I have no clue how I feel about the issue. I do agree that taking life is wrong and that creating life specifically to take it is kind of disturbing... but I also feel that humans *are* animals like any other and since we're omnivores we might as well eat as nature intended. Then there's the environmental issues that eating meat causes but on top of that there's the selfish emotion that I flat out enjoy meat; too many feelings . Maybe one day I'll get it figured out like everyone else seems to have done lol

 

[MacLC]

Do you do acts of kindness because they make you feel better about yourself?

Or do you do acts of kindness because they are a natural expression of compassion?

Very good, thought provoking questions. Personally, I tried reducing meat intake as much as possible when I had a good career going on about 15 years ago. Then my career blew up in my face and I decided to "find myself" while living for 3 years among farmers in essentially a 3rd world area.

You tell yourself you don't want to kill another creature to survive, but then seeing how the locals cherished the animals they ate, eating nearly every last part of them from snout/beak down to the feet. Then something comes to you. Consuming another living being is part of existence for much of the world.

What got me coming back was hanging around with some of my old friends who would order a 12" chicken/beef/ham sandwich, eat 1/3 of it and throw the rest out because it would not taste as good as a leftover.

The wanton waste of food that takes place in the wealthy world is a downright sin and it does not matter if the food is animal, vegetable, or mineral.

 

[G51989]

No, simply because the health benefits are not worth losing the enjoyment I get from eating meat lol. I'll be happy living to around the average of 78 or whatever, the vegans can keep the very miserable looking 80's and beyond to themselves.

Actually, lots the vegans are starting to have a number of health problems from lack of fat and complete proteins in their diet, and a lack of esstianl vitamins

You can have a totally vegan diet, but you must plan very carefully, or the health risks are large.

Humans are omnivores, that is a fact. Our bodies are designed to require and process meat.

 

[0098386]

My sister is vegetarian, it's not something I could do. There isn't a day where I don't eat meat but I never leave any of it and I feel awful if I buy meat that later turns out to be off. I never throw meat products away because I know the value they have. My sisters belief comes from not wanting to hurt animals, but she knows it's near impossible to maintain a busy life and be completely innocent. That it's all about trying your best.

Completely hypothetical but I've always wondered;

-If right now the production of meat was outlawed worldwide, would you be okay in buying the remaining meat in stores? Would you let it go to waste?
-If, for some reason you had to eat meat in order to survive, would you? (A vegetarian Hindu I met at college once had to eat chicken after he was hospitalised for a long time)
-Do you count fish as meat? Are crustaceans okay to eat? (since they're classed as insects)
-If an animal dies naturally free of disease, is it okay to eat that?
-Similarly if you kill an animal by accident, is that okay to eat?

 

[yg17]

Nope. Dead animals are delicious.

 

[citizenzen]

Why do you care about farm animals suffering?

I care about all animals suffering. As an animal myself, I have experienced some of it. As a thinking human being I am able to understand—to a degree—what I haven't directly experienced. And I choose not to ask animals to endure more of it when there are plenty of good alternative methods for sustaining my life.

Lets say if everyone decided to stop using animal products, tomorrow. What would we do with all the animals?

It's really too far-fetched of a question, and I have no idea what would happen.

I grew up in a family that raised a cow and a pig each year, and slaughtered them for meat to feed the family. If we decided to stop using using animal products we'd probably continue to keep that last cow and pig and let them live out their lives as pets.

But someone raising animals on a larger scale might not be able to afford keeping their animals around as pets. I do not know what they would do.

Overall, with less demand for animals, there'd be less being born and raised and the population over time would be reduced.

Is it maybe some kind of emotional connection you have with farm animals that many do not have?

I believe that most people have an emotional connection to animals. How far it extends varies from person to person. But just because a person eats meat doesn't mean they lack that emotional connection. There are just other circumstances that override it.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Saw this today: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...s-eating-animals-pedophilia-article-1.1566805

Comparing eating animals to pedophilia? Wow.

Morrissey is an idiot.

 

[Erendiox]

Now I do care about all that awful factory farming stuff, but I buy my meat from a local organic free range farm.

All those "Organic" and "Free Range" labels actually don't mean much of anything. If you're buying meat in the US, 99% of it comes from factory farms. "Free Range" farms are not the open pastures that you'd imagine. Animals are still packed together and mistreated, genetically modified and pumped full of antibiotics, etc etc.

This article sums up the details well:

LINK

 

[rdowns]

Morrissey is an idiot.

Yes. Yes, he is.


@JimNorton: I can't believe Morrissey equates meat eating with pedophilia. This only makes sense if you're ****ing veal.

 

[Tomorrow]

THIS thread again.

I wish people would just eat what they want to eat and leave everybody else alone about what they want to eat - including my doctor.

 

[cambookpro]

I've been vegetarian for 16 years (ie all my life), and don't feel at all compelled to eat meat.

I don't mind people who do, but I won't cook meat.

I don't do it so much for the moral/ethical issues (I still wear leather shoes and have a leather belt), just I think that it's pretty repulsive to eat a dead animal, especially after how it's processed.

Again, just my opinion and think that meat eaters should eat what they want. Just I won't be partaking in any KFCs or McDonalds.

 

[citizenzen]

I wish people would just eat what they want to eat and leave everybody else alone about what they want to eat - including my doctor.

It might be a good idea to listen to what your doctor is saying.

(healthy food can be fun and delicious too)

 

[samiwas]

The wanton waste of food that takes place in the wealthy world is a downright sin and it does not matter if the food is animal, vegetable, or mineral.

Agreed. I get sick at some of the waste. I work in the entertainment and corporate meeting world, and some of the waste of food at these events is plain disgusting. At one event recently, they were tossing entire unopened trays of food into a dumpster. Dozens of them. By the time they were done, it was an entire dumpster full of fresh, untouched, unserved food. Could have fed entire neighborhoods for a week with what they threw away, and that was one single morning event.

@JimNorton: I can't believe Morrissey equates meat eating with pedophilia. This only makes sense if you're ****ing veal.

I have a friend who says that the Sandy Hook shootings wouldn't have happened if the shooter was vegan, because he wouldn't have a mindset of killing. Yes…some people are that crazy.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I stopped eating meat for about 2 years when I was a teen. Don't know how I did it or if I could ever do it again. I will be quitting dairy though, which will be harder than quitting meat. Pork and Cheese are the best tasting foods ever. Bye Bye Cheese

Why are you quitting dairy?

 

[Renzatic]

I have a friend who says that the Sandy Hook shootings wouldn't have happened if the shooter was vegan, because he wouldn't have a mindset of killing. Yes…some people are that crazy.

What? You don't get the bloodlust after eating a good steak?

...geez, maybe I am the only one.

 

[G51989]

All those "Organic" and "Free Range" labels actually don't mean much of anything. If you're buying meat in the US, 99% of it comes from factory farms. "Free Range" farms are not the open pastures that you'd imagine. Animals are still packed together and mistreated, genetically modified and pumped full of antibiotics, etc etc.

This article sums up the details well:

LINK

I am aware of that.

However I live in a pretty rural area ( about an hour and a half north west of NYC, used to work for Big Blue ), and when I mean I buy local. It means I go to the actual farm itself, where I know the family who runs it, and trust me. Its a small family owned farm, its no factory farming operation.

The guy who owns and runs it used to work for PolyFace, and follows the same model.

http://www.polyfacefarms.com/

Which has some of the best meat I've ever purchased

 

[G51989]

It might be a good idea to listen to what your doctor is saying.

(healthy food can be fun and delicious too)

Listening to your doctor is a good idea.

But healthy food being fun and delicious? That just isn't true lol.

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What? You don't get the bloodlust after eating a good steak?

...geez, maybe I am the only one.

Every time I eat steak I wake up in some random warzone and go on post steak rampages

 

[.Andy]

Humans are omnivores, that is a fact.

Not all of them. That is a fact. I refer you to the subcontinent.

Our bodies are designed to require and process meat.

Our bodies are also designed to be able to have sex from very young ages. Would you also argue at reducing the age of consent? How about encouraging 12 year olds to have children? Arguing biological ability is clearly a dead end street.

I buy my mean from a local organic free range farm

This is a fantastic error

 

[Mr. McMac]

I'm seeing a bunch a negativity towards us meat eaters, and not much towards vegan-vegetarians. Seriously, don't eat meat if you don't want to, and I'm fine with that. But don't try to make me feel guilty about eating meat because that ain't gonna happen. To each his own I say. Confront me in person and you wont like the results because I take crap from no one....

 

[.Andy]

I'm seeing a bunch a negativity towards us meat eaters, and not much towards vegan-vegetarians

Poor persecuted meat eaters .

As a vegetarian I think I speak for us all when I sincerely apologise for the great wrong that has been cast upon you from voluntarily walking into a thread about vegans/vegetarianism.

 

[Mr. McMac]

Poor persecuted meat eaters .

As a vegetarian I think I speak for us all when I sincerely apologise for the great wrong that has been cast upon you from voluntarily walking into a thread about vegans/vegetarianism.

I seriously don't care what you and your vegan brothers and sisters think. Enjoy your veggies....

 

[.Andy]

I seriously don't care what you and your vegan brothers and sisters think.

You clearly do. Otherwise you wouldn't have felt compelled to post on the thread.

 

[G51989]

Poor persecuted meat eaters .

.

Militant veggies! Ahhhhh!

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Not all of them. That is a fact. I refer you to the subcontinent.

I'm talking from a biological perspective, yes their are cultures that do not eat meat, and survive just fine. But, from a biological perspective if humans were not supposed to eat meat, we would not be capable of chewing it, or processing it.

Our bodies are also designed to be able to have sex from very young ages. Would you also argue at reducing the age of consent? How about encouraging 12 year olds to have children? Arguing biological ability is clearly a dead end street.

I think comparing eating meat to pedophilia really isn't a good argument either.

Just because if you bang a kid, that is very very bad.

If you eat a cow, no one got hurt.