Vegetarians - why?

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  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    Why do people feel the need to try and convert people to become vegetarians or meat eaters? Every time I am aware of the fact that someone is a veg. it is because they feel the need to be convinced otherwise. (or vice versa) Why not just eat your vegetables or your meat and not worry about what other people are eating. You made a lifestyle choice, good for you. Now leave me to eat my lifestyle choice in peace.

    The issue here is that the "lifestyle choice" of eating meat assumes that there is no "other", and that it doesn't only affect the person making the lifestyle choice - it involves the taking of another life. Aggressive activism definitely alienates people on both sides, and there are definitely more positive, peaceful ways to share beliefs than shoving them down others' throats, but the fact of the matter is that some people feel that they cannot simply stand by and watch injustice happen.

    You are still taking another life when eating plants. They just aren't as cute.

    This is a valid point, it is taking a life. But it's viewed differently to take the life of a sentient creature with a brain and nervous system as opposed to pulling a carrot out of the ground. Sure taking a plant's life is still taking a life, but animals have brains and nervous systems. They have the known capacity to suffer.
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    It's OK to eat fish, 'cause they don't have any feelings.

    Yeah well, Kurt Kobain also swore he didn't have a gun.
  • _the_feniks_
    _the_feniks_ Posts: 3,443 Member
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    It's OK to eat fish, 'cause they don't have any feelings.

    Yeah well, Kurt Kobain also swore he didn't have a gun.

    I don't think he did... but Courtney did.
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I was waiting for this one.
  • cannonsky
    cannonsky Posts: 850 Member
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    Why do people feel the need to try and convert people to become vegetarians or meat eaters? Every time I am aware of the fact that someone is a veg. it is because they feel the need to be convinced otherwise. (or vice versa) Why not just eat your vegetables or your meat and not worry about what other people are eating. You made a lifestyle choice, good for you. Now leave me to eat my lifestyle choice in peace.

    The issue here is that the "lifestyle choice" of eating meat assumes that there is no "other", and that it doesn't only affect the person making the lifestyle choice - it involves the taking of another life. Aggressive activism definitely alienates people on both sides, and there are definitely more positive, peaceful ways to share beliefs than shoving them down others' throats, but the fact of the matter is that some people feel that they cannot simply stand by and watch injustice happen.

    You are still taking another life when eating plants. They just aren't as cute.

    whatever... I think kumquats are effing adorable
  • deaddivya
    deaddivya Posts: 102
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    Because I just can't stand the thought of eating something that once lived.
  • FungusTrooper
    FungusTrooper Posts: 227 Member
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    I was vegetarian for nearly 20 years because I didn't like the taste of meat. Now my tastebuds have died off enough to the point where I can eat it again, so I'm no longer vegetarian.

    Not much to understand, really.
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    It's OK to eat fish, 'cause they don't have any feelings.

    Yeah well, Kurt Kobain also swore he didn't have a gun.

    I don't think he did... but Courtney did.

    .
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
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    we just need to usher in the Singularity so that we will never have to eat anything ever again.
  • doorki
    doorki Posts: 2,611 Member
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    Why do people feel the need to try and convert people to become vegetarians or meat eaters? Every time I am aware of the fact that someone is a veg. it is because they feel the need to be convinced otherwise. (or vice versa) Why not just eat your vegetables or your meat and not worry about what other people are eating. You made a lifestyle choice, good for you. Now leave me to eat my lifestyle choice in peace.

    The issue here is that the "lifestyle choice" of eating meat assumes that there is no "other", and that it doesn't only affect the person making the lifestyle choice - it involves the taking of another life. Aggressive activism definitely alienates people on both sides, and there are definitely more positive, peaceful ways to share beliefs than shoving them down others' throats, but the fact of the matter is that some people feel that they cannot simply stand by and watch injustice happen.

    You are still taking another life when eating plants. They just aren't as cute.

    This is a valid point, it is taking a life. But it's viewed differently to take the life of a sentient creature with a brain and nervous system as opposed to pulling a carrot out of the ground. Sure taking a plant's life is still taking a life, but animals have brains and nervous systems. They have the known capacity to suffer.

    Plants fight for survival, avoid things that harm them, and react to external stimuli. While it does not have a nervous system (technically) it does have something that serves the same purpose.

    Also, cows never see the bolt gun coming.
  • hiker282
    hiker282 Posts: 983 Member
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    Because I just can't stand the thought of eating something that once lived.

    Then what do you eat? Plants also once lived. Rocks could be argued to be composed of once-living material.....what about your clothes? What if sheep are traumatized by the harvesting of their wool? How do you drive your car? Oil comes from living material.....it is impossible to live a completely non-invasive life. Something had to die for you to live. What about the near death experience your mother had to go through to bring you into the world?
  • Jul158
    Jul158 Posts: 481 Member
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    I have always grown up with pets and couldn't imagine eating them. Thus, as a teen, I decided I wouldn't be eating any animals. Food Inc. is an exceptional documentary that doesn't necessarily support vegetarianism but shows the drastic conditions under which animals suffer as well as the limited & controversial regulations on how meat is processed....and what is processed along with the meat (insects, hair, diseases, etc.) The documentary does present a free range farm where the animals can roam freely and are then killed in a 'more humane' (contradiction, but I try to see both sides) manner for meat. I believe it's a conflict of interest to see them as 'just' animals.
    It has also been studied that if all meat and poultry farms were turned into grain and produce farms we would have more than enough food to feed the entire world while creating a greener community that uses less energy. This is merely looking at the bigger picture and showing concern for more than myself. Please don't take my word for it, but I hope I have opened up your eyes to explore the research-based studies that have been performed on this topic.
    **I have yet to find a downside to the vegetarian diet.:smile:
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
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    Like the bumper sticker says: "I'm vegan because I want to suck less." This sentiment reflects that vegans aren't perfect. I know my choice to be vegan still means I harm animals by my mere presence on this earth, but I love animals and feel that making consumer choices which minimizes their pain is something worthwhile to do. As DaffodilSoup said earlier (paraphrasing here): It's hard to stand by to watch the injustice to animals. Like her, this is my response to it.
  • olivia_sweeetie13
    olivia_sweeetie13 Posts: 43
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    First of all, let me say that tofu is the most disgusting thing I've ever put in my mouth! Blehh... anyways!
    While I was at the beach with my youth, I learned that going vegan can actually lower chlosterol or something... it was something bad but I forget what it was. Anyway, it's really easier for me just to grab from fresh veggies from the fridge and start munching rather than to grill up some chicken or something like that.
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
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    Because I just can't stand the thought of eating something that once lived.

    Then what do you eat? Plants also once lived. Rocks could be argued to be composed of once-living material.....what about your clothes? What if sheep are traumatized by the harvesting of their wool? How do you drive your car? Oil comes from living material.....it is impossible to live a completely non-invasive life. Something had to die for you to live. What about the near death experience your mother had to go through to bring you into the world?

    Vegetarians draw the line differently than you do. That's the best way I can explain it.
  • cannonsky
    cannonsky Posts: 850 Member
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    **I have yet to find a downside to the vegetarian diet.:smile:

    I think the downside is that you don't get to eat tasty chicken meat
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
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    Why do people feel the need to try and convert people to become vegetarians or meat eaters? Every time I am aware of the fact that someone is a veg. it is because they feel the need to be convinced otherwise. (or vice versa) Why not just eat your vegetables or your meat and not worry about what other people are eating. You made a lifestyle choice, good for you. Now leave me to eat my lifestyle choice in peace.

    The issue here is that the "lifestyle choice" of eating meat assumes that there is no "other", and that it doesn't only affect the person making the lifestyle choice - it involves the taking of another life. Aggressive activism definitely alienates people on both sides, and there are definitely more positive, peaceful ways to share beliefs than shoving them down others' throats, but the fact of the matter is that some people feel that they cannot simply stand by and watch injustice happen.

    You are still taking another life when eating plants. They just aren't as cute.

    This is a valid point, it is taking a life. But it's viewed differently to take the life of a sentient creature with a brain and nervous system as opposed to pulling a carrot out of the ground. Sure taking a plant's life is still taking a life, but animals have brains and nervous systems. They have the known capacity to suffer.

    Plants fight for survival, avoid things that harm them, and react to external stimuli. While it does not have a nervous system (technically) it does have something that serves the same purpose.

    Also, cows never see the bolt gun coming.

    Heliotropism and other plant adaptations to their environment isn't proof they feel pain.
  • doorki
    doorki Posts: 2,611 Member
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    **I have yet to find a downside to the vegetarian diet.:smile:

    gas...lots of gas.
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
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    **I have yet to find a downside to the vegetarian diet.:smile:

    I think the downside is that you don't get to eat tasty chicken meat

    www.beyondmeat.com
  • Jul158
    Jul158 Posts: 481 Member
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    Your system adjusts to the vegetarian diet in a matter of 4-6 weeks. Therefore it's not an issue.
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