Meat eating vs. Vegan debate

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  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I'd like to see you use your canines to rip open an animal with hide and all. Human's do not "rip flesh" we cook it, but it with a knife and chew it. ....sorry the canine thing just always makes me laugh.

    The people I spoke to were saying how our 'canines' resemble those of horses more than of actual carnivores.
    Well, I can't speak for anyone else but I have my steak still bleeding and my salmon smoked, not cooked. Our teeth becoming less effective is a direct result of developing the ability to cook, as is the deterioration of function of our appendix.

    Eating a rare steak is in no way comprable to gnawing through fur, hide and ripping raw flesh from an animal.

    Also, smoked salmon is not raw, although raw salmon is pretty tasty, especially if you have wasabi.
    Most animals don't gnaw through fur and hide, either. That's why they have claws. Biting serves to hold prey immobile, claws will rip it open so they can get to the good stuff inside. Look at a domestic cat for an easy to see example. A cat will bite a toy (or prey) and use their mouth and front paws to immobilize it, and then use their rear claws to shred it open.

    My cat ripped through fur, hide with his mouth. I have pics of him eating a bunny in this manner (my husband is weird with his camera).

    But that wasn't my point. I was just saying that eating a rare steak is nothing like ripping flesh from a dead animal with your teeth. Even if you eat your rare steak without silverware, which is unlikely.
  • khagador
    khagador Posts: 175 Member
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    I am a proud vegetarian myself, I don't push it onto people I just don't feel like something should die for me to eat when it doesn't need to. I love educating people though when they ask questions :)

    Aren't you killing that plant when you're chewing on it?

    Another frequent discussion amongst vegans / meat-eaters. Their argument is that plants don't have a nervous system to feel pain etc. etc.

    I read an article a few weeks back that said they've determined that peas communicate, and therefore could be considered sentient. I rolled my eyes. People have to eat SOMETHING. Please don't freak out the vegans and vegetarians by telling them peas are sentient.

    Yeah, sure. I also heard that grass clippings are a warning sign to blades of grass to protect themselves.
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
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    Throwing this out there. I just wanted to thank the OP for staying with the topic and encouraging productive discussion. Thanks!

    Ditto! Nice job, OP!
  • Rhea30
    Rhea30 Posts: 625 Member
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    This thread has turned over into talking about the biology of being an omnivore. I doubt anyone believes humans are not omnivores. Can we get back to the original topic? The point was that it's a choice because of the technology we have.

    You would be surprised. There are people out there who think we are not omnivores but that we are herbivores and this is when biology needs to be pointed out.
  • npk3034
    npk3034 Posts: 6 Member
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    Agreed!!! Some form of animal products is need in our diet but it doesn't have to be meat. It can be milk, egg, cheese, yogurt etc that will fulfill Vitamin B12 requirement :)
  • live2dream
    live2dream Posts: 614 Member
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    Actually, it takes less resources and space to farm veggies than animals.

    It would take alot of space if you wanted EVERYONE to go on a vegan diet, plus you would have to find land suitable to cultivate. That is one of the great things with an animal like a cow, it can be placed on land that wouldn't be suitable to cultivate and so then you're able to use a space that wasn't useable as a food resource.

    Raising animals for food requires lots more land than growing crops. That's because animals eat a lot more food than they provide as meat. It takes 16 pounds of grain to make one pound of beef. That's 94% more land. And 94% more pesticides. All told, livestock eat 70% of all the grain we produce. They're food factories in reverse.

    Animal farming wastes huge amounts of land. The point is that going meatless requires far, far less land and other resources than our normal eating habits do.

    (http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/environment.html)
  • BrokenButterfly
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    Throwing this out there. I just wanted to thank the OP for staying with the topic and encouraging productive discussion. Thanks!

    Ditto! Nice job, OP!

    Aw thanks! I'm really genuinely interested in the whole topic area. And i'm so pleased that this is a real discussion and hasn't become a nasty insult-fest between meat-eaters and vegans/vegetarians.
  • BrokenButterfly
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    I am a proud vegetarian myself, I don't push it onto people I just don't feel like something should die for me to eat when it doesn't need to. I love educating people though when they ask questions :)

    Aren't you killing that plant when you're chewing on it?

    Another frequent discussion amongst vegans / meat-eaters. Their argument is that plants don't have a nervous system to feel pain etc. etc.

    I read an article a few weeks back that said they've determined that peas communicate, and therefore could be considered sentient. I rolled my eyes. People have to eat SOMETHING. Please don't freak out the vegans and vegetarians by telling them peas are sentient.

    Yeah, sure. I also heard that grass clippings are a warning sign to blades of grass to protect themselves.

    I'm going to be wary of peas mumbling to eachother in their pods now. Both of these made me giggle :D
  • npk3034
    npk3034 Posts: 6 Member
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    the main argument is this: ONLY animal based foods contain vitamin B12. B12 deficiency is one of the leading causes of dementia in elderly adults and is one of the key "brain foods" we consume. you can supplement it, sure, but i'm just sayin'.

    Agreed!!! Going completely vegan can cause Vitamin B12 deficiency. Some form of animal products is important in our diet but it doesn't have to be meat. It can be milk, egg, cheese, yogurt etc that will fulfill Vitamin B12 requirement :)
  • BrokenButterfly
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    Agreed!!! Some form of animal products is need in our diet but it doesn't have to be meat. It can be milk, egg, cheese, yogurt etc that will fulfill Vitamin B12 requirement :)

    Certain yoghurts prove very effective in relation to a healthy bowel movement for me. So it can't be THAT bad can it?
  • kgeldreich
    kgeldreich Posts: 73
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    I don't really get the point of posting this to provoke people into arguing. If you want to learn both sides of the argument just google it---it isn't hard.....
  • hallie_b
    hallie_b Posts: 181
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    Raising animals for food requires lots more land than growing crops. That's because animals eat a lot more food than they provide as meat. It takes 16 pounds of grain to make one pound of beef. That's 94% more land. And 94% more pesticides. All told, livestock eat 70% of all the grain we produce. They're food factories in reverse.

    Animal farming wastes huge amounts of land. The point is that going meatless requires far, far less land and other resources than our normal eating habits do.

    (http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/environment.html)

    I've read this site, but I can never find where they site their sources :( Shame.
  • BrokenButterfly
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    Actually, it takes less resources and space to farm veggies than animals.

    It would take alot of space if you wanted EVERYONE to go on a vegan diet, plus you would have to find land suitable to cultivate. That is one of the great things with an animal like a cow, it can be placed on land that wouldn't be suitable to cultivate and so then you're able to use a space that wasn't useable as a food resource.

    Raising animals for food requires lots more land than growing crops. That's because animals eat a lot more food than they provide as meat. It takes 16 pounds of grain to make one pound of beef. That's 94% more land. And 94% more pesticides. All told, livestock eat 70% of all the grain we produce. They're food factories in reverse.

    Animal farming wastes huge amounts of land. The point is that going meatless requires far, far less land and other resources than our normal eating habits do.

    (http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/environment.html)

    Interesting! When you look it at from that angle it does seem all rather counter-productive. Especially if it is true that we don't actually get anything from meat that we could already get from vegan foods.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I am a proud vegetarian myself, I don't push it onto people I just don't feel like something should die for me to eat when it doesn't need to. I love educating people though when they ask questions :)

    Aren't you killing that plant when you're chewing on it?

    Another frequent discussion amongst vegans / meat-eaters. Their argument is that plants don't have a nervous system to feel pain etc. etc.

    I read an article a few weeks back that said they've determined that peas communicate, and therefore could be considered sentient. I rolled my eyes. People have to eat SOMETHING. Please don't freak out the vegans and vegetarians by telling them peas are sentient.

    Yeah, sure. I also heard that grass clippings are a warning sign to blades of grass to protect themselves.
    Yep, the smell of freshly cut grass is grass calling out a warning. Plants don't have nervous systems like animals, but they do have their own versions. Look at how some plants respond to touch, touch a plant consistently on one side, and it will start growing more on the other side to get away from the obstruction. Some plants sense dowels and trellises to wrap around and climb up. Some are able to rotate and turn themselves toward light sources, and some respond to sounds. They also breathe. Plants are just as much alive as any animal.
  • hallie_b
    hallie_b Posts: 181
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    Raising animals for food requires lots more land than growing crops. That's because animals eat a lot more food than they provide as meat. It takes 16 pounds of grain to make one pound of beef. That's 94% more land. And 94% more pesticides. All told, livestock eat 70% of all the grain we produce. They're food factories in reverse.

    Animal farming wastes huge amounts of land. The point is that going meatless requires far, far less land and other resources than our normal eating habits do.

    (http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/environment.html)

    I've read this site, but I can never find where they site their sources :( Shame.

    Sorry let me add their sources are there but the links don't work :(
  • BrokenButterfly
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    I don't really get the point of posting this to provoke people into arguing. If you want to learn both sides of the argument just google it---it isn't hard.....

    When I say 'argument' I mean a discussion. 'Argument' doesn't necessarily mean I want people to shout, cry and stomp their feet. Yes, I could google it. But then that's not sharing information and collecting from real people with their own knowledge base and experience.
  • Rhea30
    Rhea30 Posts: 625 Member
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    Are you saying mothers milk is vegan? Some Countries ban the use of soy formulas for infants.
    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    Mother's milk to made for babies, cows milk is intended for baby cows, goats milk is made for baby goats. That's histarical to say that ones child was not raised vegan because the child had breast milk. whew...thanks for the laugh!
    Just clarrifying, Some vegans are feeding babies soy formula. lol

    It is any woman's choice whether to breast feed her children, or give them some form of formula. That said, a woman breastfeeding her child is perfectly consistent with a vegan philosophy. Human milk is made to nourish baby humans, that's why women produce it. Cow's milk on the other hand, is produced by cows to nourish baby cows, the fact that we re-purpose it to feed humans is what vegans take issue with. Also, at least in developed nations, women do have some choice as to whether they want to breast feed (I realize it's not possible for all women, for lots of reasons), cows however, are not given a choice.

    Cows need to be milk and get stressed if they are not, its a relief for them when they are milked.
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
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    I'd just like to point out that machines used in agriculture kills thousands of animals a year. I know a lot of people are vegan because they don't want to harm animals, but the truth is that unless you grow all of your food yourself and harvest it in a way that doesn't kill anything (hand picking it, basically), you're harming animals.
  • BrokenButterfly
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    I am a proud vegetarian myself, I don't push it onto people I just don't feel like something should die for me to eat when it doesn't need to. I love educating people though when they ask questions :)

    Aren't you killing that plant when you're chewing on it?

    Another frequent discussion amongst vegans / meat-eaters. Their argument is that plants don't have a nervous system to feel pain etc. etc.

    I read an article a few weeks back that said they've determined that peas communicate, and therefore could be considered sentient. I rolled my eyes. People have to eat SOMETHING. Please don't freak out the vegans and vegetarians by telling them peas are sentient.

    Yeah, sure. I also heard that grass clippings are a warning sign to blades of grass to protect themselves.
    Yep, the smell of freshly cut grass is grass calling out a warning. Plants don't have nervous systems like animals, but they do have their own versions. Look at how some plants respond to touch, touch a plant consistently on one side, and it will start growing more on the other side to get away from the obstruction. Some plants sense dowels and trellises to wrap around and climb up. Some are able to rotate and turn themselves toward light sources, and some respond to sounds. They also breathe. Plants are just as much alive as any animal.

    Oh I thought the previous poster was joking! Apologies. This is fascinating.
  • deaddivya
    deaddivya Posts: 102
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    Personally, I'm not vegetarian for health reasons but simply because of the ethical factor. I simply don't want animals to die just for my sandwich, that's pretty much all.