Good article up on Slate about vegetarians. It’s inspiring me to say a few words on the practice of not eating meat. Those words are as follows:
Wow, that’s nuts, but, hey, if it makes you happy, go for it!
I have no particular problem with vegetarians (aside from the snide ones who refer to people like as “carnivores”. I eat meat and other things so I, like most of our species, am an omnivore). I think it’s quite odd to not eat meat, since we’ve evolved to do so. On the other hand, there’s plenty of other things we’re evolved to do, but don’t, cause we have higher brain functions.
I understand all the arguments in favor of a vegetarian diet, and I’ve been on one myself in the past. I found Gardenburgers to be reasonably tasty and I’ve had some fake sausage that was quite dandy. I can understand going on these diets for health, enviromental or ethical reasons (like the writer of the Slate article who says they couldn’t stand the thought of killing a cow. Me, I’ve been around cows. I have no problem with the idea of whacking one to get steak).
But while I can understand these reasons, I don’t hold to them myself. I love meat! Give me a nice burger, or some grilled salmon, or a well-cooked chicken breast and I’m a happy little camper. I like vegetables, fruit and other things, too, of course. But meat is my favorite, hands down!
So those of you who don’t want to eat meat, that’s fine. You stick with your meatless diet and pass me the pork chops! And remember: a vegetarian is simply someone who is too insensative to hear a carrot scream.
May 9, 2008 at 6:58 am
Please, please, please show me a vegetarian who proudly claims that no animal must die or suffer because of the choice of food they eat…
I will show you someone who is very disconnected with reality. Last year we killed (can I say that?) thousands of potato-bugs which — if we did not — would have eaten our crop up!
My son is now rejoicing in the garden work: A worm, a worm… wonder how many we have killed by simple act of digging a spade in the ground…
Environmental issues the reason you do not eat meat? I wonder what vegetarians using this arguement eat during those months in the year when produce is not growing in the garden? Do they realize how much fossile fuel is needed to transport Kiwis from New Zealand, Bananas from the Republic… Rice from the Himilayas… Tofu from…? Not an envirnmentally conscious option, if you ask me!
Just had to get that out! Having said that, I love vegetables and also eat meat. And I have no problems with people who claim to only eat one or the other. We have that freedom. Yet if you want to make a good case for your convictions, then you need to be informed! And then you can inform me…
May 10, 2008 at 1:01 am
Yeah, it’s important to remember there’s no food without at least some enviromental impact. Even if all you do is wander around through the forest gathering nuts and berries, you’re still denying those nuts and berries the chance to go into mighty trees or shrubs.
“Bullshit!” did a good episode on this, actually, where, among other things, they talked about the “Raw Foods Movement”, which seems to think humanity was doing well up until we learned how to use fire, and it’s been downhill since.