Quote:
Originally Posted by CAPTAIN CAVEMAN
Consider the following:
A human born severely retarded - that would, without sustained care by other humans, be nowhere close to functioning well enough to reach reproductive age - is granted the rights to live, be free of torture, etc.
An animal with all their cognitive faculties intact that would in another environment (i.e., not an industrial farm) live a (comparatively) long life is denied not only the right to live, but is made to exist in despondently poor conditions that definitely amount to torture. This applies to the majority of animals that become/produce the meat, eggs, etc., that we consume.
So, why does the deficient human get to live over the capable animal? Because he/she was born into our species? Does that justify giving them the lifelong right to exist, while the animal is born without any chance at having a life that doesn't end in being consumed by a human?
To answer the first post: I am not a vegetarian. I do believe that it is completey natural for human beings to eat meat.
|
I think it's more a matter of survival that has escalated into something far more in the face of demand and efficiency. Realistically, we could all still live our lives hunting on our own terms, or even choosing to eat vegetables... but mass farming and manufacturing applies to both meat and fruit/vegetables and it's undeniably necessary in context with our nation's needs. The entire nation (whichever you belong to) can't support itself independently because we'd all be spilling over into eachother's land and decimating any animal/crop population that found itself in our sights.
While not agreeable of the state in which we employ animal farming, it's rather unrealistic to think that we could just replace meat farming with vegetable farming and live happily ever after.
The push for change needs to happen with the methods at which we farm meat and the treatment we give in those scenarios.
I just don't think we should all give up meat as a society and start living on vegetables just because we don't think it's "nice" to be on the top of a food chain. Yea, maybe we could lessen the extent of our influence, but just moving aside is only going to give the position to something else.