Comments | pingugirl: Vegetarianism

pingugirl

Vegetarianism

Mar 20, 2007 17:48

I have been contemplating it for the past few weeks. However really I've been looking for reasons to justify why I should continue to eat meat. I have been eating natural and organic meats for months now. I started to wonder if my eating was worth the life of another. The thought of it made me uncomfortable to the point of picking out pieces of ( Read more... )

Comments 14

cloquewerk March 20 2007, 23:51:15 UTC

Heh, I started off with a reply here, but it got so long that I decided to turn it into a post myself, since that kind of thing is largely why I set up a livejournal. I'm cool with continuing the discussion though.

pingugirl March 21 2007, 20:06:03 UTC

neat! I went over and left a few comments... I don't think I commented to you though. lol ( ... )

cloquewerk March 21 2007, 20:44:02 UTC

I understand your point about eating what you are served, but I think it depends on the situation. If my host were totally oblivious to vegetarianism and if my refusal of meat would be offensive in some way, I might consider it--if I were a visitor in a foreign country, perhaps. I think, though, that in this society, given the growing number of vegetarians and people who are reducing the amount of meat they eat, there is less of an excuse for a host to not be familiar at all with a guest's diet. I certainly don't mind suggesting ideas (for instance, to my gf's mom, even though she does occasionally cook vegetarian meals and doesn't realize it), but if someone invites me over specifically for supper, knowing I do not eat meat, and then serves meat... well... I would question why I would be interested in becoming acquainted with someone who doesn't respect their guests' beliefs. Think of someone inviting their Jewish friend over and serving pork chops... the reasons for that diet might be somewhat different from my reason for being ( ... )

ash_pixie March 21 2007, 00:12:20 UTC

The "activist" part of me doesn't eat meat anymore because, unlike when I was a kid and we knew farmers, hunters, etc, I can't buy meat that I've "met"... When I lived at home, we had a friend who would raise cattle and chickens without hormones, etc--in a manner that would now be considered humane, organic meat--and we would buy 1/2 to a whole cow a year, about 12-24 chickens and a couple of geese/turkeys from him per year to meet the meat needs of our family. My mother was allergic to a lot of the injections and hormones that "normal" farmers give their animals. We would also get meat from my uncle and my grandparents who hunt. Moose, partridge, other fowls and fish... Due to the nature of living in nature, these were "organic" too ( ... )

pingugirl March 21 2007, 20:11:59 UTC

I wish this idea of respecting the animals also existed. I would feel much better if I knew all of the animal was being used.

But I'm a little confused as to why you don't buy meat from an organic/natural farm. If you met and knew the farmer and animals, would you buy from them?

ash_pixie March 23 2007, 12:57:51 UTC

It's a health issue with me. My family tends to succum to certain types of cancers, there is a 30% decrease in your likelyness to develope these cancers if you avoid animal products. Because I want to be there in my full capacity for my daughter, for as long as I can and nearly 100% of the female members of my mom's family have had this occur, I feel it's only responsible to at least limit my intake of animal products. As a general rule, I do not eat any animal products.

cloquewerk March 21 2007, 20:50:42 UTC

Yeah, well said; I agree that is indeed the ultimate use of an animal, or for that matter of anything... waste is essentially disrespect, of an animal in the case of most slaughterhouses, and of nature, the planet, and life in general. Blech it's tough being at all ethical in this world.

hardcasecrime March 21 2007, 05:13:02 UTC

being a vegetarian is HARD but youre doing the next best thing!

pingugirl March 21 2007, 20:17:45 UTC

thanks... I guess this is more of a personal thing when it comes down to it. I just want to know I'm eating meat/not eating meat for reasons that are right for me.

I'm somewhat content with only ordering vegetarian dishes while eating out, but I don't want to cause difficulties for people when they have me as a guest. If they forgot to ask and serve me meat I don't want to make them feel bad. Especially when the animal has already been killed, bought and cooked for the meal.

I just want to respect and have as much compassion for all living things as I can.

hardcasecrime March 21 2007, 21:02:48 UTC

i think youre going about it a very logical way. it really is a personal choice. at least youre thinking about the animals welfare and not just a meal.

dang_dodo_ditty March 21 2007, 12:13:01 UTC

i went vego just over a year ago, and it has been tough, but i'm still alive! and healthy. i plan on going vegan eventually.

you can still support 'organic' and 'natural' meat and not eat it yourself. i tell people to buy rspca eggs etc, even though i don't buy them myselves.

pingugirl March 21 2007, 20:27:19 UTC

most people won't do things just because people suggest it. Most people will try something because someone they know has done it before them. I just think I would encourage more people to eat organic and natural meats if I'm doing it myself. I think people will just see me as different from them when I'm no longer eating any meat at all. I would become catagorised as a vegetarian and not as a person supporting animals that are being humanely treated before becoming meat.

:( meep

I don't know yet if I am or am not comfortable with an animal be born and raised to be killed. and I guess that's why some peta people even disagree with having pets since they too are born and raised for humans only to die or be killed when we decide.:( I don't know :(

cloquewerk March 21 2007, 20:47:25 UTC

To my knowledge PETA supports the adoption of animals but not the pet industry. My two cats were found on a farm and were going to be killed, and my gf's cat was abandoned. But yeah, in PETA's ideal world, there would be no cruelty to animals and hence no abandoned animals and hence no pets. I can definitely understand this point of view.

ash_pixie March 23 2007, 13:02:55 UTC

PETA, as in the organization that uses shock to get people to go veg/vegan--EVEN IN ITS CHILDREN'S PUBLICATIONS.
The organization that adopts animals from shelters under false pretenses--healthy animals--kills them in a van and dumps them in a PIGGLy WIGGLY dumpster.

Yeah, I think *really* highly of PETA. They may have done some good things in the past, but now things with them are just getting too fucked up.