Rationale for veg'ism

[Guest guest]

I was shocked and disturbed to read in recent postings that some people say

they feel strongly about veg'ism and animal rights and yet don't see a

compelling reason for others to be vegetarian. I don't understand this at

all. What are your own reasons for being vegetarian? Because you want to

prevent animal suffering? Because you don't want to contribute to soil

erosion, water pollution, and ozone depletion? Because you don't want to

waste grain, water, land, and pesticides? Because you want to free up grain,

water, and land (skip the pesticides) for people in need? Because

slaughterhouses treat their workers almost as brutally as they treat

animals?

Ethical veg'ns clearly care about some or all of these and other issues

enough to consider them every time they sit down to a meal. Therefore, if

one cares about these issues, wouldn't it only be logical that one would

want not only to make a positive contribution oneself, but also for the

level of animal suffering, human suffering, and environmental suffering to

be diminshed as much as possible? I just don't understand: You don't want a

chicken to die for you, and yet it is ok with you for the same chicken to

die for someone else? Each of us is only one person and, with our food

choices, can make only a relatively minute difference each day in the lives

of animals. Thus, if the goal is to make a dent in the number of animals

killed, the number of waterways polluted, the number of pounds of grain

wasted by being funnelled through animals, we need as many people as

possible onboard as vegans--or, to be PC--as veg'ns. It seems to me that the

more we care about these issues, the more imperative it is to us that others

make the switch to plant-based eating for all the same reasons we ourselves

did.

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Hello!

 

I made that statement, and I since got some private mail about it as well.

I evidently need to find a better balance between not flooding this list

with long strident messages on the one hand, and on the other hand not

providing sufficient context for my brief comments.

 

OK, for the record:

1. I did not mean that I thought others should not be vegetarian.

2. I did not mean that there weren't reasons which compell ME, for them to

be vegetarian.

3. I did not mean that it is ok with ME that animals are raised and suffer

and are killed, eaten or vivisected.

4. It is a fact though, that what I think and $1.25 will buy you a cup of

coffee.

5. It unfortunately doesn't matter at all in the scheme of things that I

think everyone should be vegetarian, and should care about animals, and

should care about environmental issues, and a host of other things.

6. What is compelling for me is not necessarily compelling for others.

7. The world is by and large filled with people who simply are not

compelled, by animal suffering or pollution, to consider vegetarianism.

Further many, if not most, are not able to even fathom the concept, let

alone seriously consider it as a way of life.

8. I meant to differentiate between what we (vegetarians) want, and what

is. I was, at the same time, not denigrating the possibility for change,

but talking about my impression of our current reality, in the context of a

discussion about the complexity of this issue.

9. I meant to agree with what I felt was the original writer's implicit

message, that vegetarianism is a moral/ethical dillemma which is far more

complicated and intractible than many of those who were upset by my simple

comment wish it were.

10. Lastly, I think clarity is crucially important, and understanding how

things really are is going to be far more useful in the long run than not

being able to consider all sides of a problem for fear of not sounding

'team' enough.

 

Whew! My personal view is that everyone on this list is more or less in

agreement that vegetarianism and animal rights are good things, so I'd be

willing to move on to other subjects before this red herring gets out of

hand and my reputation for troublemaking gets any worse!

 

Bruce

 

 

> I was shocked and disturbed to read in recent postings that some

> people say

> they feel strongly about veg'ism and animal rights and yet don't see a

> compelling reason for others to be vegetarian. I don't

> understand this at

> all. What are your own reasons for being vegetarian? Because you want to

> prevent animal suffering? Because you don't want to contribute to soil

> erosion, water pollution, and ozone depletion? Because you don't want to

> waste grain, water, land, and pesticides? Because you want to

> free up grain,

> water, and land (skip the pesticides) for people in need? Because

> slaughterhouses treat their workers almost as brutally as they treat

> animals?

 

-etc.-