For about 2-2 1/2 months now, I have been meat-free. People ask me all the time: Why? What for? Don’t you get hungry? (Or what I really get pissed at, “Oh well, you’ll start eating meat again soon.”)
So, this is my attempt at explaining my own personal reasoning behind it. First, I respect the many people who do this, and have been for a much much longer period than myself. I only wish I had started sooner. I started thinking about doing it before I got off of work for the summer. My main reasoning behind it was that I didn’t like that I put all kinds of hormones and other products into my body that are not naturally found inside the meat. Also, I would prefer to know that animals were not dying just to feed my taste for chicken, pork, and beef. However, I was never able to really stop. I limited myself to chicken, but still did eat meat.
The youth group I work with took a mission trip to Heifer International, an organization that provides training and animals to people in poor nations. While there, the food service offered vegetarian options, which I took when available. I also learned more about animal and water management and how the way factory farming in the United States hurts our environment and could be considered cruel to the animals themselves. So, at the end of the trip, I made a commitment to myself to become vegetarian.
Although that setup my original reasoning, my reasons for continuing to not eat meat have changed based on research on the topic. I now believe my main reason for not eating meat is because of the poor living conditions of the animals. I have so far not been able to give up milk or cheese, and sometimes eggs. I know that even organic products can be mistreated and abused. For example, when egg-laying farms have male chicks, they suffocate them in bags or grind them up alive since they have no purpose. Eating chickens that have their beaks clipped, are caged in very small spaces, where the waste is so toxic they get skin burns… this is not right. Even food animals deserve to be treated well while they are alive.
I’m not some nutcase that wants everyone to live like I have been for the past couple months. Just want people to recognize where their food comes from; what the life is like for those animals before they are slaughtered. I think those are fair issues most people can get behind. And by having more education, perhaps people will start looking at other options.
For an idea of where your food comes from, look here and select an animal under the “meet the animals” section on the left.
September 9th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Do you think you’ll ever change your mind? Like if people just piss you off enough or one day you give in? Do you think you will ever stop being a veggie man? Or do you think you will become a full veggie man while avoiding eating eggs,milk, and cheese? Is this something you PLAN on sticking to or just something you really want to do right now and if it sticks it sticks, if it doesn’t it doesn’t? You know, you can raise awareness without being a veggie man? Though I guess that is kind of hypocritical. Just wondering.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I don’t plan to, but who can say? I certainly feel pretty committed to the vegetarian thing. It has not been difficult (for the most part) making the adjustment, and I usually do not miss the meat.
I have enough land to have a chicken or two, and I plan to do that to replace the eggs (although I really don’t eat eggs that much). The milk and cheese is harder. After reading about how diary animals, even those “farm raised” or “organic” end up slaughtered. Plus, male calfs from diary cows are generally used for veal, which is a really cruel treatment. So that is something I would like to move more towards, but I know it will be a more difficult change.
Speaking of being hypocritical, I’m also trying to avoid purchases such as leather shoes, belts, etc.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
First, you buy a spider and now you want to raise chickens? That’s far out. I just have one question though. If someone really close to you, someone you cared a lot for and who cared a lot for you came along and told you that they were NOT ok with this, would you stop? Would you tell them to get over themselves? Would you lose respect for them? What if you meant the world to them and couldn’t stand it if you weren’t friends with them or whatever but they just couldn’t comprehend the worth of this all? Would you at least slow down as far as what you plan to avoid and stuff? I’m just curious if this is a harder adjustment for those around you and if that matters to you?
September 11th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Not everyone agrees with me…or has to for that matter. I’m not saying or expecting people I am close to should support me in this, but I do think that people can at least recognize that this is my decision and respect my choice in the matter.
For example, when I am at my parents house, my dad thinks I am doing something foolish, and that’s ok. But he respects that I can make my own decisions. And I just don’t eat the meat of whatever meal they are making.
September 12th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
This may sound like a weird question but…do you eat mayonaise?
September 12th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Yes, I do. But it’s made from vegetable oil and I don’t think it has eggs or anything in it. For example, I use it to make this dish that is similar to tunafish salad, except I use mashed up chickpeas instead of tuna.
September 12th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
That sounds disgusting!