Food for Thought

"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian." - Paul McCartney

If the quotation above was no indication, this post might get slightly opinionated - - but hopefully not preachy.

I had an interesting - if not common - conversation with a student today. The subject of my vegetarianism was brought up and the student exclaimed, "I don't care how the meat gets to my plate, I'll still eat it." This brazen attitude is always interesting to me because there is an underlying acknowledgement that something isn't right. I didn't mention anything about animal cruelty or slaughter...but my student knew. To automatically dismiss that something unpleasant - - without acknowledging it or wishing to discuss it - - is a clear denial and clearly a coping mechanism. Should we really need a defense or coping mechanism when discussing our everyday lifestyle choices?

Vegetarians runs into these comments all the time. Why would someone else get opinionated and defensive when I acknowledge my own eating choices? I am not preachy. In fact, I rarely say anything more than "I'm a vegetarian for my own personal reasons." How is that threatening? Why does that illicit challenging commentary?

Anyway, everyone is free to do as they please. I am content in my own choices and happy to discuss them with anyone interested. BUT - - I do not feel the need to advertise my choices or push them on others. However, it bothers me when others can casually dismiss my beliefs as though they themselves are stronger or I am more sensitive.

Ironically enough, I just watched a documentary called Earthlings that examines human "use" of animals in five ways: as pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and scientific experimentation. The film makes a great point in asking "Why should we treat something less intelligent or less evolved than us poorly?" What does that say about us?

Anyway, the film is unflinching and quite graphic in its footage of animals raised in puppy mills, mistreated and slaughtered for food, beaten and skinned for clothing, "trained" for circuses, and tortured and experimented on for science. I challenge anyone to watch the entire hour and thirty-five minute film and still ridicule my decisions. I don't expect - or desire - everyone to conform to my way of thinking, but it's also hard for anyone to argue with me until they're seen the things I've seen, or read the things I've read.

Of course, it is your choice to not acknowledge that something unpleasant...but don't pretend to understand my choices until you do!