“If God didn’t want us to eat animals, why did he make them out of meat?” – Homer Simpson
I have a friend from high-school that I see occasionally who is a “raw vegan.” He eats nothing but organic food, and he doesn’t eat anything that’s processed – whatsoever. Raw means raw; he does not cook his vegetables. He just decided to stop eating meat one day, and it progressed from there. But he’s not holier-than-thou about it, generally. He will occasionally regale you, if you ask about his choice, with stories about how they slaughter chickens and pigs, but for the most part, he doesn’t attract attention.
This will probably not sway him, but via Strike The Root, an Oregon State University scientist questions the lack of consistent application of one’s moral principles, and makes the claim that a vegan diet is far from bloodless.
[Steven Davis, professor of animal science at OSU" has found evidence that suggests that the unseen losses of field animals are very high...
In contrast, grazing ruminants such as cattle produce food and require fewer entries into the fields with tractors and other equipment. In grazed pastures, according to Davis, less wildlife is lost to the mower blades, and more find stable habitat in untilled fields. And no-till agriculture also helps stabilize soil and reduce run-off into streams.
So, the next time you order that $9 tofu burger, and reminisce about how goddamn great a good pulled-pork sandwhich tastes, consider all the bunnies and voles and field mice who lost their lives to the mechanized scythes that provide you with your vegan diet.
“If God didn’t want us to eat animals, why did he make them out of ……
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04 05 07
Hehehhehehe Now that is what I call a post! Yeah, well I really am connected to my garden and I feel bad when I have to even kill a weed because it is a living being. But I get over it because I don’t want it to mess up my garden. Then when I kill my edible plants, I feel guilty because they are also alive. It seems like everything we do involves killing something! That is why the Vegan philosophy never made sense to me…
Your observations seem to be consistent with the Law of Unintended Consequences, which you are very familiar with. I think you are barking up the wrong tree if you intend to convince your friend, however.
[David responds: No - I have no intention of deconverting him; his choices merely served as a backdrop to the article.]
I strive to be a good fifth-level vegan. I don’t eat anything that casts a shadow.
[David responds: that's from the hippie that Lisa Simpson has a crush on - can't recall his name...]
I hate vegetarians, unless it is for medical reasons. They refrain from enjoying a part of life because of stupid pseudo-moral or psychological hangups. I find that despicable.