Vegetarian Debate

[Randy]

There have been very few human societies in which no meat or fish are eaten, although in some parts of the world the normal diet is made up largely of staple foods such as rice, with meat and fish being relatively rare additions; this has often been due to poverty rather than choice. In modern Western societies, however, 'voluntary' vegetarianism is on the increase. Currently in the UK alone, there are approximately 3% of the population (1.8 million individuals) are vegetarians, 5% of the population is partly vegetarian, not eating some types of meat or fish. There are different types of vegetarianism. People who make a choice never to eat meat are vegetarians, although some vegetarians eat fish if it has been caught in the wild, many will not eat flesh of any sort. Some people are vegans, choosing not to eat any animal product, include eggs and dairy (milk) foods such as cheese, butter and yoghurt. Vegans and many vegetarians also refuse to wear leather or fur because it comes from animals.

This debate is about whether it is right for human beings to eat other animals (including fish). To take an even more absolute line, the proposition could argue for veganism - this means eating no dairy produce or eggs (as well as no meat or fish).

What are your thoughts?

 

[DrLeftover]

I don't care what you will or won't eat.

But I don't want some version of Government telling me what I can or cannot eat either.

 

[Evil Eye]

I don't think there's any right or wrong to eating animals, it's just natural. Animal rights do need to be considered, of course. There's no need to be cruel.
And, well, I can respect people for not eating animals for religious, political or personal reasons. As long as they don't push it.

 

[Fatal Dawn]

I don't think it is morally wrong (in and of itself) to use animals for sustenance.

The thing is, though, that we've moved well beyond the era of hunting-gathering. Animals now are mass farmed for their consumable products. I've read so many stories of what actually goes on in those factories. The conditions are deplorable and the animals are basically tortured. In that regard, I wouldn't say it is "right" to take animals from their natural habitat and confine them to factory conditions for our own selfish purposes.

Add to that, I think it becomes easy to disregard the welfare of those animals if we are not careful. Do factory animals deserve the same ethical consideration as our pets, for example?

I do agree, though, that vegetarianism and vegan-ism are dietary choices which should ultimately be left up to the individual.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

The thing is, though, that we've moved well beyond the era of hunting-gathering. Animals now are mass farmed for their consumable products. I've read so many stories of what actually goes on in those factories. The conditions are deplorable and the animals are basically tortured. In that regard, I wouldn't say it is "right" to take animals from their natural habitat and confine them to factory conditions for our own selfish purposes.

Add to that, I think it becomes easy to disregard the welfare of those animals if we are not careful. Do factory animals deserve the same ethical consideration as our pets, for example?

I agree with that! This many parts of this earth with hundreds of thousands of miles of open unused terrain. Why don't we utilize some of that space to allow farm animals to live a "normal" animal life up until they are humanely killed for food purposes?

 

[Evil Eye]

Why don't we utilize some of that space to allow farm animals to live a "normal" animal life up until they are humanely killed for food purposes?

Why? Well, money. What you're saying sounds nice, but, unfortunately, it's not profitable.
Even if every company did it (so they wouldn't have to worry about competition), it wouldn't be profitable. Meat would become too expensive and no one would buy it. :/

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Why don't we utilize some of that space to allow farm animals to live a "normal" animal life up until they are humanely killed for food purposes?

Why? Well, money. What you're saying sounds nice, but, unfortunately, it's not profitable.
Even if every company did it (so they wouldn't have to worry about competition), it wouldn't be profitable. Meat would become too expensive and no one would buy it. :/

I know its not a feasible plan, but it does sound nice.

 

[seasidemike]

I don’ think there is any right or wrong. I know people who are vegetarians and have very healthy diets.
There are a lot of arguments for it. For example, the amount of land needed to feed one cow, considering that cow’s output (ie how many people that cow would feed) is actually a very inefficient use of land vs the crops that could be grown on that same land.

Also, with the transportation of food these days, can you trust what you are eating when it comes to meat? Look at the crisis that took place in Europe where untraceable horse meat was selling in beef products, and they could not trace it’s origin into the food supply chain.

Then there is the risk of market prices driving down the quality of food given to cattle (Mad Cow disease).
There would be a lot of reasons for people to want to move to a vegetarian diet.

 

[DrLeftover]

It is a well known fact that there is no risk of illness from eating fruits and vegetables.

Right?

Of course right.

Lettuce and other leafy vegetables are healthy for you, but they are also the largest source of food-borne contamination in the U.S., according to a new government report.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324329204578271970675684826.html


(from the 2011 'scare')

A warning has been issued about eating certain raw vegetables from Northern Germany. It follows an alarming outbreak of E.coli food poisoning in the region. So far three people have died in the past two weeks with a further 350 suspected cases being investigated.

http://www.euronews.com/2011/05/26/raw-vegetables-suspected-for-german-ecoli-scare/

 

[seasidemike]

It is a well known fact that there is no risk of illness from eating fruits and vegetables.

Right?

Of course right.

Lettuce and other leafy vegetables are healthy for you, but they are also the largest source of food-borne contamination in the U.S., according to a new government report.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324329204578271970675684826.html


(from the 2011 'scare')

A warning has been issued about eating certain raw vegetables from Northern Germany. It follows an alarming outbreak of E.coli food poisoning in the region. So far three people have died in the past two weeks with a further 350 suspected cases being investigated.

http://www.euronews.com/2011/05/26/raw-vegetables-suspected-for-german-ecoli-scare/

That could be said for any food not washed or handled properly

 

[Fatal Dawn]

As any other raw product, there is always the risk of contamination, but the body of research and evidence from health agencies from the USDA to the FDA show that red meat consumption poses a far greater risk in comparison.

From the same article http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324329204578271970675684826.html:

Produce foods, a category that includes vegetables, fruits and nuts, sicken 4.4 million people a year, according to the report. Although that is a greater number than the 2.1 million illnesses caused by contaminated beef, pork, poultry and other meat, the pathogens found on meat are generally more deadly than those found on vegetables, according to the report.

Although I have been prevented by outward circumstances from observing a strictly vegetarian diet, I have long been an adherent to the cause in principle. Besides agreeing with the aims of vegetarianism for aesthetic and moral reasons, it is my view that a vegetarian manner of living by its purely physical effect on the human temperament would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.
― Albert Einstein, Translation of letter to Hermann Huth, December 27, 1930. Einstein Archive 46-756.

 

[Kahnai]

As for me, I come from a family of hunters. My father, my grandpa and my uncle would hunt deer, gut them, and cook them. Some of the best meals I ever had were ones that were either caught or killed my by family. Venison is the best!

When you grow up with that it just seems so natural that any other way seems strange.

 

[Penguin]

As a penguin, I wouldn't survive eating just plants. They're rather scare in Antarctica. I eat squid and stuff, so I guess I'm a pescatarian.