From: Mermaid . (britannica@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Feb 25 2002 - 13:51:48 MST
[ben]Because you're not comfortable with your place in the food chain? Do
you feel that guilty about it?
[Mermaid]No. I dont feel guilt, but I am most definitely uncomfortable
because its nasty. To me...at least...
[Mermaid]...but pray do tell...where does guilt enter the picture?
[ben]I'm pretty happy with where my species stands in the lunch hierarchy,
perhaps that's why I prefer my steaks blue-rare :)
[Mermaid]Good for you..:)
[Mermaid]Cooking 'rare' is not the same as ripping a leg off a live/freshly
killed sheep. Please...lets not get carried away. I'd rather listen to the
explanation of the lunch hierarchy theory from someone who hunts and eats
bear meat<and some actually do...NO, not the ones who buy ground bear meat
patties for $12/lb.....its right up there as a delicacy in Alaska alongwith
reindeer jerky and moose burgers>.
[ben]Too many people try to play nice with the fact that living beings are
murdered so that they might enjoy the taste of their flesh, but that's what
it boils down to isn't it?
[Mermaid]Yes, you are right. Too many people try to play nice with the fact
that living beings are murdered so that they might enjoy the taste of their
flesh. They should probably be stopped and be forced to become 'veggies'.
But hey..guess what? I can live with them.
[Mermaid]And NO. It actually boils down to how animals are treated because
not everyone will embrace vegetarianism/veganism. Although, *I* do not like
food that looks like its going to spring back to life and cluck at me. That,
ben, is a personal perference.
[ben]If one can't accept that, perhaps they _should_ go veggie.
[Mermaid]That was the plan and I had dabbled long enough with meat to know
that I *really* dont enjoy eating meat. I dont believe in 'militant'
anything. Either its about being a strict-vegetarian or a
die-hard-meat-lover? Mercifully, I am a 'veggie' now and I like it that way.
If I may speak for myself, I am a damn good hostess and a very gracious
guest. So, I will not put myself in a corner and proclaim that I will not
touch any dead meat until the last breath leaves my body. That is nonsense
and not practical at all. However, I know non-vegetarians who are good
friends and acquiantances. I also know that one cannot be judged by their
eating habits. I never made any strong recommendations for either case.
Etiquette and comman decency demands that one does not
instruct/criticise/mock another's personal perferences unless there is proof
of actual damage being done because of the said preferences. But who cares
about etiquette and decency these days, huh? Nobody suggested that you
should slaughter your own cow food, did they?...:) But I strongly recommend
that everyone...everyone...respects animals and start believing that animals
have rights too. AND animals can and do feel pain.
[Mermaid]Let me make it clear with an example: I bleed every month and soak
up a couple of sanitary napkins and some tampons. I might go on with my day,
work and the rest of my activities looking perfectly normal....I may even
glow a bit and act like I am horny as well...but only I know if I feel pain
or not..right? Even assuming that somehow a human being can, by some
unexplained phenomenon(!!!), can figure out that a diseased animal seemingly
walks around 'feeling no pain'...saying that a diseased animal isnt really
in pain is not the same as an animal made to live in painful, deplorable
conditions and fed plump with hormones for slaughter. I hope I was clear in
communicating to you as to what it all boils down to..from where I stand?
[Mermaid]Would you rather all vegetarians declare that vegetarians are
superior to non vegetarians in their eating habits and non vegetarians
making similar claims to support their view? Where do we meet? Where is the
middle ground? Or would *you* rather decide who should become a 'veggie' and
who shouldnt?
_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Sep 25 2002 - 13:28:43 MDT