Living The Teenage Life; Peer Pressure and Carnivores

Vegetarian. What just came to mind when you read that word?... A hippie in a knitted beret? A guy with dreadlocks wearing a skirt?... When I tell people I'm a vegetarian, they go "oh!" and suddenly they look at me funny, like I'm some kind of a freak. True, I'm not following the majority, but I don't want to base my decisions on what all the others are doing just because it's easier and that's what has been drilled into our heads since birth. Normally, I am the black sheep of the flock. But I don't mind that when it comes down to it. I'd rather be criticized for being "weird" than participate in something that I feel is inhumane and destructive to our environment.

Even though you buy your nicely plastic-wrapped meat at the grocery store, it doesn't mean that what's in that package didn't suffer to get there. Many animal farms and slaughterhouses have been caught in the act of abusing their animals. Yet even after all the distressing undercover videos have been leaked, still the abuse continues; still people keep buying meat, even from the guilty companies. Anyone who is against animal cruelty should refuse to buy meat, because by adding to the demand they contribute to more animal abuse.

People argue that eating meat is natural for human beings. But consider this: Do we eat raw meat? Any other natural carnivore on this planet does, because it's instinct. But it's not natural for us humans. We've been trained that meat eating is normal, ever since the caveman started killing animals for food. Back then, when food was extremely scarce, animals and berries were basically all there was to survive. Plus, they galloped around like gorillas, wearing loincloths.

Don't you think our race has advanced just a little since then?

We have the technology to do without all the inhumane slaughtering, and we have access to other foods and vitamins to be healthy without meat. In fact, some of the longest living people on Earth are vegetarians. Cutting out meat from the diet reduces your risk of cancer and rids your body of many toxins consumed from meat.

Not only does a vegetarian diet increase your health, it saves our planet: our drinking water, our rainforests, our energy, our atmosphere, our less fortunate who are dying of starvation, and our animals who also have a right to live just like we do. Reducing our environmental footprint, in other words, living lightly on this earth, requires us to be vegetarian.

Becoming a vegetarian was one of the most important decisions I've ever made; it has completely changed the person I am today. I'll never go back. The environment, my health, and the other living things on our earth, all mean too much to me. I'm a better person today because of my decision. Yes, it takes a bit of work to maintain a vegetarian diet, but so does anything else important in life.

Comments

[Newrinkles]

The problem is most people are NOT vegetarian, and if that's the case, we need to ensure animals are raised humanely before they're slaughtered. It doesn't mean you have to agree with a person not being a vegetarian. It means you care about the life the animals lives until they die. Here's a post about raising animals humanely if you're interested http://www.newrinkles.com/index.php/archive/promoting-animal-welfare-the-animal-welfare-approved-program/

[RoloTomassi]

Whatever; I eat meat--always have, and will likely do so for the rest of my days.

Unlike the average modern American, I do know the process from the kill to the skillet, and have done it all myself in the past. I don't hunt anymore, so now I'm just your average grocery store consumer.

I've got nothing against Vegetarians, but I refuse to consider a BS guilt-trip inspired mindset about eating meat.

You want to preserve life? Concentrate on humanity first, and then work your way down the chain. If history is any indication, we'll never make a serious impact on curbing cruelty to ourselves, much less other species.

[rjmiller]

"our animals who also have a right to live just like we do"

The right to life isn't a valid argument for vegetarianism, since you kill countless plants (unless you only eat fruits and seeds). The right to not needlessly suffer would be a valid argument, since plants have no nervous system, but that leaves the door open for humane meat production.

A better argument for vegetarianism is the scarcity of resources argument. The amount of resources spent to raise livestock is disproportionate to the benefit of meat. I don't remember the exact number offhand, but there is something like 4 lbs. of feed (grain) used to produce every 1 lb. of beef.

Your reasoning about eating raw meat being unnatural is pretty silly considering the fact that raw meat IS eaten all over the world, it is just not accepted too widely in our western culture with the notable exceptions of carpaccio, sushi and tartare. It is also a big stretch to say that vegetarianism is more healthy. The truth is that vegetarians miss a number of important vitamins, minerals and amino acids that they need to make up elsewhere (iron for example). However, our culture eats too much meat as it is, so vegetarianism is probably more healthy than a "standard" diet.

On a side note, where do you live that people look at you like a freak for being a vegetarian? It's pretty mainstream at this point.

[LarBear]

Life is Life... Please demonstrate that which is NOT Life... Life feeds on Life... You simply have a Belief some Life is MORE Life than other parts of LIFE... Did you ask the carrot, or apple how they feel about being Farmed??? How they feel about being eaten? Is your belief somehow more "right" then other's Belief? How does a carrot feel about being ripped up by the roots? Having it's top cut off? Being steamed alive, or boiled alive? Being separated from family?

Is the failure to communicate that of the "other"???

[kilakiwi]

My 11-year-old son has been a vegetarian since he was three and found out where meat came from. There's been a lot of pressure from my friends who think he needs meat protein to grow to force him to eat meat, which I would never do. I can't imagine being forced to eat something I find repulsive, so how could I do that to my child? Instead, my son (along with the recent slaughter house videos) has influenced my eating habits to the point that I rarely eat meat now. He is also among the tallest, strongest kids in his grade, even though his dad and I are both short. I am coming to realize that vegetarianism is a smart choice for our bodies and our planet, and I applaud your healthy choice and advocating for vegetarianism in spite of peer pressure.