Don't get defensive. All I said was that I eat both, and I didn't see that option on the poll. No need to get annoyed over nothing.
Meat Eater / Vegetarian / Vegan
- Thread starter All Seeing Eye
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Don't get defensive. All I said was that I eat both, and I didn't see that option on the poll. No need to get annoyed over nothing.
However, an open mind does no good if there is no evaluative process to go with it. Newness is not inherent grounds for acceptance. Validity is. If something is valid, it gets accepted. If not--rejected. Period.
Also, if someone does something without it being a choice, then that is not ethical value. That is legal compliance--no more, no less. Laws are necessary, to my mind, when disorder would result from not having the law...but I do not think it is the government's place to legislate what goes into my body, ESPECIALLY when some of us have dietary requirements that would not be satisfied on a vegetarian diet without living on pills, or being in constant pain, which WOULD be the result if I tried to alter the balance of my diet.
Legislation, however, is much more appropriate when it comes to the conditions on the so-called "farms" where animals are raised. If farmers will not provide adequate living conditions, and if slaughterhouses will not carry out the slaughter in the quickest, most painless manner they can, then this is a place for the government to step in and enforce compliance.
Supply and demand, however, should be settled by the free market. Demand drops enough--people in the meat business take the financial hit and get out of the business and available supply will come into line with the new, reduced demand. And that is a choice made by the people, not by the government. I would not mind at all if demand dropped and fewer of us were eating meat, and restaurants served more reasonable portions by their own choice (Example: I went to Wendy's today and got a burger, but I ONLY order the Junior burger because I can actually eat it and I know I will not leave leftovers--I can be sure in that case I don't have a part in a creature dying that does not go directly to my nourishment), and people were similarly more responsible in their buying habits so that we only have to kill what we must, and not to pile a whole bunch of extra on someone's plate that's just going to get thrown out.
I think this would be a good thing. But bringing the government into it I think is a tremendous overstep. If people want to protest and make their case, go ahead. If they want to invoke force, be it by law or by direct violence against those with whom they disagree, then I have a problem.
Thank the Holy Cow!
As a Hindu I am deeply offended by this.
Errr... Now you're starting to sound a little paranoid... There will never be enough people who care that much about stopping people from eating meat to ever be a threat to people who do eat meat... Saying it and doing something about it are two different things, and I don't believe there'll ever be enough people who care about it that much to even really try...Obviously, no one will ever manage to get that to come to pass, no. But then I never said they would.It has been said by people before though. I've come across the implication more than once.
No one will *succeed* in completely banning meat, but that doesn't mean they won't still try.
I do believe I agree with everything you've said here.
Your mind is still closed to the ideas of others, though, no matter how backward those ideas may seem.
I'm just getting started.
Robert A. Heinlein said once, and I agree, that *any* group will legislate its own viewpoint into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
So how does one differentiate between: (i) a closed mind, and (ii) an open mind that listens to the ideas of others, gives careful and thoughtful consideration to them, and finally judges the ideas to be wrong.
Is that final act of judging forbidden in an open minded? Must open minded people be indecisive?
Not indecisive, but on the other hand not judgemental of others' ideas and beliefs either.
And if they demonstrably prove their position, then eating meat should be illegal.
She's right. Ethics are more important than individual freedom. That's why you don't have the freedom to steal, kill, rape, extort, et cetera, et cetera.
Why not? Ideas and beliefs are subject to critical thinking-- how else can we reject bad ones? Are you not judgmental of Nazis or Klansmen?
There are a few vegetarians that do this to other folks. That tends to give everyone the impression that we are all like that. Trust me. We are not. I may personally feel icky about something having to die so I can survive but I would never wag my finger in someone's face about how they feel about it. I feel icky about that too. People have the right to make their own choices. Of course this works both ways too. I should be allowed the same courtesy. Most of the time I am not. I can honestly say I get more flack for being a vegetarian than I do for being gay and we all know how much people hate the gays.
I have gotten used to it over the years but I usually don't tell people I am a vegetarian unless I absolutely have too.
^ I went to a dinner party a few months back where I was told by another guest that I shouldn't eat the dessert made by the hostess (who had bent over backwards to accommodate this guest's many, many food requirements) because it included honey.
Which was made by "oppressed" bees.
I would have needled her even more about that comment than I did, but backed down out of respect for our hosts who didn't deserve her getting even more angry about it than she was already getting. Truly lol-worthy though. I'd never known anyone get all militant about the plight of bees before.
Which was made by "oppressed" bees.
I would have needled her even more about that comment than I did, but backed down out of respect for our hosts who didn't deserve her getting even more angry about it than she was already getting. Truly lol-worthy though. I'd never known anyone get all militant about the plight of bees before.
Probably they'd claim that we should just let the little bastards sting us as well.And if they demonstrably prove their position, then eating meat should be illegal.And look at all the people who continue to claim that eating meat is wrong...
Wow. Exactly how easy do you want to make this?
How easy do I want to make what?
^ Proving my point - that people want to ban eating meat.
^^ That's a silly point. Of course there are people who want to ban eating meat. The real point is that your defensive arguments always involve undermining the foundations of law and ethics.
Even my otherwise vegan friend who was also at the dinner was rolling her eyes when she heard that one about the oppressed bees from this other guest. Plus, she knew exactly how I'd react to that comment and quickly followed her roll-eyes with a glare to remind me not to tease and stir too much.
A
Amaris
Guest
What do you think about the people who want to make everyone eat nothing but meat?
I think the gay community should be allowed to do whatever they want in the privacy of their bedroom but not force their habits onto the rest of us....
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