Vegetarianism
In the 13 years since becoming a vegetarian, I have been asked numerous times why I chose such a seemingly “unnatural” state of culinary consumption. Within those questions, I have been subject to undertones that range from genuine interest to mild scorn to complete disdain. Yet despite these mixed reactions and the fact that I consider this question similar to “Why are you gay?” or “Why are you Christian?” I have always attempted to offer a sincere, logical reply: I began for health reasons, I felt healthier once I started, and I decided it was a good choice for me. Simple, logical, and devoid of proselytism. I never wanted to make my dietary choice to be political or debatable along the typical ethical and moral lines. Of course, as Feminists have noted for some time, the personal is always political.
Thus, regardless of my skirting around the issue in order to dissuade discussions on the ethicality of killing or the evolutionary accuracy of humans as carnivores, the truth is that being a vegetarian (and even more so, a vegan) is an environmentally sound, responsible and privileged choice the Western World should seriously consider as a means to ease the stress we are causing the planet. From reducing your carbon footprint to diminishing the demand for rapidly vanishing global fish stocks to saving water, being a vegetarian is one of the simplest yet most effective ways in which to minimize your impact. In fact, the relatively recent change to a meat-centered diet throughout the world poses a huge environmental threat that must be accounted for in conjunction with a growing population. For example, the American and European diet “ requires around 5,000 litres of water a day to produce” while a vegetarian diet requires about 2,000 litres. Compare this to the 250 litres a day the typical American uses for washing and drinking, the numbers speak for themselves in favor of merely reducing meat intake (Economist.com).
So, it is obvious I cannot avoid the political implications of vegetarianism any longer. This post is my first start. Take it or leave it, it is what it is. Regardless, my original position still stands: I still feel healthy, and it is still a good choice for me. The environmental factor is a bonus.
I have only been a vegetarian for 1 1/2 years, but in Wyoming years, that’s like ten! I gave it up following some very significant events which occured within weeks of one another. First, I came face to face to a dead mutilated elk in the back of this guys truck in the parking garage at work. Only in Wyoming would someone take a dead elk to work. It was disgusting. A week later, I viewed the CNN special on the maltreatment of a cows in a slaughter house. They showed clips of these poor, crippled and sick cows being prodded with electricity. Thirdly, I read the book Skinny Bitch. The author descibed- in detail- about the stress and suffering animals go through at these plants. I guess I have always been naive about how this stuff happens. As once quoted, if slaughter houses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian. Lastly and most profound, I had a vivid dream about a pig who was asking me to help him before he was slaugtered. It was very emotional dream. Since these events, I have given up meat entirely and now collect pigs- not the real kind!! I also feel so much better, emotionally, spiritually and physically. I have a fraction of the migraines I had previously. I feel good about the fact that a few less animals will have to die a violent death for me.
When people ask me why I am a vegetarian- I often ask why they aren’t!
I agree. As a former hunter in a family of hunters, I understand the emotional complexity of killing an animal and eating it. That said, the process of killing an animal as a hunter is entirely different than what goes on in the modern meat industry. The two are incomparable with the latter completely at odds with environmental conservation. I challenge people to not only research the meat industry but to at least kill one animal if they are so strongly on the side of meat-eating. To me, this is truly being informed on the issue.
Don’t forget about the karmic points.
You make some very valid points here.
I also started out for personal health reasons, and stick with it for those reasons. People around me eat meat all the time, and like you mentioned I don't try to proselytize it either.
Nice post!
I like you point in regards to hunting and ones inability to make an informed choice without actually taking an animal’s life for consumption. However, if you are to subscribe to this doctrine in regards to vegetables doesn’t that mean a vegetarian should go out and farm if they are so strongly on the side of plant-eating? I feel like your choice to become a vegetarian is more defensible then others due to your past experiences with hunting. I have heard from many meat eaters that their biggest issue with vegetarians is this seemingly elitist attitude toward meat eaters. I must admit I feel the same way some times. Meat eaters see vegetarians as having an inability to transpose mindsets and see things from the meat eater’s point of view. With that being said the meat eaters do the exact same thing and refuse to take any line of reasoning from a vegetarian as valid. This is human nature to be sure, Democrats and Republicans, Christians and Atheists; the base issue is everyone failure to see things from other peoples point of view because they feel what they believe and/or were taught is right. Why else would it make so much since to you?
I think most meat eaters completely disconnect themselves from the origins of their meals. They see meat as a product wrapped in cellophane on a grocery store shelf and not as a life taken. This is why I am so supporting of hunting for food; it connects the consumer with the act of harvest in a manner that demands respect for the act of killing or to use your words, “The emotional complexity of killing an animal”.
When confronted in an eat or not to eat argument most meat eaters will use the cliché line of, “But your killing plants”. This is why I like your point; you are clearly not defending vegetarianism as a way of protecting the sanctity of life. In nature life is not sacred and those who say it is are hypocrites. After all, cancer is a form of accelerated cell life and you don’t see too many, “I break for advanced melanoma” bumper stickers around do you.
I do understand where Lisa is coming from; I will be the first to tell you how disappointed I am in many hunters. Their ethics of the kill, their care and respect for the animal afterwards truly is deplorable. This makes me as sick as most of you and I feel the need to apologies for these idiots although I know I don’t have to. Since I work in and around the industry of hunting I feel qualified to make this statement as fact, these hunters are a minority of morons and are the hunters that give hunting a bad name. There is no excuses, but I bet there are some folks you are associated with who you are ashamed to be linked to, i.e. teachers, co-workers, white Americans. Bottom line, most of the hunters I know and check in the field are respectful of their quarry and give more time and money toward wildlife conservation then your typical citizen.
One thing is for sure, killing an elk, deer, duck, pheasant or fish in its natural environment by means of out smarting, out tooling or by luck is a hell or a lot more noble then blindly purchasing your food without knowledge of the sacrifice that was made for your existence.