Vegetarian's and Sustainable Meat

Folks,

Thought this article was interesting. Not being a vegetarian myself, I can't speak to it, but the reasoning is in-line with some of the recent threads on the Forum. There are a lot of different reasons for choosing to be a vegetarian and I guess my question is how many vegetarians would change solely based on more ethical treatment of animals...

http://www.gourmetretailer.com/gourmetretailer/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003628352

Any of the vegetarians out there want to address this from their personal point of view?

Deb

Again I'll recommend The Omnivore's Dilemma. Pollan takes a look at the various food chains - one of which was from a sustainable agriculture farm, which is what the article discusses.

At the time, I said to my husband, "I dunno. Maybe it's better to eat a happy cow who has lived the life a cow is supposed to lead than it is to eat processed tofu."

I'm still a piscetarian, but it's a compelling reason for switching back.

Well I'll join in. I've been vegetarian for 26 years and really have no plans to change. Our daughter had been vegetarian for 20+ years and decided to move on and be vegan.

Frankly a large part of my personal decision was about the welfare of the animals. My reasoning is simple and has been distilled into this after all these years.

I don't eat my cat, and I don't eat the farmer's pig/chicken/goat/cow.

To me the only difference between the two is that I know and love my cats and consider each of them to be a little furry person. Why should I regard an animal I don't know any differently?

Let me also say that this is a personal decision for me. My SIL is quite the carnivore and DH also eats meat. I won't cook the stuff, but I will pick up the check in a restaurant for a meat meal for them.

The bottom line is this is a personal choice and not one I ask anyone else to make or even approve of.

But for those who do choose to eat meat, I would seriously encourage and support the choice to eat only animals who have been humanely raised and slaughtered. It's just the right thing to do in that situation.

I'm all for this personally. I wish more people did this.

I dont however do it personally for the following reasons. I do not have the stomach to taken an animal, prepare it, cook it, then eat it. I'm sure if infrastructure collapsed and I was forced to due to hunger I could. Currently I do not have to worry about it.

I also dont do this because if I'm eating meat at home I'm going to want to eat wherever I go out to eat. Most places cant afford or dont use this type of meat for various reasons. If I'm gonna have to go through the run around elsewhere I may as well go full time with it.

I'm a carnivore (omnivore, to be more exact). I usually eat the meat available in the grocery. I do think that those of us who eat animals should participate in the slaughter and cleaning of an animal on an annual basis to remember what we're doing. I usually take the easy way out and do it with fish, but when meat only comes on styrofoam with plastic wrap, it is hard to make the connection between living beings and meat.

Charles - that was it exactly for me! Once I made the connection between the packaged stuff in the store and the living animal - it was all over for me! Plus it coincided with moving far away from home to go to college and doing more cooking on my own. I couldn't do it!

I am all for people choosing to be vegetarians or vegans. That is a lifestyle choice. But, I am not so supportive of arguments of why it is "right" or "better" than other diets. Analogizing the family pet cat to the farmer's herd of cattle doesn't work. Just go out to the fair and walk among the farmers who have their animals there. They do not have a relationship with the animals as one would have with a pet.

I don't hunt because I don't believe that killing animals should be a form of recreation, but I don't equate that with the professional slaughter and butcher of livestock for food.

"I won't cook the stuff, but I will pick up the check in a restaurant for a meat meal for them."

!!!!!!! When are we going for said meal??????

Eh. I think I get what you're saying, Ron, but if a person didn't believe something was "better" for them why wouldn't they make that choice?

I dunno. I don't really like being asked why I choose to eat the way I do anymore than someone would like having their religious beliefs questioned. Not that I'm saying the original poster was asking us to justify our decisions. I'm just sayin'.

I am all for people choosing to be vegetarians or vegans. That is a lifestyle choice. But, I am not so supportive of arguments of why it is "right" or "better" than other diets. Analogizing the family pet cat to the farmer's herd of cattle doesn't work. Just go out to the fair and walk among the farmers who have their animals there. They do not have a relationship with the animals as one would have with a pet.

I don't hunt because I don't believe that killing animals should be a form of recreation, but I don't equate that with the professional slaughter and butcher of livestock for food.

I too am an omnivore, although I was nearly a vegetarian when I was dirt poor (does that count as a reason?? ;o) I understand what you're saying, Ron, about making the analogy with the family pet. But we went to the fair, and both realized that neither one of us could raise an animal and then slaughter it for food unless that was simply how we had to live. I'm probably one of those who would develop a relationship with Hessie the Cow or Charlie the Chicken, so I'm better off with the styrofoam and plastic idea. I respect those who choose a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, but I like the flavor of meat and fish (and CHEESE!) too much. I just don't want to know them personally (except maybe the milk animals).