Vegetarians

[Zet]

Considering I'm apart of the food chain and, I'm from a species that evolved to eat both meat and plant life. I do eat meat, but I'm not going to judge someone if they're going vegetarian for the sake of a diet(really you only just need to watch your intake, you can still get fat from eating plant life). One of my ex's mother can't eat any sort of meat or anything that comes from an animal due to a medical problem, and I was honestly amazed that she has been able to live a few decades without meat. I will however will become a douche and fight back if someone tells me eating meat is morally wrong.
In Australia, we take standards really strictly, so everything has to be done in a humane way. I know a lot of places outside of Australia that are the same, don't judge all companies like the one that does it in the most inhumane way.

 

[Nihilego]

I eat meat. I've got no problem with people who don't for whatever reason.

My issues start, however, with the idea of being pescetarian - people who won't eat any meat unless it's fish. This seems pretty weird to me since fish are still killed en masse in pretty horrible ways and in pretty horrible environments to feed people. The same as any other animal might be. I don't get this concept at all.

It's very hard to live a neutral existence if your continued life involves hundreds upon thousands of deaths.

What do you mean by a 'neutral existence'?

 

[Esper]

I eat meat. I've got no problem with people who don't for whatever reason.

My issues start, however, with the idea of being pescetarian - people who won't eat any meat unless it's fish. This seems pretty weird to me since fish are still killed en masse in pretty horrible ways and in pretty horrible environments to feed people. The same as any other animal might be. I don't get this concept at all.

I think a lot of pescatarians are about how fish are healthier to eat, rather than the ethical issues regarding animals. That, or they're trying to change their diets, such as trying to cut out as much meat as they can. Or maybe they are on about the ethical issues and are just starting out by cutting out what they know is inhumane since it's well documented how cows, chickens, etc. can be treated but not so much with sea creatures.

 

[TRIFORCE89]

I think a lot of pescatarians are about how fish are healthier to eat, rather than the ethical issues regarding animals. That, or they're trying to change their diets, such as trying to cut out as much meat as they can. Or maybe they are on about the ethical issues and are just starting out by cutting out what they know is inhumane since it's well documented how cows, chickens, etc. can be treated but not so much with sea creatures.

I don't know. Lots of shellfish is kept alive until the very last moment when you either boil them alive or shove a knife down their back.

So humane.

Delicious though :p

 

[SerenaChapman]

[SIZE="a"]I have been a vegitarian for quite some time now The reason why I had started is because ever since I watched this really gross movie on how hotdogs were made in my health class I just haven't had the appetite to eat meat anymore. It is really quite sad because I used to love some meats and now the very thought of eating it makes me sick to my stomache:([/SIZE]

 

[Esper]

I don't know. Lots of shellfish is kept alive until the very last moment when you either boil them alive or shove a knife down their back.

So humane.

Delicious though :p

Like I said, some are going to be going through a transitioning period to becoming full vegetarians, and some are just going to cut out what they know is inhumane. It wouldn't be so strange if someone didn't know about the conditions of every last animal, especially bottom dwellers like shellfish. Plus, you can be pescatarian and not eat shellfish.

 

[Alice]

My mom keeps saying that fish/shellfish can't feel pain, because she doesn't want me to be 100% vegetarian. I looked that up and there seems to be a lot of debate about whether or not that's actually true or not though. Doesn't matter to me if they feel pain or not though. I won't kill anything, even spiders, which I'm terrified of. If there's a bug in the house, I put it in a cup and put it outside.

 

[Nick]

I was a pescetarian for a while. I was one because:
1. I'm not used to seeing fish. The only time I see fish is when I go to an Aquarium, someone's house that has a fishtank in it, on TV, or at the ocean. Because of that, seeing a fish get stabbed and rounded doesn't do the same thing to me emotionally like seeing a pig or a cow for instance get the same thing done to it. Even the thought of the two differentiates greatly.
2. It helped transition to vegetarianism, which was what I was aiming for. It was easier for me in the beginning to go somewhere, not in the mood for salad or anything like that, and get something to eat. I think that's a huge thing holding some people back: they feel they can't find much to eat after they eliminate meat. So I considered pescetarianism to be a nice safety net until I was ready to completely eliminate meat.

Even now, if I were to go back to eating meat, I would only choose to consume fish.

 

[Mana1]

Even now, if I were to go back to eating meat, I would only choose to consume fish.

That seems like a hypocritical thing to say, why eat farmed fish but not a freerange/organic/well-reared chicken or something?


In an ideal world meat wouldn't have to be obtained from cramped farms, poor conditions and unhappy animals - however the human population is so crazy that it has become the only way to feed everyone. In this situation people might say 'well if everyone became vegetarian...', but farming enough crop plants, vegetables and fruits would be impossible - the land needed for crops for the same calorie content would be so much more.

I'm not going to bother with the diet argument, as it's only people who don't actually commit to vegetarian (or are too fussy to have beans and pulses to boost their protein) that end up unwell.

From my point of view, as a meat eater, I think vegetarianism is often coupled by ignorance. You don't eat meat, but you'll kill a spider or a fly, lay mice traps. More so with pescatarians - fish feel too!

Question to Vegetarians: Do you kill flies/other insects? If so, would you ever try to eat things like chocolate covered ants? Insects are a good source of protein after all.



And for the record, plants can actually 'feel' through chemical interactions rather than specific neurons like us.

 

[Honest]

I'm not, but I really admire those who are. I can understand their reasons, murder of innocent animals. I just don't have the self control to say "No. Meat is Murder." Maybe one day that'll change, but for now, I like meat. And Vegetarians (and Veagens!) are awesome.

 

[Kura]

I'm not vegetarian, and I salute those who are- as long as they don't preach to me. I guess I'm the same way with religion. If it makes you feel like you're doing good, or it's a choice you feel personally about, then totally go for it! :3

 

[Esper]

That seems like a hypocritical thing to say, why eat farmed fish but not a freerange/organic/well-reared chicken or something?


In an ideal world meat wouldn't have to be obtained from cramped farms, poor conditions and unhappy animals - however the human population is so crazy that it has become the only way to feed everyone. In this situation people might say 'well if everyone became vegetarian...', but farming enough crop plants, vegetables and fruits would be impossible - the land needed for crops for the same calorie content would be so much more.

I'm not going to bother with the diet argument, as it's only people who don't actually commit to vegetarian (or are too fussy to have beans and pulses to boost their protein) that end up unwell.

From my point of view, as a meat eater, I think vegetarianism is often coupled by ignorance. You don't eat meat, but you'll kill a spider or a fly, lay mice traps. More so with pescatarians - fish feel too!

Question to Vegetarians: Do you kill flies/other insects? If so, would you ever try to eat things like chocolate covered ants? Insects are a good source of protein after all.



And for the record, plants can actually 'feel' through chemical interactions rather than specific neurons like us.

I don't kill insects. At least not intentionally. Sometimes I've stepped on a bug without seeing it, but that just happens. So... I wouldn't eat chocolate covered ants, but I wouldn't eat something like that even if I did eat meat.

And you can't say it's ignorance across the board. Yes, there are ignorant vegetarians, like there are ignorant [fill in the blank]. A person who chooses to eat only fish and no other animals is not going to say that fish don't feel. They're going to have their reasons for eating and not eating what they do, just like everyone else.