Despite keeping my blog and everyday life somewhat separate, some things are just too good not to share…
Things like the top search terms people use to find the blog like “sex balls” and “vagina farts.” And some notable comments.
Last night I shared a comment that at the time seemed unexpected and over-the-top. It was added to a post from May when I quit being vegan and ate my first egg.
“What I read is a lot of whitewashing from people. “I only eat meat/eggs/dair that is ethical happy, hormone free, free range, etc.” In the end, these animals still get their throats slit or are killed in ways you don’t want to know about, just so you can have a particular taste in your mouth. It’s selfish and cruel. Go out and slaughter and gut these animals yourself and see how you feel about your meal later. At least you’ll have the full experience of murder, instead of pretending you’re not part of the process.”
Now that it’s played out into a friendly debate on my personal page, the comment itself isn’t as extreme to me. I wanted to extend the conversation to you here, even if it just makes you stop and think for a second about why you eat what you eat and if it sits right with you.
My friends brought up interesting points:
Animals eat animals: We are animals, period. I love people who have sympathy for animals, but not humans (who eat meat). They love lions and tigers and birds and all life forms….but somehow they ignore the fact that a lot of animals are carnivores. Why is it that vegans want us to NOT ignore the fact that animals are murdered by humans for food but they do ignore the fact that animals murder animals for their foods source? Huge double standard. Tony the Tiger would kill for his next meal way before he would make a kale salad.
Eyes half shut: Honestly, I’ve always thought the “happy life” scenario falsely alleviates guilt. I’m a meat eater and I would never be comfortable killing an animal myself. I’m fine with that level of hypocrisy but I’m not going to pretend that it’s not a violent food source.
Killing your own food: Tell them I kill my food Deer and love it. There is nothing like killing an animal that you do process and eat. I do not wish any harm on animals I am an animal lover, but they were put here for our food. I also have many times pasted on deer because they were too small, or one time I watched a doe come out was about to shoot and then noticed two fawns behind her. I put my gun down and watched as the mother took care of her babies, and I was just as happy a great site to witness. So, with all that being said we who kill our food also respect and enjoy the beuty animals bring.
Ashley said: Here’s the thing- confronted with life or death in the wild, of course I would hunt (or try, hah!) to survive. If I lived in another country where the people can only sustain on animals or animal products, I would… I don’t believe animals are here for our use. I believe they have the right to live out their furry (or slimy) lives in peace. Respect and murder don’t seem to go hand in hand in my mind.
Why I eat the way I eat:
I’ve been a vegetarian for 13 years and was a vegan for five of those. Even when I followed a vegan diet, I still respected people who ate animals and faced where their food came from. I couldn’t myself, so I didn’t eat animal products. But that didn’t and still doesn’t mean others have to feel the same way as me.
Now I eat eggs from chickens that are as local as possible, who live on farms without cages and are fed an organic diet. Yes, sometimes I eat eggs at restaurants knowing they could have come from factory farms. I felt more at peace with my food choices when I was vegan, but overall I’m happier and stronger since introducing animals products into my diet so I try to ignore the thought of where my soft serve ice cream came from. I wish I could eat meat, but I just can’t make myself feel okay with eating flesh right now.
Your turn:
What do you eat and why do you eat that way? Do you believe animals are meant to be food, is veganism the way to go, or are you somewhere in-between? Have you killed your own food or do you prefer to think meat is bloodless?
{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
I have gone through phases of being vegetarian, vegan, and eating meat. I wanted so badly to believe that being vegan or vegetarian was what was truly best for my health (and for many people it may be the best thing!) but for my body and the type of endurance training I was doing it simply wasn’t. I have been diagnosed with anemia while I was vegetarian; even after recovering while on a meatless diet I would go through periods of feeling very low energy. I now eat meat (while including plenty of veggies) and have SO much energy. Do I feel guilty for eating meat? Yes, sometimes. To counter this I do my best to eat meat from animals that lived good lives prior to being killed. The fact is that humans have to kill things in order to eat. Vegans kill plants to eat. Meat eaters kill plants and animals to eat. All are life, even if the plants don’t have a central nervous system and don’t feel pain in the way that humans feel pain. Experiment with different types of eating to find the one that works best for you: body and mind!
I have various opinions in regards to the ways that I consume meat. A quick rundown: 1) I don’t eat pork or beef anymore (at first due to cost, then I considered the brutality of the kill, now I realized I can live life without that type of meat in my life) 2) I used to not eat chicken and now I do; however, I still think it may be the dirtiest of all animals (especially that tons of chickens are injected with hormones and antibiotics – what is that doing to our body over time, you know?) 3) I’ve always been okay with eating eggs. 4) I’ve always been okay with eating fish (though, I recently considered the recent news articles I’ve seen that state how a lot of the fish we ‘organic’ fish we consume isn’t really ‘organic’ and that kind of freaks me out) 4) All in all, I do not support the inhumane treatment of animals for my benefit; however, if I know an animal is treated well and not pumped with antibiotics/hormones then I don’t see much wrong with eating it
My thoughts are definitely all over the board in regards to eating animals and some of them might not make sense but I love discussing this topic and couldn’t not comment
Diane @ Life of Di recently posted..Honeymoon: Stumptown.
I feel as if you are trying to find justification for eating meat. And yes, people can source their meat properly and I respect that. However, I’ve been a vegetarian for 5 years and would still feel extreme guilt and sadness for the animal I was eating. So you can go back and forth on the ethical aspects, but consider health as well. I actually went vegetarian in the first place for health (and felt much better) before researching about all the ethical issues. There are countless studies and population health models to show that those who don’t eat meat have lower rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol… And the list goes on. There are specific areas of the world where the oldest people living are… And one of the correlations is that they either don’t eat meat, or eat very small amounts annually (usually fresh fish or for special holidays). What if you started eating meat again… Then woke up in 5 years with cancer? Not saying this would be the direct reason, but it would likely make you look back at current lifestyle and diet choices.
LOVE ME SOME MEAT!
ESPECIALLY BACON.
I was a vegetarian for ethical reasons for 8 years. I was hugely unhealthy {often eating fries + other meatless junk food} and didn’t actually embrace whole eating until I incorporated meat back in. I hadn’t considered the idea of diversifying my diet until I read an article about doing so in a more informed way and then with much continplation and discussion. Sure, I’ve had meals from sources unknown, and I’m still contributing to the death I animals which I struggle with but for me a need a life of balance with a tone of seeking food as ethically as possible. As a yoga teacher non-vegs are constantly being shamed in the higher circles and I think that there needs to be a level of compassion between humans as well. This is such a complex topic and I’ve hardly scratched the surface of my thoughts!
Interesting post. I don’t understand one point you made, though- why do you “wish” you could eat meat if you’re not okay with eating flesh?
For the record, I’m not judging. I’m a vegetarian which means I get judged on both ends of the spectrum- meat eaters as well as vegans. It’s frustrating feeling like I’m constantly under scrutiny for making conscious choices about what I eat.
Anyhow, I identify with you in the sense that the thought of eating flesh is repellent. I just don’t understand what you mean when you say you wish you could eat it. If you wish you could eat it, can’t you?
I have read through many of the posts on your website and I found a lot of them interesting. To answer your question, I follow a vegan lifestyle and the reason for that is to do my part in preventing animal cruelty. I realize that we can almost never be 100% vegan in this world (there are so many additives that I just can’t keep track) but I do my best.
Free range eggs are mostly obtained from chickens that are suffering just as much, if not more than caged hens. I’m not talking about your friend up the street who has a couple of chickens in their yard, but the majority of free range hens go through a life of hell until they too are finally carted off to slaughter. They are hung up by their feet on conveyor belts, waiting for their turn at a blade that is meant to chop their necks, although more often that blade will slice into various parts of their heads and bodies, without actually killing them. Too much suffering. Of course, it’s the same with dairy and any other animal by product. So, that’s why I am vegan. Each cruel industry supports the next.
Please don’t take this post as an insult to anyone by the way. I was also a meat eater and then a vegetarian, both for many years before adapting a vegan lifestyle for the past 15 years. So… this comment wasn’t meant to judge anyone at all, I’m not that rude I hope, just giving my opinion on the subject on a website where I can see that there’s many open minded and compassionate people.
← Previous Comments