I became a vegetarian because of my concerns over food safety. These concerns do spill over into how the animals were raised and how they were killed. I know that there are people in the world who raise their animals in wonderfully humane ways and who ensure they are killed properly. That's fantastic and I applaud them for that. Those who do that must charge a reasonable amount for their meant because it is not being factory farmed and it takes more time and effort. I have no problem with that either. People often ask why I don't eat that type of meat. Well, the main reason is that I'm a broke college student. I can't afford that meat. But, I'm also an animal lover and don't really feel like meat is that important in my life, and it's certainly not important enough to lower my standards for food safety and eat what I can afford.
This is a big issue for me. It's something I feel strongly about so I talk about it a lot. We have to eat to live and our food should be safe. I feel strongly about a lot of things, but this just happens to take center stage for me. We all have some cause that we research more than others, are more curious about, or talk about more than the rest and that's fine. It's because of that that things get changed in the world. But the insinuation has been made to me several times that I care more about animals than I do about people. That's totally absurd and highly offensive.
A person who makes the choice not to eat meat doesn't care less about people just because they happen to care about animals too. I don't suggest that people who care about other people don't care about animals too, so why would the reverse make sense? I've made a lifestyle choice and I'm not asking you to make the same one if you really don't want to. Sure, I'd be happy if everyone I know went veg, but I'll be just as happy if by sharing what I find people cut meat out of their diet for only one day a week, or consider buying their meat and eggs from someone who takes better care of the animals.
So yes, I love animals. I don't eat animals. But that has nothing to do with how I feel about people or suggest that I value animals life over human life.
When people react like this to vegetarianism, it's just due to complete lack of understanding. It's from a feeling that if you're doing something different that you're condemning everyone else that doesn't feel as strongly about it to act on it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, there are some organizations out there like PETA that give vegetarians a bad name by always trying to get in the press for extreme behaviors and that do stand on street corners and condemn other people for eating meat.
People just need to understand that not all vegetarians made the decision for the same reason, or even think other people should.
You do what you can by trying to educate people on your views, but when people don't want to listen or take it the wrong way, ignore those fools :)
Thanks Renee!
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