Main Reasons Why I Am a
Vegetarian and Addressing Frequently Asked Questions:
It is hard being an herbivore in a county where the main food
staples are the four “B’s”: beans, beer, beef jerky, and bacon. However, I have successfully been meat-free
for a whole year now! In celebration, I
thought it appropriate to write a blog about why I chose to become a vegetarian
12 months ago and also address some frequently asked questions and
misconceptions about being a veggie lover.
1.
I don’t believe it is right to kill animals:
This is usually the typical reason why people freely
choose to become veggie-lovers (or for health reasons). Call me “fluffy”, “a tree hugger”, or just
plain “crazy”, but I do not think it is morally acceptable to take the life of
an animal (although I know there are grey areas…which I will discuss
later).
2. Today’s
meat industry sucks:
Have you actually seen where most of your meat comes
from? If you haven’t, you probably don’t
want to…not a pretty sight.
With that being said, you definitely need to do a
little research into factory farms and slaughterhouses and the disgusting,
unsanitary, and inhumane methods they use in preparation of the hamburger and
chicken nuggets that are sitting in your freezer right now.
Prepare to vomit.3.My reasons for eating meat were insubstantial compared to my reasons for not eating meat:
My main reason for eating meat was because I grew up
eating it and, to be completely honest, meat tastes really dang good! Who doesn’t like a pulled pork sandwich
oozing with BBQ sauce or chicken nuggets dripping with honey mustard? I can guarantee you that I DID NOT become a
vegetarian because I abnormally despised chicken tenderloin, roast beef, or General
Tso’s chicken.
However, this rationalization for eating animal
flesh is perhaps the scumbagiest justification one could give. The whole “I couldn’t ever give meat up; I
like it too much!” argument is not a good one.
You’re just being a selfish, lazy scumbag (I gave this same excuse
before, so I also fall under the category of “selfish, lazy scumbag”.).
Using this same logic, one can make the argument
that they could not give up gambling, smoking, cheating, stealing, murder,
cannibalism, *insert any other activity that society deems morally unacceptable
here* because they like it too much.
Scum-to-the-bag!
4.
I would rather not have a dead animal corpse
in my body:
Human corpses I’m completely okay with…but
animals? Eww. Gross.
***Side Note: before I get reported for being a
cannibal, I would like to just say that there is this little bitty thing called
sarcasm…and that there are not multiple human body parts wrapped up in tinfoil
in my freezer…that would just be plain sick.***
5.
I’m not a vegan (although I do support
them!):
I personally have not
found anything morally wrong with eating animal products like dairy, eggs, and
honey if an animal is not killed or hurt in the process. However, I do not want to support farms
(especially factory farms) who participate in animal cruelty.
Personally, I would like to buy all the animal
products I consume from farms I know are local and cruelty-free (this is
significantly easier to do when I’m at college for I can control what I buy),
and I really want to be more proactive in this area.
I give vegans a big thumbs up for living the
completely animal-free life. You go Glen
Coco!
***Side note: eggs are not considered animals
(unless they are fertilized). The
majority of eggs you buy are not fertilized (which means a rooster has not been
around) and are in the vegetarian-safe zone.
As gross as it sounds, eating eggs is basically like eating chicken
period. Just think about that one for a
little while….***
6.
Where do you get your protein and other
nutrients from?
Milk, yogurt, cheese, any other form of dairy, eggs,
nuts, peanut butter, soy, black beans, and other numerous vegetables are some
of the places I get my protein from on a daily basis. One cup of Greek yogurt is 25% of my daily
protein, and I eat that stuff like it is nobody’s business! The whole misconception that vegetarians do
not get enough protein/nutrients is just that, a misconception. However, I should also note that there are
people who try to go vegetarian that do not get the protein or the nutrients
they need. The thing with being a
vegetarian is that you have to eat a variety of things (not just carbs and
starches!). If you are not willing to
try a variety of different foods on a daily basis and be smart with what you
eat, then being a vegetarian is going to kind of suck for you.
7.
If I become a vegetarian, then I am going to starve!
This is a bit dramatic.
I can guarantee you that you will not starve. In fact, there is a butt load of scrumptious
foods that you can eat and that also taste really good! Again, you just have to be smart and willing
to scout out meat-free recipes (Pinterest.com is great for this!).
8.
Being a vegetarian is too expensive!
Oh contraire Mon frère!
Granted, if you buy expensive vegetarian “meat”
products like veggie burgers, fake chicken, and the likes, then your grocery
bill will probably rack up. However, if
you just buy your own products to make veggie burgers and all that jazz, then
it is actually quite affordable. 
For example, a can of black beans (which has a lot
of protein in it) costs a few cents.
Tofu (for those of you who like it) is only $1.99 a pound at my local
grocery store.
It is just a matter of shopping smart.
***Side note: vegetarians don’t just eat tofu all
the time. I rarely buy it.***
9.
I could not bring myself to actually kill an animal (although there are certain
times I could…grey areas), so why should I eat it?
When I was a little girl, my older brother used to
go outside and shoot birds, squirrels, little chipmunks, and basically anything
that moved with his gun. I used to ball
my eyes out as I saw the poor little creatures twitching like crazy until their
limbs eventually became still.
I hate to see animals suffer.
I hate to see their limbs twitching as their bodies
try to cling on to life.
I hate to see their once glistening eyes fade black
as the life drains out of them.
I couldn’t physically bring myself to kill an
animal, so why should I have the pleasure of eating it? Call me a pansy or a wimp, but I’m just being
honest. I’m pretty sure everyone (even
people who have grown up slaughtering/hunting animals) has gotten a
gut-wrenching feeling when they first saw the life drain out of an animal. It’s the natural human reaction to seeing
things die. Although many people push
past this emotion and are able to kill animals more easily, I personally cannot
(although I could if I had to).
10.
I don’t think it is wrong to kill for certain reasons:
I’m not a total loon
who thinks that life is completely black and white. There are shades of gray (and no, I’m not
referencing that Twilight-wannabe, mommy-porn, sadomasochistic novel).
For example, if an animal is attacking you or will
potentially cause you harm (like a spider on your leg), I don’t think you
should just stand there and let nature run its course. Obviously this is a situation where it would
be morally acceptable to kill that animal.
Same goes if an animal
is in excruciating pain or suffering.
What
if eating meat is the only means for survival? This is definitely one of those grey
areas. I am not going to tell a person
who needs meat to live that they have to die in order for an animal to remain
alive. In this particular scenario, I
believe it is the lesser-of-two-evils for the human to eat the animal.
With this being said, I also know that this scenario
is very unlikely (although not entirely) for nearly every American citizen in
the United States. Eating meat is rarely
a necessity for the majority of privileged first worlders.
What
about the farmers and slaughterhouses who make their living off of meat? Again, this is another grey area. I know people in my area who raise beef
cattle and pigs and other various animals to eat. I’m not going to tell these people that they
have to just up and stop what they are doing and face the high probability of
going into debt or poverty. I value
their lives, and do not want to see these people go through financial hardships
and suffer because of my beliefs.
11.
What about animal testing, pets, squishing insects, population control, animal
attacks, if you were starving, etc.?
Animal
Testing: I mainly disagree with the use of animal
testing. First off, it is kind of an
archaic method. There are numerous new
technologies out there that can successfully test new products without the use
of animals. Many times, animals do not
even have the same reaction a human would to a certain product.
One form of animal testing I am SUPER against is
cosmetic animal testing. Although I have
bought make-up products in the past that were tested on animals, I have begun
to be more cautious of what I buy and purchase only cruelty-free products
(these have special labels on them).
I will not let animals suffer because of my vanity.
***Side note: The top name-brands like Maybelline
and Cover Girl test on animals! Three
make-up brands that are really good and that do not test on animals are
Physician’s Formula, Almay, and E.L.F. (this brand is also super cheap!).***
Pets:
Some
people make the argument that having and keeping pets is a form of animal cruelty. Although I do not think people should
randomly take animals from their natural habitat (unless they are injured, there
is a baby animal that was deserted, etc.) and keep them in cages (like taking a
wild raccoon or something), I don’t think it is wrong to have pets. Honestly, domesticated animals could not
really survive very well in the wild (although I am sure when they were not
domesticated they could). Taking
domesticated cats and dogs and throwing them out into the wilderness is
probably not the greatest idea. As long
as the pet owner is taking care of their pets, I’m perfectly okay with it.
Squishing
insects: I kill insects.
Am I a hypocrite? Perhaps. I would like to note, however, that I do not
go out of my way to kill insects. If I see
a spider web outside, I leave it be. If
I see a spider dangling from my ceiling, however, I kill that sucker.
Population
Control by Hunting: I don’t really feel super educated on
this issue, but I thought I would bring it up anyway. Some people argue that we need to hunt to
control the population of animals such as deer.
However, (before I make this point, I’m just going to admit that I
really don’t have any actual evidence/didn’t do any research to support this
assumption) I feel like nature could probably do a pretty good job at balancing
itself out without the interference of humans.
I mean, a population can only get so big before it has to level out (I
know at least that much from college Biology).
***Side note: I do plan to do some more research
into this in the near future!***
Animal
attacks: I’m pretty sure I said this somewhere else in this
post…but if an animal is going to cause you harm, then I think it is the right
thing to do to defend yourself and hurt/kill that animal.
If
you were starving: If, for some reason, you find yourself
trapped on a deserted island with animals as your main food source, what should
you do? Personally, I don’t know what I
would do because I have yet to experience that situation. Like I mentioned above, I believe that if
someone needs to eat meat in order to survive, it is the lesser-of-two-evils to
eat the meat.
12.
Circle of life: animals eat other animals…why can’t we?
Since animals run around naked all day, have
incestual sex, lick their pee-pees, and do a bunch of other gross things…we
should do all these things too!
…
I feel there is no point adding to this argument.
I mean, there are those select few who also
participate in some of the animalistic activities like those listed above
(nudists, people of Oramel, etc.); however, these activities are generally
frowned upon by society.
13.
I’m not saying animals have more value than humans:
I’m not putting animals on an equal playing field as
humans. However, I still believe that
animals have value (not just on a dinner plate) and should likewise be
respected.
***Side note: kind of an interesting thing to think
about…but how do we actually measure value?
By intelligence? By physical
capabilities? Just by species? Personally, I find it extremely hard to
measure value…especially in a non-biased, objective manner.***
14.
But, what about the plants you are eating?
Aren’t they alive too???
Really?
It’s a bit ludicrous, but I have actually been asked
this question quite frequently. Usually,
this question is asked kind of snidely by people who just want to mock
vegetarians/vegans.
Yes, some plants have certain sensory mechanisms
that can make them feel certain sensations.
Scientists today are discovering new things about plants and how complex
they really are. Who knows, perhaps
plants really do feel pleasure and pain just like humans and animals do. The thing is, we do not actually know that. However, we do know for certain that animals
most definitely feel pain and suffering.
Also, we can
live without eating animals; we cannot live
without eating plants (unless by some strange phenomenon you can create your
own food by photosynthesis).
***Side note: look up “breatharians”***
15.
Why are you so worried about animal rights when there are far greater issues
with human rights such as abortion, world hunger, poverty, etc.?
It is hard for me to understand this question. Just because I am passionate about animal
rights and vegetarianism, it seems that I also cannot be equally or more passionate
about human right issues or that I should not worry about animal rights because
human rights are far more important.
This logic just falls flat on its face.
Yes, I believe all these other issues are of
critical importance, but I also believe that animal rights are of critical
importance (perhaps to a different degree) as well.
Why can’t I
advocate for both?
Or, as the little girl says off the Old El Paso taco
commercial:
¿Por qué no los dos?
16.
The “all or nothing” approach, and why I believe this is idiocy:
I’ve heard people argue that, if I’m a vegetarian
and advocating for animal rights, then I have to become super extreme and
protest against all forms of cruelty (including human and the
environment). I also essentially cannot
buy anything for that matter, because generally every item we buy can usually
be linked to some form of environmental harm, animal cruelty, or slave
labor.
If I don’t do all these things, then, the argument
goes, I am a complete hypocrite and should not even bother being a vegetarian.
This “all or nothing” approach is a bit stupid to
me. This will come as a shock to
everyone, but I am not perfect. I, along
with the rest of mankind, am not some angelic super-being who always does the
right thing every single moment. Half of
the time it is a struggle to discern what the “right” thing even is! Because I am not a supernatural saint sent
from Heaven, I make mistakes, am ignorant to certain issues, don’t know what
the “right” action is to take, and sometimes I’m just a plain ol’ scumbag. Does that mean because I advocate for a few
good causes and not for others that I am a hypocrite? Perhaps, but then, the logic follows, so is
everyone.
I think the most important thing is that, when you
become aware of an issue or problem, don’t just ignore it and push it off to
the side. Become more mindful and knowledgeable
about the issue and try to pursue ways you can make it better (I especially
need to be more proactive in this area).
The “all or nothing” approach just does not
work. People are not perfect; they make
countless mistakes. The real error,
however, is when one is aware of an injustice or wrongdoing and has the power to
take corrective action, but does not or refuses to.
17.
I have no idea if I am “right”:
I don’t 100% know if being a vegetarian is the “right”
thing to do. I don’t know if humans are
morally supposed to eat meat or not.
This blog post is not meant to be about me shoving my beliefs in other
people’s faces and doing the whole “I’m right; you’re wrong. I’m big; you’re small. I’m smart; you’re dumb.” extravaganza. What I really want people to get out of this
post is to better understand why I chose to become a vegetarian, to gain a new
perspective, and (hopefully) to become more conscious of their eating habits.
I can’t make anyone give up their omnivorous life
and become an herbivore. Like I stated
above, I’m not even certain if being a vegetarian is the “right” kind of
lifestyle. One thing that I am certain
of is that my choice of not eating meat is a personal conviction that I feel
pretty passionate and firmly about.
I love animals, and it is one of my life’s
aspirations to decrease the amount of suffering and suckage (yes, I realize
this is not a real word) there is in this wonderful, yet often messed up world.
This is why I am a proud veg head.
***Note: I realize that there are probably questions
and misconceptions that I have accidently forgot/left out, and that I did not
give a ton of details for some of my answers.
I didn’t want to turn this blog post into a novel, so I figured I should
probably stop typing soon. If you have
any questions, comments, concerns, rants, raves, etc. that you would like to
share, feel free to message me or leave a comment.***
***One More Note I Swear: If you are wondering why I decorated this blog post with a zillion vegetarian pictures, I found a ton of funny/true pins on Pinterest.com and had to share!***
