hey everyone :)

i will start by saying i am NOT a veggie...but i will say that i live a mostly vegetarian lifestyle (ovo-lacto) but i would feel like a huge hypocrite saying i'm a vegetarian when i eat meat a few times a month. when i DO eat meat, it's something from a local, free-range, humane farm called organic grass farm...i actually work at a natural food cooperative, and we get the meat and eggs we sell from that farm. i would never support any industry that makes animals needlessly suffer. i believe that an animal that IS eaten should be revered and treated as a sacred being and with love and respect. i have visited organic grass farm and it's a beautiful place where the chickens are free to run around in the grass and eat bugs, seeds, and other things chickens like, and aren't fed hormones or antibiotics. the cows and turkeys are treated with the same respect. all of the cows have names. when they are killed, it is done in a humane manner in which the animal feels no pain.

there is a dairy farm near here called trader's point. all the cows are fed a very healthy diet that cows normally eat, and they all have names as well. they are hand-milked. the males and babies live out their days on the farm they make wonderful organic icecream, yogurt, cheeses, and of course, milk.

so, i am all about vegetarianism...but it's not for me. i'm sorry...but i chose long ago that when i DO eat meat, it's going to be from a friendly and healthy farm, not from a factory farm where the animals are exploited and tortured their whole lives.

 

Hi

Hmm yeah fair play.
Not totally sold on the whole concept myself, but it does make the best of things.
Do admire your honesty, and having clearly thought out those choices.

 

well, I'm glad to hear that although you're for the most part omnivorous that you respect other life. That sounds stupid, but most of everyone I know around here anyway...if they aren't veggie, they simply don't care. I'm not a radical vegan who expects EVERYONE to go vegan and what not... I understand, and I make a point to understand that that would only happen in my perfect utopia However, it's irritating to hear comments like "Cows are stupid so who cares if they die anyway" [and I DO hear shit like that occassionally] It's people like you who I have the utmost respect for. Honestly.

Don't be sorry for vegetarianism not being for you; do what works for you, and give yourself props for having compassion

 

I agree

But, I also have to say it's nicer to hear than "I could care less where this meat came from it tastes fucking good!" you know?

I don't particularly agree with the idea or statement "humanely treated and then killed humanely" because in my opinion there is no way to humanely KILL something.

But, I also like the fact that she pays attention to detail...meaning it's good to know that she actually gives a shit

 

I support your views. Yay for organic! Though I dont eat meat period.

 

So would it be ok for me to kill little children and eat them so long as I did it humanely? And I'm sorry, but killing something and stuffing it down your throat doesn't seem like much of a sign of love and respect to me. I'm pretty sure you'd have a hard time explaining that to the cow.

 

I agree for the most part, but just like drumminmama said every little step counts...

would you rather her come on here and say"I EAT MEAT ITS SO TASTY AND I COULD CARE LESS WHERE IT COMES FROM!!"???

IMO, it's refreshing to see that someone at least pays attention to the treatment of animals in a way, rather than to just ignore it and not care as a whole.

 

I agree it's an improvement, but it's an oxymoron to say that you respect and love a creature that you butcher and stuff down your throat.

No, I'd rather she came on here and said "I'm not ready to give up meat entirely, so I try and source it as ethically as possible." I'd respect that. What I don't respect is kidding yourself than butchery is somehow justified if you dress it up in neo-mystical pseudo-tribal bullshit.

 

I'm at sort of a loss of words, because I see your point of view all too well. I agree with you ---

I suppose I've just sort of gotten to that point where because I understand that most people aren't veggies or vegans, that I've brought myself to accept and respect everyones opinions whether I feel it's right or wrong --- Basically I agree, but I feel gross cutting down someone's theory when most people don't agree with mine either.

 

I know what you're saying, but then your 'theory' isn't a justification for killing, is it? I'm actually fairly tolerant of meat eaters, but what I can't stomach is the bullshit excuses. I mean yeah, I'd rather someone sourced their meat as ethically as possible and I respect them for making that effort. But somehow kidding yourself that this makes it ok is bullshit. Hell, I'm not vegan, but I don't convince myself that organic free-range eggs are somehow 100% ethical. And I certainly don't invent some mystical bullshit to justify my choice. Veggie is my personal line at the moment. I do what I can, but I don't pretend I'm perfect. It seems to me that many people feel the need to justify everything they do in their lives rather than accepting that none of us are perfect and none of us can live 100% pure lives.

*edit*

Interesting conversation, by the way

 

*sigh* i cannot argue with you there. you make perfect sense to me and I can't say that I don't feel the same.

it's not at all a justification---by any means.

And it IS kind of sad that some people think that somehow treating the animals nicely before killing them that it justifies it, or that it's more "humane"--- however, for some reason most people tend to think there is, or that because they were treated better before being killed that it makes it better or more acceptable.

It's not.

I don't know what I mean--- you left me speechless and I cannot argue to any degree--- You make a good point, and I agree with you 110%

 

Hey, that's fine. Agreement is good

 

ouch!

as a buyer for this natural foods store i have visited these farms. my boss has, as well. we know these people on a more personal level, and they are actually very kind people. the animal the meat comes from is treated with respect throughout his/her life at the farms we get our meat from. trust me, the co-op i work at is VERY selective and VERY careful about the things we select to sell in our store. it's not just some meat that has "free range" stamped on it. these are very small, local farms where the animals aren't kept in cages or in a barn, except at night when animals like coyotes and cougars might like to come attack them...or when it's VERY cold outside.

yeah, maybe you veggies get tired of hearing that, but i get tired of people being small-minded and jumping to conclusions about something they didn't know. i was just making a friendly post introducing myself to this particular forum, because i like to cook and i cook a diverse selection of food for me and my family. i love vegetarian cooking, but i occasionally eat meat. therefore i cannot call myself a vegetarian. i was explaining as well that i care about sustainable living and being humane towards animals, and saying if people who DO eat meat get it from a good, humane, kind source, then give them credit for that.

i understand vegetarians feel strongly about their convictions, and i feel strongly about mine as well, but i'm not going to yell at someone for the food choices they make.

that's all i have to say about THAT comment.

 

oh my god.

 

that's why i posted this. for the conversation and for the honesty. not to "justify" eating meat. btw, i didn't expect this post to turn into a witch-hunt...

 

THANK you! even though it seems like you sorta changed your mind later, which is okay...thank you for this one post not being the attack on me. it seems like a couple people think i must be this horrible monster which goes around killing any kind of animal i can find so i can rip its little hide off and chew on it raw...sorry to be so graphic. i DO give a shit, despite what people want to say. my post started off with positive intent, and people decided to turn it into a witch-hunt...jeeeeesh. last time i tell a bunch of vegetarians i eat meat ONCE IN A WHILE.

 

It's not a 'witch hunt'. It's an exploration of the issues that you've raised. If you don't want to have a conversation and deal with the opinions of vegetarians that may disagree with your position, then you've kinda come to the wrong place.

 

There is no witch hunt. But to expect people to not voice their opinions and when they do say it's an attack...

Instead of just saying, I don't know "Yes, I eat meat once in a while, but I try to do so in the most ethical fashion", you instead did try to justify it. Frankly, you don't need to justify anything. You don't need to come onto a veggie board (for the most part) and explain why vegetarism isn't for you. You gave out an opinion, whether you realized it or not, and people are giving back theirs.

Take this how you want to.

 

What you put into your system is your choice. Unless you're either tied to a feeding tube or someone is forcing you to eat something, what goes on your plate and into your system is a choice. No more, no less. There are millions and millions of different dishes, foods and cuisines out there that you can choose from. That's why I laugh at these people who cry, "MacDonald's made me fat!" MacDonald's didn't make you fat. They didn't feed you the damn burger, did they? (But that is a subject for another post.)

I applaud you for taking the steps to be concerned about your diet. Vegetarianism is far healthier than any meat-eating diet. If it eases your conscience to know that the animal had a happy and healthy life before being slaughtered (and that it was slaughtered painlessly) then that is better than someone just coming out and saying "Yeah, this chunk of beef came from some farm in Alberta. Whatever. Pass the ketchup!" The fact that you visit the farms and are interested in the animal's treatment is a huge step -- not every person does that.

However, vegetarianism is just that -- a non-meat diet. I know you do not claim that you are vegetarian, and that is fine. Your choices are your own, and I (and I feel everyone else thus far) respects that. But there will be people who do not agree and will voice their opinions. I don't agree with the One Child Policy in China, and if that comes up on a forum board somewhere, I'll have plenty to say. It should not be taken as an offense. You'd be upset if you came here and what you said offened everyone, wouldn't you?

I don't feel that this was in any way a witch hunt nor did I see any posts bad-mouthing you or your choices. It was an introduction. Well, now we've all been introduced. And you've brought up an interesting subject that several have been discussing and have made some very interesting points. That's all, there is no malice or bad messages being relayed, not that I see. It's just a sharing of opinions, a conversation. Nothing more.

Bright Blessings!
Aphrodite Pretty