How do you cuzzies stand on the position of the eating of meat?

I, personally have always been pretty conscious of the various injustices surrounding the practices of our/global farming, and for some years tried whenever possible to only eat free range organic stuff. Of late, given my leaving of the nest and my sole control over my diet I've become vegetarian. My 'research' has lead me to the position that it's completely possible to maintain a healthy diet without meat, and for me, just because I enjoy meat, or because it's convenient for nutrition doesn't justify the killing of an animal.

I don't, however, feel any real passion or connection (although I still get angry with and protest various cruelties) with the animal kingdom. It's been a very logical decision for me. I'll also find that if meat is going to be thrown away, I'll eat it. Because it seems better to me that it's used, rather than decomposing in some landfill. I just won't buy it, or won't take it from people who are going to eat it. I feel it's all about limiting my impact as much as I am able to, all the time.

So I suppose that makes me something of a "Pragmatic contextual vegetarian"

Where do you guys stand on the issue? Conflicting opinions, extremes in any direction, new information is of course, welcomed.

Chur.

Good move yo!

My vegetarianism started out mainly from wanting to reduce my negative impact on the world and the things in it (+ the other reasons you mentioned). I really don't think eating meat is justifiable at all, for me at least. I understand more if someone is willing to kill and process the animal themselves because at least they have to confront the issues directly - it's harder to disguise the fact that something had to die a horrible death just because humans like the taste of flesh. When people buy packaged meat from the supermarket or whatever, it's so far removed from the reality of the situation - the fact it's a dead animal probably doesn't even register for most... That and I think there's a good chance that the meat from stressed animals (not to mention the pig-beaks and bird-snouts they put in some processed meats) is not good for us, so I don't eat it even if it's gonna be thrown out...

People can do what they want though, I'm not all self-righteous about it or anything...

Rant over!

I feel you man. It feels so bizarre for me too, that whole "meat as commodity" thing. I definitely couldn't kill a cow or pig or chicken, so the fact that I'm able to eat it feels wrong. Cheating.

How do you feel about free range beef, etc? Stuff that's slaughtered humanely?

growing up on a farm gives you good perspective on these things aye - ive done some pretty terrible things when it comes to killing animals with bare hands and eating them, something im not particularly proud of, but has given me a very firm belief that unless you can do that shit, then you shouldnt be eatting animals! i couldnt do it again, hence i dont eat meat. Seems pretty logical really, but yeh everything comes in shiny packaging and nice wordart - go to a fucking slaughter house and then look at yourself in the mirror after eating bambi you cunt!!



/rant end

(as usual i come across sounding liek an ignorant cunt, you guys know me well enough to know thats exactly what i am!! )

at the end of the day each to there own and who am i to tell anyone else what to do? As long as people have thought about it, and can justify their actions then go for it i dont have a problem...

still... cheese is genocide

Haha! You couldn't have made a more gold response!!

WHEN CAN WE HANG OUT?!

Humane slaughter... that's a goodun! I still don't think we have the right to farm and kill something just because we like eating it (even if we do inflict the minimum of pain), seems really primitive to me. But yeah, obviously 'free range' is better than battery... a step in the right direction at least!

Vegetarian my whole life. Before I moved up here I did a bit of research about the ethics of eating meat, etc, etc, but decided to stay Vege. Because I've never really been accustomed to it, I don't really even like the taste of most meat. So when I decided to stay Vegetarian it wasn't exactly difficult!

Tend to agree with the opinions here. I don't think the whole eating meat/not eating meat is as black and white as some make it out (Ie, hunter/gather yada-yada), but as Thomas pointed out, the way things are at the moment is so far removed from reality.

I respect meat eaters who have thought about it, and for a reason they can justify decided to eat meat. What I can't stand is the quasi-kiwi bloke stance, which you find in abundance at my hall of residence, of "don't-think-about-it--Shut-the-fuck-up-and-eat-meat".

Jeepers! Are there any of the circle who do eat meat? Again, I feel you Thomas. I'm not even sure how comfortable I am with farming altogether.

Funny/terrible story. As a child, I flat refused to eat meat as soon as I realised that it was from animals. My mum, bless her, lied to me and told me that it was only 'meat flavoured dough'. This went fine until I questioned why there were bones in it. I was swiftly told that it was so people didn't realise that it was fake.

Thus, I embarked upon my life, an omnivore, until recently.

Hah. Did you ever find out what happened to those pet cats you loved so dearly Callum?

I grew up on a farm and was indoctrinated with large doses of kill, death and slaughter so I can appreciate ones need to consume flesh. Buying vacuum packed shit is wack though. Homekill for the win.

Having saying that. I've been on and off vegetarian since I was 15 or 16 on and off, and flat line since I attempted to eat a chicken sandwich when I was tripping a few years ago. I can't deal with the obnoxious stench of death anymore and wonder how I never noticed it when I did eat meat.