My Thoughts on Vegetarianism and Veganism

I remember an ad on the subway that said, "Why love one and eat the other?" The ad referenced dogs, which many of us in the Western world including myself love and cherish as pets, compared to cows, which frequently find themselves on our plates as food. The ad argued that both are sentient creatures and neither should be consumed as food. This was, of course, an attempt at advocating a vegan diet. There are people on my Facebook who are vegetarians or vegans, proudly proclaiming, "I love animals, therefore I don't eat them." Sounds logical, doesn't it? So do I think that vegetarians and vegans have got it right? Is choosing not to eat animals or consume animal products at all a more compassionate way of living that is better for the environment? I think the answer is undeniably yes. But it doesn't mean I'll be going vegetarian or vegan any time soon.

I couldn't imagine my life without meat or dairy products. I love a good steak, I love chicken, and as far as I'm concerned, you can have my cheeseburger when you pry it from my cold, dead hands. So I don't see any problem with eating meat or consuming other animal products for food. I think it's natural for us, just as it is for other living beings on this planet who consume the flesh of other creatures to survive. But to be honest, the real reason I won't give up eating meat is because vegetables and other healthy stuff just taste like crap to me. Let's just say that I'll consider being vegetarian or vegan the day that someone can show me food that doesn't come from an animal and tastes as good as a nice, juicy t-bone steak.

I'm certainly not saying that I don't care about how animals are treated before they're slaughtered for food or how they're slaughtered, which is why I've put my name to many petitions advocating for more humane treatment of animals destined for our dinner plates and will continue to do so. I think it's simply unjustifiable that we treat the creatures we eat to survive with such disdain. As I see it, any animals we eat ought to be wined and dined (at least in a figurative sense) before they are put to slaughter. And when they are slaughtered, they should feel no pain or as little pain as possible. It's the least we can do for the living, sentient creatures that sustain us.

It would be ideal if everyone on this planet all of a sudden chose not to consume animals or animal products, but I just don't think it's going to happen. Although the number of vegetarians and vegans around the world has grown significantly over time, the vast majority of Earth's human population still eats animals to survive. I think it's more likely that we will develop technology to grow meat without killing animals. Such technology is even being developed now, though it is still in early stages. So for now, we still have to choose between adopting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, or continuing to consume animals and animal products with the knowledge that animals will likely be harmed and suffer inhumane treatment on their way to our plates.