<p>The fact that plants are immovable has a great deal of significance. My personal philosophy is that if it is evolved enough to run away (or swim away) out of fear, pain or an instinct to preserve its life, then don't kill it.</p>
<p>lealdragon, id let you eat me if we were on a plane and we crashed in the mountains and we had gone days without food and I had died. Would you let me eat you if you died first in order to survive? Of course you would. So, when it comes to down to basic survival, you WOULD break your vegetarian ways, wouldnt you?</p>
<p>^^This thread has nothing to do with basic survival. It is vegetarianism vs. non-vegetarianism. Let's stick to that theme.</p>
<p>"So, when it comes to down to basic survival, you WOULD break your vegetarian ways, wouldnt you?"</p>
<p>There are always plenty of weeds to eat.</p>
<p>Anyway, as the above post says, this isn't about survival. Primitive cultures had to eat meat for survival. The Native Americans had a great reverence for the animals they killed, and they hunted the weakest of the herds, and they gave thanks to the spirit of the animal, and they used ALL of it.</p>
<p>Contrast that with buying dead animals wrapped in plastic at the grocery store who died under stressful, painful, cruel conditions.</p>
<p>Primitive cultures often HAD to kill animals, not only for meat, but for clothing. They needed the skins for warmth. I don't have a problem with that.</p>
<p>But, we live in different times. It is no longer necessary to kill animals for survival.</p>
<p>Lealdragon: I kind of love you, a lot.</p>
<p>Here's another vote for the veg!
I am never going to eat anything that has a face, thankyouverymuch.</p>
<p>With love,
17-yr-old Senior in High School who has never eaten meat in her life (my entire family's veg)</p>
<p>hollywood: That is so awesome! My son has never had a single bite of meat in his life either, but you are the first other person I've ever known about.</p>
<p>Meat-eater here!</p>
<p>I believe in a balanced diet. Besides, steak tastes too good to give up!</p>
<p>The definition of 'Balanced' is debatable.</p>
<p>id nvr met ppl that ate meat until i came to the US. it kinda grosses me out but i do love the smell of barbecue... lol. still, i plan on staying veg forever - i might take a chew on my death bed just to taste, but ill def spit it out. </p>
<p>i hate when the rents get all religious on me abt eating meat - something abt gelatin being in marshmallows and jell-o. what bull - ill eat anything as long as i didnt actually SEE it with meat all over it. who the heck cares abt the animals??</p>
<p>"id nvr met ppl that ate meat until i came to the US. it kinda grosses me out but i do love the smell of barbecue... lol. still, i plan on staying veg forever - i might take a chew on my death bed just to taste, but ill def spit it out.</p>
<p>i hate when the rents get all religious on me abt eating meat - something abt gelatin being in marshmallows and jell-o. what bull - ill eat anything as long as i didnt actually SEE it with meat all over it. who the heck cares abt the animals??"</p>
<p>Wow, where did you grow up??? I've never heard of anyplace completely vegetarian except the Hunzas...I'd like to know where this place is!</p>
<p>It's probably the smell of the b-b-q SAUCE that is appealing...try making some b-b-q tofu and see if it doesn't smell good too!</p>
<p>So have you been veg all your life? Another! Awesome!</p>
<p>Yeah the purists do avoid all animal products. And many of us DO care about the animals. But people have different reasons for being veg: health, ethics, environment, animals, etc. not all the same reasons. But hey, if you don't eat meat, you are more than doing your part, so I wouldn't worry about it. I don't like playing 'who's the purest of us all.'</p>
<p>I don't think any of these are particularly better. Unless of course, they are trying to impose their diet upon us, and in that case Vegans are the worst, and normal meat eaters are best.</p>
<p>^ That's true. I get that some vegans want to tell others about their diet, but I hate it when they try and say all veg is the best and only way to go. I like my beef, chicken, pork, fish, shellfish, turkey, etc, etc.</p>
<p>^^^
I've never seen a beef eater try to force their beefy ways to veggies.</p>
<p>^are you serious? didn't you read the beginning of this thread? and also read the other shasta thread where this topic starts.
I've had people wave meat in my face and constantly try to get me to eat meat.
It wasn't the vegetarians who started this topic.</p>
<p>I know a few vegetarians, and no one I know tries to make them eat meat. Don't base an assumption on shasta; he doesn't seem very..... sensitive.</p>
<p>I know a few meat eaters who try to make me eat meat. I'm not basing anything on shasta.
my point was that he started the thread and made a lot of comments about it in random other threads, so pugfugs comment doesn't make sense. this thread isn't started by vegetarians trying to "force our ways" on the rest of you.</p>
<p>That's a good point.</p>
<p>I too have had meat-eaters ridicule me and try to get me to eat meat. It is a common occurrence at work. One guy kept harassing me until I finally confronted him and asked him if he would be treating me that way if I belonged to some religion. He said no, because he respected other people's choice of religion. So then I told him that he should respect my choice of diet in the same way, because it is a lifestyle choice, like religion, and should be respected. He never harassed me again after that.</p>
<p>I honestly don't think he intended to be offensive; he just had never had it pointed out to him before. To his credit, once he realized that he was being offensive, he never bothered me again. </p>
<p>Another person, otoh, never did let up. She told me I was 'too extreme.' I never, EVER told her she should be vegetarian but she told me I should eat meat numerous times. I WAS pushy when I first became veg. but that was 25 years ago, at the age of 21, and someone got mad at me for it and I realized I was being pushy so I quit doing that. Now I never mention it unless someone asks me or for some reason it comes up. It's amazing though how intimidated people get when we're at a restaurant. I don't say a word to them but they seem uncomfortable eating their meat around me. I always tell them I don't care what they eat, but they still seem intimidated. Hey, that's not my problem. Anyway this woman at work actually had the audacity to tell me that it was her mission to get me to eat meat and candy bars. !!!! Can you believe it!? I finally got ****ed and told her how would she like it if I imposed my diet on her! It was unbelievable.</p>
<p>That woman was an extreme case, though. Most people don't bother me aside from their annoying teasing.</p>
<p>I did post some info on this thread but it was not intended to 'convert' anyone or debate anyone. It was in response to some things other people said. I just offer info, and people can take it or leave it.</p>
<hr>
<p>"i hunt my own meat."</p>
<p>I actually have a grudging respect towards people who hunt because at least they are taking responsibility for the animal they are killing, as opposed to most people who just buy it wrapped in plastic and don't really think about what it is. At least the hunters are being very honest about what it is they are eating. My dad killed his own chickens and he was very humane about it. I didn't like it, and he traumatized me as a child by forcing me to participate (I was a vegetarian as a child too) but I understand that this was a normal way of life for him and he was just providing for his family, so I do have a respect for him.</p>
<p>It is really tough for me at family gatherings. My father is one of 11 children and he is the only one with vegetarian kids (he isn't one personally, my mother is though). It seems like my cousins and uncles gang up on me sometimes and ask me annoying questions such as "what are you going to eat tonight" or "how do you survive." My brother and I are always on the defensive when these topics arise because we are so outnumbered. I don't get why they do this, particularly the adults. Why can't they just accept me for what I am? I don't barrage them with questions about their kids' lifestyles. When I go home, I laugh about some of their comments with my parents. One of my aunts criticized my diet for not being balanced. I almost laughed on the spot because she weighs over 200 pounds and all of her kids are heavy. She should have just kept her mouth shut.</p>
<p>This is some of what I have to go through as a vegetarian. Some of my own family views me as a freak. However, none of it stops me from being veg. I think it keeps me thin (I'm a little over 6 feet tall, but I only weigh 155 pounds). I share my home with many animals and I just can't stand the thought of seeing one of them get killed. By being a vegetarian, I can prevent other animals from facing unnecessary cruelty.</p>
<p>just addressing a point above,
if i crashed in the jungle with nothing to eat, i would eat an animal to survive. because then it would be necessary. however, in my surburban/urban lifestyle, it most certainly isnt necessary.
not eloquently expressed i know, but simply expressing my beliefs.</p>