Anti-Veg. Attacks

I'm sick of the ad-hominem arguments. Today I was told that by drinking iced tea I was effectively "killing a lemon" and that a lemon is a "living organism" (which I do not believe to be correct in any event). But I am just sick of these foolish remarks, and even though I know arguments to counter them, it seems that these are brought up at a time when I am almost speechless. Anyone else?

 

Lemons are alive, but there is no wrong in picking and eating them like there is is raising and slaugtering an animal. Everything in this world lives of another living thing. The fact that you choose plants over meat is admirable even, don't feel bad

 

Most people will argue that fruits are the best things to eat when you are thinking of saving "living things" because fruits don't require you to KILL the plant in order to eat it, unlike, say, lettuce or broccoli.

 

Plants don't have central nervous systems and can't feel pain. That's what I say when I hear that argument... which I do a lot. Grrr....

 

Those are all valid points. badmilk is right. It's your choice to be a vegetarian that is admirable.

 

I don't suppose you watch the family guy... the show that aired this sunday had a line in it about lemonade... something along the lines of "I love lemonade, it's just a shame how many lemons had to die to make it" maybe the person who said this to you had watched it and was trying to make a joke?

 

the whole planet is filled with "things that need to feed off other "things".Evolution.What one consumes depends on one's sensibilities.I've been to a slaughterhouse---I choose to eat "things"with no eyes .

 

let em have their fun now but more and more people are becoming vegetarians and when we come to power, there will be some big changes

 

I'm not a vegetarian, but I get annoyed when people that claim to be vegetarians, and then eat a filet o fish sandwich from McDonalds. They say some shit like " yeah but I don't feel bad for fish..."

I tend to be an enemy of hypocracy.

 

It was fish that made me become a vegetarian in the first place. I was like like 12 and sitting at the dinner table with fish in front of me. I felt sooo bad for the fish and I felt completely unworthy that an animal should die so that I could eat it. I was depressed for awhile after that and I get a little sad everytime people eat meat around me.

 

Its a dietary choice thats all....everyone should just get over it...people eat what they want ... and let it be...thats all... I think

 

...

 

Vegetarians and vegans seem to be the butt of many people's jokes and frankly, I am a little sick of it! But you know what I find really funny?

The Facts About Eating Animal Products...

by John Robbins, author of "Diet for a New America" and founder of Earthsave International.

The Hunger Argument:
Number of People worldwide who will die of starvation this year: 60 million
Number of people who could be adequately fed with the grain saved if Americans reduced meat intake by 10%: 60 million
Human beings in America: 243 million
Number of people who could be fed with grain and soybeans now eaten by US livestock: 1.3 billion
Percentage of corn grown in US eaten by people: 20%
Percentage of corn grown in US eaten by livestock: 80%
Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90%
Percentage of oats grown in US eaten by livestock: 95%
How frequently a child starves to death: every 2 seconds
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 20,000 lbs
Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 165 lbs
Percentage of US farmland devoted to beef production: 56%
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce 1 pound of feedlot beef: 16 lbs.

The Environmental Argument:

Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect
Primary cause of greenhouse effect: Carbon Dioxide from fossil fuels
Fossil fuels needed to produce a meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 50 times more
Percentage of US topsoil lost to date: 75%
Percentage of US topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85%
Number of acres of US forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million acres
Amount of meat US imports annually from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama: 200,000,000 pounds
Average per capita meat consumption in Costa Rica, El Salveador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama: Less than eaten by average US house cat
Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pounder hamburger: 55 sq. ft.
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 species extinct per year

The Cancer Argument:

Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat four times a week vs. less than once a week: 4 times
Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat eggs daily vs less than once a week: 3 times
Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat cheese and butter 3 or more times a week vs less than once a week: 3 times
Increased risk of ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs less than once a week: 3 times
Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily vs sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times

The Natural Resources Argument:

User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the US: Livestock production
Amount of water to produce a pound of wheat: 25 gallons
Amount of water to produce a pound of meat: 2,500 gallons
Cost of common hamburger if water used by meat industry was not subsidized by US taxpayer: $35/pound
Current cost of pound of protein from beefsteak, if water was no longer subsidized: $89
Years the world's known oil reserves will last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13 years
Years the world's known oil reserves will last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260 years
Barrels of oil imported into US daily: 6.8 million
Percentage of fossil fuel energy returned as food energy by most efficient factory farming of meat: 34.5 percent
Percentage returned as food energy from least efficient plant food: 328%
Percentage of raw materials consumed by US to produce present meat-centered diet: 33%

The Cholesterol Argument:

Number of US Medical Schools: 125
Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30
Nutrition training received by average US physician during four years in medical school: 2.5 hours
Most common cause of death in the US: Heart attack
How frequently a heart attack kills in the US: Every 45 seconds
Average US man's risk of death from heart attack: 50%
Risk for average US man who avoids the meat-centered diet: 15%
Risk for average US vegan man: 4%
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption of animal products by 10 percent: 9%
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption of animal products by 50 percent: 45%
Amount you reduce risk by changing to a vegan diet: 90 percent
Meat, dairy, and egg industries claim you should not be concerned about your blood cholesterol if it is: "normal"
Your risk of dying of a disease caused by clogged arteries if your blood cholesterol is "normal": >50%

The Antibiotic Argument:

Percentage of US antibiotics fed to livestock: 55%
Percentage of staph infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13%
Percentage of staph infections resistant to penicillin in 1988: 91%
Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: Ban
Respons of US meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: Full and complete support

The Pesticide Argument:

Percentage of pesticide residues in the US diet supplied by grains: 1%
Percentage of pesticide residues in the US diet supplied by fruits: 4%
Percentage of pesticide residues in the US diet supplied by vegetables: 6%
Percentage of pesticide residues in the US diet supplied by dairy products: 23%
Percentage of pesticide residues in the US diet supplied by meat: 55%
Pesticide contamination of breast milk from meat eating mothers vs non-meat eating: 35 times higher
What USDA tells us: Meat is inspected
Percentage of slaughtered animals inspected for residues of toxic chemicals such as dioxin and DDT: <0.00004%

The Ethical Argument:

Number of animals killed for meat per hour in US: 500,000
Occupation with highest turnover rate in US: Slaughterhouse Worker
Occupation with the highest rate of on-the-job injury in US: Slaughterhouse Worker
Cost to render animal unconscious with "captive bolt pistol": 1 cent
Reason given by meat industry fo not using "captive bolt pistol": Too expensive

 

Yeah, thats a bit silly. I have friends that don't understand the whole vegetarian deal. They say how its natural to eat meat and how it happens in nature. I always make the point that how in Nature the animals are killing the prey personally. If you are hunting and plan to treat nature respectfully, and using the animals parts for purposes other than sport, nothing wrong with that, that is natural. But we dont do that. we go to mcdonalds and eat random animal parts ground up then processed with chemicals, then drowned in grease....Yeah, thats very natural.
So unless your gonna kill something yourself to eat it and use its parts for practical purposes, be my guest. But most people don't have the conscience to do that. (me included).
The point is, your not alone, because many of us go through the same thing.
Peace and blessings

 

I have totally advocated that point myself many times. I bet more people would be vegetarian if they actually had to do the dirty work. It just irks me how many people make fun of us or try to push meat eating. I never harass meat eaters, but the second a meat eater finds out I am a vegetarian, they start trying to convert me like I'm a satanist or something.

 

Heh, that's cute!

 

vegitarianizum religion makez other religionz look wanting 4 ah higher ideal.
veggy religion callz the highest principalz up ----
''no harm to any living sentient beingz.''

 

well we gotta eat SOMETHIN! dirt just doesnt do it for me...