 September 30th, 2010
05:00 PM ET
A couple of weeks ago, Texan chef Tim Love paid a visit to the 5@5 hot seat to explain why eating meat is rad and being vegetarian, well, isn't. A firestorm of 1,500 comments later, we knew we had struck a chord and needed to make room for both sides of the story. Jane Velez-Mitchell is the host of "ISSUES with Jane Velez-Mitchell," airing weeknights at 7 p.m. ET on HLN. As an outspoken vegan and animal rights advocate, she's here for a good old-fashioned omnivore-herbivore throw down - point-counterpoint style. The bell's about to ring for round two. Let's get ready to rumble. Five Reasons to Be a Vegetarian: Jane Velez-Mitchell Jane Velez-Mitchell says: "I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass. It’s guilt-free eating, which is ultimately more pleasurable. America’s over-consumption of meat and dairy is largely responsible for our nation’s obesity crisis, one of the nation’s leading causes of preventable illness and death. We have been brainwashed into craving a diet that is killing us. What we believe tastes good is generally what we have been socially conditioned to enjoy. There are societies that regard worms as a delicacy because that’s how they’ve been raised. Children often naturally shun the taste of meat but are forced by their misguided, although well-meaning, parents into eating it anyway. Eventually, they develop a taste for it and it becomes their 'normal.' The fact is: America’s obsession with meat and dairy has pretty much destroyed our sense of taste. The average burger and milkshake meal is so overloaded with fat, salt and sugar that it has numbed our taste buds to virtually anything else. When you give up these addictive substances, then your taste buds have a chance to return to their natural state and you will begin to enjoy the subtle flavors of fruits and vegetables, which are lower in calories and have zero cholesterol." 2. Tim Love says: "Because when you walk into a steakhouse, you never hear anyone say 'wow, doesn’t that creamed spinach smell great?' Unless, of course, the spinach is made with bacon." Jane Velez-Mitchell says: "I actually get quite sad when I smell bacon. Factory farming has made life an unimaginable hell for the billions of pigs raised and killed for food. Sows are kept in gestation crates the size of their bodies and never able to turn around or even scratch themselves. These pigs, which have an I.Q. comparable to dogs, routinely become psychotic. Stacked by the thousands in dark warehouses, these sentient beings live out their miserable lives never seeing the sky or taking in a single breath of fresh air. Americans are decent people and the only consumers who still enjoy bacon are those from whom the pork industry has managed to hide the truth. I defy anybody to look at those pig gestation crates and walk away with a hankering for a slice of bacon." 3. Tim Love says: "Imagine a restaurant full of preachy vegetarians. Enough said. I’m kidding, of course. Some of my best friends are vegetarians, but even they have a tendency to be a little on the holier-than-thou side. If I want to eat meat, let me eat it in peace. Nobody is forcing you to be a vegetarian, so why are you trying to force us?" Jane Velez-Mitchell says: "I challenge the idea that anyone can eat meat 'in peace.' It’s a contradiction in terms. How can you talk about peace if your plate is swimming in blood? America raises and kills about 10 billion animals for food every year. The overwhelming majority of those animals – cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, lambs – are raised in hideous, overcrowded factory conditions. Ever wonder why we’re experiencing all those salmonella and swine flu outbreaks? A peak inside these factory farms would give you food for thought. We’re so darn smart but we can’t figure out that chickens packed in cages so tiny they have to be de-beaked to prevent them from pecking each other to death might be more prone to illness than chickens that have room to stretch their wings? Why do you think the vast majority of antibiotics sold in this country are used on farm animals? Because the way they’re treated makes them prone to illness! If you were stuck for your entire life in the middle seat of a crowded airplane, do you think you might be liable catch a fellow passenger’s cold? As for us vegetarians minding our own business, well, what people eat is everyone’s business. That’s because meat production is the single biggest cause of global warming - even beyond transportation. Rainforests are being leveled to create grazing land. Methane gas from the animals is rising up into the sky. Don’t take my word for it. The United Nations did a lengthy study and issued a report that’s easily accessed on the Internet. Also, factory farm run-off – yes I’m talking about all that animal waste - is creating a run-off pollution crisis that is threatening our rivers and oceans. Finally, there’s world hunger: the greatest health risk on the planet. There are almost a billion hungry people in this world. About one in seven humans do not get enough food. A lactating cow will consume every year almost six tons of forage dry matter, over 100 bushels of corn, 1,400 pounds of protein supplement, and 225 pounds of mineral/salt. You do the math. We could eliminate world hunger if, instead of concentrating all that food into meat, we fed it directly to starving people." 4. Tim Love says: "Eating vegetarian may seem like the healthier option (and, probably, often is), but when it comes down to it, meat, in moderation, provides much needed protein, iron and amino acids. As long as you don’t go overboard and eat one of those 15-pound burgers you see on TV, you should be fine." Jane Velez-Mitchell says: "If huge amounts of protein were the key to perfect health, America would be the healthiest nation on earth because we eat a lot more meat than people in most other countries. But, we’re not the healthiest. Two thirds of us are overweight or obese and the crisis is accelerating. The drumbeat of protein is a selling tool - pure and simple - and we’ve all bought into it. Americans are getting more protein than they need. There are plenty of plant-based protein sources. Ditto for iron and other essential vitamins. I’ve been vegan for a decade and a half and I’ve never been accused of not having enough energy. In fact, when I went vegan, my energy level shot off the scales. A growing number of professional athletes are going vegan and seeing their performance improve. Just in terms of common sense, look at a horse. It eats grass and hay and is extremely muscular and fast. We like to say, "eat around the animal." 5. Tim Love says: "Because you’d get a lot of funny looks if you tried roasting a pumpkin at a tailgate instead of a pig." Jane Velez-Mitchell says: "Actually, for all those who feel like they’re sleepwalking through the same old holiday and weekend habits, going vegan is like hitting the refresh button. Suddenly, all those tired traditions come alive with the injection of something new and compassionate. Instead of killing a turkey on Thanksgiving, why not go to a farm animal sanctuary and feed some turkeys? Or whip up a meal using Tofurky? That’s what I call, 'Thanksliving.' There’s no need to celebrate all special occasions with a dead animal front and center. Why not celebrate life? Take it from me. It’s fun to evolve." What's your take on the great vegetarian debate? The comment section awaits. Is there someone you'd like to see in the hot seat? Let us know in the comments below and if we agree, we'll do our best to chase 'em down. |
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Wonder if Tim Love ever watched a cow or pig being lined up for slaughter in a slaughterhouse covered in its own piss and shit. Wonder if Tim Love ever watched a cow or pig being slaughtered – 2,000 per hour – alive, kicking and screaming while its skin is removed and it legs were sawed off. Wonder if Tim Love would ever have the courage to slaughter his own cow or pig for the meat he so desperately defends. Wonder if Tim Love has ANY idea how many growth hormones, antibiotics and ground up downer cows (the sick, weak and diseased cows) have been fed to the bull whose steak he champions. I wonder if Tim Love ever watched the film Earthlings or read the book "The China Study" or "The Food Revolution".
And yes, Americans are fat specifically because of all the meat (including its fat, cholesterol, growth hormones and antibiotics) they overconsume. It's simply ASTOUNDING to me how ignorant people are about their nutritional needs, the food they eat, what's in it, where it comes from, and how it's making them sick, fat and stupid.
I especially liked the part where she gave numerous references for the "fact" that Americans are fat because of all of the meat we eat. Oh wait...
Paul McCartney said it very well: "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian." I have been vegan for over 20 years. What's the alternative? Rotting corpses - meat is murder and it is disgusting. It is smelly and gross - how can any human eat it? Dairy is mucus-producing - the only milk designed for a species is the milk of that species, so if you want to drink milk, then drink human milk. Eggs are embryos - how appetizing is an embryo? Animal products are not only unappetizing, but they are horribly cruel. It's not even just how animals are raised and kept, it's about the killing, the horrendously cruel killing, and the killing itself. If you want to eat flesh, then eat human flesh - how's that for appetizing? The prospect of eating a cow, pig, chicken, or any other animal makes about as much sense as serving your human relatives for dinner. You wouldn't do that, so don't demand that our non-human relatives be "food" - they are not food for humans. If you want to really see what is done to animals in the name of food, watch the powerful film "Earthlings" and ask others to watch it too - it's what people need to open their eyes to what is done to the animals: http://www.unleashed.org.au/features/earthlings/.
Like it, or not we are one of the sickest nations in the world. This is mainly contributed to the amount of soy and corn laden food, dairy and meat that is consumed in mass quantity. This isn't just an argument about animal cruelty, it's about consuming poorly treated animals and food that turns into poorly treated health in our bodies.
The first step in taking care of us, is taking care of the food that we consume, including vegetables and fruits. I encourage everyone to shop organically, or locally and buy REAL food, not the fake crap they sale at major supermarkets (including meat, dairy, bread, fruit and veggies). I also challenge people to have at least one vegetarian dinner a week.
Next you'll be telling me that I can't drink the water because the fish fuck in it.
You sir may bite my chicken Butt! If all the Hens listen to this nonsense I will be put out to pasture with the cows!
To the people promoting "eating less red meat", especially the vegetarians and vegans who say that – eating less red meat is all well and good for the environment and health. The problem is, simply telling people to eat less red meat may cause those people to eat more birds like chickens and turkeys. Birds already suffer the worst abused of any factory farmed animal on the planet. The documentary Fowl Play illustrates the urgency of advocating for the birds. 200 chickens are killed for every one cow, and they are raised in extremely inhumane conditions. I would actually recommend people to give up chicken and eggs first on their journey towards a more compassionate lifestyle.
United Nations latest study gives final statement:: World population need to switch to a vegan diet to save mankind from fuel poverty, hunger and climate change
Kudos to Jane Velez; at last someone talks for the benefit of the health population, the dramatic reality of the slaughterhouses. Is missing the terrible consecuences for the environment caused by livestock all over the world; animal industry is emptying seas, vanishing forests and eating and drinking all our water and food supplies. Evolving definitely is good!
What frustrates me the most, is that it doesn’t have to be one way or another! We can still have a meat-eating majority AND treat our farm animals better! I would say that over 90% of the points that she makes on why to be vegetarian are things that we, the American population, can fix by just having some will power. I’m just as guilty – I love my bacon in the morning, but it’s not a ‘one way or another’ issue. We can have both if we were just smart about it! everything in moderation, people.
The human-caused suffering of animals raised for food is intense and widespread. There are enough great-tasting animal-free dishes to last a lifetime. One place to start is http://www.vegweb.com, with thousands of recipes, mostly rated and reviewed.
I love all animals. With ketchup.
There is nothing natural about eating meat from a mega farm. As for health, I think that it is amazing that we haven't had more problems.
Maltreatment of animals is unethical.
That said, it is perfectly healthy and right to hunt. Hunting is a heritage that too many people have never experienced.
Alas, not everyone can hunt. This is why people should be buying from small local farms. You should, if you are going to eat meat, have an understanding of how the animals are cared for, how they are slaughtered and butchered.
If hunting and going direct to a farm are not possible at least support local family owned butchers. They are much rarer these days thanks to big-box-stores.
Peace!
Here's my problem with this discussion; meatitarian vs. vegetarian is not a black vs. white discussion to me. Every single night that I make dinner I like to have a small portion of chicken, steak, fish, lamb, turkey or pork. I keep dozens of packages of individually frozen and wrapped meats so I can have a choice every night of what I want. I usually like to dress it up with sauteed onions, japalenos, or mushrooms. Along with the meat, I always have a fresh vegetable such as squash, zucchini, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, or green beans. To round it out, I like to have some kind of grain like brown rice, cous cous, or wheat pasta. I love meat. I also love vegetables. I wouldn't do without one any sooner than I would without the other and I'm healthy, full of energy, and in great physical condition for my chosen activites. When people start making the argument that I'm being cruel to animals by eating meat, I say you didn't grow up on a Virginia farm and have to butcher those animals yourself when winter came along and the canned goods were running low. Do I have any guilt about killing a cow, pig, turkey, or chicken to eat them? Hell no. Do I have guilt about the plants that I am also killing to eat? Absolutely not. They were born/grown, raised, lived, and died to feed me. I've seen the argument made where people say, "How would you feel to be farmed and eaten?" Well, that would suck, wouldn't it? But it's not going to happen. I'm a sentient, self-aware creature that, with the exception of being murdered for cannibalism by my own species, will never be faced with this situation and the hypothetical argument is simply silly. And that argument that vegetarian practices is better for the environment is plain stupid. Pesticides, tractor emissions, and disruption of natural erosion processes are every bit as harmful, in the long run. In the end, it's tasty and I am healthy and happy and fully accept my role as an omnivore. You think a bear feels guilt when it eats a deer, or a cat when it eats a mouse? No more than when said bear eats some berries and certainly no more than I when I do the same.
" If I want to eat meat, let me eat it in peace. Nobody is forcing you to be a vegetarian, so why are you trying to force us?"
If I want to beat my dog, let me beat my dog in peace. Nobody is forcing you not to beat your dog so why are you trying to force us to stop?
And we are suppose to listen to what a Lesbian thinks is right to do.As if being a lesbian is normal.No it's a choice just like eating or not eating meat is your choice.
Viva la evolution! It's time for humanity to take some responsibility for itself and start eating in a way that can heal the planet, ourselves AND put an end to animal exploitation.
Its funny how all the douche bags in this post eat meat.
Humans have been omnivores since there have been on the planet.
I fail to see how doing something as drastic as to become a vegan or vegetarian is going to save the planet. Yes, I realize that this change MAY be better for me as a person, but then again, being an omnivore hasn't really been all that bad for me, either. Everything in moderation seems to be a better guide than the 'all or nothing' route most vegan/vegetarians go.
We have evolved to be omnivores. This is debatable, too. Humans closest relatives (chimps and apes) are vegetarian. Outside the occasional ants, that is. I don't think my teeth and nails are capable of tearing flesh and crunching bone.
I think it's best to keep religion out of the debate on both sides. We don't have anything solid to stand on when it comes to the Bible, the Torah, or the Quran. It's more like standing on quicksand than anything else. If anything, they're just stories. It's okay to philosophize about things, but when we have problems it's important to deal with those problem in rational and realistic ways.
What it comes down to, is doing what's right for the rest of the world. Each individual does NOT stand alone. We all share the world with others. There are no personal choices. Everything we do affects another. Sometimes sacrifice is needed to ensure a future for all.
We have to remember that humans are at the bottom of the dependence scale which means we depend on the existence of all non-human beings to exist ourselves. We need nature. Nature would do better without us. Arrogance and ignorance will be the demise of us all. Being humble may just save the planet.
We already know that a Vegan lifestyle is healthier for those who follow it, better for the environment, and better for our fellow earthlings. And it's really not that difficult to be kind and humane to all livings beings, including ourselves. Ultimate peace is in our reach.
The question is, do we really want peace. If we do, our actions prove otherwise.
I guess what frustrates me the most is that we could do better, but we don't. I'm honestly ashamed to be a human and try to do my best to go above the fray. However, we are after all the dumbest and most dangerous animal on the planet.
This can change though. We just need to be honest with ourselves and admit we are enemies of peace–that violence is an obsession (whether it's hunting, fishing, participating in war, etc.). Only then can we set out to be better and evolve into humane beings. It's not enough to be just human.
Without accepting our issues, well, denial is a dead man's game. We can't go on the way we've been living without expecting repercussions.
Let's all learn to leave nature as it's meant to be and live in harmony with it (without exploiting or using it for our own purposes) instead of trying to take it over and wiping it out. It's the difference between having a better future or non at all.
Peace.
ease
"An athiest is one who doesn't need a higher power to tell him or her to be kind and humane to all. He or she just is."
On the other hand, nobody's perfect. Certainly not me. If I've offended anyone. I apologize.
At the same time, we're passed the point of compromise. We need to get together and ensure a better future before it's too late.
I recommend a documentary called "The Age of Stupid".
Peace.
ease
I was an ethical vegetarian cook and activist for 20 yrs & was chronically ill until I started red-meat-centered diet 15 years ago & instantly became well. To vegetarians I say "good for you", but not for everyone. Some people can be healthy without meat, I know several who've been for 30+ years. Others get sickly, bad complexion, hair loss, and worse. These people know their nutrition, eat balanced meals, veg protein etc.. Vegetarian militants ("meat is murder") believe a lot of myths.
Hey this article lied. There's only 2 points.
1.)Eating animals makes me have an emotional reaction (guilt) and that's bad!
2.)Going Vegan/vegetarian can change things up on occasion. (So then wouldn't eating meat change things up for Vegheads?)
Van Dorsen, how can you possibly believe that Jane is actually speaking wisdom. The topic between eating meat or not aside, Jane's points that she makes are completely ridiculous.....because apparently to her we should kill all livestock and feed starving people the grass or corn (which cant be digested by humans) that they eat. Oh yah, and global warming (im a geological engineer and the verdict is still out on global warming vs. natural earth warming patterns through time) being caused by cow manure.....well carbon dioxide (which i am in the research field that deals with storing CO2 in rock units and for enhanced oil recovery operations and is a major greenhouse gas) is given off by all humans when they exhale so maybe we should get rid of all of us because apparently we are a large problem as well. And if you still think that im full of it, try running the numbers of much carbon dioxide is put into the air daily/yearly/etc. by humans exhaling, it would seem pretty astronomical as well. I did some research estimates calculate between 1,362,000,000 – 2,168,000,000 tonnes/year (depending on the source of average CO2 exhaled by each person) of CO2 is exhaled by the 6.6 billion humans on this planet........also i dont feel bad about eating meat in fact i go hunting all the time and love doing it, i honor the kill and respect the spirit of the wild......something vegetarians will never truly understand.
Thank you, Jane Velez-Mitchell! You speak words of wisdom and compassion. And you make good health sense! I think people get so angry at vegetarians because they feel guilty for their own insensitivity. We share this planet with other creatures and as a species we seem to be living in a pool of blood. This has to take its toll on our psyche. Anyway, thanks for your words and for your courage.
LOL
No I dont get angry at vegetarians. insensitive, thats funny. I feel deeply for an animal I kill and eat. Sure it does take a toll on a psyche.
You are a decent cnn poster. Now I am a bit annoyed you get paid to write this crap and try to sway people to your unnatural and pathetic view. But oh well.
lets see if I get banned or censored.
Great article. Well timed. Much needed information.
What are the best books to start making vegetables tastier?
What is a practical program to become vegan?
I know this has been said throughout the posts (I didn't read them all). However Tim and Jane are both bad examples of extremes. I personally do not eat meat, and have not for almost 8 years, at first my family was sort of upset with me and sincerely concerned for my well-being (Eating Skittles and cheese is not a healthy diet). My entire family eats meat, and while I encourage them to try soy based products, many times they prefer the taste and texture of meat. It is their choice. I don't preach to anyone, granted I get the typical "You can't have any pudding if you don't eat your meat!" responses when I'm around people who think that PETA actually stands for People Eating Tasty Animals. I will rebel and give my views, but it takes two to tango, and two to debate, so why waste my energy trying to convince them that it's ok, I'm not going to die if I don't have meat. And on that topic, PETA is the worst "animals rights machine" I've ever heard of. They use celebrity appeal and money to start fad's for teenagers to follow and become "the sexiest vegetarian of the year". Who cares about sexy these days? I mean in the real world sexy doesn't "beef" up your paycheck. PETA is a monopoly of greedy people trying to claim that global warming exists because of meat eaters. Has anyone ever heard of the ICE AGE? The Earth naturally goes through cycles. Granted, humans in this day and age may be "egging" on the earth a little bit...but not that much. What about the volcano in Iceland that exploded back in May? I would bet any of you, that single eruption put more pollution in the air in a week than humanity's entire existence for a years worth of automobiles, factory farming, "cows farting", traffic jams in big cities, industrial revolution in China and India, and so on.
Getting back to the point...Let's look at it this way. Buddhist's by nature are vegetarians because of their beliefs, except that the Dalai Lama is not a vegetarian. Can you believe it, the most revered Buddhist monk is NOT a vegetarian, and you know why? Because in the mountains of Tibet it's sort of hard to grow vegetables all year long. Being a vegetarian in America is a choice, trust me. Being a vegetarian in a place where you cannot grow vegetables (ie, Iniuit's in Alaska, or Tibetan mountains) is impossible. Without whale blubber those people would freeze to death! And if everything has a "right" to live, why don't the extremists ship soy products, non-wheat gluten products, fresh grains and seeds for them to plant in their permafrost environment! See how quickly the grains and seeds grow!
I am a vegetarian because that's the lifestyle I chose. My brother eats meat, rarely, but still eats it, because that's the lifestyle he chooses. Both meat eaters and vegetarians alike need to stop this bickering. Karma (some of you may call this "fate") has a way of coming sneaking up on you and when it does, it can be nasty or it can be good. But either way, you reap what you sow. The actions we all take now will directly affect our futures. So let's all stop bickering and move on with our lives as a society. As Roger Water's famous line goes "Together we stand. Divided we fall".
Well put. Thanks for a breath of sanity.
I think Anthony Bourdain put it perfectly; "it's not that vegetarian food is bad. It's just that it would be better with meat."
Reason #6
Get in your pants
Great and true comments Jane. Vegan is the only way to go – shame is most human animals have a larger stomach than brain and just can't figure the health damage from ingesting dairy, meat , factory farmed, antiobiotic laden chickens etc is costing themselves – and the abused animals – quality of life.
Wonderfully written. And kudos to CNN for allowing Jane's rebuttal to be printed in its entirety.
My parents raised me as a vegetarian (not vegan), so I do like the taste of meat, but find plenty of tasty non meat dishes. I am 76 years old and a recent heart cath sowed that my heart vessels arr CLEAR -no plaque at all. I have very good health and energy. I have plenty of friends and family who eat meat and when we go out I can always find good food even at a steak house without commenting on their diet.
Did you know being vegetarian is part of the Politically Correct Manifesto? Yes, it's right after the part where humans accept blame for anything bad that's ever happened since time began, and right befor the part where we give the right to vote to slugs.
Wow, glad you contributed to the discussion, PC. You really have a wonderfully overblown point. Did you know Hitler was a vegetarian? That means, all vegetarians Nazis. Oh, and yeah, you're TOTALLY right on about that exceptionally vague claim that humans accept blame for everything "bad" that's happened since the beginning of time. The Politically Correct Manifesto is the only organization that's correctly pinned genocide, war, rape, and the like on cows and ferrets. Keep on preaching, brother!
I'd take her a lot more seriously if she didn't start every point with "MEAT IS DISGUSTING EWW ROTTING CARCASS!"
that sentiment is lost on her target audience, the meat eaters who look at this to learn about her cause.
got to draw a line someplace along the spectrum of Vegetarian, White meat, red meat, snails, rodents, worms, monkey, humans....(ie cannibalism). why not draw it at the lowest level, because the other side getting complicated for various reasons.
I grew up mostly vegetarian, then started eating meat in college, but now trying to put the brakes on again. Once in a while get cravings for hamburgers from Mcdonalds.
id go vegan for a piece of that
I'm a vegetarian. I don't like to preach. I don't care what other people eat. Likewise, I'd like it if people kept their opinions off my plate.
When I go to a BBQ and pass on the burgers, people lash out at me. THEY get preachy – some even seriously angry! I don't launch into a tirade about health, the environment, and basic kindness to animals, but still, meat-eaters feel free to lecture me about why MY personal decisions about what to eat are wrong. Yet, the minute someone says "vegetarian," people flip out. I don't get it. If I'm at a public event, like a wedding or conference, and politely (and quietly) ask if there's a vegetarian option, meat-eaters interject! What I eat seems to be up for discussion EVERYWHERE I go. In my experience, there are far more preachy meat-eaters than vegetarians.
Similarly, the original article and the response revolve around one idea: food. So why do topics about abortion and capital punishment turn up? Why can't we have a legitimate discussion about the pro's and con's of both sides without taking it to such extremes? I know people have strong opinions, but keep it on topic! What happened to respecting the opinions of others?
fuck animals. they would eat us if they were more intelligent than us
Many have said that being a vegan/vegetarian is a matter of evolution. If so, then natural selection will take care of the problem and there is no need to argue the point. Wait a few generations and only the meat eaters or the vegetarians will be around in any significant numbers. If they are both still around then the argument from an evolutionary standpoint is ridiculous as it makes no difference.
"I defy anybody to look at those pig gestation crates and walk away with a hankering for a slice of bacon."
I guarantee I'll be wondering when that fat little piggy is going to end up on my plate. Fresh bacon? Hell yeah....
So cruel in your thinking...... Live and Let Live should be the motto
Sometimes, I just want a big juicy burger! Nothing else will do!
"If I want to eat meat, let me eat it in peace. Nobody is forcing you to be a vegetarian, so why are you trying to force us?" OK, I have to agree. I don't eat much meat (maybe twice a month) and when I do, it's from local, organic farms in my state. Free range chickens, grass fed beef. I wonder what her objections to that would be?
Anyone notice how many words the Vegan/Vegie heads need to say they agree with Jane???? HOw about just saying "Yeah.. go girl".
Wow, she sure has the preachy part down pat. "Plate swimming with blood", your beef might be OK kike that, but your chicken no. The thing is that humans require certain proteins, amino acids, and vitamins for good health. The best source of many of those is meat. We also require fruits and vegetables; we're omnivores. If you want to think that "meat is murder" and other cutesy sophomoric notions that's great, but don't ever come into my kitchen and tell me what to eat!
Yeah, because sooooo many people are breaking down your kitchen door and telling you what you can and cannot eat.
Typically preachy vegetarian that spews the same crap over and over and over again. I love vegetables, but to eat them exclusively – no way on this earth.
Okay, look – not all vegetarians are as preachy as a lot of people make them out to be. Not all vegetarians are how they're stereotyped. Look, if you want to eat meat, knock your socks off. Why are you so busy worrying about how vegetarians are going to see you and just live your life? Get over it. Some people are vegetarians. Some people are idiots about it, and others don't preach it. So put your big kid pants on and deal with it.
Jane – Really appreciate your taking up for those with no voice.
Thanks so much,
Howie & Lynn
Jane's got it right: meat is MURDER! If you disagree, then let's hear your viewpoint: http://tinyurl.com/27tucmr
Some animals deserve to die. They're not all innocent you know.
I have decided to try the vegetarian way of life. It is not because animals are dying. It sounds cruel to say so but if they provide healthy nourishment to people that doesn't bother me. It is what is added that I don't like. Human Growth Hormones and daily antibiotics to our cattle that is now rendering our antibiotics useless. Now they are contemplating giving drugs to salmon to make them mature in 18 months instead of three years. I am done!
Let us know how the increased pesticides and genetically engineered plants work for you. And if you think vegan is a utopia. Research what farm chemicals are doing to the Guilf. Worse than BP ever did and organic farming is incapable of replacing our current food crop system.
I want those growth hormones so that I can become super human!
I personally gave up eating meat, except for one or two days out of the week. It has made a considerable amount of change in my health and I feel great. I'm not hating on meat eaters at all, the days I do eat meat I make it count and I enjoy it that much more. We are a meat saturated society and take it too far, which is easy to fall into and does lead to obesity and undesired consequences. I swear they'd insert meat into toothpaste if they could. Anyway just a thought, becareful with what you eat. Lots of good food out there!!
Saw her on Dr. Phil once. She's been known to eat the occasional Fish Taco... just sayin...
This list should be one reason long. That reason being, "because you want to be." End of discussion.
Is that a leather watch band??? Bet her Mercedes has leather seats too..
To the person who said “It’s called the food chain, learn about it.” The food chain in nature is completely different than the food chain we have created. In nature, there are certain animals that NEED meat to survive, (as opposed to just liking the taste of it), and they hunt for their meat. Their prey has had a life in the wild to enjoy up until that point. We, on the other hand, do NOT need meat to survive, and are far from the food chain as nature intended. Read “Farm Sanctuary” by Gene Baur – slaughterhouses and stockyards aren’t anywhere close to the wild. Also, the number three point made by TimLove really bothers me: . Tim Love says: "Imagine a restaurant full of preachy vegetarians. Enough said. I’m kidding, of course. Some of my best friends are vegetarians, but even they have a tendency to be a little on the holier-than-thou side. If I want to eat meat, let me eat it in peace. Nobody is forcing you to be a vegetarian, so why are you trying to force us?"
Actually, as a vegan, I feel I have to keep my opinions to myself, to avoid pissing off my omnivorous friends (that anger, I believe, is a result of guilt because they know the truth – but want to keep enjoying meat. I know that was my response for awhile as a meat eater, and that was why). While, on the other hand, omnivores take every chance they can to tell me I’m crazy, my food is gross, tell me I’m going to be unhealthy, make snarky comments about how ridiculous it is and how tasty meat is, and/ or defend the omnivore lifestyle. All this only when I can’t avoid telling them I’m a vegan , such as when I’m offered animal products. I’m not rubbing my beliefs in anyone’s face, and yet I’m expected to put up with omnivores rubbing their beliefs in mine? If I even try to respond with reasons, they get defensive. Well, if you attack me, I’m allowed to defend my point of view. Sorry. BULLS***T to the people who say we preach to them – if anything, it’s the other way around.
THANK you Katie! In my experience, meat-eaters have been far more preachy than the vegetarians I know. Gross.
Being carnivorous is part of nature. It is necessary to remain on top of the food chain to maintain the ecological balance.
The smarter we become, the less red meat we will eat; the less red meat we eat, the smarter we will become.
Start by conducting some research, e.g., read "The China Study" ; go to pubmedcentral.gov and type in "red meat"; read the research; then see how much red meat you continue to eat. In general, excluding fish, plant foods are by far he healthiest foods for the mind. Note that research into neurodegenerative conditions is increasingly correlating red meat consumption with such conditions. For example, what is the relationship between Alzheimer's disease and Mad Cow disease? They are now thought to be prion diseases, where prions represent a new class of infectious agents. Now let's ask ourselves - why do incidences of Alzhemier's disease, Parkinson's disease, general senile dementia, and so on, increase in proportion to red meat consumption? You guessed it. Note, for example, it has been determined that if you are injected with Alzheimer's proteins from the brain of an affected individual, you will contract the disease. Underlying causal factors include infectious agents. Now what happens when you eat cow meat that came from a senile cow? Well, you eat it; I'll watch; wait 30 years; then get back to me.
This woman sounds a bit preachy to me. I've been a vegetarian for 12 years, and the thing I hate is when people who eat meat treat me like I'm stupid for being a vegetarian. When I go out with people I've just met, and I need to make a special order (ex. remove the chicken from a pasta dish), or I verify that something is vegetarian, a lot of times, people will say, "You're a vegetarian?? I NEED my meat." 1. No, you really don't, and 2. I don't bother you and criticize what you're eating, so really, shut up. Just shut up.
I just want to be a vegetarian and have people respect the fact that I don't eat meat and leave me alone. Unless I start berating you for eating meat, you have no room to talk about what's on my plate. You don't see people making fun of Jewish people for not eating a cheeseburger. To me, not eating meat is as important to me, as following religious dietary guidelines are to followers of those respective religions.
So, what really needs to happen is for people to stop being intolerant, and people need to start worrying about themselves and not others.
Jen, I do understand what you are trying to relay but the fact is some people do need meat. Your assumption states that nobody does, suggests that you may have a bit of a stuck up problem when it comes to food. Please understand that I do believe you when you say people bother you about not eating meat but please do not do the same thing back to meat eaters.
Are you serious? Beef isn't forbidden for Jews to eat only pork is. I'm Jewish, and I happen to eat beef and pork because I'm a Reform Jew not a Hasidic or Conservative one. Also, I have an O positive blood type, which means I actually need meat, so yeah there actually are people that need meat. I'm not offended by your ignorance just a little baffled that you know so little about the Jewish religion and health.
You know what? No. Humans eat meat. Period. Vegiteriansi in general, and vegans in particular are a little too pedantic about this in a "we're all VERY sure animals have feelings" way.
The simple solution to stop killing so many animals for meat would be to eat larger animals. I think we should only eat elephants and whales.
The problem with this ladies core arguments is they are based on a belief that animals are morally equivalent to human beings. That is not a given. Most individuals and, in fact, all societies in history have made a clear distinction about the moral standing of human beings and the moral standing of animals. Some religious faiths may fudge the moral equivalency around certain animals, thinking of Hindus in particular. But, the fact is that it is a strained position for an individual to hold to the sort of moral equivalence that this woman holds to. Are factory farming conditions a problem? Yes, but not on moral grounds. Are Americans disproportionately overweight compared to the rest of the world? Yes, but probably due to our enormous consumption of cheap, high calorie, high carbohydrate foods. While protein rich meats tend to also be fat rich, our body isn't nearly as well tuned for converting animal fat into body fat as it is at converting simple sugars and carbs into fat stores.
In the end this woman simply isn't as well informed as she thinks and is basing her argument on emotionalism and an appeal to a moral authority that isn't grounded or agreed upon. Eat meat, it's ok.
It basically comes down to if you believe treating animals that way is right or wrong. A lot of people just see them as food, I am one of them. I'm not going to start an organization about the way vegetables are grown...
I had a conversation with a tomato once, now I cant eat one.
I don't think Ms. Velez-Mitchell actually has kids, because if she did, she would know that infants actually naturally shun VEGETABLES, not meat! The reason is that meat has densely packed calories compared to vegetables, and more calories from fat, which infants need. Way to do your research ma'am. I wish these talking "air"heads would just report the facts from those who know them, and make things up as they go along! That's the problem with all of the media today.
1. Genetics, humans developed the brain we have today because we consumed animal protein.
2. Humans developed Canine teeth so they can tear meat appart
3. Thousands of years of evolution and there's always some skeptic. If you don't like eating meat, it's ok, but don't make it sound like parents force theor kids and brainwash them to do so. And America is FAT not because of meat... because of their eating habits.
What, I actually have to feel guilty when I eat meat? Sorry, eating a hamburger is completely "guilt-free" for me. Let us eat what WE like, everyone has things they like and don't like, so STOP trying to force your personal views on everyone else. When you vegans start spewing all this junk it really just makes you all look so crazy that no one is going to pay attention to you. For the record, I am 6'1" and weigh 163lbs.
This article is ridiculous. I don't eat a lot of meat but am definitely not a vegetarian. The author needs to go back to grade school and learn about how write a persuasive speech. Studies show that it is better to eat a well balanced diet. Period. We are not an obese nation because we eat animal products... we are an obese nation because we FRY those animal products and then eat three times the serving we should have.
I concur with Jane Velez-Mitchell. Every piece of her comments is true, genuine and convincing. I wish everyone learned from her comments.
As homo Sapiens, we didn't get the top of the food chain to eat just fruits, grains, and vegetables. I find it odd that Vegans are opposed to eating meat, yet they make food that's resemble the taste, texture, and appearance of meat products. I get amused and even laugh at people who think slaughtering animals to eat them is morally wrong, and then ask us meat eaters how we can sit there an eat a steak, pork chop, lamb chop, etc. Easily, one bite at a time. I feel just as bad eating meat as a friggin Cheetah does after it kills and eats an Gazelle.
The question I've always had for vegetarians/vegans: Is nature wrong? I know you have personal reasons for not eating meat (health, animal rights, etc.), but nature has provided humans with teeth for both cutting and tearing meat and grinding plants. That means, by nature's standards, we are meant to be omnivores. So, is nature wrong?
I'm a vegetarian. I can tell you that I absolutely don't mind people who eat meat. Personally, I don't care for it. I can eat out comfortably knowing the worst thing that has happened to my vegetables is that they sat in the cooler a day too long or that they are slightly undercooked and underseasoned. I havn't had a foodborne illness for as long as I can remember, so I definitely believe that my lifestyle is healthier than a person who consumes copius amounts of meat, if only for the fact that I can eat at a restaruant without really worrying if my food has been cooked properly. That being said, who cares if someone eats meat or not, I believe in personal freedom, that means I could care less what you choose to do with your life, the world would be a much better place if everyone were like that.
No any meat eaters that look that good at 55? I don't. Go Jane!
first off its KNOW not "No"...
secondly by the time your 55 you should be happily married and shouldn't have to give a fuck if you look good or not because your spouse will love you no matter what.
It's 'you're', not your. Just saying.
On the contrary, most vegans I met in college looked like they ready to pass out from malnourishment at any second
That is such a typical narrowminded response. Sure, because your friend has a limited vegetarian/vegan diet that's undeniable proof humans aren't designed to be vegeterian or vegan. If you're friend is on the verge of collapsing then quite frankly she/he is either lazy or misinformed on what it is she should be eating. A vegetarian diet can provide you with ALL nutrient meat eaters currently obtain (second hand) from animals. All that's needed is a well balanced selection of vegetarian food to keep you healthy. It's easy to be lazy and eat the same vegetables everyday, or pasta and bread everyday, what do you expect? A varied vegetarian diet is extremely healthy. I can speak from personal experience being a vegetarian for almost a year, I have never felt healthier or more full of energy. Done properly, there is no better diet.
She cheats. I saw here in In-and-Out Burger one night scarfing down a bacon cheeseburger.
we could argue semantics all day for both sides. SO SHUT THE FUCK UP. you vegetarians can believe what you want and you meat eaters can too... everyone needs to stop trying to force their beliefs on one another
You are entitled o your own opinions but you are not entitled to your own facts.
Go, Jane! Vegetarian, here!
There are a lot of people posting that are clueless about nutrition and espicially the advantages of being a vegetarian. Love how so many people think they understand it when they are clueless!
"America’s over-consumption of meat and dairy is largely responsible for our nation’s obesity crisis" DUMBEST STATEMENT EVER MADE...
Is eating all about taste?, really?. Because if it is then your just a greedy glutton. What you eat should be healthy and aid the planet as well as your body. Meat doesn't do that. Fact. Its also immoral to imprison an animal, stuff it full of drugs, force it to reproduce, flush the drugs via its manure and urine into the air and waterways poisoning the environment and third world people, and then have it packaged and processed as "meat" chocked full of preservatives and then sold as "healthy food". Meat is not sustainable, its cruel, its out dated, and bottom line is its cons far away its pros. And meat is also tasteless unless seasoned-ALL FOOD IS. veg can be flavored just like meat-try Indian food, much of it is vegetarian and most of it is far from bland.
It say something that most meat-eaters comments content with half-truths. All they want is to justify something that they know, deep inside, that it's plain wrong. You just want to keep on doing it because of the flavor in you mouths and don't give a shit about anything else. Probably all those fats in your cortex...
This woman uses some of the silliest arguments. Look at a horse with its grass and hay diet showing off its strength? I bring my lion back here too!! Look at a lion/tiger/crocodile/bear and then compare them to a giraffe/your horse. Find me a single instance that you think your horse would win over my lion? Enough said.
P.S. I am so bitter because I am tired of hearing all the god damn vegetarians/animal lovers telling me how my meat diet is so bad. Well you know what, if evolution thinks your say is the right way, then one day we (meat eaters) will disappear from earth and you will reign high and mighty. But till then, deal with our love for meat. :)
Lmfao, global warming is a hoax created by Al Gore to make business for all the green companies. Try thinking back about our depleting Ozone layer. Lol what happened to that? Nothing. You probably don't even remember that we were really concerned about our ozone layer having a hole in it when was rapidly getting bigger until it started getting smaller again. As for the global warming issue, if you check out some statistics about the melting polar ice caps, you'll see that the deposit of ice in recent years have been really heavy. Enough said?
I hate vegetables. I will eat them, but I hate vegetables !! Enough said.
However, from the tone of the conversation, the interviewer set out to prove how vegetarians are so much better in health. But my only problem is, why won't you bitch at a freaking lion for eating a gazelle !!! Animal rights?? What we are animals for killing other animals and its ok for a lion to kill? Go save that freaking gazelle and will stop eating meat !!! Yeah I associate myself with lions when you tell me its not cool to eat meat. As for the poor conditions that these animal are subjected to? Think about it as the holocaust. It happened and we couldn't do anything about it then but now we can talk about it :) maybe when the animals become as powerful as the jew they can tell us to F off !!
I agree with the sentiments of Jane. I have been a vegetarian my whole life (sorry not a vegan). What you get being a non meater is a better and healthy life. You are more kind person, less arrogant. All the comment above from meat lover was expected as they have lost their spiritual sense. Try being vegetarian for a month and you will notice a diffrence.
Thats so true Himanshu. I've been vegetarian for almost a year now and I feel like my whole world's been opened up. I feel so much happier, and more spiritual, and I have a clarity that I've never had before.
CNN, while I am a lover of my hamburger and bacon eating habits, I have always maintained an open mind about vegetarianism. However, you do vegetarians a disservice by posting bitter, pro-vegetarian rhetoric like this rooted in sensationalism. Tim Love comes off as humorous and tongue-in-check speaking about vegetarians, while Jane Velez-Mitchell comes across as though Love is trying to grill her children. Any time Love makes an intelligent point, Mitchell's response consistently boils his point to one specific word mentioned (bacon, peace, etc.), and she then rambles into a sensationalized tangent story to support vegetarianism and portray meat consumption as barbaric.
Mitchell sounds like a fool as shes says, "Children often naturally shun the taste of meat but are forced by their misguided, although well-meaning, parents into eating it anyway." Why? Because last I checked children don't fawn to brussell sprouts or asparagus, but rather develop a taste for these as well.
Derek
Thanks for your post- It's the best one here. I always felt that selfishness is the worst quality that humans
possess, and the arguments and rationalizations posted by the meat eaters here demonstrate that clearly.
And to all you loving parents who feed your kids meat and argue that it's 'natural' I'd like to ask: Would you
allow your five year old to go on a day trip to a 'meat processing factory' where pigs are slaughtered for
their dinner? Of course not. It would traumatize them for life. Think about that the next time you take them
to a movie about cute farm animals, and then feed them the same animals for dinner. Selfish and blind.
It's interesting. The arguments against vegaterianism/veganism range from the infantile to the insane, and I wonder whether the people making them have thought about the subject for more than a few seconds before typing their inane replies. I teach critical thinking students to at least familiarise themselves with the subject matter to some degree before engaging in a rebuttal of a position. The arguments in support of meat-eating cannot be called rational by any stretch of the imagination; their base is inevitably speciesist, egoist and self-indulgent, and demonstrate ignorance of science, logic, ethics and ecology. Will they go away and think about this now, and examine the issue a little more? Doubtful. People who are already convinced they're right don't entertain anything contrary to their preconceptions, One must question, therefore, their intelligence, and indeed the intelligence of the species, since highly intelligent people question their own thinking mercilessly. Given the current state of the planet, I wonder whether humanity is intelligent enough to survive the next 100 years. From the above evidence, I am not convinced, and I very much doubt whether the universe will care. I certainly wouldn't.
That is a brilliant reply.
wow. thanks JVM!! i mean all anyone really has to do is watch one video of these factory farms and how they treat these animals. its amazing that all these meat eaters, psh, dont have some kind of disease or arent dead. its hateful, and disgusting to continuously stuff a cow or a chicken or whatever else these people eat down their throats. they dont even taste good. chicken is dry and red meat tastes like straight blood, at least thats how i remember meat to taste.completely disgusting.
I'm now dumber for reading most of these comments. This is proof that meat, fish, and other animal-based foods do rot your brain. So does conservatism and following the status quo.
I'd rather be alone on the path to peace than join the crowd over the cliff of violence.
Think for yourself. Be happy, healthy, and humane. Go Vegan:)!
ease
I understand where Jane Velez-Mitchell is coming from. I went vegetarian after I learned that pigs on factory farms have their balls cut off without any painkiller, and that chickens are bread to grow so fat so fast that their legs often break under their own weight. There's more info here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4YX_iVWIe0
These two articles were just stupid ideas. It was meant to do nothing but cause intense debating, or as we in America do... calling the other side idiots.
I will bring this point up again though. An ecosystem can only support so many free animals. Where I am from, the deer population can grow very large and often can leave many deer to starve to death. I hunt deer each fall, normally I use a bow but after a shoulder injury I did have to resort to a gun last year. I also tend to use just about every part of the animal that I can. I use the bones to make simple hand tools or jigs when I work on things, and the hide I usually give to people that make clothing.
Is it wrong to eat meat in that case? Or on another note, as I am in college now it is a lot more difficult to have the money or time to go hunting and buy the more expensive organic meats. However, as I have killed and prepared my own food, I have no problems knowing how a slaughter house works. I do try to find brands that are more humane, but I do the best with the money I have. Is this somehow wrong?
I also try to reduce the amount of meat that I do eat. I have cut out red meats almost entirely, except for weeks when money is even tighter and a pound of ground beef goes a long way. I also have tried to learn of different types of meals I can make without meat. I do usually eat meat at least 1 meal a day, but I also have a large variety of veggies. I tend to eat a lot of poultry, venison, and buffalo when I have the money to get some.
There is a lot of misinformation out there about benefits of a vegiterian diets versus a balanced diet that includes meats. If you don't over consume meats then there are no real benefits of either diet. Yes, certain proteins are more easily gotten from meats, but you also get more fiber from vegetable based diets. Cholesterol is also higher in meats, but vegetables lack B12. A very well balanced mix of both can be helpful. The problem with obesity is not caused by eating meat, but rather by eating too much food. It also has a lot to do with not working out enough.
I think its insensitive of both sides in how they often react to the others. I do enjoy meeting people who are vegetarians of different cultures. Usually because they are vegetarians because of how they are raised, and not any personal convictions. I work with a guy from India who I get quite a few recipes from when I want to try something different. Because we tend to get along well, and because we don't harass each other because of our beliefs, not only have I tried foods I would not have otherwise but he has actually tried a number of meat dishes that he otherwise would not have.
I detest factory farming, but it also reduces the cost of food. The same is true with vegetables. Large farms using lots of pesticides are usually much cheaper than organic produce. When money is the deciding factor of what is eaten, you do the best with what you have. I would love to have the money to be able to know that I didn't have to resort to foods with pesticides or growth hormones.
Watch out for the ground breaking Documentary film Don't Eat Me coming summer of 2011 to get more info please check out http://www.donteatme.com Not only this film will answer all of your questions it will also provide reasonable solutions.
Please take the Veg Pledge sign up at http://www.animalfreedomday.com
Wouldn't it be grand if people would spend even half as much time researching and learning for themselves about the topics discussed in this article as they do whining and debasing each other? (a rhetorical question) In other words, I'm not asking, I'm just sayin'...
So research, make an informed decision for yourself, educate others who care to learn, and celebrate our differences.
To everyone on here who has brouhgt up the abortion and sanctity of life issue: Why should animals be viewed any different? God created animals and gave them life, who are we to take that away? A Jewish friend of mine even showed me a passage in the Torah that said that animals even have SOULS. How can you pick and choose which forms of sentient life are sacred? Answer: You can't!
Indeed. And anyone who thinks the Bible says that animals were given to us for food needs to re-read Genesis. I'm pro-life for the same reason I'm vegetarian and anti-death penalty. So much senseless and abhorrent slaughter in the world today.
I find it interesting that whenever someone suggests that we shouldn't eat meat how defensive the meat eaters become. My take is this: the meat eaters know that the animals they eat live a horrendous life full of fear and pain, but they don't want to think about. So they become defensive. Most people are humane and want the animals treated humanely, however – there is nothing humane about slaughter no matter how the animal is raised. The fact it, most of our farmed animals are sick and suffering. Meat eaters know this and become defensive because they don't want to change their lifestyle. But in the end, by consuming meat and dairy otherwise humane people participate in inhumane practices.
I think you've hit the nail on the head there Tracey. I do believe that's the reason people get defensive when you try to HELP them. They do not want to think about it. I believe every human being has that place inside them where they know its wrong to eat meat, but they choose not to tap into it. Life's easier eating meat, it tastes too good, its convenient, its too much hard work to change. I'll just keep it at the back of my mind and carry on living as I am.
People don't like change when they believe it will make their lives harder, so they bury their emotions and ignore the issue. I believe the reason they get defensive in the first place is because you're making them check into that guilt and you're making them think about what they're doing, and they just dont like it. Makes them uncomfortable.
It's really sad, we're only trying to help. My life is so much better since I turned vegetarian, I see every living thing in such a different light. It's beautiful and I will never turn back. I just want everyone to feel as happy as I do :(
Just thought I'd point out... today is National Vegetarian Awareness Day in the U.S. I celebrate it like I do every day-by not eating meat. Everyone else is getting super touchy about this, so I will too.
When you eat meat, it's a DEAD ANIMAL. No way around it. You are eating what has been cut off of an animal's carcass, sometimes it's been ground up and shaped to fit in a bun, and it's cooked until it gets brown and crusty. And factory farm foods aren't very sanitary. One hamburger you buy at a restaurant contains the meat of a LOT of cows. That greatly increases your chance of getting mad cow disease. Just imagine this- you're in a cage so small, you can't move AT ALL. It is smelly, dark, and unsanitary. You are pumped full of hormones, and what you eat smells a lot like the other things in cages around you. There are other humans all around you, and when a cow comes along and takes them out of a cage, they never come back. This is what happens EVERY DAY with the roles reversed. I have no moral objection to eating other creatures to survive, BUT lions and wolves don't keep their prey in disgusting living conditions, like we do. Feeling hungry?
And, I'm SICK of all you carnivores going off about how vegetables are murder. Stop eating if that's how you feel. It's for the good of the planet.
Wow, this topic has spawned quite a long list of comments! Maybe I can help sort this out.
Are we meant to be omnivores or vegetarians?
Obviously either, as both groups would not be alive or functioning if we were meant to be one or the other, from a health standpoint. But the same could be asked, "were we meant to be good or bad, republican or democrat, rich or poor, liking cats or dogs...etc etc etc.." We are humans capable of being many different things and many different ways... Our bodies may be "capable" of being either, but that does not mean both ways are healthy or that both ways are ok ethically.
Is a vegetarian diet healthy?
Yes, as if we haven't noticed, a vegetarian diet has been shown in innumerable studies for the past several decades to decrease your risk of many diseases, like cancers (not always, but you get the picture) and especially heart disease. ANY diet can be "done wrong," like when a vegetarian eats only macaroni and cheese and potato chips and candy, and thus develops deficiencies. However, if done with any basic nutrition knowledge, a vegetarian diet provides major health benefits.
Actually, technically speaking, meat is not needed at all in the human diet, for most people.
All nutrients can be gained through plant and/or animal products. You can eat meat, and grass fed/natural meats are better, but the main health benefits, study after study shows, is not from meat but from vegetables and fruit. We're supposed to be getting 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables, and eating a lot of meat doesn't leave much room for that.
Restating, anyone with any basic nutrition knowledge can steer away from any deficiencies on a vegetarian diet. And by the way, which is better to have: Any few minor and improbable deficiencies you catch at your doctor's visit, which you correct by tweaking your diet and calling up a dietitian and then adding more beans and OJ, for example - Or a
massive coronary which results in quadruple bypass surgery or simply death? I'd rather have the former.
In addition, cholesterol is only found in animal flesh and products. Vegetables and fruit, nuts and grains have NO cholesterol.
Animal products like dairy and eggs contain Vitamin B12 ( no need to kill an animal) and btw, B12 is made from bacteria, not animals. Omega-3's can be gotten from plant sources as long as there isn't too much Omega-6 in the diet. Iron is not an issue if iron-rich plant foods are eaten with Vitamin C. Calcium is not an issue if calcium-rich plant foods are eaten without a lot of salt, and if weight bearing exercise is implemented.
Is killing animals wrong?
Well, let's put it this way – Animals are NOT needed for our survival, so is it wrong to kill them just for our desire to eat them and their taste?
On diet and spirituality
I notice that so many Christians ignore the verse in Genesis 1:29 that says we are to eat vegan foods. After the land was cursed we see references that allow us to eat other foods. But it does seem that the initial request from God was to be vegan. The Bible also says "in the end, the lion shall lay down with the lamb." ? Also, many other religions, such as those of Seventh Day Adventists and Buddhism.
So, CAN we eat meat?
Yes, God (or nature, however you look at it) has given us the ability to eat meat in case we need to, like if we were stranded in a desert or in Antarctica, for example.
Should we eat meat?
God gives us that choice, then stands back and watches. Just like that bank over there. We could rob it, or not rob it. For most of us, eating meat is not required for our health, unless you live in the Arctic in an igloo or in a desert. We do not need meat at all, especially in today's society with grocery stores everywhere, and actually, the removal of it would most likely be beneficial. If we required meat to survive, all the vegetarians alive today would perish. So again, knowing that we do not need to eat meat to survive, should we? Which choice do you think Jesus and God would be happier with?
Why is everyone so defensive about vegetarianism and why is it such a hot topic?
No one wants to be told they shouldn't be doing something, especially when it tastes good to them. When it comes to compassion, deep thought and morals and what is right and wrong - it is a very personal decision for each person. Evolution takes a long time for some. You have to be ready to take it to the next step. Most people probably want to figure it out on their own that they need to be a more ethical, moral person, and don't like to think someone else "got there" first. Vegetarians, keep educating, and hang in there and be sensitive and patient!
Very excellent post, thank you for taking the time to write it!
Very very very very very well written...I don't think I could have ever said it better myself...
As per previous posts that's the best answer to one of these debates I've read in a while. As a frustrated vegetarian trying to get my points across and help people this pretty much covers everything I want to say to people. Thanks :)
I like :)
I can appreciate pro-vegetarian arguments for ethical and environmental reasons, and even a few health reasons (healthy vegetarians rarely eat processed food and are often careful about where they source their food), and I agree that factory farming is horrible for all three reasons (and that includes factory farmed grains, vegetables, and fruits, btw). However, it would be nice if Jane Velez-Mitchell had mentioned, even once, that not all meat eaters source all their meat from factory farms. On all three points (ethical, environmental, and health), pastured animals score head and shoulders above factory farms- considerably higher than even organic factory farms. Can we not at least agree that if you choose to eat meat, that it should be more ethically sourced? Remember, that all of those negative statistics in relation to meat is from studies that used either processed meat or factory farmed meat.
And as for taste buds, I do believe that has much more to do with the disgusting junk that's pumped into our processed foods than it has to do with meat, dairy, salt, and even sugar. Since eliminating almost all processed foods from my diet, I enjoy vegetables and fruits much more... and my pastured meat, and pastured dairy.
WELLSAID EVOLVE IHAD SAID THE SAME WORD FEW DAYS AGO ON PETA -EVOLVE than going bacwards in human history when pre historic humans ate flesh--
I am 14 years old and i am a vegatarian. I know that most adulds might think us teenagers are to small to understand bein a vegartaian but as you can see there needs to be more people that love animals like we do. Don't get me wrong yes people that arnt vegartaians love aninimals to but they don't read at what is put in there food all they know is that it is so good that they think that they need more and more. Think about what is put in your mouth. My mama has told me so much out of the 5 family members just me and my mama are vegatarians. No i am not a vegan i hope one day i will be a vegan and be a strick vegatarian. I want to know everything about everthing for bein a vegatarian. I love all the new choses i have been make. I feel better in my heart that i am saving at least one animal. I understand that not this whole world is goin to be a vegatarian but i think it will be better. How do you know that we were put on this earth to eat meat. Think when you have that steak on you plate picture that poor cow staring at you i feel so bad. But that is my opinion about it.
I love meat and I love veggies. Why can't I eat them both? And those of you who think that vegetables are oh, so healthy for you – have you ever seen the chemicals that are get sprayed on the vegetables AND the fruit when not grown organically? I doubt that is extending my life – actually it may be contributing to cancer and other diseases. Too bad the whole world does/can not grow organically. I understand both sides, but like many of you, I say – let me eat my steak.... OR let me eat my veggies IN PEACE.
PEACE OUT!
Every vegan I know is a retard. Enough said.
I'm sure some of you meat-eaters will also feel very comfortable eating meat of lower level human-beings.
Going vegetarian (or vegan) is the way to go because you are healthier and can enjoy life more plus being vegetarian can help to extend your life.
My Dear Vegans – hope it works out for you. None of your arguments convince me that I should change my diet. For example, even if we ended all ranching in this country it would not result in more food or water for the third world – we're not going to grow crops on grazing land and we're not going to ship water to the third world. As to the moral rights of animals, I simply don't share your sentiment that evolution should be tossed in the name of "enlightenment". Do I agree with you that cruelty should be eliminated from food production? Yes, and I pay more to get cage free eggs, free range meats etc. In the end almost all of the arguments from vegans come down to subjective opinions and conjectures – since your convinced have at it, I'm not and will continue to enjoy the privileges of being an omnivore on the top of the food chain.
Yes, biologically, we are capable of being omnivores, and an omnivorous diet was essential for our social and cultural development, but we no longer do most of the things our primitive ancestors did, so that argument is meaningless. The simple fact is that eating meat is supporting unnecessary killing. If you knew a cannibal family who lived down the street, you'd probably either try to convince them to quit eating humans, or report them to the authorities. Or perhaps you would tell the media, or organize a group of fellow citizens to protest in front of their house. In short, most of you would do something similar to what we "preachy vegetarians" do - that is, try to correct a moral wrong.
If you eat meat, I am much less concerned about violating your "right" to eat carcasses than I am stopping you from violating the right to life of approximately 93 animals per year (on average).
You can't consider yourself an animal lover or an environmentalist if you eat meat, nor can be be too concerned about those in this world who don't have fresh water or enough to eat - because you are taking their share with your habits.
Leonardo da Vinci, Einstein, Aristotle - all vegetarians. Not a coincidence.
It may not be a coincidence, but it's not really proof of anything either. Citing anecdotal evidence of a few great thinkers that didn't eat meat doesn't really mean anything. It doesn't lend credence to the issue any more than if I were to cite the fact that Hitler was also a vegetarian.
Except he wasn't....
I am sure you can cite other less than admirable vegetarians as well, but if you look at the lives of these three men and their common interest in studying and understanding the world we live in - and in finding order in this world, it is not surprising that they all came to the same conclusion about the best diet for humans. It is is the only diet that makes sense, especially considering the dangerously destructive effects of the meat industry on our resources.
Well it doesn't matter if he was or wasn't. Nor does it matter if Aristotle or anybody else was. That's my whole point. But since you're arguing the point that I'm arguing doesn't matter....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler%27s_vegetarianism
I get your point, Noah, and I agree that the diets of geniuses and dictators are mostly irrelevant. But I'm bored at work and have nothing else to do but argue with you about Hitler:)
http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/hitler.html
I am so sick of vegans being labeled as preachy. We are just trying to prevent you from destroying life on earth.
obviously, the flesheaters are sensitive to their stomachs and could care less about the future of this planet. I too, like so many others,ate meat before I was enlightened and learned the truth. Don't be close minded, it makes you seem so shallow and ignorant. Is that preachy, AMEN Brother
To all you morons flaming people and asking them to 'grow up' and realise we're at the top of the food chain, who says we are? (directed in particular to Matt) Sharks are carnivores and predators and are designed to eat other fish. Do some research and you'll find we're not actually designed to eat meat, we have digestive systems closer to herbivores, do you consider primates to be at the top of the food chain? Don't forget what we've evolved from. We are not at the top of the food chain, we just like to believe we are and use this to justify the senseless murder of millions of animals in intolerable conditions. You grow up, and educate yourself a little.
watch animal plantet.. you get to watch chimps and bonobos hunting monkeys for meat... so yes, they are meat eaters.. we are Omnivores
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/11/the-comparative-anatomy-of-eating.html
I would never eat with her. I don't even really watch her show (except for certain clips online), because of the extremist vegetarian attitude.
We get it, you're an animal activist. Well, so am I, in my own way. I work with reptile and amphibian rescues, animals most of you so-called activists barely acknowledge and almost couldn't care less about. I do a lot of education work on them and I am known to be pretty fierce in my defense of them, and taking proper care of them. However, I don't protest people eating frog legs, or iguana meat. Why? Because I do work so closely with them, I don't see them for more or less than they are.
Most of the really fanatical vegan animal activists are people who might own a dog or a cat or a couple of other pets, but have no first hand knowledge of farming or working with animals usually used for meat. They see animals as these idealized Bambi figures with the intelligence of humans, the same thoughts and feelings as humans, oppressed by uncaring people. Then they see meat eaters as these evil killers with no other motive but to cause harm to their poor innocent Bambi beasts.
I am for treating all animals humanely and keeping them as happy as they possibly can be, but I don't delude myself that they are anything more than they are. And I don't appreciate people who do fantasize that they are idyllic figures treating me badly in return.
I respect those who choose to be vegetarian for any reason, and I like vegetarian food. But people like her drive me completely nuts. I respect your choice, now respect mine, and respect my intelligence. Don't proceed to tell me how wrong and horrible I am for being an informed consumer and not making the same choice you did.
Also, stop using wild hyperbole and awful descriptions to try to prove your point. I can tell you things about your precious vegetables that would make you really sick. You think telling me I murdered an animal, or I'm eating it's rotting flesh will change how I see it. Actually, all you're doing is making yourself look like an uninformed sensationalist.
your sir, are a Flexitarinan as well http://flexitariandad.blogspot.com/
Jane,You ignorant slut. Meat is the essence of the earth. From what I have read you fancy the tongue. Bon Appetit!
This is proof that Jane is a meat eater.Julia would not lie to me.
Let's say all of us meat eaters quit eating meat. Wouldn't logic dictate that more food would be required for the animals since there would likely be more of them since we aren't killing them. What will happen to all the cows, they would majically disappear? Or would we end up paying a hefty fee for animal contraceptives. Where would all these animals live?
Also, wouldn't there be more gaseous fumes in the air if less animals are killed and eaten. I can tell you the deer population in Pennsylvania is a growing problem. Next, we would have to drive 20 mph everyone in order to avoid the mass of deer.
Buzz, There wouldn't be so many animals living in horrible conditions and releases massive amounts of methane and dirty water if they weren't raised for human consumption. And it is unlikely they would procreate much on their own, since so many of them are so sick anyway. This isn't a reason to keep eating meat.
If you want to look at it from a Biblical perspective which I know most of you don't.
Here it is anyway.
Genesis 9:1-4
"1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.
4 "But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it."
Before the Flood they ate just Vegetation, after that because the flood wrecked the earth and the vegetation and it would not produce like it once had, God in his infinite wisdom made it where eating animals would make up for what you were going to be missing from plants.
Now I myself have tried the Vegan style for one month like all you people say to try. I will tell you now that my testing was done differently from all of yours. I do not take vitamin supplements or anything else other than what I grow/cook. Therefore I do not take a multivitamin or anything like that to boost energy like most of you probably do. Strictly going off of what I ate I had less energy and was almost hospitalized because of nutrient deficiencies. And before you try to say I did it wrong I had someone who is a vegan with me the whole time making sure I was doing it right. They are also now an ex vegan and don't have to pop as many pills to keep themselves going.
What you all seem to be missing is the fact that with out any other supplements you would die because you are missing vital nutrients that your system needs. So I have just provided you with two reasons why what you say is wrong and proven whether you believe the bible or not I have provided it and also a personal testimony from what happens when you do that.
And for the rest of you trying to make a case calling people names makes your point invalid no matter how much research or thought you have put into it.
Actually, you wont die, if done properly, you can get almost, if not everyting you need, from your diet. you need to know what your doing.. and the vegans and veggies are good at that.
your sir, are a Flexitarinan as well http://flexitariandad.blogspot.com/
Oh thanks so much Jane! The standard American Diet (SAD) is killing Americans! We humans are not designed for eating animals and we must get back to that. There is NO physiological reason to eat animals or their secretions. It is not only cruel but totally unhealthy. If everyone had to kill their own pig at the checkout stand, they would not be able to take home the bacon! Goveg.com Stop cruelty, help your own health and save the planet from mountains of manure going into our water systems!
Linda, First the whole ,"Human where not designed to eat meat " thing is a big goober. All upper primates have been know to hunt and eat , it has be documented . humans do eat meat, they derive nutrition from meat, and find it very desireable ( most of us anyway) , Stop with the myths
Yes we are designed to eat meat. In fact, if you go completely Vegan, you have to design your diet carefully and usually take vitamin supplements to make up for the lack. If you want to stay healthy.
But please tell me more about how the entire human race has gotten this wrong for centuries until you came along and suddenly got it right.
Finally, she states that humans make their kids like meat after they force the kids to eat it even when they “Naturally” reject it.. Well I don’t know about you, but I raised 4 kids and if I did not make my kids eat everything they”naturally rejected” they would be eating only potato chips and chicken nuggets. So according to that logic, eating greens and fruits would be un-natural to eat too.
http://flexitariandad.blogspot.com/
, I have no moral dilemma eating a pig, a cow, and “GASP” veal. I truly believe all animals were putt on this earth to be eaten by something or someone, .. So trying to make me feel guilty is far from genius. And I am very pro Veggie, a real sympathizer for the cause and her argument turns in to the Charlie Brown “Waaa waaaa waaaa waa wa waa waa” for me
Restated, her augment looks like this to the meaties. "I challenge the idea that anyone can eat meat 'in peace.' It’s a contrablab blab in terms. How bla blab la bla b la blabb blab la.. bla Blood?
Her very good points become lost on the ears of the very people she is trying to convince, at this point she is preaching only to the choir. A useless Endeavour if you ask me.
I have one meal a day where I avoid meat, and I avoid going overboard the other meals except for special occasions, but saying I am a murderer because I choose to eat a "rotting hunk of flesh" rather then some fried squash makes me want to go grill the biggest steak I can find for dinner.
your sir, are a Flexitarinan http://flexitariandad.blogspot.com/
"I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass.” Really ???, I know that I don’t eat rotting meat, but when you tell me I do, because you don’t eat meat, then your well articulated, well meaning words to save the world turn in to Blaa Blaa Blaa with a more irritating tone than Charlie Brown’s teacher.. Period, no argument. You became a whack job. You insulted me.
A Non-Meatie telling a Meat eater not to eat meat because it’s bad is akin to a preacher telling me sex involving non-missionary position is evil and I am a Hell bound sinner getting ready to take a endless molten sulfur bath as soon as I “arrive” . Not that I am invalidating anyone’s religious beliefs and moral constructs,( veggie or religious) but if you want me to fall in line with your line of thinking, you got to sell it to me, not force it with gross comparisons and hyperbole!
What’s a shame is she makes some points that should be considered, even if you don’t wholly agree.
We are fat, as Americans we head the parade of jiggles and dimples, reducing our consumption of meats and dairy would not be a bad thing at all, some would even benefit greater by going pure all out Veggie, but Ms. Mitchell seems to put the whole fat issue down to meat. We are also lazy, sedentary couch slugs, more interested in the TV or Xbox than our health, all the while eating our mega processed foods and high fructose corn syrup ( Corn chips fried in veg oil with a can of coke for a drink are just as unhealthy as Mitchell’s rotting beef carcass, yet no meat in those) .
Not to mention that sugars and simple carbs are turned into body fat MUCH faster and easier than actual fat. Many people actually gain weight when they become vegetarians because instead of focusing on healthful veggies, they replace the meat with more grains- usually pasta and/or white rice. One more reason to do thorough research and meal planning before making a major diet change in whichever direction.
"Uuuuh, you should eat meat because it tastes good.... and it's what everyone else is doing...." -Tim. Gee, thanks Tim, that was enlightening, I'm going to go have a burger now. (rolls eyes)
well, right off the bat, again, you can take this entire debate back to our own overpopulation!!
Wonder why there are millions starving around the world, why we have to have meat factories to meet the demand, why our pollution levels are so high, there are just way too many of us greedy humans on this planet consuming!
So, for those out there that buy horrible cheap processed food to feed your 6 kids that you cant really afford, here's a news flash, stop reproducing, that alone puts the demand at a lower number and reduces the amount of food we have to produce.
Either way, I have no kids of my own, just my adopted ones, we all eat meat, and love it, and tons of fruit and veggies, we purchase everything from small local farms!! THe human race has destroyed this planet! And all other creatures on it will suffer due to us!
Question #3 is my favorite:
Tim – Vegetarians can be preachy
Jane – 7 paragraph rant about how Tim is wrong
You sure showed him...
The responses to each item is exactly what Tim Love is talking about when he says "imagine a restaurant full of preachy vegetarians." She is living up to the exact stereotype that the article is trying to dispel.
Humans who eat animals are just like animals. Humans should not be eating animals, period. It is not natural. It is a bad habit that has continued over time. I am sure that if everyone had to kill, cut, clean and cook their own cow or pig or chicken or lamb, there would be very few meat eaters left in this world. Why is it that meat eaters don't like it if you discuss the slaughter process at the dinner table - THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!
I hate it when people say eating meat is not natural.
First, our bodies process meat and we get essential nutrients from it. If it wasn't natural, we'd be like iguanas, unable to process any animal protein properly. We'd all die of renal failure at the age of around 5, due entirely to diet.
Second, I love how vegans say this, as their movement is only a few decades old, and humankind is centuries old, and almost every instance of man from the very beginning of archeological evidence has eaten meat. If it wasn't natural, it would be the meat movement that's only decades old, and vegetarians would have dominated human history.
Humans can live on a diet of only vegetables. That doesn't mean that it's our natural state. And that doesn't mean that you should try to scare people into eating only vegetables with facts you made up to prove a point.
When you eat meat, you are ingesting into your body the horrble energy of the soul of the innocent animal that just experienced being slaughtered. That negative energy stays with you. You are also eating whatever the animal ate - bugs, rats, dirt, poop....
Very strong article, with ample evidence and FACTS, which was missing in Tim Love's tirade. CNN you have redeemed yourself :)
"Babies turn away from the taste of meat"? This broad is nuts. She doesnt (nor ever) will have kids so how does she know? Anyway, I respect a person's right to be vegetarian. But Im not one so if you you a problem with it then kiss my ass! Look human may be animals but guess what...plenty of animals eat meat. Would you idiots really been more happy with me if i chased down a cow and ripped its throat out with my teeth rather than bought a steak from a store? I'll stop eating meat when lions do. And yes lions would cook their meat if they had the intellegence...and thumbs
lions do not stack their prey in tiny boxes, and they only eat what they need, people are greedy and eat way too much meat, why do you think everyones fat? from eating cheeseburgers....you disgusting pig
B*Tch get over yourself!...Im 5'9 & 130 pounds, lmao- seriously go kill yourself
Damn girl,I want to sell tickets to that event. It would be bigger than the "Thrilla in Manila"! Let me know as I"m gettin my hair brushed out right now!
Jane Velez Mitchell is a hero for speaking out about the dark corners of our culture that other people don't want to touch. As Paul McCartney said, if slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian or vegan. So much needless, incredibly cruel abuse is going on every day. Cutting meat from your diet is the best thing you can do for animals, the environment, and your own health. Thank you Jane for giving a voice to the voiceless.
Do you really know if the bird that you bought is a chicken, what if it was a crow or raven? After the bird is skinned everything looks the same.
To be honest all of yall are on some ignorant type mindsets, while you are busy bashing on each other about who eats what, wars are being fought, education is slowly falling apart and children are starving all over the world (I doubt they are thinking about whether they eat meat or vegetables). Get your priorities in order.
stop wasting your time telling people not to waste their time on a blog...you've obviously got bigger things to worry about you sad sack
Thank you Jane for such valid and honest reasons to be vegan. As usual the argument is reduced down to just "taste". I don't eat animals, or their secretions and I LOVE my food! Delicious and healthy – No problems with the "yummy" factor at all!
I run 2 miles every other day yet I end up with 2 black eyes because I have "Man Boobs" Please Help Me Jane!
the soy bean will eventually be the main source of protein for humans....with time and education my friends
I'm sorry to break this to you, but that is highly unlikely. Soy is a potent goiterogen- meaning that it suppresses the thyroid. We already have a epidemic in the US of people who have underactive thyroids, and the only way to neutralize the goiterogenic effect of soy is to ferment it. That means traditionally fermented soy sauce (rare), miso, stinky tofu (fermented tofu), and a handful of other products that are not common outside of Asia.
On top of that, the trypsin inhibitors in soy prevents proper digestion of protein (from any source), the phytates prevent proper absorption of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. The phyto-estrogens can actually screw up your hormonal balance and is one of the worst things to eat for those who have a hormonal imbalance.
Soy is also highly allergenic, and the fact that approximately 90% of the US soy crops are GMO (and among the most heavily sprayed crops) only increases this. Sprouted soy, unlike most grains and legumes, actually increases many of the negatives. There are some reports that indicate that there are more people who are allergic to soy than to any other food, though you may be pleased to hear that soy fed to chickens will remain in the yolk of the egg making many believe that they are allergic to eggs when they are, in fact, allergic to the soy or corn that is fed to the chickens (which is one reason that I pay more for pastured eggs).
If your body is able to thrive on soy, then I'm very happy for you. But this is not the case for many, many people. Much better would be that neat grain combining trick (assuming that the combiner is not allergic to gluten or another grain that is involved), particularly if the grains are properly prepared (soaked or sprouted to reduce phytic acid).
Loved this article. Reading it really made me realize that I am doing a good job in staying vegetarian. Go Jane !!! Totally agree with you :)
I love all these ignorant comments from the meat eaters who think ALL humans who live on the planet reside in the US. Most people in the world do not eat eggs&bacon for breakfast, a chicken sandwich for lunch and a pork chop for dinner. They eat meat 1-2 a WEEK in small portions because it's so expensive. In many countries soup, rice, beans, vegetables with a variety of spices are food staples.
That's a fact!
True, but in most of these countries, they also eat meat. Not in such great quantities, but they have no problems eating meat when it's available and they can afford it. Just because it isn't a staple, doesn't mean its absent from their diets by choice.
Well the same typical BS comments from most of the people who post here as the 'chef'. What's worse is that you disagree with her by adding insults, calling her a broad, a lesbian, and more. The only ones who carry this discussion as an argument are those who think it's their god-given right to kill another being to survive. Get over yourselves. The pollution from farms is horrible. They ruin our ground water, change the acidity levels in the soil, and we have to put up with the smell when it swath the crap over the fields. Which is another great point. Farmers insist that they have to spread the shit to keep the land fertile. Not true. Proper rotation of crops keeps the ground fertile, not excrement.
So lets get this straight. You meat lovers out there. Don't eat vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, or anything else. Then tell me how good you will feel in 5 days, 10, then 30. You cannot survive in ketosis. Tim Love is an idiot of a chef for saying the things he did even though it sounds like he's 'okay' with vegetables. Obviously a redneck, and obviously feels the need to make a dead animal part of every meal. What he doesn't explain is that if you do eat meat, you only need 2-3 ounces twice per week. That's about 1.5" diameter piece. The amount of energy and food used to raise something to take to the inhumane slaughter houses is horrendous, and anyone who is somewhat concerned about the state of humanity or even the planet would know that this is not a way to sustain life.
My second to last point: Our teeth are signs that we are not meat eaters as they are designed for breaking down the fibres of plants, and out digestive system does have the ability to break down and digest animal proteins efficiently. That's why people feel tired and bloated after a meal.
For people who think the way someone of you do, and your comments prove it, you should be walked though a slaughter house, have to kill your own food, and process it. It's a well known fact that most people would not be eating animal protein if they had to do that.
That last thing that you said..about having to kill and process the animal yourself...it exactly what tipped me over the edge into vegetarianism. I love animals and I could never ever kill one. Horrendous! Since I switched over, I have never felt better in my entire life and it shows. All the little aches and pains...gone. Energy level..WAY UP! Best of all, my conscience is clear and I feel entirely at peace and content.
Bring on the hate people. I stated my own personal feelings. :)
will you marry me
LOL@Soy Brings Me Joy
I'm not sure which one of us you were asking..LOL I am very happily married. It sounds like you are a caring and loving soul who will no doubt find someone to make you very happy.
Lack of facts on lack of facts.
We do digest meat properly. If you feel bloated after a meal, it's because you ate too much, not because you ate meat. The same happens after a hearty meal of green beans and soy, if you eat too much. Portion control is an issues for vegetarians and meat eaters.
Our teeth are not evidence that we are only supposed to eat vegetables. Our teeth are designed to be omnivorous. We can chew our meat, vegetables, even hard things like nuts, with no trouble. Our teeth are not razor sharp because we do not hunt with them. We kill with tools, cook the meat, and eat with tools. There is no need for our teeth to be those of a shark.
I don't mind a good argument with a well informed person debating the opposite side, but it's not right sling about made up facts like this. There are a lot of reasons to go vegetarian. Use economic reasons, or reasons of compassion, or something that makes a modicum of sense.
I don't eat that much meat, because I just don't like it! The same as someone who won't each veggies, seafood, etc. It's just the taste factor for me. Sometimes, it just doesn't want to go down easy. It always has to be a very thin slice of beef or small pieces of chicken...don't give me a large chicken breast...hate it. People ask me if I'm a vegetarian, because I hardly ever order meat in a restaurant and I always feel I have to defend myself, but I tell them...no, I just don't like the taste of meat. I never did, even as a child...yuck!! It has nothing to do with morals or anything else. Just don't like it!
Jane. Thanks. We need a world filled with people like you and what a better place it would be.
Ack, sorry, meant to say... "I'm not 100% vegetarian, and certainly *not* vegan..."
Both of these articles are sensationalistic - first the carnivore cowboy chef tells us vegetarians are stupid because meat tastes better (a matter of opinion). Then the self-righteous vegan tells us we should not eat meat or animal by-products because it's mean to the animals (true, but most habitual meat eaters care nothing about cruelty to animals, so that argument falls on deaf ears).
Ms. Velez-Mitchell talks almost entirely about how cruel to the animals it is to eat factory-farmed meat. Nothing about free-range or organically grown meat.
Mr. Love at least makes a passing mention of dietary & health concerns, although he wrongly suggests that you can eat a lot of meat with no health worries as long as you don't go to extremes. Show me a guy with a huge gut and I'll show you a meat eater. Show me a woman with a rear end the size of a VW and I'll show you a meat eater. (True, these people also probably eat way too many simple carbohydrates, but I guarantee you they eat meat.)
I'm not 100% vegetarian, and certainly vegan, but I eat meat or fish only 2 or 3 times a week on average. Like most Americans, I ate meat 2 or 3 times a day for many years. Since eating more vegetables and way less meat, I don't get sick as often, I've lost weight and kept it off, and my energy level is better. I also have kept my "bad" cholesterol level in the healthy range by eating less saturated fat, less simple carbohydrates, more fiber - and by exercising more.
Question for all you middle-aged frequent meat eaters: How many of you are on Lipitor? I thought so.
I love your argument that all fat people are meat eaters. Too bad it has no basis in fact. I personally know die-hard VEGANs who are obese. Just because you only eat vegetables doesn't mean you have self control and are eating correctly. Just because you eat meat does not mean you are eating non-stop and have high cholesterol.
Calm down. OK, so it's possible for a "vegan" to be obese, if they subsist mainly on bread, Cheetos, and beer and never exercise. I don't know any vegans like that - the ones I know are all health conscious. You obviously know some "outliers" who are not in the statistical norm for vegans.
BTW, as I said, I eat meat myself. In moderation.
I enjoy meat, and I would hope that those producing the meat could do so within reasonable standards to get the vegetarians off our backs about it. We will be raising our own pigs next year hopefully, and we hunt/get venison during the winter. My father in law is an avid fisherman, so they have a freezer full of that for us too. Meat itself is not bad, it is good for you and is a necessary part of your nutrition. I will agree that we don’t need quite as much of it and we could all benefit from putting more vegetables in our diets, but to say that we shouldn’t be eating meat at all is ridiculous.
One thing vegan zealots forget to mention is how much hunters and fishermen do for the environment. My grandfather was an avid deer hunter and a great steward of the land.
Hats off to you and your family for raising your own animals and eating locally caught fish and game.
“(Lisa) “I’m going to become a vegetarian” (Homer) “Does that mean you’re not going to eat any pork?” “Yes” “Bacon?” “Yes Dad” Ham?” “Dad all those meats come from the same animal” “Right Lisa, some wonderful, magical animal!”"
Pork Chops and Bacon, my two favorite animals!
The 'study' that found more animals die from a vegan diet is now completely debunked, after it was found all the figures were wrong. Check your facts please people...
well....you don't kill plants..you eat the fruits/vegetables given by the plants...you keep growing the plants with sunshine and water which helps the environment...and in turn it produces more fruits and vegetables....plants don't have death as long as it gets sunshine and water and nobody razes it and there are no natural disasters.....anything that has a heart and bleeds when hurt and cannot reproduce after 'death' are essentially killed....plants can reproduce even after fruits/vegetables are 'killed' and produces even more fruits and vegetables with water and sunshine...(repeat post as it got buried elsewhere...)
Eating eggs also doesn't kill the animals that produce them, but even this bothers vegans–even though morally I don't see any difference between eggs and fruit (they're both reproductive creations of living things, and both create, if left alone, other living things). And plants and grains are killed all the time, for various reasons, and also by most herbivores that have no compunction about the distinction between the plants or it's products.
I agree that eggs have been proven to be vegetarian...although i dont like to eat it as i hate the smell...i also agree that a lot of vegetarians may not be as planet-conscious or plant-conscious as they are supposed to be as a result of which more damage is done to the crops...but at the same time, these things pale in comparison to the amount of meat consumed, especially in the US....
Would someone trim my beard please? I'm getting a Presidential Pardon next month.
I have never really been good enough at anything to be arrogant. So I am considering becoming a vegan, just so I can have a reason to walk around acting like I am better than everyone else. I think that will be fun. I'm sure that attitude will encourage more people to be open minded and try veganism.
You sound just like me citizen! Lpw 5 on that one.
We eat more meat because we are the richest nation on earth and our technological advances enable us to produce large quantities of meat at affordable prices. They aren't eating as much meat in say... Nigeria because they can't afford it, not because they don't want it.
Rotting carcass? Give me a break… that carrot you are gnawing on is technically rotting too!
Factoring farming run-off?? Last time I checked pesticides and herbicides were a significant contributor to this run-off you speak of. And ditto on the rain forest clearing, lots of crops being planted in those freshly cleared parcels.
Tofurky – Yea taste as good as it sounds I bet. So this year you are having a dead vegetable front and center?
Gestation Cages??? Have you ever seen how they pack those potatoes into those terrible trailers? Then send them floating into the processing facility in that turbulent water? That has to be stressful for the potato! Sounds like they are protecting the pigs from predators to me! ;-) They can put them in a dress and make em wear lipstick for all I care… I’ll have the pork chop please!
It's really obnoxious how many people seem to attack her womanhood first and her point second. Let's focus people.
With that said, stuff like this is part of the reason I took so long to become a vegetarian. I find her argument preachy and I'd like to see the sources she got her "facts" from. However, I also found the first article about why NOT to be a vegetarian preachy and annoying.
My decision to be a vegetarian was personal and MY decision. Just like the decision to continue eating meat.
I could not finish reading this. I was disgusted by the attitudes on both sides! An elitist attitude from one side and an arrogant inconsiderate attitude from the other. They both need to grow up.
I do not agree with or condone the industrialization of animals for food...
but I do agree with and condone that eating meat is AWESOME!!! Is it okay for a "family farm" to raise just enough livestock to feed that one family and maybe a friend or two?
You can have my pork chop when you pull it from my dead over dosed protein hands!
This whole aurgment that somehow the farm animals are suffering because of the consumption of meat is ludicrous. Yes there are inhumane people but it has nothing to do with meat consumption (anyone remember Michael Vick). If people didn't raise meat for consumption, most of these animals would not even exist. None of them are able to survive in the wild because they have been selectively bred to remove those characteristics which enabled them to fight or flee. Most would starve to death, or would be hunted and eaten by wild predators. Oh, how humane.
Right....because existing soley to be kept in deplorable conditions and mistreated is better than not existing? Give me a break. Speak for yourself, not the animals.
I thought CNN would have more credibility than letting this elitist talk...
Colin, thank-you, thank-you. But unfortunately, vegetarians/vegans think they are smarter, better educated and "more moral" than us meat eating thugs! Just read the blogs. What is this great country of our's coming to? I don't agree with you, and I'm evil? I eat meat and I'm a murderer? Has everyone lost their minds? Once again, I thought America was about choice, the choice to choose your own options in life, work hard and love other's as you would love yourself. Hello? Hello? Anybody out there remember?
The choice to murder, you mean? Loving everyone except animals, then?
Or loving animals while digesting another piece of their flesh?
Astounding.
People need to to stop encouraging people like Valez-Mitchell to go to DC and stand up for their moronic beliefs, that how we got the idiots that are there now.
From an evolutionary standpoint, there is a reason not all of our teeth are for grinding like a cow's. We have incisors to tear with. That is for meat-eating by design. Hey, if you want to be a vegetarian/vegan, then good for you. I'm just pointing out the obvious.
Bravo, Charles Darwin Jr.! This is the most convoluted argument I have ever heard: "meat-eating by design". Enjoy your steak and lobsters. Why don't you try eating dogs and cats and squirrels and mice and rats; they could be delicious. Go hunt for them because they are not available at food stores; you have teeth that can devour these animals.
I would eat all those, but you need to eat a heck of a lot of mice to make it worth while. Maybe as an appetizer?
Who is this broad? Stupid, stereotypical, arrogant argument for being vegetarian. I have nothing against vegetarians, but if they all have arguments like this...
Sure you can make friends with salad, Chicken Caesar Salad, Chickhen Salad, Shrimp Salad, Taco Salad, Chef Salad, Tuna Salad, and there are probably many others.
Touche
We have been vegetarian for a little over 3yrs. I am wondering, why does one *need* a political reason to do something that they want to do? We eat what we like to eat. We just would rather eat vegetarian fare than meat. I will not feel guilty over the food I enjoy. Likewise, I think it is shamefully rude to try to guilt someone into doing or not doing something. Whether they eat meat or veg or both. Let. people. enjoy. their. meal.
If you feel this strongly Jane Valez-Mitchell then please stop whining about the injustice, get off your laptop, go to D.C. and do something about it. I guess another way to put it would be stop trying to drain the tub one drop at a time. And sorry, the excuse of "it's not my job" is a bit threadbare at this point. If you won't do something about it shut the ^%&*( up.
Ms. Velez-Mitchell's arguments are all about factory-farming practices. If that were the only type of meat that were available to eat then yes, she would have a point. However, since there are also sustainable farms out there that produce free-range, healthy, organic meat, I have trouble following her logic. Vegetarian or factory-farmed meat are not the only two choices that exist. There is a whole spectrum of meat products in the middle that she is choosing to ignore in order to make her point. If we could get the country to abandon it's factory-farming practices and go back to real, sustainable farming as the norm (no more stacked cages, no more antibiotics, no more growth hormones) we would solve a lot of the problems that she is talking about without having to make everyone become a vegetarian. It's all about moderation and responsible farming practices.
I'd just like to point out... "you don't make friends with salad"
"You don't make friends with salad".
Yeah, that unseasoned, bloody and hardly warm chunk of meat served hardly did the trick either. I'm glad you found the knob to turn on the stove.
FYI, iceburg lettuce, half a tomato, and two raw onion rings does not constitute "salad".
Veggies make me retch. Literally. I can't get them past my tastebuds. I wish I could eat them, because then it would be easier to lose weight. (Well, I could eat them, then throw them up, that would make me lose weight.) I don't eat a lot of meat, but it isn't because I can't eat something with a face. I love a good cheeseburger as much as the next meat-lover. Here's what I don't understand – what's wrong with milk and cheese? Nothing dies to make either. Does this mean you don't breastfeed your children? I mean, there's no difference, right? Milk is milk...
My motto: Eat what you want, don't tell anyone else what to eat. Humans are designed for both meat and veggies. Eating just one or the other isn't normal. But if that's what floats your boat, by all means, do what you think is right. Just leave me alone.
Suddenly, you made me think of creating a monstrous milk factory with caged human females being fed hormones to induce lactation. Mmm... Delicious. I mean, milk is milk... There's no difference, right?
God I hate preachy people. If you have an opinion on something fine, but alienate people that don't agree with you. I love meat and what difference does it make how you treat the animal when in the end you are still going to kill and eat it. It's more insulting to be nice to it, then you give them hope you might not kill and eat it. I kill and eat any animal if I had too, shit when starving to death people will eat each other, ever see the movie Alive, which is based on real events. I bet Ms. Velez-Mitchell would take a bit out of Fred if she was starving to death in the Andies. You ain't going to get people to stop eating meat, so deal and stop trying make people that do feel guilty about it, because you are wasting your breath and our time listening to your BS.
Oh to be spoiled for choice.
If everyone stops eating cows what do we do with all the cows? Just let them continue to populate until there is no room left and no grass left?
I hope I didn't miss anything important. I made myself a bacon cheeseburger, using a krispy kreme doughnut for the bun.
Ok. So there are several lines of reasoning on display here among vegetarians/vegans that frankly have never made any sense to me. Either we have a choice (and according to some we're inexplicably the only creatures on the planet that have this choice). Or we're supposed to be of a certain determined nature...i.e, we're "supposed" to be herbivores, or we're supposed to be more evolved, or we're supposed to be better, or we're supposed to be kinder and gentler. So which is it? Do we have a choice, or don't we? This has always struck me as grasping at straws, and the fact that these arguments simultaneously come out of the same people has been a sign to me of the fundamental lack of confidence and knowledge of vegetarians and vegans.
If humans are supposed to be "better" than animals, then we can't very well argue at the same time that they are equal to us either. This argument more than any other is one that has always bothered me. "Animal rights" are an oxymoron. We may condescend to "give" them rights, but true equality would mean that they would need to accede and accept these rights, and, more important, bestow equal rights upon us as well. But in reality this is a one-way equation. That doesn't spell "rights" to me. Think about it: If a man kills a pig, a vegetarian might claim that the man is acting in violation of that animal's "rights" as an equal being. If the pig kills the man, however, would we claim that the pig be destroyed because it has violated the man's "rights" or that it be spared because the pig didn't know what it was doing and was therefore "just being an animal"? There's no right or wrong answer here, and your answer would depend on your politics, but the fundamental ambiguity especially of the vegetarian/vegan response strongly suggests that this is NOT an situation of equality. If vegetarians claim that when animals kill other living things for food these animals are acting approrpriately, but claim that humans doing the same thing are acting inappropriately and "inhumanely", then this is NOT equality and clearly humans and animals are (in the vegetarians' twisted universe) NOT EQUAL. If vegetarians and vegans would condemn humans for killing animals, then morally we must also equally condemn other animals for the same crime. THAT'S equality. The issue of differences between humans and animals in intelligence, conscience, skills, education, and all the rest are irrelevant....just as we don't count those things when judging two humans. We don't consider humans who are smarter, or better educated, or "more moral" to have more rights than other humans (certainly...we would say these things WOULD BE WRONG), so why would we think that humans therefore are better than animals, and must therefore behave BETTER than animals, and yet still claim that humans and animals are equal?
They are equal, but for different reasons than vegetarians and vegans would claim: All living things kill other living things to stay alive. This is not evil. It's life.
all i have to say to all these people who are saying plants don't feel pain is how do you know have you ever been a plant before? You cant believe everything science says cause sometimes its just a theory.
She's not going to win any converts insulting people like that, but this is the internet, where we go to anonymously insult people and get high fives from like-minded strangers. Preach away.
The author needs to educate herself about anthropology a bit and speak from her brain instead of her heart. As an omnivorous species, our brain-size took an upswing when we became able to consume the high amounts of protein that comes from eating meat. Our success as a species was driven by this need and ability to hunt, requiring and providing bigger brains, hairless bodies and bi-pedal locomotion.
If you want to go without eating meat, that's fine, but no need to sit on your high gourd to do so. Why not say "I would much rather devour a slice of well-seasoned fillet mignon than a chunk of rotten black potato"? When you fortify your agenda with information from like-thinking individuals/corporations/societies, you'll often find you're missing half of the story and that most of your talking points come with giant asterisks. This article was factually worthless and should be labeled as "flame-bait".
I'm not even sure this should have gotten space on this website. This isn't a discussion. It's one person (Jane) making lucid, well-thought-out points, and the other person (the inappropriately named Tim "Love") trying to get out of any real analysis of his own behavior by making cheap, tired jokes. We get it, Tim. You have no excuse for killing animals because you like how they taste. Your only recourse is to make jokes about it in the hopes that the din of laughter will cover up your completely vapid "argument." Thanks for chiming in; don't let heart disease hit you on the way out.
He's a braindead redneck. Do you really believe him capable of making valid arguments?
Jane Velez-Mitchell is brilliant and clearly konws more about nutrition and food than Tim Love, whose comments sound shallow and close-minded. I think the vegetarians won on this one.
EAT ME all of you Plant People!
Interesting, and while I admire Ms. Mitchell for her standing up for her convictions, she's blending many issues (humane treatment of animals, global warming, childhood obesity, responsible parenting to name a few) into one (the choice to eat meat or not) and choosing to attack anyone taking a contrary stance to hers on the broader issue. In colloquial terms, she's throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Entering ANY debate in this manner leaves both sides angry and wholly dissatisfied. Rather than blindly attacking anyone who takes a position contrary to hers on the issue of vegetarianism, she could constructively isolate each issue and look for ways to make measurable improvement in some if not all areas. Being a recovering addict she could learn a lot by following one of the mantras of recovery and seek 'progress rather than perfection' and taking things 'one step at a time'.
Quite honestly I thought she brought to light some AMAZING issues that proves, how one decision leads to a slew of other problems. I LOVE pork- but learning about the gestation crates breaks my heart... to see that takes it all to another level, just to eat something that will clog our bodies anyway. *sigh* I gotta pray...
Let's have a feast. Tim make the steaks & Jane make the sides. All you need is love.
Several points/thoughts:
1. "We have been brainwashed into craving a diet that is killing us." That is a completely false statement. A well-rounded diet consisting of a bit of everything does not kill someone – and probably helps them to remain healthy. "Everything in moderation" is not bad for you. By her logic, drinking wine or beer or having a cocktail once in a while can be considered "habits that are killing us." Baloney!
2. And most important…this lady is one of those people who takes herself WAY too seriously. Here's a guy trying to have some fun with a point/counterpoint interview, and she's using it as a pedastal to lambaste the meat industry. This is a ridiculously absurd article because the woman is a loser. And she is using GROSS generalizations about the meat industry and what happens to many of these animals. AND…the point that gets lost in all of this is…the meat industry is providing a service to the fat, stupid, unhealthy overconsumers in this country (and everywhere else in the world, for that matter). If people stop buying fast food, or at least cut their consumption in half, all of a sudden the meat industry has to get smart about how they're raising animals and they have to start improving their processes to accommodate a smarter, healthier consumer. Until that happens, don't blame the meat industry for catering to the public's demand. Just like in every single sector of the economy or in every single profession (financial, pharmaceutical, agriculture, politicians, hell…even professional sports), there are companies/firms/owners/workers who are trying to beat the system…trying to find cheaper, faster ways of making money. It happens all over the place, 24 hours a day. The important thing is with food…you have a choice in what you eat, what you buy, and what you put into your body. If these lousy politicians, who are on the take, start enacting crazy laws (like putting freaking cameras EVERYWHERE), and all of a sudden you don't have a choice in what you do, or what you say, or how you act, THAT is a bigger risk to us as Americans than some meat-packing plants in the mid-west.
Also…she says things like "Ever wonder why we’re experiencing all those salmonella and swine flu outbreaks…" Really? How many are there per year I wonder? AND…I bet the ratio of disease outbreaks to amount of meat "processed" is microscopic, considering how many pounds of meat and dairy is produced every year. The widespread outbreaks are so small in relation to the number of animals in these lots…but we only hear about the outbreaks. Interestingly enough, the media doesn't like to report on all of the millions of pounds of sanitary meat produced…that doesn't make for as eye-popping of a story.
If we all eat meat, then inhumane meat farms will be required to fill demand. If we all go vegan, then finding enough farm land, water, fertilizer, etc. will be problematic and disruptive to the environment. Maybe there are just too many people on this planet. As unpopular as the subject will be for everyone, the world needs to address population control. If it can be done now through a cultural shift (most people decide on their own to have 2 or less kids), then hopefully we can avoid an emergency/epidemic down the line that will require governement control of populations. It would be nice if we all learned to eat a little less (and from more humane sources), but no matter how much we adjust our eating habits, we will still be faced with a food crises at some point if the earth's population continues to grow.
If there were less people on the planet, then we could all eat animals that lived happy, hug-filled lives, or eat plants that were grown in an organic fashion.
Animals have souls too. The spiritual spark of life – the soul – is what gives life to the material body. Without the soul there is no life. Animals eat, drink, mate, defend, feel pain – so many thiings that humans also experience – so it is not logical to say that they have no souls. In the Christian world it is said "Thou shall not kill." So killing is a sin and punishable by the laws of nature, God.
If jyotirmaya das were correct, eating vegetables would be just as bad as eating meat.
I LIKE to eat meat! Also like to smoke alot of CIGS!
And that's the way it is!
This is only 1 reason to not eat meat: ethics. Don't pretend you've got some comprehensive or well reasoned argument here. It all boils down to "I believe it is culturally, environmentally and economically unethical to eat meat"
Here's the facts: Protein from red meat is the reason we are so different from other primates. Protein fuels brain development. Period. If you deprive yourself (or even worse, your children) of meat you are stunting their cognitive development. if you try and compensate with soy you are flooding their bodies with excess estrogen.
I agree that we eat too much meat, and that factory farming is environmentally harmful. But don't you dare sit up there on your high horse and pretend that just because I eat meat I'm somehow not as enlightened as you are. At least I have scientific evidence to back up my beliefs, you only have subjective ethical and moral judgments.
I understand your argument and appreciate that you communicated it thoughtfully and without excessive rancor. However, there exists scientific evidence to support the health benefits of both omnivore and herbivore diets. I don't think there's really a clear-cut answer as to what's the most healthful way to eat. You're right – it's an ethical choice. I choose not to eat meat.
A well-written, non-flammatory post. The internet thanks you!
Go to a slaughterhouse, visit a factory farm, and then tell me how good that steak or bacon tastes. I choose not to eat meat, but I feel it is a personal choice. I do not go around "preaching" against eating meat. However, I do believe that most meat eaters don't fully understand how the meat gets to their plates, nor do they understand the suffering involved. Do a little research, get educated, visit a small farm (most people would be surprised to see how intelligent and affectionate cows are) and then decide. No preaching, just a suggestion.
Velez-Mitchell's head is so far up her ass its not even funny. Want to talk about "preachy"? Look at the vegan bracelet she has on in the picture! That is ridiculous.
Jane's reasons for not eating animals are carefully reasoned and sensible, but the best reason Tim could come up with for eating meat is that bacon tastes good? There are so many reasons to base your diet around healthy plant foods instead of cholesterol-laden animal products. Jane and the countless other vegans out there are living proof that you don't need to eat animals to be healthy or happy.
Keep fighting the good fight, Jane! It is kind of sad to see how much hate and defensiveness a simple article stating an alternate point of view can generate.
She didn't give any good reasons to actually become a vegan. All she pointed out was that the way we treat animals is horrible. If animal rights is important to you buy meat from an ethical farmer. There are lots of those out there. I like meat and tried giving it up once. I lasted about an hour when my friend invited me to a BBQ.
I love this comment "Just in terms of common sense, look at a horse. It eats grass and hay and is extremely muscular and fast. We like to say, "eat around the animal." This is the most misguide comment ever, the horse digestive system allows him to extract all the nutrients from the grass that he needs, plus has anyone ever seeing a horse eat it eats all day massive amounts of grass, for a human to be able to survive on vegetable we'll need to eat massive amounts of vegis, I agreed with the comments that vegetable are good for us humans, but vegan and vegetarian go south is when they say we should eat grains and wheat, a complete and healthy meal for humans is vegetables and grass fed animal protein and fat. If you ever look at a vegan that eats nothing but vegetables fruits and grains, are skinny without any muscle definition because they are lacking the proper protein intake to maintain muscle, you'll need to eat 22 heads of lettuce to get the same nutrition that you'll get from a 6 onces of grass fed Bison I don't know about anyone here I don't want to eat 22 heads of lettuce.
Very heated argument! I agree that the sides are based on two very different views: moral versus palate. Cooked animal flesh actually gets its flavor from plants (seasonings and spices). Raw meat is not palatable. Unless you are a Neanderthal.
I beg to differ. Raw meat is extremely palatable. Sashimi (sushi), rare steaks etc are all quite tasty and if it were not for health concerns, most of my meat would be served to me nearly raw.
It's disheartening to read the smut that people communicate when someone voices their opinion about an issue. Jane has shared FACTS with us, not myths, but many Americans are still in denial about the impact their actions have on the world. There is no judgment here, only an attempt to raise awareness about the horrors of factory farming, the inhumane treatment of animals in our food supply, the impact on US from the overuse of massive amounts of hormones and antibiotics on our meat supply, the environmental waste that continues to wreak havoc on our land, and water supplies, and finally the "i need my meat protein" myth that is perpetuated by those who make money from this horror. Think about this. Every single animal YOU eat, does NOT eat meat to survive. Now how come a 700 pound animal can thrive on a vegetarian diet but we think WE cannot?? Sadly, it's been said that humans will never change until the pain of remaining as they are outweighs the pain of change. Tick tock people.
Because humans lack the enzymes to metabolize cellulose.
It amazes me the number of people who have commented on this article without actually taking ANYTHING about it seriously. We Americans value the freedom to choose our food as much as we value our freedom to say, think, do, and feel pretty much whatever we want, and it becomes an emotional free-for-all. I'm a newly-"converted" vegetarian, and I'm slowly (but surely!) making my way toward the vegan end of the spectrum. I used to drink a gallon of milk and eat a pound of cheese each week, eat a chicken breast each night, a burger when there wasn't any chicken, and eggs every morning. Then I discovered how cruelly we treat the animals whose lives we create and take just to have a meal – a meal that will eventually kill us before our time, if you want to be honest. I have no qualms with eating meat and animal products; as many of you have pointed out, it has been a part of our "natural" diet since humans were able to hunt – we have canine teeth for a reason. But where has the respect gone? We've "always" eaten meat and animal products, yes, but we've come so far from that origin that we no longer RESPECT the animals from whom we take the only things they have: their flesh, bones, and their LIVES. Like we have our canine teeth for a reason, we have our RATIONALITY for a reason. Were humans meant to eat meat? Yes. But were those animals we kill for that meat meant to live in filthy, crowded pens and stalls with no fresh air, no sunlight, and standing in their own manure? I'd say a big "HELL NO." They weren't meant to eat corn, either, or be fed antibiotics at every single meal of their lives. Chickens weren't meant to be de-beaked so they don't hurt or kill each other, simply so factory farms can pack thousands more animals into a "house" to turn a profit. Pigs weren't meant to be ripped from their families (yes, they do maintain family structures in the wild) or live in such over-populated conditions that the sows "have" to be kept in gestation crates so as to avoid trampling their young – if the animals were too dumb to keep from squishing their own babies, their species probably wouldn't exist anymore anyway. Cows weren't meant to be kept lactating for basically their entire lives WITHOUT a calf to drink their milk, and they CERTAINLY weren't meant to be rammed with iron rods in their genital and oral orifices by the factory farm workers that have grown sadistic because of the conditions of their workplace (yes, it does happen, and it happens a LOT). Did you know that the chicken breasts we're served at restaurants and by the grocery stores are from chicks – not even adult birds – that are only weeks old? Thank growth hormones and antibiotics we force-feed them. Did you know that male chicks, because they're not considered "usable" by the factory farming industry, are often tossed LIVE into a wood-chipper? Thank the need for factory farms to profit. Did you know that the runoff produced by factory farms (think: animal feces contaminated with antibiotics and bacteria like e-Coli) contaminates groundwater in the cities and towns nearby, rendering that water undrinkable? Thank loose rules and regulations and very large loopholes in containment requirements.
Like I said, I think humans were meant to eat meat. At least some. By no means were we meant to consume the large amounts of animal products that we do today, and the ever-rising rates of obesity and cardiac conditions in our country are testament to that. Humans have always eaten meat, but they've always eaten a mostly plant-based diet on top of it. Hunter-gatherers were mostly gatherers, and often the hunters were unsuccessful. That's one of the reasons humans began agriculture. Vegetables, grains, and fruit have every nutrient in them that the human body needs to survive – and, wouldn't you know it, eating a diet high in these helps ward off obesity, infections, and diseases such as cancer. So yes, we were meant to eat meat, in small portions and only occasionally, and most definitely not via the horrors of the factory farm system.
Please, educate yourself. You'll help save thousands, maybe millions of lives over the course of your single lifetime – and one of them may be your own.
For those of you who use the argument, "The plants feel pain, too," please note that plants have no nervous systems. I've been a vegan for 20 years–68 and going fine.
OK, I have to pull this apart. The arguments are WEAK. I'll go by group.
1) Really? Some kids don't initially like meat therefore it must be bad us? Some kids don't like vegetables. Others would eat candy all the time if they could. The idea that a child's initial inclinations are more in tune with our nature is silly. It's the idea that the Id knows best. It doesn't. Take that out of your argument and the rest is fine.
2) That's just gross. You win this round, I won't eat any more bacon.
3) A-you're being a preachy vegan B- you argue that if farmers weren't selling food to livestock farmers they would continue to produce at the same volumes but just give it away to the hungry for free? Can I live on your planet?
4) He said IN MODERATION & your opening argument is "huge amounts of protein". Pay attention.
5) I really have nothing to say about this, both sides are fine with me. I think the "celebrate life" comment, while nice, is rather hokey, but I'll let you have it.
I've been a vegetarian for 4 years and never looked back. I don't eat meat because I think it is disgusting to eat other animals who form friendships and mourn the loss of loved ones, just like I do. Each animal has its own personality, and when you eat an animal, you are eating an individual. This might not be enough for someone to choose to go veg, but it was enough for me. If you want to eat meat, that is fine. But just know that you are responsible for the killing of innocent creatures who want nothing more than to live in peace with their friends and families.
I, personally, think both these people are two sides of the spectrum. You got this Texan chef whose just all "yeehaw" about tearing into the flesh of another animal and then you got this vegan who goes all teary eyed watching lions hunt gazelles on discovery channel. Instead of debating the issue from a moderate standpoint you got two inflammatory sides. What she says though is correct about obesity and pollution caused by farm factories but its not indicative of humans being omnivores. Cheap food created by the farm factories creates habits of overeating. The sheer profits creates a situation where pollution and disease in the farms are a byproduct. But the same can be said about vegetable farms that use fertilizer, clear land for farms, and spray their crops with poison.
When he said, which would you rather eat a squash or a rib eye (wtf is a texan rib eye?) I was hungry for both! And that's what it comes down to, lets have both, in moderation. Have them be local grown and produced and fresh from the farm or butchery. The prices are more but the pay off will be a healthier society.
OOH, I am so macho. That's why I eat meat (thumps chest)....Although, admittedly, the only thing I've ever hunted for was my dick – after a night of heavy boozing.
Please learn to spell before arguing a point.
Frankly, here at CNN we don't give a damn what you morons eat, as we've heard all these arguments a thousand times before. We are only interested in page views and ad revenue.
1) Factory like slaughterhouses are wrong ... period, no one can argue that. There are humane farming methods were the animals are much happier/healthier than they would have been in the wild. Maybe the first step is to crack down on these monstrous meat factories.
2) Do you really equate yourself with the rest of the animal kingdom? Can't you see humans are so much more, someday we will possibly be beyond wanting meat in our diet, but until then get off your high horse and stop pretending that animals are our equals. Humans have always been natural omnivores, it's part of who we are. Like it or not carnivors and ominvors are essential for a healthy ecosystem.
3) Not eating meat is probably an honorable thing to do, but not everyone is as perfect as you pretend to be. Attacking people for eating meat is not going to get through to them either.
Is this chick for real? How is she better then us? Does she see the factory farms? How the little spinach plants are ripped from their home and torn apart to make her salad? How can she excuse the murder of innocent carrots? The wholesale slaughter of potatoes? This lady is the epitome of hypocrisy.
The problem with this entire article is that Tim is arguing simply for the taste (not very good arguments I might add, as I don't think anyone would argue that meat tastes bad, nor is that the primary reason people are vegetarians), and Jane is arguing for moral reasons.
I don't know if this is the right way to go about educating people about animal cruelty. One look at this and people label it as PETA garbage and extremist. I don't eat meat from factory farms, but I am not morally against eating meat. It is natural for animals to eat other animals, and some animals would overcrowd us if we didn't hunt them (ie, deer in Michigan), and we would be hitting them with our cars like crazy. Perhaps many vegetarians would disagree with this argument, but I digress. Omnivores and herbivores attack eachother, and usually it is the meat-eaters attacking the vegetarians via teasing or disrespect, and meat-eaters only receive nagging at worst. I also don't think the argument that just because an animal is less intelligent than us we have the right to do as we please with it. That argument doesn't fly with other people or even some animals, so find another.
And really, people don't want to hear about vegetarian issues or look into factory farms because they like being ignorant. Don't you think there's a reason you're avoiding it? Probably because it's gross. I'm not a vegetarian (of sorts) because I hate meat and love vegetables – it's because the main way we procure meat is disgusting and cruel. Change that and I'll be all about that juicy steak.
In many asian countrys they eat dog and cat.I find it disgusting, but they don,t To each his own.
Aunt Voula: "What do you mean, he don't eat no meat?!?"
(pause)
"It's okay, I make lamb."
-from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" ;-)
Wow, maybe a nice big steak would calm her down. Deep breaths Jane, deep breaths
A lot of her arguments seem based on factory farming. Would another solution not to just know where you're buying from? Go to an organic, local, free-range farm? I do agree meat consumption could be significantly lessened though. It's something I'm trying to do – those old habits are hard to break.
Other countries love meat!!! And cruel meat at that!!! HELLO...Foie Gras...mmm...delicious.
I personally have to respect both sides and arguments for they were very valid and well put together. but overall i still think meat is essential to living healthy. yes i said it. Sometimes as a vegetarian, finding a good source of protein in vegetables is hard and is mostly found in things such like beans and nuts. But taking in meat for your daily consumption should not be scrutinized. sure if you consume too much meat you can become fat through overindulging but taking in meat with a daily dose of vegetables can be just, if not more healthy than eating vegetables alone. also one more thing I would like to put into light is buying just vegetable is A LOT more expensive than buying a combo of both. Trust me I tried the whole vegetarian thing and it was considerably more expensive. Some people (like me) don't have that luxury to buy organic fruits and vegetables. If I offended someone or if you disagree its my bad, this is just my input from my experiences- Deuces.
First of all, to everyone who thinks "this broad" is dumb because she's eaten too many veggies, please compare her arguments to those of the chef and tell me which one sounds more intelligent.
Second, I eat meat but side with vegetarians to a certain extent. I limit my meat consumption to maybe one serving every other day. I like how it tastes and I can't see myself going without it. However, I do not eat factory-farmed meat. I am very aware of where my meat, eggs and dairy products come from and 90% of what I buy is "certified humane" and organic. I can eat this stuff knowing that the animals were treated well and most likely came from a small organic farm that is not responsible for the suffering and pollution that factory farms have created. There is a way to eat meat AND be relatively kind to animals AND to avoid contributing to global warming.
Finally, for anyone to say that one way is right and the other way is wrong is just ridiculous. Humans have the ability to reason and for some, their reasoning brings them to vegetarianism. For others it's to continue eating meat. The important thing is that they have at least thought about it and what kind of impact their decision will have on the earth and its inhabitants. When you eat an animal, respect the fact that an he or she gave its life for you and don't just treat it as some slab of bloody meat to which you are entitled as a carnivorous human.
I am impressed with this article. I agree with your arguments 100%. I was raised and trained by my parents in the JAIN religion, which is in minority all over the world. My religion believes in "Non-Violence" in microscopic nature. I have also found that vegetarian food is more tastier and healthier than any meat,fish, or chicken. You need to know how to prepare it. I am blessed by my mother and wife who are excellent cooks and never needed to go beyond vegetarian food for my appetite. After spending 35 years in India I have been living in US for last 17 years. My daughters went to University and lived in Dorms and are able to maintain Vegetarian tradition. Mr religion Jainism, is a strong believer and supporter of vegetarianism and goes little beyond that prohibiting from eating any food that is grown underground, like onion, potato, carrot etc. This is also for the same reason of causing violence and killing more insects in the harvesting.
If anyone needs help in staying or going to be vegetarian I am available for help.
Kirti Shah
Jain, you ignorant slu...
But seriously, I remember years ago reading, maybe in Ripley's, "believe it or not", that Jains wear masks over their faces to avoid even swallowing and killing insects. Is this true? Was it ever true?
I don't eat meat or plant life, as I'm solar powered.
You, my friend, are a super hero. Im not gonna lie, I wish I could be you.
Ummm........Anyone care to explain how vegetarians aim to feed the world without destroying the environment? If you think deforestation is a problem with grazing herds of feed animals just wait until you have to burn down all the rain forests to create enough farmland capable of producing the amount of fruits/vegetables capable of feeding the global population. Oh, and don't give me that organic nonsense. That won't be an option since production will have to keep up with demand. Hello pesticides and hello contaminated ground water. Guess this woman doesn't care about the conditions of all the "worker bees" that will have to slave away picking her spinach leaves. Hypocrisy..............
Being vegetarian is not the answer Jane seems to think it is. We need to be careful not to confuse the methods of agriculture currently used with eating meat and dairy. Factory farming is appalling and should be stopped; monocrop farming (corn, wheat, rice) has destroyed so much of our arable land, has driven out many native species of plants and animals, and is a huge cause of pollution. Increasing vegetarianism would likely increase monocrop agriculture.
As far as personal health, eating grains and refined sugar destroys our health, not eating well-cared for, grass-fed, pastured animals.
Hahaha... I think its hilarious that so many people would take offense to what this lady's saying. Take it easy everybody. Everyone's so hypersensitive that they didn't even consider the points she brought up. Her words mostly fell on deaf ears because Americans don't care about health.
Who cares that you can get more then enough protein from vegetables, fruits, nuts & beans? We'd rather get protein from sources that include more saturated fat and cholesterol because heart disease, colon cancer and obesity is the American way! Right guys? Why do other countries look at us as gluttonous, wasteful, arrogant, @$$holes? I dont know, I cant figure it out.
I have seen first hand the people starving in third world countries because their government's spending what money they do have on clearing land for livestock and feeding the livestock to sell the meat to America(the superconsumer of meat). Do most Americans care that people in other countries are starving to death so we can have Big Macs and Whoppers? Of course not. Why would we care about people other then ourselves? We dont. Screw everybody, including ourselves. We not only want to die of a heart attack or type 2 diabetes, we want the whole world to suffer because of it. Whoo hooo!!
People trying to tell me I shouldn't eat meat is akin to pro-life advocates trying to convince women that they shouldn't have abortions. It's my body, let me choose. Afterall, the animal I'm eating would have never been born if it weren't for the demand that I'm creating by wanting to eat it. Also, I will frequently see a live pig, think that they are very cute, and at the same time want to eat it.
There are way too many responses to read to see if anyone else made this point so I apologize in advance for being redundant. Has JVM and others stopped to think about what would happen if we all "chose" to stop eating meat? And not just cows, pigs, and chicken but turkeys, deer, duck, pheasant, etc. The planet would be OVERRUN with animals fending for themselves because, like it or not, while we do pen them for our consumption, we also feed and protect them from themselves. Yes there is a food chain and we are at the top of it. That's not arrogance, just fact. You want to talk inhumane, let them run rampant and see what happens. There would be mayhem on the streets and highways all over the world, cars unsuccessfully dodging cows every 5 seconds. Talk about roadkill!!!!! Imagine the billions of chickens we consume on a yearly basis running free. If we don't feed them, who will? And what about eating eggs? Milk from cows? That would cease to exist because of the excess famine and disease in the animal community. Let's be rational about this: choosing to be vegetarian may be a noble attribute but one that has irrational consequences.
Vegans are nutcases.
Humans are not herbivores, they are omnivores, that's why you have incisors. However I do believe the animals should be free roaming and treated humanly their entire life. There's nothing wrong or unhealthy about eating meat. All of my grandparents ate a lot of meat their whole life and they all died in their late 80's-90's. The key is balance. They also ate fruits and vegetables daily.
Alright, if you are vegan or vegetarian or whatever than that is great. You choose to be that way for whatever reason you may have and I completely, 100% respect that. I dated a boyfriend who was vegetarian and he introduced new foods I would have never thought to eat. Regardless if you are a meat-eater or not, you have to respect that it is a CHOICE. People can really choose to do whatever they want. The (sad) truth of the matter is, we will always eat meat. End of story. No matter how many people support animal rights, protest the slaughter houses, or try to preach people their beliefs, it will NEVER work. Yes, you may convince some people, but nothing will ever completely change.
Interesting that you respect the choice made by Vegans and such but the author above has absolutely zero respect for other's choice to eat meat. She fills her diatribe with vitriolic drivel intended to show how much better she is and how bad you are for doing something that makes HER feel guilty.
Ah, if only Vegans had respect for other's choices as other's do for theirs. But as long as her name calling, lies about poor parenting and party line "carcass" whining goes on then it is only us meat eaters that have respect for choices, while disapproving of the hatred spewed by the likes of this woman.
Frankly, if there was something worthy of respect about carnivorous diet, I would consider cannibalism as a pinnacle of its development.
I dare someone to mention ethics right now.
what a self righteous bitch. if vegetarians would ever shut up about it how much better they are, i wouldnt hate them. but they never do. 'rotting carcass' in front of you on the plate? please..... what a sensationalist.
I don't often post on news articles... I generally find it a waste of time. But this one, posted on the front page of cnn? Come on! This IS NOT NEWS first off. Secondly.... I just had to respond, enjoy my rant.
1.)
"It’s guilt-free eating, which is ultimately more pleasurable."
– How is eating meat, NOT guilt free? Now I had a friend who stopped eating meat because he decided he was not able to kill the animal himself. Fine. Personally? I love killing my own meat. That's a personal preference. So too is your response on the matter.
"America’s over-consumption of meat and dairy is largely responsible for our nation’s obesity crisis, one of the nation’s leading causes of preventable illness and death."
-No it's not, over-consumption of crap processed food, lack of exercise, and general laziness is the cause of the obesity crisis in this country. Not to mention deep-fried foods... you could have a COMPLETE vegetarian meal... deep fry that bad boy and see how "good" it is for you. There are too many variables when considering large scale obesity to ultimately say it's one thing or another... but as a very active athlete let me tell you... my consumption of meat has NOT made me obese. I'm quite in good shape, and I eat ALOT of meat. (Hell, I eat raw meat too)
"Children often naturally shun the taste of meat but are forced by their misguided, although well-meaning, parents into eating it anyway. Eventually, they develop a taste for it and it becomes their 'normal.'"
- IF you're going to make such a bold statement, please back it up with reliable research from known and respected sources. If you show me extensive studies have been done on this matter and it's the fact, fine. But I wonder, if it's true that children don't like meat, and it doesn't taste well.. why has every culture and people that have ever existed on EARTH eaten meat?
"America’s obsession with meat and dairy has pretty much destroyed our sense of taste. The average burger and milkshake meal is so overloaded with fat, salt and sugar that it has numbed our taste buds to virtually anything else. When you give up these addictive substances, then your taste buds have a chance to return to their natural state and you will begin to enjoy the subtle flavors of fruits and vegetables, which are lower in calories and have zero cholesterol."""
-This is not a fact. I LOVE vegetables with my meat.. I think it adds a very dynamic taste and flavor to the meal. Personally, I'm allergic to most fruits (but I doo love the taste.. mangos are very yummy, and it's worth getting sick off of from time to time) By the way, which average burger and shake are you talking about? The wood chip tasting crap sold at McD's? Maybe you just never ate good food? Burgers can be VERY tasty if you make them yourself.. if you get them at a fastfood joint... well you get what you paid for (a 1$ burger isn't designed to taste good.. it's designed to fill you)
2.)
-All of #2 I have a problem with. I think all living things are living. A plant, the vegetables and fruits you so push for everyone to eat. They’re all alive too. Just because you can’t relate to the way they feel and ‘think’ doesn’t mean they don’t. But they’re still tasty.. yum! IQ of a pig? How does that even work? Do you know what an IQ is exactly?? It’s a standardized test made for PEOPLE, and ranks you on a scale relative to everyone else. It’s also fairly inaccurate, etc. etc. So … please, if you’re going to make a statement like, “pigs have a high iq”, back that up with some research. Otherwise you sound like someone who has no idea what they’re talking about. So they’re as smart as a dog? Well some cultures eat dogs too. Not my thing personally, but whatever floats their boat.
3.)
“How can you talk about peace if your plate is swimming in blood?”
-Easily, the blood adds a nice taste to the meal. How can you eat vegetables and fruits knowing your killing their offspring? How can you eat a broccoli and cheddar soup, while you see those helpless broccoli floating in a boiling pool of cheddar?! Those bastards!
“America raises and kills about 10 billion animals for food every year. The overwhelming majority of those animals – cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, lambs – are raised in hideous, overcrowded factory conditions. Ever wonder why we’re experiencing all those salmonella and swine flu outbreaks? A peak inside these factory farms would give you food for thought.”
-Easy, buy local. Buy organic. I buy as much as I can locally, thankfully I have a ton of small farms in the area. (This includes my vegetables…sadly the season is coming to a close, but there is nothing like getting carrots that still have dirt on them, washing them off.. damn things are delicious!)
“As for us vegetarians minding our own business, well, what people eat is everyone’s business. That’s because meat production is the single biggest cause of global warming – even beyond transportation. Rainforests are being leveled to create grazing land. Methane gas from the animals is rising up into the sky. Don’t take my word for it. The United Nations did a lengthy study and issued a report that’s easily accessed on the Internet.”
- Really? This is your counter argument for getting in my face for what I eat? There are literally dozens of things MUCH more harmful going into the air than cow farts. And the rainforests are getting leveled for farm land too you know.. Hey wait.. has that happened throughout history with the Aztecs, Mayans, etc? Yes, yes it has. They clear the forests with fire, and sometimes those go out of control and just consume crazy amounts of land. Is it wrong? Yes. Can you use that as an argument? No. The land is being used for your vege’s and fruits too, sorry.
“Also, factory farm run-off – yes I’m talking about all that animal waste – is creating a run-off pollution crisis that is threatening our rivers and oceans. Finally, there’s world hunger: the greatest health risk on the planet. There are almost a billion hungry people in this world. About one in seven humans do not get enough food. A lactating cow will consume every year almost six tons of forage dry matter, over 100 bushels of corn, 1,400 pounds of protein supplement, and 225 pounds of mineral/salt. You do the math. We could eliminate world hunger if, instead of concentrating all that food into meat, we fed it directly to starving people."
-We are NEVER going to eliminate world hunger. When genetically engineered foods and pesticides were created, that was their intent. Instead, what happened was a huge spike in populations around the world. As much as I agree that hunger is a problem that we should combat, even if there never is a victory in sight, the bottom line is that it will always exist, and at the moment our world is slightly overpopulated.
And the run off? There are much worse things that are being run off into our water system that I want addressed FIRST before cow poop.
4.)
-In today’s day and age, with access to pretty much all of the plants/veges available from around the world at your local store, than yes this argument holds true. But, you know what? You are causing so much damage to the environment by doing so! If you eat local foods as much as possible, a healthy mix of meats, and veges is a MUST. (it’s called moderation… and that’s what makes 2/3s of Americans obese, a lack of said moderation)
5.)
-Who cares? Honestly, if someone was roasting a pumpkin at a tailgate, I’d drunkenly stroll by wondering what the heck is going on? If he was at a tailgate party, chances are he’d throw me a beer, tell me what he was doing, and we’d have a grand ole time meeting someone new and interesting?
And tired traditions? You’re now assuming I’m bored with them. The traditions you speak of are a time to reconnect with the different generations in your family, and have something that y’all do together, or at least, to remember those that came before you, or the times you had in the past, etc.
You have way too much time on your hands and waste a lot of time replying to something you say is "NOT news". I didnt read your whole comment because it was immediately boring and unintelligent. Get a hobby, a job and/or a life.
Pee off Jay. Didn't bother reading all of your rant when I realized what an uninformed redneck you are, like many posting comments here.
Shame on you Jane Velez-Mitchell. You have no compassion for plants!
(just joking...)
I knew there was a reason I could not stand to watch that ignorant bitch.
She's ignorant? How so? Im not a fan of hers but, reading your comment, the ignorant one seems to be someone other than her. I'll let you try and figure that one out. Don't hurt yourself.
I knew there was a reason I could stand to watch that ignorant bitch.
NOT stand
Of course, the argument about all the hormone and antibiotics that are in meat should be enought to frighten people from eatting meat. On top of that, they inhumane way meat animals are raised it just plane disgusting!!
There is nothing worse than a preachy vegan. They take their argument to extremes. I hope none of them are dog owners, dogs are carnivores so does that make them wrong too? Hunting and the eating of meat has been done through out history. Show me unbiased studies that eating meat in moderation is unhealthy. And when you pluck a carrot, you kill it, it can't grow anymore, you murderer.
It sickens me to hear all the people on here who say they don't care about the arguments she presented against his weak "but I'll look bad and I'm told that it's normal to eat it" arguments. It's true that eating meat is the number one cause of health and environmental problems. It's a proven fact and you can't deny that. Plant sources of protein are much more complex and healthy for you as well. The food chain argument is a myth as well. Our jaws, teeth and digestive systems are build more similarly to plant eaters than meat eaters. Again, proven fact. If you own a pet, but eat factory farmed meat, then you are a hypocrite. PROVEN FACT that pigs equal the intelligence of a dog. But you'll care for one and eat the other? Makes sense to me! (duh!) I wish I could leave you in your own little meat eating world, if it did not affect every aspect of my life. I equate it to a smoker who doesn't give a crap that they are polluting the earth, killing themselves and everything around them, and contributing to the suffering of others. The problem with the folks who continue to eat meat is that they are ignorant and wish to remain that way. It sure is easier to do that than learn the facts and be forced to change. They must also have weak minds to buy into the propaganda from the government. Critical thinking people!!!!
oops – duplicate – sorry!
Wow, Jane Velez-Mitchell is like Benny Hin on veggies. What a solid dose of preaching. Get over yourself. I particularly enjoy the suggestion that horses eat grass, are muscular, and thus proof that humans should be vegetarians. Solid argument. I'm all for the ethical treatment of animals, but I can assure you all my meals are guilt free, despite the presence of a meat portion...though I swear I once heard a whimper from a radish.
It sickens me to hear all the people on here who say they don't care about the arguments she presented against his weak "but I'll look bad and I'm told that it's normal to eat it" arguments. It's true that eating meat is the number one cause of health and environmental problems. It's a proven fact and you can't deny that. Plant sources of protein are much more complex and healthy for you as well. The food chain argument is a myth as well. Our jaws, teeth and digestive systems are build more similarly to plant eaters than meat eaters. Again, proven fact. If you own a pet, but eat factory farmed meat, then you are a hypocrite. PROVEN FACT that pigs equal the intelligence of a dog. But you'll care for one and eat the other? Makes sense to me! (duh!) I wish I could leave you in your own little meat eating world, if it did not affect every aspect of my life. I equate it to a smoker who doesn't give a crap that they are polluting the earth, killing themselves and everything around them, and contributing to the suffering of others. The problem with the folks who continue to eat meat is that they are ignorant and wish to remain that way. It sure is easier to do that than learn the facts and be forced to change. They must also have weak minds to buy into the propoganda from the government. Critical thinking people!!!!
Anyone see the movie Scott Pilgrim vs The World? If vegans actually had super powers I'd stop eating meat but until that day I'll stick to my patented "Baryard Burgers"... angus burger, chicken breast, bacon and turkey topped with jalepeno havarti. Finish it all up with a nice cold beer.
i wouldn't say eating meat is necessarily a bad thing. For me the problem lies with the factory farms. It is almost a form of genocide. One thing that makes us human is our ability to have empathy. Just imagine what life inside a factory farm is, being pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones and living in your own feces only to be slaughtered.. Eating local, small farm meats that are able to graze and have room to live a semi-normal life sounds better. I used to be against hunting, but hunting at least allows for a more humane life for the animal, rather than factory farms. She had some well-thought out points. 10 billion animals a year are killed to feed Americans! Wow! That is over twice the population of humans on the earth every year!
Anyone who says that the cause of obesity in the U.S. is because we eat too much meat, is ignoring the true causes– lack of exercise and fast food consumption. Yes, if you plan on doing no exercise whatsoever, then a diet full of veggies and grains is the way to go. However, if you exercise, i.e. lift weights, run, or do yoga, you can eat meat.
There is one powerful notion that validates the idea of eating meat for me. Walk into a gym. Go to the area where the heavy weights are being lifted. The area where energy is being burned, and muscle is being built. Ask everyone in that area what they have eaten today. They will all say meat and vegetables. Carbs? Maybe. But every single person will have eaten meat and vegetables. Had these people not eaten meat, chances are they would not be making it through their workouts. And if they do workout on a vegetarian diet, building of muscle after the workout becomes much harder. Yes, I'm sure some people pack on muscle by eating vegetarian and making it work. But there is a reason that would require as much effort as a full time job- nature has provided us an easy way of obtaining protein for building muscle– chicken!
Instead of crucifying the meat eater, why don't we all band together and crucify the real problem? Lazy people who do no exercise, and people who eat fast food constantly.
It sickens me to hear all the people on here who say they don't care about the arguments she presented against his weak "but I'll look bad and I'm told that it's normal to eat it" arguments. It's true that eating meat is the number one cause of health and environmental problems. It's a proven fact and you can't deny that. Plant sources of protein are much more complex and healthy for you as well. The food chain argument is a myth as well. Our jaws, teeth and digestive systems are build more similarly to plant eaters than meat eaters. Again, proven fact. There are so many more reasons to go vegan as well. If you own a pet, but eat factory farmed meat, then you are a hypocrite. PROVEN FACT that pigs equal the intelligence of a dog. But you'll care for one and eat the other. The problem with the folks who continue to eat meat is that they are ignorant and wish to remain that way. It sure is easier to do that than learn the facts and be forced to change. They must also have weak minds to buy into the propoganda from the government. Critical thinking people!!!!
My only problem here is... All the vegetarian did was dissect the things the meat dude had said... Which isn't really fair... Because it is obvious a lot of what he said was in jest.... And all the vegetarian bullshit stuff was stone cold serious. She doesn't really tell me how going vegetarian actually tastes better though... I really like pigs... They're cute, and smart, but they also taste delicious and if we didn't eat pigs they'd probably be about abundant as siberian tigers. I also love tofu and veggies and all that... But ribeye steaks and bacon are amazing... And in moderation THEY'RE OK.
I don't understand the hatred Vegans have towards animals. It is one thing to kill and eat an animal but to advocate the extinction of entire species? That is a hatred I can't fathom.
If all people followed vegan lifestyle numerous species would go extinct, they cannot live in the wild, the are not pets, without economic incentive people would stop breeding them.
Where does this vegan hatred of animals come from?
Save a cow. Eat a vegan.
BRILLIANT!
IN YOUR FACE MEATHEADS!!!!
wooooooooohoooooooooooo
Most people are fat and overweight because they eat garbage meat, such as McDonald's and BK. If more people ate Fresh Veggies and Grass Fed beef, or organically grown meat, the change would be astonishing.
Recommended Read - The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf - AMAZING
meat can be ordered from a local farm, if you are willing to pay 7-10 bucks a lbs. i think if people start eating a balanced diet things would be better for the animals, meaning less animals killed. it is true that humans eat way to much meat and if you hang around a farm long enough you will start to see that animals have personalities and are fun to be around. looking at it both ways, land still needs to be destroyed to make way for both sides. so even if one says they are vegan blood is still on their hands.
There's a lot of us vegetarians and vegans that do it for reasons beyond the animal rights. For me it was because I wanted to lose weight and meat and dairy slow your metabolism down so I cut it out as a part of a calorie counting program and the weight came off a lot faster then my meat and dairy eating calorie counting friends!
Look, the biggest beef I have with PETA and other Vegans is their forcing their choices onto us. I get it, you don't like meat, now shut-up and go about your life style and leave me in peace while I go on living mine. YOU might think that meat is murder, but I do not. Not every farm is abusing it's animals, not every slaughterhouse abuses what it processes. We aren't fat because we eat meat, we are fat because we eat too much food. Last time I checked, chocolate cake wasn't a meat product.
Remionder: This article was in response to a chef making light of vegetarians.
Its sad that all these vegans can't see that they are species bigots! All living things eat other living things to survive. Killing plants ends their forward genetic contribution, just like killing an animal, so other than blood flowing, what is the difference?
This is America. Everyone is entitled - within the law - to their "cup of tea". And everyone is entitled - within the law- to defend their "cup of tea". In the long run more people will be happy when we all choose to celebrate our differences and support each other's choices.
Note: I do not fall into any particular extreme category - "tree hugger", "gun nut", etc. I just want the greatest number of people to be happy. And for health reasons I am beginning to gravitate towards being a vegetarian.
Vegetarians or not eat what you please. It is the food chain. go take a walk in the jungle and tell the lion to go vegetarian. I am not saying stuff your faces with meat that is unhealthy, but eating the right amount is more healthy then not eating it at all. And Yes plants are alive to. It is the food chain, nature, survival of the fittest
All of you horrible vegans are killing all of those defenseless plants! You should be ashamed of yourselves! Those poor carrots didn't want to be cooked or eaten, they don't deserve to be slaughtered the way they are. That squash is alive as well, but I guess you just don't care about them. All you care about is getting your food without thinking about other living beings that you are murdering!
The argument "the conditions under which meat is processed are morally unacceptable (factory farms), therefore we should not eat meat" is akin to the argument "the conditions under which my clothes are made are morally unacceptable (sweat shops), therefore we should not wear clothes.
Her responses are meaningless. You can buy animal products from a local coop who purchase their meats from reputable farmers who raise the animals humanely. As for "feeling sad" when she smells bacon, that has to be the lamest comment I've read in a long time. We are not conditioned to eat meat, we have been doing it since humans have existed. As for her salmonella comment, there have been many news stories about E. Coli from tainted sprouts, raw vegetables, and other "guilt free" foods. Stupid b!tch.
Were those last two words really necessary? Did they add anything to your argument? No, they invalidated your entire comment.
This is what drives me nuts about Vegans! Factory farms are abhorrent and should be outlawed but I hate it when people get on their preacher pulpit and start harping on something they know nothing about! I doubt she has spent much time outside of New York much less ever seen a free range chicken farm in Kansas or cattle ranch in Montana!
If she can explain to me how 100 bushels of corn, 1400 pounds of supplement and 225 of salt add up to 6 tons I will never eat a piece of meat again!
100*56+1400+225=7225/2000=3.6tons.
"I actually get quite sad when I smell bacon."
If I were a vegetarian and smelled bacon knowing I couldn't have any, I'd be sad too. I went on a diet once where I didn't allow myself to eat bacon and it made me very sad.
And I am definitely not insensitive to the harsh reality of factory farming. Luckily, there are other options, although until I am more financially comfortable, I’m not going to shop at Whole Foods or a local butcher. And in the meantime, I’m definitely not going to give up meat. Stop making us carnivores sound like savages and comparing a delicious juicy hamburger or some yummy fried chicken to “an animal’s rotting carcass,” because it’s not the same thing at all. Except for our meat-raising practices, we as humans are no different than any other carnivorous animals and have a natural right to eat whatever we want.
I agree she probably should have left the "rotting" part out! Ha! Ha! But again, giving up meat takes a certain level of commitment.
bitnar, you are absolutely right. Even though some (or many) may agree that the animals' conditions are horrible, the fact is that not everyone can do it. And that's where the debate should end.
Is her wristwatch strap in that photo made of leather?
This story is biased because its framed in an argument against eating meat, not an even debate.
I love being a vegetarian b/c i know that i won't ever feel bad about what i put in my body. I love animals and people should realize that factory farms are absolutely DISGUSTING in every way imaginable...it breaks my heart to envision a world even WORSE than the one we've created in order to fuel this industry. I'm not one to tell pe...ople to quit eating meat altogether..but imagine if there were no nasty, filthy and overcrowded slaughter houses, but instead fresh farms that allow their animals to graze the fields and have fresh air all the time.. this would certainly make animal products available for distribution go down...but imagine how much better you would feel about eating meat and how much healthier our societies would become? Just a thought.. ;)
"Custom will reconcile people to any atrocity". Peace.
I have no problem with people being vegetarian. I have many friends who are vegetarian and I always accommodate them when having them over for dinner, and we mutually respect each others decisions. What I don't like is people on either side who say they are right or wrong and preach that they are more moral or a better person than the other, similar to this author and many of the fellow posters. This is no different than someone who is religious saying that because they believe in a specific religion that they are better or more moral than others. Please can't we just all get along and respect each others decisions?
A vegan. No meat no fish no milk no eggs no cheese etc. Try eating gravel instead. I can't eat vegetables because every time I bite into them I can I hear them scream in pain.
I can see why you would think that. Most restaurants (and school cafeterias) do a terrible job of preparing vegetables or vegetable-based meals. However, if it's done right, you truly don't miss the meat. I still don't care for Brussels sprouts, but I've discovered so many foods that I hadn't tried before that are terrific. It is not easy unless you do your own cooking most of the time. Becoming a vegan or vegetarian takes commitment. Not everyone has the fortitude to do it. I was 45 years old before I made the switch. It took that long for me to open my eyes and see the truth.
"America’s over-consumption of meat and dairy is largely responsible for our nation’s obesity crisis, one of the nation’s leading causes of preventable illness and death."
Really? I thought it was over consumption of carbs, which makes people tired and lethargic, followed by lack of exercise because they are tired all the time.
I've tried this both ways, and the only way to eat right is to have a balanced meal. About 40% protein, 40% carbs, and 20% fat along with a daily exercise routine of hard exercise for about 1/2 an hour. Ultimately the old equation of calories in > calories out = weight gain, and calories in < calories out = weight loss is still true.
Now if you want to try to get your 40% protein from vegetables I don't have a problem with that, but don't tell me I am somehow wrong because I get a large portion of it eating lean, healthy meats and fish.
okay, meow.
there are huge benefits to eating less meat, it is a well known facyt that america eats too much meat, et cetra, but there are advantages to meat as well. the approach for vegeterianism is terrible too, i bet shes a memebr of PETA. guilt tripping anyone into a descision about anything is not a positive reinforcement. the fact of the matter is if somebody read this and decided to go vegeterian because of it, it owuld probably last about 2 weeks. want to increase your following? quit talkinbg about crying over slaughtered pigs! I was a strict vegan for two years, and while my digestive tract was better regulated, and i trimmed down a little, i also couldnt get tan, i felt frail, and no amount of screwey suppliments could fix it.
vegetarianism is a choice, as is omnivorism. it is my opinion that an expanded variety of fruits, vegetables, and legumes that comes with being a vegetarian is incredibly beneficial, and delicious, but eating meat is part of out genetic makeup as well.
I agree vegans do have a holier-than- thou complex. If we did not eat other animals than their food supplies would dry out and they would strave. Which one is better? A relative of my friend was a vegan and she was told that she had cancer. The doctor told her to eat more protien (red meat). She refused and then she passed away. You can have your vegan life style, just let me have a steak.
Epic Fail! Try again.
Jane Valez-Mitchell's arguments are brilliant. Thank you.
The meat eater's arguments are just plain stupid.
That pretty much summarizes Jane Valez-Mitchell's "article"...
(I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that it was your intention to summarize, not comment.)
this lady cant be serious
She is serious. Serious as your eventual heart attack ;-)
Eat what you want to and get out of the other guy's face. Geesh. I happen to be a vegetarian for no politically-correct reason. If invited out to a friend's house, I'll have some of their meat without feeling guilty about it. We literally stuff ourselves and are satisfied. These debates are not news.
I view vegetarians like I view anyone of any religion. I respect your beliefs as long as you aren't forcing them on me. Nothing makes me madder than someone trying to quilt trip me into not finishing a meal because there's meat in it.
Really. I can think of a lot of things that should make you madder than that. I'll tell you what, when your diet stops including having someone else murder animals for you as well as wrecking our planet and costing me more money for your health care then I'll get off your back about meat.
Personally, I became a vegetarian around 12 or 13 for the simple, non-political reason that the idea of eating a dead body was disgusting to me. The older I got, the more good reasons I found for my decision (such as the fact that it is incredibly better for the environment). The argument that we were as humans physically "designed"/"built" to kill/eat meat doesn't work on me either. At one point it may have been essential, but other animal species have evolved, right...?(Apologies to the McDonnell types who don't believe in evolution.) Then I've known or even seen on TV famously "vegetarian food doesn't taste as good" chefs admit that they've had vegetarian meals–usually in other countries–that DID taste as good. But that might take some extra effort, and Mickey D's is just all-around easier, right? I do know that bullying people about it won't work, but I've never met a person yet who didn't feel better on a vegetarian diet. It's certainly worth trying–probably best to ease into it.
We have incisors for a reason...TO EAT MEAT. I think this chick has drank too much of the Vegan Kool Aid to be taken seriously. it has been scientifically proven that humans need a balance diet with meat and vegetables. I am a proud meat eater and I love the way animals taste PERIOD!
You wacko, militant, holier than thou, I'm better than u, nose in the air bitch. This is what I expect from vegans–"look at me, my tampon is made from soy, I am saving the planet" gimme a break. Go live in the woods, eat swamp roots (if you can find any) and wither away.
At least she uses a Vinegar Dueshe in keeping with her Vegan theme. I should Know!
For vegetarians wondering about the animosity from omnivores, have you ever looked at yourselves? Personally I couldn't care what your preferences are...until they inevitably start spouting idealistic self-righteous BS like the guy in this article, worst is when they start shoving it down other people's throats.
For vegetarians doing it for the health benefits – I have nothing but respect and admiration.
For vegetarians doing it for purely idealistic reasons – you are the dumbest human beings alive if you think your dietary choice will affect how the world runs.
You are feel "guilty" when you smell bacon? Get over yourself – believe it or not, the world doesn't revolve around you.
*girl in the article. Typo. But has many have pointed out...this is that exact holier-than-thou attitude I can't stand. Eating vegetables does not, in fact, make you better than everyone else.
I eat steak maybe 1-2 times a month but I will eat a nice juicy ribeye tonight just because I read this article.
Tonight I will order a steak, and have a cow killed in Ms Jane Velez-Mitchell's honor.
idiots, idiots everywhere
Also, for those of you who make the argument that humans were "originally" not meat eaters (and that, in itself is HIGHLY debatable), looking back down the evolutionary chain is a terrible argument. You might as well say "okay everybody, stop using your thumbs – it's unnatural to use thumbs, we only evolved them as we got smarter and started to use tools."
There is one reason and one reason only to eat vegetarian – choice. (No, not health. You can eat health with meat, and you can live unhealthy without it.)
Seriously ... I can't believe people feel the need to try and guilt us into eating Veggies only ... It's kind of sad ...
We live in a world where we are free to make out own choices.. and I personally like to eat meat .. I'm sorry .. but personally .. at the end of the day .. I'm not going to be sitting around thinking .. Man i could shure go for some steamed asparagus right now. Not that it doesn't go well with a juicy steak mind you.
Yes you can look at the negative impacts of farm raising whatever whereever ... but those facts don't negate the fact that people want to eat meat.
My only real question is .. why can't we live in a world where people make thier own dietary descisions without people being Jack@sses about it?
f'in hippies
All food is killing... unless you can find a way to live on water and minerals alone.
Some people just need a reason to feel good about themselves.
Come on, this is so extreme. The guy obviously loves his meat and has some valid points, and so does Jane. However I can't help but feel that Jane's responses are more like bitter, over-exaggerated attacks. Some people are into meat, some are not, for a whole list of reasons. The part where she says "If huge amounts of protein were the key to perfect health, America would be the healthiest nation on earth because we eat a lot more meat than people in most other countries." The guy said "in moderation." Not "huge amounts." And wake up – many other countries' diets consist of meat, sometimes more so than our culture. It's how you prepare it (grilled vs fried like in the middle east), what you add to it, and HOW MUCH of it you eat. Of course if you're opposed to the slaughtering of animals in general, this whole discussion is moot. Obviously what you believe would take precedence over what you prefer. And speaking of other countries, there are some poor countries that have animals running around and very few fruits and veg – tell them to be vegeterian why don't you.
I have one son who is very into meat despite the fact that our household eats mostly (not completely) veg, and another son who just never prefered the taste. That's preference vs the culture in which you were raised.
Call me selfish or uncaring but I could give a crap less about factory farms or PETA vegan freaks. Bottom line is vegan and vegitarian food takes like well grass. I don't mind a side of brocolli or a potato, but I love a good steak and no rabbit food can compare to it. Is that woman serious? Squash? lol dumbest thing I ever heard!
I love it how she states that once she stopped eating meat her taste buds changed, and that most children don't like the taste of meat, but then goes to say she eats Tofurkey, which is made to taste like meat!
Way to contradict yourself JVM.
OK, I eat meat and I like the taste. I have no problem with people choosing to be vegetarian. It is a fundamental right for people in America.
What is really annoying is someone like Jane Velez-Mitchell or other vegetarians that decide they have to limit my freedom of choice. The same is true the other way around, I don't go around and try to argue with you about eating meat so please respect my choice and my freedom. As the comments show clearly there are arguments to be made on both sides. However, stop laying on the guilt trip!
Guilt trip you ask, I can make the reverse argument and there are some links posted. Frankly some of the information is questionable. However, the extreme end of the vegetarian argument is the God complex. As argued green house gases are a result of animals and farming. So are we saying by killing off the animals we make a better world? Or like one extreme voice said house pets are even worth they have no purpose. No I don't want to eat my dog or cat, but as such they are living beings and good companions.
So when I look at both extreme arguments it sounds like a gay guy trying to convince me that out of moral obligation and based on his choice I have to turn gay too. That is the problem I grant everybody the freedom of their on choice as long as it does NOT entrench on my freedom.
...and yes you have the right to speak your mind, but please stop being an evangelist preaching a religion that I don't want to hear.
I did not claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat salad.
For many years my husband and I had meat for meals. About a year ago, we both became vegetarian after watching a video about factory farms. It was not that hard of a transition because there are so many products that supply protein. Within weeks, we were both feeling much better, more energy. Cholesterol went down a huge number of points and many of the small ailments that we had for years vanished. All in all, it made us both far more healthy. The idea of eating meat now sickens me. A close friend ate meat after being vegetarian for a long while and he got violently sick with nausea. You can talk about the food chain all you want but if you want to be healthy, remove meat from your meals. Your heart will thank you. No, neither of us is anemic, and no neither of us is suffering from malnutrition. We are in far better shape than before. We also live knowing that nothing has had to suffer or die for us to have a meal. The arguement that animals are born to die is stupid. Life is precious to anything living. Anything that has a brain and nervous system feels pain and suffers. Pull your head out of your butt and realize that these are living beings that want to live just as much as you do. They are not inanimate objects. If you have no compassion then you are sad indeed. If life of another being is so unvaluable to you, then you are a pathetic person. It all comes down to if you want to be healthy, elminate meat. If you want to wallow in cholesterol and have your heart explode, then chow down. Maybe you can get a knife and fork and just take a cow down on the run.
I want to congratulate you on turning into a vegetarian.. and reaping its rewards........ I am a born vegetarian and love it.... People should realize that it is their choice to do anything they want to do.... but ignoring the cries of a live animal clearly speaks of the injustice that is in the DNA of all these culprits....... Shame on such people......
I will always eat meat or vegtables at my own discretion...I don't need a devot lesbian or anyone else telling me what I can or can't eat! I hunt...I shoot my own game...I kill it and grill it as Ted Nugent would say...don't like it...that is your problem...oh by the way...I do like fruits and vegtables also...I just don't like fruits like this moron telling me what is good and what isn't.
That's three reasons – the first three listed are obviously all the same reason: guilt. And number five is the same as saying you should wear a paper dress as a refreshing change of pace. So, really the reasons listed here are 1) guilt, 2) guilt, 3) guilt, 4) health (debatable), and 5) change of scenery. Is that all you've got?
But you forgot the most "important" reason for being vegetarian – so you can look down on everyone else, Ms. Velez-Mitchell.
There are actually good reasons for being a veggie, but this lady is a little hung up on herself.
Hominid evolution led to our ancestors eating meat which led to our large brains which led to the internet which leads to me posting this link:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128849908
I eat steak without feeling like im eating a rotting carcass....I smell bacon without becoming sad. They are some of my favorite food!!!!!
And to blame obesity on the fact that we eat meat and dairy is absurd and ignorant. People are obese because they have no self control, as well as how easily available food is compared to the olden days.
As for the animals it is understandable to feel some sort of remorse. But, still we are mammals and the food chain still exist. The only reason more and more people are able to feel sorry for eating animals is because other foods are so readily available. If you were starving in a cold winter house and all you had was a warm slab of deer meat. I guarantee you the feelings of that deer would be the last thing in your mind. We are in a society where we no longer have to feed on animals...but that does not make it wrong. That does not mean eating animals will make you obese. Do not be so close minded to believe that we are not animals ourselves. Be a vegan because you in this food rich nation you have the ability to be. Do not judge others for being human.
Yesterday I ate a steak the size of Texas and I felt totally at peace doing it
The reason people are so stuck on meat is because they are not educated. If half of these people educated themselves and went to a slaughter house they would never eat meat again. They can't care about their health as well. It is a know fact that the reason there is so much colon cancer these days is due to the fact that the meat they are eating is laying in the body and rotting. How gross..
Some of points do not make sense. For instance, she refers to all the animal waste that is being produced but wouldn't there be much more waste if the animals lived longer? Also, E Coli is often found in produce and its actually harder to kill (tomatoes, lettuce, etc) because we do not cook the bateria out of these types of food. However, we do cook bateria out while cooking meat. I read the article thinking maybe she could make me consider her lifestyle but her argument is not very strong and it is very vague.
WOW-
Lots of comments and lots of issues in a simple five item list.
1. If you want to be a vegetarian fine. I don't care what you eat; you shouldn't care what I eat – Let's respect each other. Actually, my secretary is a vegetarian and we occassionally tease each other about lunches and its all in good fun. This follows the holiday traditions- you have yours, whatever religiion, and I have mine.
2. Animal rights. Yes, commerical farming operations can be cruel and should be regulated. However, don't impose your eating chocies on the small "organic" farms are as a full explaination to ethics.
3. Land use. Whether for crops or animals, I have found people like to look at the "wide open space" from their front porch but can't understand it when the farmer can no longer pay the taxes and sells it off to a development. A little more appreciation for the American Farmer – crop or meat – would be appreciated.
4. Healthiness of the diet – vegan, ominvore or carnivore diets can be healthy or unhelath depending on what is used. The key process to a diet is to burn as much or more calories than you consume. How you do that is up to you. Additionally, the added preservatives from the fast food industry adds additional calories. The lack of time for balanced diet, the inexpensivenss of fast food, and lack of exercise have more to do with the America's obesity problem than what type of diet.
5. Animal uses. If all the complaining fringe end vegans could please remove their leather shoes, coats and belts, take off makeup (even if not tested on animals, animal fats are used to make it), stop using paint, glue, gelatin, etc before complaining about misuse of animals. Research all the items animal products are used in manufacturing before you start a holier than thou speech. You would be surprised.
my ancestors didn't climb to the top of the food chain so i could eat carrots.
I have never seen such stupidity in my entire life, "Oh my god the poor fucking dolphins" fuck them, adapt or die. If any of you can realistically say that eating a fucking soy burger is as good as an all beef one then I'll change, until then Fuck 'em. Meat = WIN
What do people expect to happen to animals that humans raise for food if we all stopped eating them? Ｗｈｏ ｔａｋｅｓ ｃａｒｅ ｏｆ ｔｈｅｍ ａｎｄ ｗｈｙ？Those animals are not capable of sustaining themselves without humans looking after them. So if we are not eating them, why bother taking care of them? Ｔｈｅｙ ｗｉｌｌ ｌｉｋｅｌｙ ｄｉｅ ｏｆｆ ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｉｎｓｔｉｎｃｔｓ ｆｏｒ ｎａｔｕｒａｌ ｓｕｒｖｉｖａｌ ｈａｓ ｌｏｎｇ ｂｅｅｎ ｂｒｅｄ ｏｕｔ ｏｆ ｔｈｅｍ． Ｂｕｔ Ｉ ｓｕｐｐｏｓｅ ｔｈｅ ｅｘｔｉｎｃｔｉｏｎ ｏｆ ｅｎｔｉｒｅ ｓｐｅｃｉｅｓ ｏｆ ａｎｉｍａｌｓ ｉｓ ｐｒｅｆｅｒａｂｌｅ ｔｏ ｌｅｔｔｉｎｇ ｔｈｅｍ ｐｒｏｐａｇａｔｅ ｗｈｉｌｅ ｗｅ ｅａｔ ｔｈｅｍ．
Ｗｈａｔ ａｂｏｕｔ ａｎｉｍａｌｓ ｔｈａｔ ａｒｅ ｓｔｉｌｌ ｈｕｎｔｅｄ． Ｔｈｅｉｒ ｎａｔｕｒａｌ ｐｒｅｄａｔｏｒｓ ｗｅｒｅ ｒｕｎ ｏｆｆ ｏｒ ｋｉｌｌｅｄ ｏｆｆ． Ｔｈｅｙ ｗｉｌｌ ｂｒｅｅｄ ｔｏ ｅｘｃｅｓｓ ａｎｄ ｓｔａｒｖｅ ｔｏ ｄｅａｔｈ （ｏｎｅ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｗｏｒｓｔ ｗａｙｓ ｔｏ ｄｉｅ） ｗｉｔｈｏｕｔ ｈｕｍａｎ ｉｎｔｅｒｖｅｎｔｉｏｎ ｉｎ ｔｈｉｎｎｉｎｇ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｎｕｍｂｅｒｓ。
Matrix, nature has a funny way of curing itself. So I don't think your argument holds thru. We made the mess we are in ourselves, we are the takers out of a pretty darn good book ISHMAEL.
Don't get me wrong I am all about choice and my choice is meat. However, the logical consequence of your argument is that we screwed it up and therefore have to continue to do so leads to the conclusion that we might be the species that needs to be eliminated to restore order and natural balance.
As I said in another post, some times the two extreme sides of this argument are like a gay guy asking me for tolerance, but at the same time preaching to me that his way is the only way and for moral reasons I have to become gay. It feels like to evangelists preaching each other religion to each other instead of arguing for choice and freedom.
This is pretty simple if I want to eat a 16oz Ribeye tonight and my vegetarian friend does not, I will not continue to cut pieces of my steak and put it on his plate. That would be disrespectful to him/her and would put me in a situation where I make the argument I know better. The only thing I ask for is that they don't start putting their grilled soya patty on my plate to convince me this has to be my taste as this would be as disrespectful to my freedom of choice.
Im a 16 year old who lives in athens ohio, its mainly a rural community. For all you people who are against eating meat let me tell you something. We've had several droughts around here at many times throughout the years and vegetables were scarce. You know how people survived? They hunted the natural game and slaughtered animals to survive. So if your saying were not supposed to eat meat then your pretty much saying that alot of people in my area should have died instead of eating meat. Also hunting and slaughtering our local meat has supported people for a long time. my school even gies us the first day of deer season off, so we can go kill us a tasty little deer!
OM NOM NOM NOM NOM
Too many responses to read them all but someone said it was not natural for humans to be vegan. Acutally it is the other way around. Our early hominods were all vegan, living off the land. Our appendix originally contained the enzymes needed to digest cellulose, a major constituent of plants. However, at some point we (humans) began to eat meat, first raw then cooked. As we evolved into meat eaters, our appendix began to shrink and become unproductive. Either lifestyle can be healthy if done in moderation and with smart decisions. Either can be unhealthy if done in excess and with uninformed decisions. The rest is all about blue and red upbringing just like gun issues, abortion issues. All driven by the diversity in our society.
I respect everyone's choice whether for health or belief reasons. That said there is evidence showing the vegetarian/ vegan lifestyle is not as healthy for your body as everyone believes.
here is one example: http://hunter-gatherer.com/blog/testimonial-how-colbert-report-saved-my-life
Humans have eyes in front of our heads, like eagles, wolves, and lions.... we are predators. Enough said.
vegetables have rights too! Plants feel pain just like animals! is grass not made of blades? do stars not shoot? Nature be well armed and demands so of her servants!
Seriously... you freaking hypocritical, self-righteous "animal rights activists" do nothing more than stroke yourselves in your own withless worthless slanted point of views which place you above the rest whom you deem lower since they eat meat.
and this quote from the story, "I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass. It’s guilt-free eating, which is ultimately more pleasurable. America’s over-consumption of meat and dairy is largely responsible for our nation’s obesity crisis..." - Just goes to show your ignorance as well as your hypocracy. The squash is dead... therefore a ROTTING CARCASS. Also, meat doesn't cause obesity... so much ignorance... so little brain...
What's the main cause of Colon Cancer, MEAT, stuck in your body rotting, find out how long it takes your body to digest meat, find out how long it takes to digest an apple. and while you are at it, do some research on the leading causes of heart attacks, high blood pressure, obese, the list goes on and on, try leaving a uncooked steak in your fridge for a week, than eat it.
I wouldn't dare leave an uncooked steak in my fridge for a week. Everyone knows that the best steak is dry aged! No fridge necessary for that.
Ok, I have been a vegetarian since birth. Whenever I tell someone I dont eat meat they get a little nervous – like I am going to try to convert them or lecture them on why they shouldn't eat meat. I am more of the opinon that everyone should do what is best for them. Reading this article though I think that this woman comes off a bit preachy. She does make some good points like how badly animals are treated/killed and that Americans should eat more vegetables.
Lots of comments here that nobody reads.
So, if you don't feel "guilt" for eating meat and don't create artificial negative labels like "rotting carcass" eating meat is better.
Cows, mmmm, delicious
It's quite sad that JVM's usual TV persona is so vapid by comparison.
Thank you Jane for standing up and saying what is on many, many people's minds. If we all start making enough noise maybe the factory farms can get shut down ~ haha, I'm dreaming. But maybe if more people would buy local, free-range, or natural meats a difference in those poor animals lives would be made. Also, if restaurants would start making a stand and buying only free range meat and dairy, that also would help destroy factory farming.
"Instead of killing a turkey on Thanksgiving, why not go to a farm animal sanctuary and feed some turkeys?" WTF??? How much more disconnected from reality can you be, lady? Keep living in your shiny little fantasy world.
How about I go to a "farm animal sanctuary" feed a turkey it's last meal then kill it and have it feed my loved ones while celebrating our country's beautiful history of Thanksgiving? The turkey will be a part of an uplifiting and traditional event instead of it dying an uneventful death and being consumed by maggots.
BTW, I'm not insensitive to animal rights. I disagree wholeheartedly with whaling and I don't hunt anymore. I even agree that we consume more meat than we should and that we all should eat more fruits and vegetables. I'm all for free range animals as well as organics. I think farmers/ranchers need a government incentive (since they're getting them anyway) to be more organic. I really wish that fast food restaraunts had better choices for those who try to eat healthier as well, with foods that are healthy AND filling.
This is ridiculous. Anything in moderation is fine. People really do need to stop this "holier than thou" nonsense. Just because something works for one does not mean that it works for everyone. Just live and let live. If meat eaters don't like to be around vegetarians, then don't go to a vegetarian restaurant. On that same note, vegetarians need to back off meat eaters. Don't go to a steakhouse or a neighbors BBQ if all you're going to do is complain and preach.
If I choose to eat a T-bone, so be it. If I decide to eat tofu....again, so be it.
I'm sure each and every one of us do things that other people will disagree with every single day. I live my life for me. I don't lie, cheat, steal, etc etc. I live as right as I possibly can. BUT....no matter what I do, there will always be someone unhappy with something I'm doing or not doing.
I guess what I'm saying is just back off! Let people live their own lives... No matter what, everyone is contributing to global warming in some fashion. Everyone is contributing to deforestation in some way. Basically, everyone is contributing to all sorts of national and global problems in some way or another. Remember, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones! ;-)
A healthy meal consists of meat/poultry/fish, vegetables, dairy, and fruits. Both are wrong. However, had nature interned for man to only eat meat or vegetables then the body would have been designed to eat only those things. STOP FIGHTING NATURE!!!
Good for you for not eating meat. Good for you for thinking your healthier than meat eaters.
If someone preaches to me about how savage I am for hunting a deer, field dressing it, butchering it myself, and using it as to not waste any usable part of it, I may show them exactly how savage I have the ability to be. Sound violent? Perhaps but as everyone has pointed out, we are all animals. I also have will power and restraint. I choose to eat meat.
Please stay out of my business, veggie killer. That goes for just about everyone else too.
As Denis Leary once said: to not eat meat is a choice. To eat meat is an instinct.
typical liberal/femenist/hippie/tree-hugger/prius-driving/save the whales/etc ideology; this woman is word-vomiting on all of you. Many of her facts are complete bologna (i'd like to throw some at her and watch her have a melt-down).
Sorry, none of my children and grandchildren ever shunned meat. They took to meat like you take to squash. Also, sorry again but look at your teeth, do they look like a cow’s teeth? No, nature has bred us humans to eat both meat and vegetables. And please don’t use the fast food argument, which I agree fast food is bad, because most fast food vegetarian Chinese food is just as overloaded with salt, sugar, and fat. It’s not the food per se it’s the preparation.
As far as the inhumane raising of food animals, I totally agree with abhorring the methods used by many companies. But, that again should not be a condemnation of eating meat but a battle to be fought in government regulation and our voting with our dollars. I buy from free range pasture fed and finished, where the animals are humanely treated.
And by the way, when looking at the horse, do not forget to look at the horses digestive tract. Sorry, but it does not look or function like your digestive tract. It is designed for grass and hay, yours is not
And forget the environmental argument, as much or more run off pollution comes from the pesticides and chemical fertilizers of vegetable farming.
If you honestly do not like the taste of a well prepared steak, I am ok with that. But do not condemn me for consuming a nice juicy succulent humanely raised ribeye steak.
The Mediterranean diet is where its at. More fish, less beef. And always less carbs (the food pyramid is as outdated as the real pyramids!)
I typically don't eat much red meat. I'll have some chicken, pork, or fish for dinner most nights. I also eat a minimum of 5 fruits/veggies a day, about 2 milk servings, and only whole grains. I really think its all part of a balanced diet – no one strictly eats meat who is not a vegetarian.
One of the things that actually keeps me from becoming a vegetarian (because I've thought about it) is the fact that most vegetarians/vegans I've met try to cram it down your throat. Nothing is open to a discussion – you're a terrible person because you eat meat and disgusting and horrible because of it. Perhaps if more vegetarians and vegans were less judgmental, everyone else would be willing to listen to what they say instead of getting defensive and sticking to their "meat is the only way to go" routine. There are very valid arguments for cutting out factory-farmed meats, but I can't stand to be, and won't be, lectured about it. And I don't believe all of her arguments are 100% fact – you can skew the discussion any way you want depending on what you believe when you look at the facts.
Oh – and I will clarify that I don't believe the "cramming it down their throats" mentality only holds true for the anti-meat-eaters. People who are very gung-ho about their meat-eating can also be obnoxious when you order or make a vegetable dish. Then again, I also have the same problem with people and their political or religious agendas. Why can't people actually just present how they feel about a topic instead of viciously attacking those who have a different opinion?!?!
I love how she lays the blame of America's obesity problem on eating meat. Yet the primary culprit is a grain, corn, and all of the glorious products that it has made it's way into. Not that any vegan would admit that.
This argument shouldn't be over whether somebody should be a vegetarian or not. The argument should be that the meat industry needs reform on multiple levels. It is an industry that has perfected a low-cost, high-profit model regardless of the treatment of the animals themselves. At the same time, vegetables, which are an important part of everyone's diet, are being thrown by the wayside and being replaced by fats and sugars (and an overall lazy lifestyle). It's not surprising that this country is obese (which in turn raises health care costs).
I'm not saying don't eat meat, as it's everyone's individual choice. I'm saying that maybe we should all think about what we eat and try to make better choices in regards to our diet.
I personally cannot stand either of these viewpoints as they are extremist, but I must admit at least Jane backed her views up with some valid arguments other than "meat tastes better."
I may be a vegetarian, but I'm not going to say that meat is evil and you shouldn't eat it. To impose one's views upon others is ridiculous and judging from the comments here, many of you fall into that category.
I tend to side with the vegan point of view..... But, I fall victim to the fact that "you can't beat a good steak". Sad, I know.
She points out that the treatment of the animals is the reason for all the salmonella outbreaks... we certainly aren't seeing these types of outbreaks (E Coli) in the veggie world, are we? Peanuts, Spinach, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach again... it just keeps going.
Perhaps the plants aren't being treated humanely. The peanut plants are being forced to grow in dirty soil environments, the tomatoes are strapped into cages, the lettuce gets its head cut off and the spinach... I'm not even going to get started on what they do to that poor, defenseless spinach....
We were born with canines for a reason. I'll stick with beef, etc. Vegans can kill the veggies.
How many acres of natural habitat were razed so your (everyone else's) vegetables and nuts could be grown? NO diet is guilt free.
Not nearly as many as it takes to feed the animals raised for meat. Again, science and math win out the logic side of the argument for not eating meat. I wouldn't expect anyone to gather this from this rubbish of an article though.
look people, its obvious that the carnivores don't want to be vegetarians and the vegetarians don't want to be carnivores. We all have our own beliefs and so let's stick to them. I am a proud vegetarian, and I don't preach to others. But I expect the same from those that eat meat. Let me live my lifestyle and you live yours. Get over it already. No one is going to change their lifestyle from reading comments on CNN.
Wow. Of all the people they could have gotten on here to counter-argue.... this woman gives the rest of us vegans a bad name; living up to the exact thing the original interview was complaining about.
Did they get a nutritionist? No. Did they get a doctor? No. Did they get a biologist? No. Who they got was this overly-emotionally hyped sensationalist who just managed to live up to the stereotype she was defending.
For all the non-veggies eaters out there: Really, once you listen to the intellectual side of the argument, it's difficult to come up with reasons why you should still be eating meat. Biology, sustainability, health, disease, economics, all play a role in the arguments against eating meat. It's not just about this "touchy feely" garbage this article focuses on.
Agreed Jay (see my post right above yours). I wish this article could have been more informative, not only with why to reduce meat intake but with help in how. The problem I'm having as I try to wean off meat (again I will never be totally off) is there just doesn't seem like enough options in a vegetarian diet and it seems more expensive and more effort (vegetables don't stay fresh for very long and you can't freeze them so it seems like constant shopping, etc.). This article was a complete failure in that regard.
I was disappointed in this counter argument. When I saw the headline on the CNN main page that said "5 reasons to be a vegetarian", I was hoping for more than 1) meat is murder 2) meat is murder 3) meat is... I've been trying to cutback considerably on my meat intake but I seriously doubt I'll ever be meat free. Still if all Americans reduced their meat consumption to 3 times per week I think Jane would start seeing the changes in our food culture (factory farming) that she desires. Change is slow and in gradual steps. Start by getting Americans to eat more vegetable only meals several times per week (give info on good, easy cookbooks; discuss different varieties of vegetarian food options; etc.). This was a chance for her to "sell" being a vegetarian and provide answers on how to transition off of a meat heavy diet. Instead she just screamed about why meat is bad. Can't imagine she made many converts with this article. Too bad.
All this "talk" is making me hungry! Time for some bacon and eggs!. After all, it is, a free country!
I never did like her or Nancy just because they make a living from other people misfortune and stupidity. They are not real journalists in my own opinion. They are on the edges of journalism, entertainment journalism I guess. Despicable. As for Jane now I hear her touting vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is fine. It kind of ignores though our natural evolution, how we got here, why we are omnivores and not cows.
I eat meat and I also eat vegies. All though I will not agree about eating meat is bad, (yes I have seen the peta videos)and I do respect the opions given by those who do not eat meat. If I was able to hunt for my own food skin it and all that I would. I live in the city and the most that I have done that is even close to that is fishing. I was able to do all the prep for it and yes I felt good about it the fact that I did the work. I have a great respect for nature and I feel that all is open to me and if an animal ever ate me hey thats nature. Granted I do not wish do die by anything by any means lol, but I get it I understand where the fight comes, but I stand by what I say.
Everyone everywhere thinks that everything everyone does anywhere is 100% their business and that they have a right to tell others what they should be doing. I'm right! No, I'm right! Not you're not, I'm right! And on and on it goes. Land has to be cleared for animal grazing. Land has to be cleared for crops. If 7 billion people stop eating animals, they're going to have to do a lot of farming, which requires clearing land. Where are the animals going to go? They're going to go to the fields and eat because no one is eating them and they are no longer afraid. How are we going to stop them from eating our crops? Well, we can't shoot them anymore because the Vegans say we can't. Put up fences? Well, that would require cutting down trees to make fence posts. How about metal fences? Okay, well, where do we get the ore to make the metal fence? Well, I guess we'll have to cut down some trees to make an access road to an ore dig. And how about the machines to extract that ore? Well, they run on diesel, not pixie dust. Meanwhile, animal populations that we've abandoned are now rampant. But the Vegans won't let us kill any. And around and around we go.
This hot Vegan says we were conditioned to believe in eating meat, yet she wants to condition us to eat Vegan. I like meat because I like meat, not because a magazine told me to, not because my parnets told me to, but because I like it.
Do plants feel pain? Do they have a nervous system? It's difficult to make a conclusive decision on plants when we EXPECT them to have animal-based systems instead of their own. Are we really saying that they're not alive and can't feel anything because they don't have what we animals have? Didn't the U.S. try that mentality before when they said if you don't have what I have (white skin), then you're not entitled to be a citizen, etc.? Some say we can't detect anything, so there is no sense of pain in plants. Just because we can't detect it or have a device to measure it doesn't mean it isn't there.
Her arguments are full of holes. All the vegan epople I know get sick often and look malnurished. No thank you, my energy levels are fine. Pass the steak.
Vegan Lesbo who likes Furr Pie. Lesbos only on SI-NN. Homos like Rick Sanchez-Only on SI-NN.
On a lot of counts she is right, but also humans didn't evolve to today by eating lettures and roots... I agree that factory farms are terrible – thats why small farms should be promoted – there animals are treated differently.
Personally I dont have problem with people eating meat – but I have problem with people who waste it – it makes me sick when people through away uneaten meat. Just think – it was a living animal couple days ago – so dont waste it so that animal didnt die in vain...
None of these arguments stand up. Texas ribeye beats squash any day. If you feel "guilty" about it then don't eat it, but don't try to push your lame feel good vegetarian values on the me. I've got more important things to worry about.
The evolution of our species in clearly in the direction of altruism. This will leave no room for selfish, thoughtless, and inconsiderate omnivores who only respect one species of animal of the millions of species on Earth–human. Serve humans only and humans will be eradicated from the Earth. Treat other sentient beings with respect and the Earth will respect you. All predators are eventually wiped out while the humble and meek WILL inherit the Earth.
This debate is interesting if you look at it from a moral stand point, but her argument is of very narrow scope and heavily biased. Anyone can live whatever life they wish to live, but some of her arguments are just plain wrong – in particular her statements that we are not hard-wired to eat meat. This just isn't true. One of the primary differences that separated our ancestors and other primates is that early hominids began to hunt for their food, and also to cook it. The shift towards this more balanced omnivorous diet fueled the development of larger brains over thousands of years.
Simply stated: yes, we are hard-wired to eat meat for it's energy content alone. That is not to say that we should eat it to excess, and this is the plight of the American diet. Dietitians are always pushing more vegetables for a reason. They are good for you – but don't worry, you don't have to cut out all the meat. Some hypothesize that our culture developed thanks to the invention of cooking, which only came about once our early ancestors began to eat meat. The community gathering about the fire while waiting for a meal to be served is an ancient tradition that has led to the gathering of communities into a civilization.
Most ppl don't go veggie/vegan for the fun of it...or even for health reasons. It's about compassion...it's about ending the suffering. Wish folks would enlighten themselves to a world with limited meat consumption. Factory farms are Hell...a living Hell. My dogs flip when I take them on a car ride to the vet...imagine if they were getting freighted to slaughter...now THAT'S terrifying. I'm not carnivorous...our species never was. We used to feed off of what large predators left behind until the Neolithic Era when we invented stone tools for cutting and tearing...because one look at our teeth and nails will tell ya we can't do crap without a sharp tool. So, change it up...eat whole grains, veggies, beans, and occasionally some fruit...you'll lose weight and have lots more energy. Veg for life <3
"Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures" .
His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Hey Kerry, you do realize that beans and whole grains contain anti-nutrients and lectins which are very harmful to the human body right? We have evolved as omnivores and are meant to eat meat from healthy animals, seafood, fruit, and veggies. Tell me one group of people over the history of time that was vegetarian for an extended period of time and thrived... Can't do it? It's because we have evolved to eat meat and certain plants
So harmful? What are you talking about? I'm an active 28 year old weighing 125lbs standing 5'7. I don't have a single problem with digestion...in fact I'm quite regular (TMI?) I eat beans a couple of times a week and whole grains daily. Modern humans have been around for approximately 50k-200k years...however, hominids evolved around 4 mya...so, you tell me how terribly fruit/veggie eaters did on anthropological time scale. Tools are the key my friend...not meat. Originally, we were scavengers...we couldn't kill anything...we got the leftovers. Eventually, we figured out how to make tools to make life easier. Folks walked everywhere using large amounts of energy...so, their moderate meat consumption was consistent with their evolution and lifestyle at the time. Now, we drive
So harmful? What are you talking about? I'm an active 28 year old weighing 125lbs standing 5'7. I don't have a single problem with digestion...in fact I'm quite regular (TMI?) I eat beans a couple of times a week and whole grains daily. Modern humans have been around for approximately 50k-200k years...however, hominids evolved around 4 mya...so, you tell me how terribly fruit/veggie eaters did on anthropological time scale. Tools are the key my friend...not meat. Originally, we were scavengers...we couldn't kill anything...we got the leftovers. Eventually, we figured out how to make tools to make life easier. Folks walked everywhere using large amounts of energy...so, their moderate meat consumption was consistent with their evolution and lifestyle at the time. Now, we drive or fly or bike...or whatever to get where we need to go. Extremely sedentary we've become. Hence, all the fat folks you see at McDonalds and at the deli. We don't need it for survival is my point here. Factory farming is cruel and disgusting. I would prefer if we were a meatless society but that will never happen...so, all i ask is that we are responsible in our meat production and consumption. Certified Humane farming practices...get some!
@Kerry... Just because you do not notice any digestion problems now, does not mean you are not doing damage. Yes, you are still very young and have plenty of time for those lectins and anti-nutrients to take their toll. If you think beans and whole grains don't contain anti-nutrients, lectins, and other toxins, just google or wikipedia it. Beans have been linked to many anto-immune diseases such as Lupus, Huntington's, etc. I agree with you that we are far more sedentary today, however nutrition and lack of sleep play a much larger role. I also agree that Factory Farming is disgraceful, but we shouldn't throwout the baby with the bathwater. Support farms that raise their animals the right way. Check out Robb Wolf's Book "The Paleo Solution"... One of the best books out there
When a cow gets up on two legs, goes to wok five days a week, and starts paying taxes, then you can portray it as a poor suffering animal that deserves to live out its days in peace and tranquility. Until then, it's just a cow, and will soon be a delicious ribeye.
REALLY? That's your comment. Children don't work or pay taxes...should we not care when someone abuses/murders/rapes them? Yikes, dude...get a clue. Then again...let's just send em to slaughter. Mmm...baby meat.
What a warped statement.
What a disappointing response. What a disappointing conversation IN GENERAL. Almost no one responds well to preaching. Furthermore, the meat vs. non-meat argument is not the crux of our nation's problem with food.
We take for granted that we can get meat at any corner grocery store, tomatoes in winter, and exotic produce on a whim. We want food cheap, and we want it fast. We don't care where it comes from, or how it got from the farm to our table. THIS is the problem. It matters less that you eat a diet containing or not containing meat and more that you eat a VARIED diet. It matters where your food comes from. It matters just as much that your animal-based food comes from ethical farmers as it does that your vegetables come from sanitary, safe, and local farms.
Being a vegetarian or vegan does not guarantee that you are are healthy or skinny. I've known a ridiculous number of fat vegetarians.
Until we're all growing/killing/cooking our own food, none of us has the right to spout off sanctimonious opinions. And, as an 18-year vegetarian, I feel pretty comfortable in saying that.
Seriously this was ridiculous, on both sides. Reason number four was the only one that could pretend it was a reasonably well laid out argument for either case. Everything else was just opinion. And reason four didn't really have any facts. She says there are plenty of plants that provide protein. Really, which ones I am honestly curious.
And her argument as to how animals are stacked in crates, and live in such deplorable conditions. I live on a beef farm and I resent that implication. While some farms don't go to the extreme that we do most of these farmers aren't stupid. Their entire economic future is ridding on these animals. They aren't going to treat them like Gods, but they aren't going to risk their health and well being either.
Get off your high horse and realize we have K9 teeth in our mouths for a reason. You want to only eat vegetables, great I applaud your decision to control your destiny. Now quit harping at me and pass the bacon and eggs lady I am trying to enjoy my breakfast.
I have NEVER met a healthy vegan or vegetarian. Ever.
And I know a number of vegan/veget's.
What is really interesting to me is that they like to tell themselves that they are healthy, and in a "superior"way,
even though they are so sickly. I believe the self-delusion stems from their malnourishment.
Vegetable protein is NOT animal protein. Which humans need to be healthy.
Regarding:
Genesis 9:2–3
"The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."
This was written by an ancient egomaniac with delusions of grandeur and very big appetite.
Why does it have to be one way or another - either absolutely no meat at all or that's all you eat and you gorge yourself on it? How about those of us in the middle? Some people eat meat AND vegetables. Not everyone who eats meat eats giant burgers every day. I eat lean red meat, fish, seafood of all sorts.
Also, some people who eat meat are concerned with the welfare of the animals. There are brands and restaurants that I don't eat at because of their practices. Just like there are some pet stores I don't shop at because of how they raise and ship animals.
Being a meat eater doesn't automatically mean I'm a heartless, fat slob. And truth be told, I'll never become vegan if that's how I'm going to be treated as a meat eater.
When I first read Tim Love's article, I thought it was unfair of him to categorize vegetarians as "preachy", but now I see why he said that. This article is not only preachy, but it is self-congratulatory and just plain off-putting. I can think of lots of reasons to be a vegetarian (though I am not one), and yet Velez-Mitchell hasn't pointed out a single one that would actually make anyone want to change their mind about eating meat.
Isn't it great how people see just a few instances of animal abuse and ignorantly asume that those few instances represent the entire industry. Abused animals, stressed animals, or animals in pain don't make money for the farmers, so it's in thier best interest to keep the amimals happy. Anybody seen the comercials for California cheese? The keep saying something like, a happy cow makes better cheese, well it's true.
And for all of those who blurt out statements like, "Why don't you live the life of a farm animal and see how you like it!" Well, to those people, I say, why don't you go live the life of an animal in the wild and see how long you survive. Your entire existence is centered around finding food and not being killed. If you saw a picture of an overweight guy sitting on a couch eating delivered food, and a picture of an Indian, thin from lack of food, which would you think has a more content and fullfilling life? Farm animals have it easy compared to thier wild counterparts. To you vegetarian extremist, stop focusing on your Michael Moore one sided arguments and look at the whole picture, do some actual research, go to a farm, and actually see both sides of the argument.
Simple rule of nature.. You are either a "predator" or "prey". Predators are meat eaters, Prey are vegetarian. Prey have eyes on the side of their heads to watch for Predators (rabbits, deer, horses, etc.). Predators have eyes in front (to hunt for prey). Where are your eyes facing?
Why don't humans eat humans? They are also mammals, afterall. The answer–respect. Why not respect other animals? Answer–we rule, we are top of the food chain–don't need to respect animals. Well...when this planet can no longer sustain us because of greenhouse effects from methane at commercial livestock facilities, you won't be eating animals or veggies. you ominvores will be eating each other..
First, because it's generally taboo. There are plenty of instances where cannibalism has been done not out of survival, but out of respect. However, most of these cultures have been Westernised, so we don't really see it any more.
Second, because eating humans can be deadly. You can get kuru from eating humans - sort of a human version of mad cow disease.
What most people don't realize when they are talking about the treatment of animals is that most are kept in sanitary, well ventilated and healthy conditions. Most vegetarians chose to believe that all animals are treated inhumanly because they are shown the worst examples of the farming industry. The majority of farmers care for their animals because they are their source of income and if they are not treated properly your do not make any money. I invite any person to come onto my parents 400 cow dairy farm and try to tell me that these animals are treated inhumanly.
If it didn't have parents, i aint eating it.
Jane is right on the money. The world and our economy can no longer bear the cost of continuing the barbaric and violent practice of eating meat. For all of you Chirstians who eat meat, think of the GOLDEN RULE. Do onto others as you have them do onto you. This pertains to anything that wants to live freely and not be violated, anything that feels pleasure and pain, whether that animal be human or non-human. Methane from cow fecal pools is a bigger source of greenhouse effect than our cars–no kidding–look it up. Meat increases risk for cancer, diabetes, alzheimer's, and heart disease. And, try this–just stop eating meat for a few months and then go back–it will literally taste like feces!
In fact, hamburger is full of processed feces and urine–no kidding–wake up and look it up-stop living in denial and delusion and you will be a much more fulfilled person.
Rudy, what exactly is a Chirstians?? Is that a new religion????
I do think it's great that you admitted in public that you know what feces tastes like! Awesome, dude! Now that you've taken the first step, we can continue on with your therapy!!
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water Rudy... Not all meat is bad. Factory Farming is a sad and disgraceful practice but meat from healthy, free-range animals that are fed their natural diet is not only healthy but essential to a good diet. As humans we need Vitamin B-12 that comes from animals to survive. Try eating a paleo Diet for a month and get back to me...
Why do people try to say that animals and people are the same thing. People clearly have a higher brain function then all animals. Animals do not have the capacity to feel emotions or to develop any long term mental suffering. They do not have the sections of the brain to do so. All animals thought and mental prosess come from natural evolutionary and survival parts of the brain. Not feeling and emotions. As for the Christian arguement, in Genisus God gives man power over all the living things of the world. Don't people think that their energy can be better spent helping the hundred of thousands of homeless children in our own country then worrying about animals. I know for a fact these children feel scared and sadness when they go to bed hungry every night. I'm sure they would appreciate people wasting there time trying to save a pig.
Vegetarian – an old Indian (Native American) word that roughly means "doesn't hunt so well"...
Hey, come on....let's be fair! They can sneak up on a pumpkin, and harvest it with the best of them! And corn? It doesn't stand a chance!!
Well said, Jane!
For all those who want to eat meat, I challenge you to go visit the slaughterhouses where your meat supplies are coming from, and see where you stand after that.
A visit to the slaughterhouse is what turned me into a meat eater.
Good times.
all you will eat meat when a zombie apocalypse happens. natural instinct of a zombie is to consume flesh human and animal. have fun!
all you will eat meat when a zombie apocalypse happens. natural instinct of a zombie is to consume flesh human and animal. have fun.
Too bad people don't get this worked up over the millions of babies that are aborted every year.
I wonder what Jane Valez-Mitchell would have had the Eskimos eat? Ice? Kind of hard to grow veggies in the ice. Vegetarianism is fine for those who want to follow it, but I will eat what the LORD has given to me.
Genesis 9:2–3
"The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."
Abortion has nothing to do with this issue. Neither does the tea in China have anything to do with this article. Stick to the subject at hand. Debate the issue, not abortion. If you want to debate abortion, then go to an article about abortion and write to your heart's content. That is irrelevant to this issue. Child abuse is bad, elderly abuse is bad, lots of things are bad and if you want to debate them, then please do in the proper forum.
I am soo trying not to be rude here Tom, but what does abortion have to do with eating/not eating vegetables?
I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years and I can't STAND preachy, propoganda-spouting idiots like the author of this article. We're all free to make our choices and what you eat is your business, not mine.
By the same token, I wish people would stop asking me why I DON'T eat meat like I'm some kind of freakshow – really, it's a personal choice and I don't want to give to give a speech, I just want to eat my dinner!
Sorry, honey, but you're not going to win many fans with your lame reasoning.
5 reasons why eating meat beats the heck out of being a vegetarian:
1. BEEF
2. HAM
3. BACON
4. RIBS
5. DID I MENTION BACON??
Vegetables are meant to be a side dish. Don't forget the butter!!
That's right, vegtables are what my food eats.
I'm beginning to think American's have lost their minds! First off, what does abortions (Anna) have to do with being a vegetarian or not. And Anna, listen to this carefully. I have know women personally who were made to have babies they did not want, and don't tell me a woman can grow to love a child conceived by rape. Maybe you can and would, but don't put ALL WOMAN IN THAT! Second of all, I thought living in America was about choice. The choice to live free, work hard, respect and love your neighbor. Now that does not mean that I agree with large farm practices. I grew up in the South. When it was time to kill a chicken, my aunt would put the chicken up in a separate cage for about ten days, so it couldn't scavenge around. On killing day, the chicken's neck would be broken and the blood drained, feathered and gutted. Now that was a good meal! And us kids participated when we got to be a certain age. It was important to the ol' folks that us kids knew how and where we got our food. Oh, I forgot. Nobody wants their kids to know how they got their food, they want their kids to think ITS MAGIC! And last but not least, if YOU don't want to eat meat "I ain't mad with ya", but please please, leave me the hell alone!
What can you do when you are not a great cook and don't care for most vegetables? I would like to at least give up red meat and pork, but where will I get protein from if I don't consume poultry, fish and seafoods? Genuinely distressed by this issue.
How disappointing. CNN, if you wanted to counter-act the past article, find a Vegan that has a clue what she is talking about. This i the preachy crap that was discussed in the article, and rather than give us give reason being vegan is 'good' she attacked the previous article. A lot of her information is misguided, twisted, and CNN should be ashamed to put it up. Yes, American's overeat but being vegan is not natural for our bodies. There is no food choice that is better than the other, but is someone personal preference.
Really, neither article should have been posted by CNN. It just seems a shame after the great 5@5 that was posted yesterday. Get this crap off your site, please?
As usual, stupid defensive responses from fat meat eaters with bad skin. Tim wrote an inflammatory article to advertise his business to people who aren't bright enough to figure it out. Jane responded to his article in defense of being a vegetarian because he was criticizing vegetarians. So I wonder, if meat eaters are so happy and confident with their lifestyle choice why would they click on her response, let alone comment? You think your drivel will change one vegetarian's opinion. Heavy meat eaters die early and no one will miss them so who cares what they eat.
We can only hope you're one of them, Lila. Have some bacon!
i love how in this article meat is continuously blamed for obesity, because potato chips and soft drinks have nothing to do with it.
You vegetarians are just as bad as the meat eaters. Deforestation happens for both meat and vegetable products which kills tons of animals a day and dont say "I get organic food", unless it is hand picked then the farmer uses a machine to pick the product and the unless you are willing to eat just apples and oranges you are killing animals just as much as we are the harvesters and pesticides kill tons of animals a day. Also plastic glass and metal has some paper product on it as a label or some part of it is going to kill an animal harvesting the ore for the product. Your trash from the packaging goes to the landfill that also kills animals all the time. Also go to the museum of natuarl history in DC and look at the dinosaurs. The vegetarians dinosaurs have flat teeth this is for eating just plants, while the carnivores have sharp teeth this is for eating meat. Our teeth are 50/50 so we are designed for both. We also have an appendix which we do not use anymore because we cook our food now but it was designed to process raw "meat". I agree with the don't kill animals at a mass quanity and eating more vegetable based meals but i like to eat meat. I get my meat from a local market where they get their meat from local farmers and I know they don't miss treat them because I drive by it everyday on my way to work.
Animals eat animals all the time. Why should I not be able to?
Man has been an omnivorve for millions of years but we (just now in the last 30) force our children to eat meat? Also most meat is not produced on these imaginery factory farms that you mention. I lived around farmers all my life and have never seen what you describe as a factory farm. If they exists then they should be banned. Farmers need to make money and all the animals I have seen free range . This process gets the most production from the animal whether it is milk or meat.
Anyone ever eat Veal? MMMMM...baby cow = DELICIOUS!
Give me that Filet o Fish, Give me that Fish !!!
Hey sweetheart, I don't eat rotting carcasses and plates of "swimming blood". And there is no evidence that all of the vegans in the world ever saved the life of one cow.
I just genuinely enjoy vegetables, fruits, carbs, etc better than meat. I don't really like the taste of meat, except for bacon. I'm not quasi-vegetarian for a moral reason, or a health reason, or for the environment, just taste. I can't stand overly preachy vegetarians and vegans like this woman... it gives vegetarians a bad name and just perpetuates the cycle of self-righteous vegetarians and aggressive meat lovers.
@PLP a2z "She can have a taste of my meat." Oh, please. You sound like a chauvinist high school dropout from Arkansas. I'm not saying she's any better, Miss Holier Than Thou, but let's all put our big kid pants on and use valid arguments rather than crude innuendo.
Snobby elitist? For not needing some poor creature to DIE so a human can slaver all over it? Guess I am an elitist, too. Mammals all get here the same way. I have not touched meat in years, and I don't plan to ever again. At least I am a HEALTHY snob, and nothing had to die for me! We are and always will be a nation of savages.
@Hannah... you do realize the plants that you are eating had to die for you to eat them right? Just because they don't show emotion in the same fashion as mammals doesn't mean they don't feel pain and suffering...
I was a vegetarian for 7 years. I was also married to a strict vegan. I finally starting eating meat again because I was so unhealthy. I did everything I could to get the proper amount of protein but it was nearly impossible to do. So for the sake of my health, I started eating meat again. I only eat meat about three times a week. I love the taste of certain meats and I eat them guilt-free. Yet, my favorite restaurant is a vegan and vegetarian restaurant.
It is a personal decision if somebody wants to be a vegetarian or a vegan, and I respect their wishes if that is what they so choose. I just wish they would respect mine in eating meat. Most of them (like Jane Valez-Mitchell) are so self-righteous and it gives vegetarians and vegans a bad name.
she's an idiot. HOT! but an idiot...why do vegans answer different questions with the same answers?
instead of just calling her an "idiot," why not rebut her comments? because you can't and just prefer name-calling? yes, I knew that was it.
I was vegetarian cook for 20 yrs & was chronically ill until I started red-meat-centered diet 15 years ago & instantly became well. To vegetarians I say "good for you", but not for everyone.
funny, I had the opposite experience-I had stomach issues until I stopped eating meat. Sounds to me that you weren't really a vegetarian cook and that you're making things up now so people think your knowledgeable. If you WERE a vegetarian cook, you'd know what you should eat in order to stay healthy. If your personal choice is to eat meat, fine, but don't lie about it.
Wow, Polly. So, because you simply disagree with someone, now they're a liar? I'd call you unsympathetic to others, and undeserving of having anyone listen to your opinion. Because that's what it is, an OPINION. Get a life already, would you?
Polly, what I said is 100% true. I was even an ethical vegetarian activist. Some people can be healthy without meat, I know several who've been for 30+ years. Others get sickly, bad complexion, hair loss, and worse. These people know their nutrition, eat balanced meals, veg protein etc.. Vegetarian militants ("meat is murder") believe a lot of myths.
Save a cow, eat a vegan
they taste like Chicken
yet another inane joke that every vegetarian/vegan has heard a billion times. At least be original with your disrespect for other people's life choices.
We could eliminate world hunger if, instead of concentrating all that food into meat, we fed it directly to starving people."
This type of attitude is most distasteful about vegetarians. Do not they know that food that animals eat mostly is not for human consumption. How about this lady eating some grass and hay, grade 3 corn and some leafy plants.
One good reason to be a vegetarian she didn't mention: your poop smells better. Or rather, not as bad.
TIm Love is an idiot. There are valid reasons to eat meat, but his arguments are specious and are based on personal preference. The vegetarian/vegan rebuttal was nicely done, although based primarily on her personal principals. Most people don't give a damn about overcrowding or the health conditions of the meat they are consuming.
Don't you get it people? Jane Velez-Mitchell is the equivalent of an internet troll.
If you don't know what that is just look it up on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29
She is the CNN version of Fox news in the sense that they make money by saying outrageous things just to keep people watching.
I like her style! Troll it, girl!
Duck season....wabbit season...duck season...wabbit season...broccoli season......hmmmm...just doesn't work.
What baffles me is how so many filthy rednecks learn to write and post on the sites. Even more baffling is why they picked a stinking redneck to do this interview
I love fresh veggies with my meat.
We'll all die around the same time anyway.
Some will die healthy and some will die unhealthy
No single food choice has a farther-reaching and more profoundly positive impact on our health, the environment, and all of life on Earth than choosing vegan. It's no wonder that Einstein said "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."
Wow, one of the most misguided articles I have ever seen. It is disappointing that she has obviously done very little research in the field of Anthropology and Nutritional Sciences. Vegan is NOT a healthy lifestyle to take on. I will agree with her that Factory Farming is a sad practice and should be banned, however, meat is NOT bad for you. Loads of carbohydrates especially in the form of grains IS bad for you. If you eat well over 200g of Carbohydrate a day, you are at a far greater risk of developing Syndrome X. Avoid grains, legumes, and dairy if possible. As humans they produce far greater damage to the body than they are worth. They are calorically dense and nutritonally deficient. Eat free-range animals fed their natural diets, wild seafood, veggies, and fruits and watch your health soar. If she thinks that the human digestive system is the same as a horse, cow, goat, etc. she is sadly mistaken and misled. I truly hope that people do not believe what this woman has to say or think like her because her mindset is completely off course with how humans have evolved to eat.
1. There are nutrients our bodies need that can only be found in meats... You can take supplements for it, but if we were supposed to eat meat why would the nutrients we need be in there??
2. It isn't meat that is making America Fat, it's the fried foods and portions. Super sized orders of french fries and extra ranch dressing, loaded potatoes, fried cheese, overloaded plates of pasta and carbs...
3. The number of misspellings and typos in her rebuttal almost killed me... I hope writing is just a hobby for her.
What an overwhelmingly snobby, elitist *&#^@ that woman is. Not every one who eats meat is obese. Nor is every vegetarian healthy. Meat and dairy is not why people are overweight. Unhealthy choices are why people are overweigh (mind you that is not a hardened fast rule). I think junk food and a more sedentary lifestyle by many is why obesity is a problem in the US.
I was going to read this article with an open mind. Then in the first paragraph she refered to meat as rotting carcass. I didnt waste my time. If shes not going to be serious, neither am I.
She actually made his arguement for him by coming off as a sanctimoious bitch.
Animals eat animals. Humans should not be killing and eating animals. Why lower yourself?????
Right, eat a human instead! You do realize humans are animals, right? You do know we have canines (those are the pointy teeth) for a reason right? They are not for mashing down vegatables. That is what your back teeth are for, right?
Think before you post.
My point exaclty Grant, humans who eat animals are just like animals. Humans should not be eating animals, period. It is not natural. It is a bad habit that has continued over time. I am sure that if everyone had to kill, cut, clean and cook their own cow or pig or chicken or lamb, there would be very few meat eaters left in this world. Why is it that meat eaters don't like it if you discuss the slaughter process at the dinner table - THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!
I'm guilt free when I eat a burger or steak. If it's your choice not to eat meat great, I don't care. But leave me alone on my choice too.
Sometimes I don't understand, I guess its a free country. But what happended to us that we think eating somethng we've been eating since the beginning of time is bad?
I do not reside on top of the food chain to be eating green grass!
aren't plants living things too???
top of the food chain, i dont think a predator in nature feels bad for their prey
this is ridiculous
If god meant people only to eat plants, we'd have eyes on the side of our heads like a rabbit.
Does anybody find it ironic that this article come out right at the beginning of deer season? It gave me a good laugh as I was getting my bow ready for Bambi!!!
Could you define "socially conditioned to enjoy" cause I am one picky eater and I don’t generally like things that most people consider "delicious" so I consider myself to only eat what I want and definitely NOT what is considered "socially acceptable".
AND ALSO.. why do ALL vegan people need to get ugly when defending their personal choice? The constant term "rotting carcass" is only said to provoke and in all honesty I just tune them out when they start down that road. Vegans would do much better if they would present their case in a calm and confident manner and leave all the nasty references out of it.. any intelligent person can make a decision without the need to be reminded about how pig are raised.. I already knew and YES CAN I HAVE A SECOND SERVING OF BACON... YUMMMY BACON.... oh man I am getting hungry..
I dont call their food names and I don’t look down on them for not eating meat... heck I'm glad when there is a vegetarian at the bbq, that means that there will be seconds of the Fillet Minon' for me, YAY! God I LOOOOVVEEE STEAK!
so much for not being preachy.
Nobody likes a vegetarian.
Ten billion animals slaughtered each year – in the US alone. Some probably smarter than your cat or dog.
SUGAR is responsible for the Obesity in America. NOT MEAT!
Yup!
Sugar. Inactivity. Huge portions.
35-40 GRAMS of sugar per soda. Why don't you measure out that much sugar someday, it might just change your opinion on soda. I don't drink the crap anymore, but apparently we think it should be a staple beverage.
Ironically, when compared one to one, a single beer is far healthier than a single soda.
Vegetarians and vegans are all overlooking one simple fact: Biology. The human body has evolved over millions of years into an omnivore. While it is POSSIBLE to get the nutrients that the body needs from plant sources, the simple fact is that it takes excessive diligence to do so. A healthy diet that includes a fair, but not overdone, portion of meat is the most healthy diet.
YES, there are far to many mistreated animals in the food industry. YES, Americans do eat too much meat. But to try to completely banish meat from your diet is simply stupid. You don't want to harm cute animals, so you eat leaves and twigs. If you want to, go ahead, but don't preach to me about it. The science simply doesn't back you up.
There are no reasons to be a vegetarian. Humans are not designed to live solely on vegetables.
Besides, meat is tasty and good for you.
Well, neither one of them gives straight up answers on the benefits of either side; both of them argue from an emotional stance that in the end answers nothing. For the record, I am an omnivore; I've gone through periods of being a vegetarian, but ultimately missed meat too much to stay. Lest you think that's simply preference, I found that even well made, nutrionally sound vegetarian meals just did not keep me feeling full for very long. Frankly, I got tired of feeling hungry after only an hour or so. Note that I said "...well made, nutrionally sound...," yet I still felt that way. On the other hand, yes the conditions the animals are raised in are awful – but that is a moral statement only, so it only carries a little weight. From a more rational standpoint, the need for all the antibiotics & other chemicals that is caused by this does result in food that has negative effects on us. Addtionally, a vegetarian or vegan diet does make more efficient use of our natural resources. Ultimately, that may be the factor that drives us to less meat. For now, I've cut back quite far on my meat consumption; in the end, that last reason may be the catalyst that makes me "go all the way" permanently.
I think this article was needed to balance out the other one (one extreme view in turn of another). What I would love to see published would be a discussion of some less extreme options, though...for those of us who do not wish to become vegetarian, but who wish to eat meat that was produced in a humane way. I do not agree that eating meat is inhumane. I think that it is part of the natural order, and that even though people can survive as vegetarians, they live in the most healthy way by consuming meat in a very modest way (not every day, and not as a main course). I think it is terrible that, aside from the obvious cruelty on factory farms, they have also made organic meat unaffordable for many people who would otherwise buy it.
Again, if you're into meat, then STFU and take responsibility for your choice by rejecting factory-farmed meat whenever possible... or better yet, hunt it yourselves... support local farmers at the least. Your health and local economy will thank you for it.
Although I agree with what she is trying to say I just don't think she made the meatless argument very well. All of her points were not actual points of but the regurgitated diatribe you hear most vegetarians/vegans use in their arguments against meat.
I support meatless diets but she just came off without any convincing reasons why and preachy.
Whilst I am largely pro-vegetarian (live that lifestlye 5 days a week for health reasons) I do find the replies to the pro-meat argument sanctimonius. Seriously, if I looked at life the way she does I would quit normal society and join a monastery...
She did an excellent job, and if taxpayer subsidization of the meat industry were stopped and the real cost of a pound of beef were reflected in the price tag (about $30 / lb) then more Americans would either be taking a personal responsibility for their meat by hunting/raising it themselves or going vegetarian like she suggests. For billions of poor people around the world, eating meat isn't an option. They simply can't afford it. Ever wonder why beef costs more than broccoli? Taxpayer subsidies are your answer... vegetables are much cheaper to raise than cattle. And don't even get me started on the hormones and antibiotics... if you're not ready to go vegetarian (I'm not either) then at least do your part to shut these factories down by supporting local farmers who slaughter their animals themselves and raise them in at least halfway decent conditions.
If she's eating a "rotting carcass", then somebody really doesn't know how to shop.
For me, it's not about vegan vs meat. Biblically, if one believes that way, humans were given 'dominion' over the animals. Does that mean eating them? That's a personal call. Raised on a farm, at one time I loved meat. I stopped eating meat because it no longer has any taste and I have no know of how long its been rotting since it was killed. Fact is, it is rotting flesh pumped with preseravtives, ergo all the dry rubs and marinades on the market today, to give meat 'flavor.' Meat use to have flavor; it was called 'meat.' It use to be safe for human consumption, honestly, I don't trust it anymore. If a cow, pig, and chicken exist just fine without eating meat, I think I can too, but again, it's my personal choice. Find what works for you.
Humans unfortunately were not "given" anything.Man cannot compete with mother nature with out his own doom.Reason why I commented.Is your second sentence.Sorry.To me that's a ignorant point of view.Just my opinion.Do some research?Please.Beside the bible.
Lame and Preachy answers from the Vegan. Funny and Witty answers from the Omnivore. No need to say anything more.
I like how she took the protein argument and basically twisted what he said to give herself a fake 'point' in this ridiculous debate, when he had already said to eat meat in moderation. This is America, if I want to eat meat, I'm gonna eat meat and you can take your vegan high-and-mightiness elsewhere.
Also – "I defy anybody to look at those pig gestation crates and walk away with a hankering for a slice of bacon." – I have, eat some bacon soon after; your move.
" How can you talk about peace if your plate is swimming in blood? " – Easy, go where you're not currently at and eat my meal. Was that a trick question?
" Rainforests are being leveled to create grazing land." – And farmland. Oh wait.... that contradicts your view, so you didn't list it, right?
Five Reasons to Be a Vegetarian: .. ..
And Ten Reasons to have a balanced diet including meats, oysters, shrimp, eggs, pork and steak...
Fill in the blanks
Eat what ever you want.Just these articles are completely pointless.Everyone has a opinion.Seems after reading this article.Both arguments are invalid.One is a closed minded Texan.The other a P.E.T.A investor/animal lover.Who would save a puppy rather then a starving child.Some of these comments are mind blowing.I am a omnivore.Man was since the start.Our teeth proves this fact.Just when I read "I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass. It’s guilt-free eating, which is ultimately more pleasurable"I.
Really?So eating meat is guilty?You know Squash is alive correct? With that reason.You shouldn't eat anything besides rock's.
TL:DR Americans really need to do research them self before watching tv and then finding the need to prove everyone else wrong.
"over-consumption of meat and dairy is largely responsible for our nation’s obesity crisis"
are you kidding me? I live in Belgium, people consume just as much (if not more) meat and dairy here. Same with when I was living in Japan. But there are very few obese Belgians and Japanese compared to America. The problem is America's domination by fast food restaurants and lack of public transportation so Americans just drive everywhere and never walk.
God provided us with mean to eat and even states in the New Testament that what He gives should not be considered "unclean" or undesirable. If it comes down to her opinion or what God says...um....she loses every time. Enjoy your squash.
Idk where CNN finds these people, but Jane and Tim are some of the worst writers I've ever seen. Completely subjective writing. I could care less about what these two idiots "think" is right.
"Children often naturally shun the taste of meat but are forced by their misguided, although well-meaning, parents into eating it anyway."
I'm sorry, but I've grown up around (and helped babysit) four nephews and none of them at any time ever "shunned" meat. It was just another kind of food on the plate. If anything, they shunned vegetables...it's always difficult to get them to eat all of their broccoli. And keep in mind, none of the four are "overweight."
People who eat vegetables are causing animals to starve to death. You're stealing their food!
I lost interest in the article at #3. Poorly debated and lacks variety of perspective. Jane Velez-Mitchell should contribute to the help towards the victims of floods in Pakistan and after that, think about her pigs. It's a pity the world has never been focused enough.
these aren't real arguments to what the meat eater said – these are guilt trips and we don't care, give me my steak
I cite this NPR story that explains how meat may have actually made us smarter: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128849908
Thank you Jane!!!! I love your show and all that you do for the animals. Thank you for being a voice of reason and sanity in this world.
Go into the woods for about a week and a half and I bet your vegan ass would love a nice crab cake or steak on the grill. as they say In NY.... GET OUTA HEREE!!
Eat whatever you want, be happy doing it, and mind your own business. nom in peace.
Nevermind all the guilt stuff... The concept of eating something that derives much of its flavor from blood is just plain gross.
Both of these people are extreme on either side of the argument. Last time I checked neither of them had a PHD in medicine so I think it would be wise to take their opinions on health benefits and draw backs on either food with a grain of salt!
I think this story made me want to join PETA... People Eating Tasty Animals!
MEAT gotta have it.
To say that meat causes obesity is ridiculous. I changed my eating habits recently. I eat approximately 60% meat & eggs, 30% vegetables, and 10% fruit & nuts. I don't eat grain or grain-based products. I've dropped 45 pounds in the last 5 months. My bad cholesterol has dropped, good cholesterol risen. These are the facts of my experience.
The vegetable is full of it. IF we are what we eat, then that lady is a vegetable. Just propaganda, pure and simple. Why don't these bleeding hearts who are so concerned about animals' "rights" care about the rights of unborn human babies?
They are insane.
Now I'm going to fry me up a big, thick, juicy steak, and I'll have a delicious pork loin roast on Sunday.
I used to raise and slaughter my own pigs and I'll tell you that I never felt even the smallest amount of guilt. If you want to eat nothing but vegetables feel free but quit your damn bitching to us meat eaters. We honestly don't give a rat's ass what you have to say. Anyone one of you that thinks what you're doing makes you a better person should be slapped across the face with a prime rib.
Human beings are not designed to eat:
too much meat
too much dairy
too much corn
too many grains
too much soy
anything close to the amount of sugar we do now
But we are omnivores... so strip out all the politics and ethics... and what is left for a healthy diet are what we evolved to eat over millions of years before the agricultural age flooded us with mutant grains and veggies thousands of years ago, and hormone fed animal products. Different regions and cultures have built different tolerances to their particular delights. No one "modern" diet is perfect, because they are all flawed. The end
While Velez-Mitchell's arguments are sound arguments for improving the meat and dairy industries, they are not good arguments for becoming a vegetarian. While it is true that we eat more meat than we need, eating meat alone is not the reason we are fat Americans. Over eating in general, eating too many high-calorie processed foods, eating too much sugar, drinking too many sodas, those are the reasons we are overweight, not eating meat. No matter what a vegetarian tells you, theirs is not a “morally superior” lifestyle. If raising animals and slaughtering them for food is “immoral,” then the whole freaking universe is immoral. Being vegetarian will not extend your life one second. We all have an expiration date and there is noting that you can do to push your lifespan beyond that date. Eating lentils and tofu for the rest of your life won’t make you live one second longer. Finally, I don’t mind my food swimming in blood, in fact that rare porterhouse steak right off the grill floating in a puddle of steaming blood is just the ticket and I won’t let some holier-than-thou, self-righteous vegan gas-bag tell me otherwise.
It's only a matter of time, I think, before the majority of humans become vegetarian, even vegan. It's the evolutionary process we have gone, and will go, through. We, all, know that it is better for our health to do so. Forget, for a moment, the harm to animals; vegetarianism/veganism is, simply, better for our health.
I tried to go vegetarian/vegan years ago. Didn't last. Constantly on the go, fast food joints were the only choices for that life style. Burger King offered a veggie burger which tasted quite good but, not as filling as a beef burger. And the cost in comparison to a regular beef burger! Besides, I still consumed grease with those veggie burgers (or so it seemed) plus the grease from the fries. After about a week of eating nothing but, basically, salads, I was willing to kill for animal grease, which is the taste I (we) crave, produced by cooking meat products.
This article has me thinking about trying veggies once more. At sixty years of age with cholesterol and early diabetes setting in, I should be eating mostly veggies anyway. Should have eaten veggies my whole life; if I had, perhaps the ol' pecker would still function–I have the desire but not the capacity. Perhaps cholesterol has clogged the tiny capillaries and veins preventing its function. It's too late for me. But not for you young studs out there. Think about it.
If one can get past all the rabid posts for this article and focus on the basic message of Ms. Velez-Mitchell one would be able to see that eating meat is not only condoning the horrific conditions Big-Argribusiness keeps animals but contributes to the large carbon footprint each of us leave with our diet each day. That carbon footprint, measuring the amount of energy that is required to get the meat to market, is enormous. This means, quite simply, that we have to continue to import oil from OPEC reducing our ability to maintain an anti-terrorist stance. Yes, eating meat does, in its own way, help terrorists to attack us. For those of your unable to read anything in a paragraph other than one or two words that set you off, may you learn to read for comprehension and eat for the health of yourself and the country.
How embarrassing. Swine flu has little to do with pigs!!! That's one reason its real name is H1N1. And a great deal of food poisonings comes from vegetables – lettuce, spinach, salad bars, etc.!!! Additionally, cattle and other domesticated animals utilize ground where crops can not be cultivated – producing food where food could not otherwise be grown. And the methane argument? Methane comes from decomposing plants – some of which is in a cow's stomach. Kills the cows and the plants will still produce methane. Really – this is embarrassing to display such ignorance in cyberspace.
Ignoring issues of health, ethics, conditions of farms & animal treatment, these two articles are the perfect example of why the current vegan/vegetarian argument will never ever ever work. It's an issue of rhetoric. It's a similar problem extremely conservative evangelical Christians face in modern society. You will never convert the masses to your way of thinking by listing all of the ways what they're doing is BAD/WRONG/EVIL/DISGUSTING.
The original pro-meat article is mostly light-hearted in tone and talks about why he ENJOYS meat. He even concedes at various points that he's had great vegetarian food and that eating meat in excess is bad for you. His entire argument is mostly centered around "Hey, I like meat."
This response however is based around telling people that they are WRONG WRONG WRONG. At no point does Ms. Mitchell talk about how much she enjoys what she eats. She doesn't talk about the delicious options, about her favorite dishes or the smell of a good ratatouille cooking. She provides no room for acceptance of those who don't share her views (while Tim says he doesn't care what other people eat so long as they let him eat what he likes). It's all or nothing for her.
My wife is largely vegetarian (she just doesn't like the taste of 99% of all meat), so since meeting her my diet has shifted mostly that way as a matter of practicality (not worth making two dinners every night). I still enjoy a burger from time to time, love fish, ribs etc. but it's in extreme moderation now. What I've learned is that there are some absolutely fantastic vegetarian foods out there (vegan is trickier as I haven't found really good cheese or honey alternatives). Indian cooking is by and large vegetarian, and is some of the most flavorful, aromatic, satisfying food on the planet. Same with much of Asian cooking. There are few things I enjoy more than the smell of fresh veggies cooking in a pan with a bit of olive oil and garlic.
She didn't win me over to the vegetarian side of things by preaching or pontificating like some of my other vegetarian friends tried. Instead she showed me the direct positives. You win people over with positives, not negatives. Until the modern vegetarian/vegan movement gets this and shifts away from the shock-n-awe method of argument, they're not going to get anywhere.
Unbelievable! An intelligent post on CNN!
+10
I enjoy eating meat. A lot. Nothing better than a really nice steak (with some good mushrooms, peppers, onions, and maybe broccoli sauteed on the side... give me the squash too, actually). I'm not hiding from the fact that my meal had to die. Let's take veal. I'll kick that baby cow's tender legs myself. So. Delicious. Am I heartless? Most predators don't even kill their catch before they eat it, they just eat it as it bleeds to death. Humans could decide to be better you say? I don't think not killing animals IS better. I believe I have a RIGHT to kill and eat cows if I want. Animals have the right to kill other animals if they are going to eat them. Not to mention, if we didn't EAT all these animals, they wouldn't exist anyway.
I will also continue buying women fur coats, thank you. My level of concern for the feelings of the dead minks is 0. Go get a real cause.
Just simple question,
Ok, let’s say that it would be possible to change things. In short, we will agree with all the farmers or producers of meat, that animals should be treated in a good way before we make steaks of them.
And let’s say this is really the case (I can agree that sometimes animals will not be treated in a good at this moment)
But like I said, this is really the case. Then what?
Would you eat it Jane? The only thing that I read is that you do not eat meat because of the bad conditions of the animals.
And things like fast food, yah, I agree on that, do not like it and taste like very salt cheap meat.
But there are also situations where animals are been treated in a good way. And that the meat taste great.
Well at least in my country we have that (we also have bad conditions of course).
But at least the veggies work for your looks!. Have nice day all of you!.
Grtz.
"we have a generation that doesnt know evil they never suffered the dont know nazism they don't know communism the dont know death camps so they are so naive the belive the real evil is done to animals"-Penn And Teller:Bullshit
jane, you look nothing like your picture. like the pic better. i use to watch your show but dont anymore. you keep saying war on women...that's not true, its war on men too. you make everything sound so shocking and more than it is. i think that's no much and just trying to get ratings and views.
Let me start out by saying that i completely support those who are vegetarian. many of my best friends are vegetarians and I even tried it for a little bit (it wasn't for me). With that said I understand arguments that maybe its healthier (i don't necessarily agree, different people need different diets to maintain a healthy weight, vegetarian may work for someone but not for another). I can also understand arguments that vegetarianism is a greener lifestyle and that meat production produces run-off and greenhouse gases because it does. I also agree that mass production of meat fosters animal cruelty. If I had the resources and money I would eat certified cage free only. But what I do have a problem with is when morality is brought into it. Morals have nothing to do with it. Animals kill animals, its nature and its unavoidable. The fact that we kill in mass numbers is a product of the fact that humans are smarter or at least more equipped to do so. If lions could do so trust me they would. Its survival of the fittest. The fittest are the most able to support themselves with as much ease as possible. Humans have "perfected" the process but not the implementation. With that said I try to limit my consumption of meat and eat mainly fish
Tim Love is an idiot!!! NO, SERIOUSLY!! he could be the worst chef in america, as well as the worst restaurant owner. I used to work for him, his restaurants are FILTHY, DIRTY, and he does not keep his meat fresh at all!! I can't tell you how many times i saw him serve borderline fresh meat. So many of his employees quit because he would lash out at them for questioning it. I would not eat at one of his restaurants if you paid me!!! As for the vegan issue, i love my beef, but a vegetarian day every once in a while is always nice fr the system.
Eat meat and sustain the slimming industry, insomnia industry, low self-esteem industry, iron ore industry, hunting industry. When a live body consumes dead flesh, the dead flesh becomes live flesh eventually. No wonder most of us are 200 pounds or higher.
We are animals, no better than the ones we are killing and eating,we just have the bigger brains. Also ever notice how this type of thining goes on in the richer countries? Whats the latest news on the Animal Liberation Front stationed in Somolia? Nothing. because it doesnt exsist.
If you need me, I'll be eating dinner at Tim Love's place.
She seems quite ignorant in her paragraphs, specifically #4, he said "In moderation" yet she jumped the gun and went on a rant about protein and how we're all becoming obese because we aren't vegans. I like my meat, and in moderation it is part of a healthy balanced diet. Balancing your diet is what is key, you don't need to become a vegan merely because you are sick with the thought this used to be an animal.
Shut up woman! Nothing you can do is going to change the natural fact that we are animals and it just so happens that we're at the top of the food change. You ungrateful harlet! Go home and eat some grapes!
Been nice chatting with you all. I'm gonna get my gun and go drive down the freeway now ...
1) well-seasoned squash VS a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass
Let's be fair. How about we slap a piece of rotting squash on your plate? When you make a fair comparison your points may be better received. This is then followed by generalizing that people "brainwash" their children into eating meat. If this is the case, why did humans ever turn to eating meat? If one studies human history it is found that modern human intelligence exploded shortly after humans turned to a high protein diet derived from... MEAT!
2) I'm sorry that the smell of bacon makes you sad. You know what makes me sad? The gas given off by vegetarians/vegans. It's far from pleasant! Crusade for changes where the animals are housed. Or, don't. I suspect living conditions is a very small point to a group who would prefer to see all humans stop eating meat. I mean... If the animals were suddenly living the best lifestyle possible would this crusade to stop eating meat come to an end? NO!
3) I challenge the idea that anyone can eat meat 'in peace.'
I invite you to my home. I'll eat as much steak in front of you as possible. At the end, as I smoke my cigar and enjoy a drink, you will see the peace that comes over me. Do you parade yourself each day in clothes made by low wage labor? What about those greens you're eating? Do you feel at peace knowing what you do about immigrant workers in the fields picking your vegetables? Or, that those fields now take up land once called home by wildlife?
"Rainforests are being leveled to create grazing land."
- also being cleared to grow crops!
"Also, factory farm run-off – yes I’m talking about all that animal waste – is creating a run-off pollution crisis that is threatening our rivers and oceans."
- Lest we forget so soon, how many salad/spinach, etc. recalls were there? I'm sure you believe that the fertilizers and pesticides used for your veggies don't present much of a "run-off pollution crisis"... Do some research on the Salton Sea and what agriculture can do to its surroundings.
"Finally, there’s world hunger: the greatest health risk on the planet. There are almost a billion hungry people in this world. About one in seven humans do not get enough food."
- Political factors make distribution of food to those who need it nearly impossible. It has nothing to do with food being unavailable.
"A lactating cow will consume every year almost six tons of forage dry matter, over 100 bushels of corn, 1,400 pounds of protein supplement, and 225 pounds of mineral/salt. You do the math.
We could eliminate world hunger if, instead of concentrating all that food into meat, we fed it directly to starving people."
- See previous... the food to feed the hungry is all over the place. The means to get it to those people does not. By the by, a lot of the grain fed to cattle is not grain humans can consume. There are many different types of corn. We're not the five-stomached cows you are vilifying.
4) "If huge amounts of protein were the key to perfect health, America would be the healthiest nation on earth because we eat a lot more meat than people in most other countries."
- Did you do any research into this? You only focus on protein consumption but leave out all the fats that are the true issue. Reduce fat consumption and you gain less weight. If protein alone causes obesity I challenge to only drink protein drinks morning, noon and night. Let's see how much weight you gain!
"Just in terms of common sense, look at a horse. It eats grass and hay and is extremely muscular and fast. We like to say, 'eat around the animal.'"
- I'd like to point out that I've never seen a skinny horse that wasn't malnourished and likewise for cattle or pretty much ANY animal on a strictly vegetarian diet. On the other end, it's rare you see a fat lion, cheetah, or other meat eater.
5) True, you can find something new by going outside of your comfort zone. Doesn't mean you have to give up meat!
In the end, you've failed to provide any sort of convinving arguement by making invalid or overly general claims. If you're going to argue for your cause, have specific points.
1 – I see your point and it isn't really a fair framing.
2 – haha! Pffft! Guilty as charged.
3 – "The catchall" Go ahead eat your meat in peace. Many more crops do go into food animals than directly into humans. Uh, cows are not made to eat corn (http://www.news.cornell.edu/chronicle/98/9.17.98/cattle_feeding.html), it causes an increase in E. Coli production. When they eat grass, as they are supposed to, they actually have more Omega-3 in their flesh, so we could stop eating so many fishes, but that's a side issue. Show me a spinach with E. Coli contamination and I'll show you a corn-fed cow farm just up the road with a river of waste contaminating the water supply. And once again that you are overlooking, as many omnis do, the fact that somewhere between 8-16 pounds of plant protein goes into a vegetarian animal to get ONE pound of protein (flesh) out. This obviously uses way more plants/chopped up field mice/pesticides/phosphates than if you were just to absolutely stuff yourself with vegetation each day. And maybe destroys more Salton Seas too.
4) I point to the book: The China Study. It talks specifically about animal protein, especially in diary that contributes to disease, including cancer. Wanna see a fat lion? Youtube "fat lion at the zoo". Hmm, maybe the issue is a little more complex?
5) Agreed, you're not convinced.
If God wanted me to eat vegetables, he wouldn't have made me out of meat.
What this author fails to mention is cost of producing vegetables. She fails to mention the vast dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico (prior to the oil spill) and the Chesapeake Bay that are directly a result of the fertilyzers that the farmers use to pruduce sucessful crop yields and the pesticides that are used to prevent crop loss to pests. Also the cost of shipping the vegetables from the location that they are grown to the location that they are sold. Does she think that the people who live in the cities of the north have developed a magical way to grow vegetables during the snow and in the winter. I challenge her to eat only locally grown, seasonally available native food and see if she remains healthy. The vast network of transportation used to ship crops are slowly causing just as much global warming as the tasty, tasty animals. As for the condition of the animals being used to feed us as long as the 'farm' is keeping up with the current required standards of care I have no problem with them being treated like the future food that they are and not the family farm pet that she thinks they should be treated like. Also according to the author its the eating of meat that is causing obesity in America and not the vast amounts of cupcakes, twinkies, soda pop and other junk food that a majority of people eat on a regular basis. So good news people you can eat all the twinkies you want and not get fat as long as you are a vegetarian. As for your morons that are up in arms about our removal from where our meat comes from and sentient life of plants vs animals . . . I have seen meat packing plants, and butchers. I can and will kill, butcher and eat my own meat if necessary and not be bothered but I see no reason to when we have so many folks willing to do it for me and put it into and nice clean little package for me to buy . . . also sentient or not we all share the same energy and are tied into the same web. Without the sentient beings to eat and disburse the seeds the plants would die and without the plants we would all die so to be honest I equate killing a baby cow for its TASTY TASTY veal on the same level of a carrot being pulled from the ground. Either way you are killing the life energy of a living thing. After all this talk I think I might go grill up some veal and bacon. Your vegetarians can enjoy munching on your rotting plant matter.
The thing vegetarians can't seem to understand is that Americans are over consuming meat – BECAUSE IT TASTES SO DAMN GOOD! And that is why you will NEVER convince the majority of people to stop eating meat.
Jazzpianist, good point. It works for me.
Hey Plants have feelings too. How would you like to be eaten alive. I can hear the screams coming from every salad bowl.
Since there seems to be such a ridiculous number of arguments being used by the veggie camp based on incomplete science, I'll try to straighten things out a bit. Here are some points I've seen made in previous comments, and a breakdown of how truthful they are:
1. Fiber is good for you. This is true. But why is it good for you? Because you CANNOT digest it, it is able to reach your colon and promote healthy bowel movements, etc. Therefore the argument that we are evolutionarily designed to be herbivorous is clearly false. Mammals that are evolved to survive on plant matter only generally fall into the category of ruminants, which humans are NOT.
2. Vegetarians/Vegans are more evolved. Entirely false. The reason people have a preference for fatty foods (sales of fast food are more than enough proof that people do indeed generally hold this preference ) is entirely evolutionary. When food was scarce in the time of our ancestors, natural selection had a much stronger impact on the gene pool than it does today (technology and modern medicine have negated many selective pressures on the human race). People today hold the preference for fatty foods because the early humans with the highest degree of evolutionary fitness (for the non-scientists out there, this essentially boils down to an individual's ability to produce viable offspring relative to other members of its population) were those who were genetically predisposed to like the taste of fat, which is much more energy-dense (more calories per gram) than carbohydrates or proteins. Those individuals who sought out foods with high lipid content (this would have been primarily meat or seeds/nuts) obtained more energy from their food and were more likely to survive and pass on their genes. Since the ultimate effect of evolution is to improve a species' ability to survive, we can therefore rule out evolution as a source of vegetarianism. In fact, vegetarianism is a luxury made possible by the artificially high availability of energy-rich vegetables such as corn, beans, and potatoes that has been created by modern agriculture.
3. Factory farming is bad. I actually agree entirely with this one. However many of those in the veggie camp fail to note (most likely from an understandable lack of experience based on their dietary choice) that the most flavorful and most sought after meats are those that come from much better living conditions. The most expensive beef (Kobe) comes from cows who lead lives better than most humans get to enjoy (massages every day? yes please!). To express my personal opinion as a meat-lover, I would be perfectly happy to eat less meat, if that meat were of a higher quality, and I am sure many others would agree with me.
4. Children are brainwashed into liking meat, etc. To be honest, I don't even understand how someone could arrive at this conclusion. How much more to we hear "Eat your veggies" as children than "Eat your meat?" Much more. This goes back to the evolutionary preference for energy-dense foods.
5. "Rotting carcass" and other usage of creative adjectives. This is a very transparent attempt to make meat sound unappetizing. Nobody who isn't on the brink of starvation (I refer to American society, I am aware that some cultures do have dishes in which meat is intentionally rotted) would willingly eat rotting meat. All food, and indeed all biological matter is decaying at some rate, but we find rotting meat no more appetizing than a rotting tomato in the garden. In both meat and vegetables, the fresher the better.
6. You should feel guilt about eating an animal. This is FALSE, guilt is entirely based on your own moral code. Personally, I feel guilty about leaving a steak uneaten.
7. Meat is bad for the planet. Okay, maybe it is. Then again, pretty much everything that modern society does is bad for the planet. Phosphate runoff from fertilizer causes dead-zones in the ocean, so vegetables don't get a free pass here either.
8. Someone tried to say that AIDS was a result of eating monkeys infected with SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus, the progenitor to HIV). This is highly unlikely, as the necessary cellular receptors for HIV cellular entry are not found in the digestive tract. Getting the SIV/HIV virus from ingestion of bodily fluids would require an open passage to the bloodstream within the digestive tract. While this is possible via ulcers, it is far more likely that the transmission would initially occur via an open wound on the hunter's skin coming into contact with infected monkey blood.
9. Meat makes you fat. No, not eating a reasonably balanced diet and not exercising at all makes you fat. Don't blame the meat.
10. You're ignorant because you eat meat/I'm better than you because I do not. The funny thing about ignorance is that we're all programmed to think that those who don't agree with us are ignorant and/or idiots. If you don't believe me, go read the comments in any article about politics. That being said, no, I do not believe that I am ignorant, or that you are smarter than me. I'm a cancer research scientist, what are you?
Were you impressed when you read that last sentence? Of course not! Nobody is ever impressed by talk on the internet, and nobody ever will be! The bottom line is, nobody's opinion is going to change because of your comment, and I have no expectation that my comment will convert any vegetarians. I just hope that people will stop using incomplete science and half-truths to preach vegetarianism. If you've decided not to eat meat, I respect your decision, but its a personal choice, nothing more. Don't try to convince anyone else otherwise.
I'm a vegan and I don't want to eat animal products, and other than any bent toward eating meat, I mostly agree with your comments. Especially the ones that point out the holier-than-thou arguments. I dislike them too. I will point out, once again though, that you are overlooking, as many omnis do, the fact that somewhere between 8-16 pounds of plant protein goes into a vegetarian animal to get ONE pound of protein (flesh) out. This obviously uses way more plants/chopped up field mice/pesticides/phosphates than if you were just to absolutely stuff yourself with vegetation each day.
Glad to get a well thought out response. I am aware that a tremendous amount of plant matter goes into each cow, however if I am to compare the enjoyment that I would gain from eating the equivalent amounts of food, the meat comes out on top for me. In terms of pure efficiency, the plants would certainly be superior, but I have no inclination to pretend that I'm not primarily concerned with enjoying my food. I consider myself to be very fortunate to live in the first society in history to actually be able to eat itself to death, and am aware that it is certainly a luxury to be able to choose more meat. In response to the point about phosphates, I would contend that whether the plants are eaten by the cow or by me directly, the same amount of fertilizer will be used. Pesticides are definitely a problem since they are amplified in concentration as you move up the food chain, and though I'd prefer not to ingest too many chemicals, I'm pretty sure that ship has sailed long ago :( And with regards to chopped up field mice....to be honest I would probably be willing to eat a mouse if I was allowed to prepare it properly, I'm pretty adventurous with foods.
Also, I'm not trying to argue that somebody SHOULD eat meat, I'm just trying to point out some arguments that really aren't valid to use against meat consumption. I respect those who can do/are willing to do something that I won't do myself, and vegetarianism/veganism falls into that category. Only the holier-than-thou types that you mentioned lose that respect in my eyes.
I agree also it's nice to see someone thinking and not just slinging names. What's not to respect? :)
Also I couldn't help but notice your comment below about E. coli. While I'm not familiar with that specific study, I would note that E. coli is actually not a harmful bacterium and occurs naturally in the human digestive tract. E. coli becomes dangerous when it acquires a specific set of genes (called a pathogenicity island) that allow it to create toxins, resulting in the dangerous strains ie. O157:H7. Those virulence genes won't come into being on their own (thankfully), so there has to be a pre-existing source in the bacterial population. Expressing those genes actually decreases the fitness of E. coli, since it is actually in the bacterium's best interest that its host stays alive. That being said, I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that more E. coli necessarily means that they are the harmful strains. However, I have admittedly not read the results of that study in regards to the composition of the bacterial population, so you may be right. I simply warn against reading too much into any scientific result that isn't extremely specific.
Couldn't help but go look over the article, I hadn't considered acid-resistance, which certainly strengthens your point.
I really don't care if people are vegitarians, I don't care if they are Vegan, I do care when they believe animals have more rights than humans. God gave us dominion over the rest and as such we should exercise good judgement of management and husbandry and keep the creatures in good health so we can harvest them accordingly.
I don't agree with you, but I know we will agree to disagree at best. I would just like to point out something that we _might_ agree on: factory farming is not equal to "good judgment of management and husbandry". We don't keep the creatures in good health as more and more farming becomes corporate. They are very cruel conditions, actually. Family farms may be considered humane; they at least were just as hard on the humans running them as they were on the animals. ;) But things are different in corporate farming, which is most farming in this country today.
This discussion is hilarious, its amazing how heated people get as they get defensive and start pointing fingers at each other. I am actually a vegetarian, but not for any moral/political reasons, just because over time my taste buds simply changed and I don't enjoy meat/chicken or seafood anymore, mostly its texture kinda grosses me out. Well a lot of people get grossed out by many things others eat, like tofu still kinda grosses me out, so let it be. But I also know that if everybody ate as much meat as the average american, we could not provide for even half of the planet's population. So I guess someone has to make sacrifices. Fine with me. The bottom line is, even my science books tell me that a vegetarian diet is more efficient that a carnivore diet. When you eat a cow, for instance, you have to digest the cow itself first in order to digest the things it ate, like grass, or any other plants animals eat! So eating those plants directly simply saves you energy on your metabolism, you don't have to digest extra. That being said, I'm not a hater on meat. I have plenty of friends that eat steak, bacon, pork and what not, and when I go out to dinner with them I don't preach to them. I also don't preach to people smoking cigarettes although they are essentially killing themselves, hey I used to be one of those idiots. It's your life, do/eat/smoke what you wish. Just because you're a vegetarian doesn't mean you eat healthy – hello french fries!! Or alcoholic beverages for that matter. Just remember that what you put in your body is more important than you might think. Everything in moderation, preferably with the best quality you can afford. You wouldn't be putting shitty 87 oil in your brand new Infinity, so treat your body right! You are what you eat!!!
The human body is not designed for a vegetable only diet. Like it or not, we are carnivores, period...
It's so stupid when vegetarians refer to eating meat as eating "rotting carcasses". I hear this all the time from them. The steak on my dinner plate is not rotting meat. People who say that are being highly over dramatic.
Also the comment Jane made about children naturally shunning the taste of meat is COMPLETE B.S.!!! She totally made that crap up.
this just reminded me that quail season starts here in Arizona today. i'm gonna fill my freezer with tasty birds later on this morning.
I eat lots of vegetables because I grow them. Nothing is more satisfactory than zucchini and squash sauteed in garlic and olive oil, brown rice, a salad and nice steak or fresh fish. I wish I lived on property zoned for livestock. I'd "grow" them too.
I agree with her. .It is OK to eat some meat. But the focus on a full meat diet stresses not only your body, but the environment as well. How many people really need so much meat and so much muscle? Most of the time, all the protein ends up in the wrong places and stresses the body. Also, just going by taste and salivation is just being an animal. Where is your intellect that makes you human? Horses and cows have more intellect.
Don't you feel like there is a dead person on your plate and you are eating him/her.
A lot of crazy people posting here, I feel sorry for you all.
Look into a mirror and feel sorry for who you see there, you condescending person.
Mario,
One of the results of the advancing economies in the East is an increased consumption of meat. Guess their healthy diets were not entirely voluntary. Also on the icrease are all the illnesses that seem to come with it. But then again those illness might also be attributable to having more time to spend in front of HD TV. I agree that it is unfortunate that CNN chose this particular person to state the case for being vegetarian. But moderate opinions seldom get much press.
Yes, adult onset diabetes is on the rise in China as the western diet and lifestyle moves in. I read 90 MILLION diabetics in China. Hard to believe, isn't it? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8587032.stm
It's too bad that they aren't putting Sodium Floride in their water. I heard that that can reverse the effects of diabetes if you drink enough of it. My dentist told me that (sarcastic)
I do often wonder if vegetarians think about all the small animals that are ground up and squashed by cultivation equipment as their vegetables are processed.
But we don't wonder whether you think about how many more rodents get ground up feeding the enormous quantities of vegetation your vegetarian meat animals consume. We know you don't!
Perhaps. However, I firmly believe that if there is one thing that humankind has done to truly hurt this planet and ourselves, it was to invent farming and cultivation. Since civilization is now so firmly based on it, I doubt anything can be done about it, but I don't think most vegetarians realize the true negative impact that agriculture had and still has on our planet. I actually feel guilty eating ANY food humans mass-produce for that reason. I still eat it, I guess I'm a hypocrite, but if everything is bad I guess I might as well enjoy what i eat.
Well, we must eat (and contribute to global warming using these huge data centers) in order to post our world-changing views on eatocracy. :) So take heart Shayl and do your best.
CNN, your trusted source for FAIR and BALANCED news.
/sarcasm
Meat is important to be healthy, look healthy, and be vibrant. Especially for body builders and athletes. Notice in her picture she has some bad wrinkles and veins popping out of her hands begging for some real food.
Vegetarians and vegans are OK...but they should not preach it like it's some sort of evangelism. Get right with yourself first.
Nope! I will post this link again: http://veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bios. I don't know if you are old enough to remember Edwin Moses and Carl Lewis but they are just two world-class vegetarian/vegan athletes.
Matthew: In contrast to Amanda's lecture on the anthropological structure of the human race, I agree that there needs to be "a middle ground" . While not everyone is fortunate enough to own property on which they can hunt, there are livestock producers that raise animals in a very humane manner. Simply put, it's called "free range" where livestock is allowed to graze in open space or in large pens. While that should quiet those with cruelty concerns it won't address those with "ethics" concerns. Some of us just don't feel it is egregious to eat meat. Especially a rare steak.
My girlfriend is vegetarian and thank god that she's not like this woman. Velez-Mitchell gives vegans and vegetarians a bad name by being one of those arrogant, holier-than-thou activists.
You're not winning anyone to your side, lady.
Also, organic farming techniques would kill millions of people. The crop yield per acre is too low, there isn't enough arable land on Earth to feed everyone using organic techniques.
And I've also noticed that one of the surest ways to spot a fool who is speaking out of their hindquarters is if they use the word "sheople/sheeple". The only people I've ever heard use that word are loon-bag conspiracy theorists.
So if we can't support our population size with natural food, what is the next step in fixing this crisis?
We're already several steps into solutions. Modern farming techniques have allowed human population to escalate to incredible numbers. Farming techniques and specially bred crops (through selective crop breeding or genetic manipulation) are constantly being improved upon. The real challenge is getting these techniques and technologies to the nations that don't have them yet.
Half of us could move to that new planet we just found, lol! Or just find another one that sounds more feasible to get to...
Honestly, nature has only ever had one way of fixing overpopulation, and I don't like it much. We have our own fix, and I don't like it much, either.
There are just way too many of us right now. We need a few discoveries to happen and some breakthroughs in science/engineering...
I usually can spot the loon bags although I have never seen a loon nor a loon in a bag nor a bag for a loon. You are right "sheeple" is so politically incorrect. We should now officially refer to 'them' as "informationally challenged" or how about use the term "intellectually incapacitated." As for the conspiracy theorists most of those that I have met have been right on when the facts are laid on the table. For example, you would have to be a total loon bag to think that L.H. Oswald assassinated Kennedy by himself. Or how about those loon bags that used to think that there was a group called the bilderberg group. Oh thats right they were right on that time too. The bilderberg group actually 'came out of the closet' and now even have an official website. You must be referring to that group of architects and engineers with 25,000 years of combined building experience that claims to have proof that the world trade center was a controlled demolition. Now thats a crazy thought there. Real nutcases. Even though I have never built anything larger than a wooden deck for a patio – I with all my less than two days building experience and no civil engineering degree could possibly believe that the world trade center was a controlled demolition. It's a good thing that there isn't like some pillars in georgia that talk about reducing the world's population down to 500,000,000 from six billion. Cause then I would really have to give some credibility to a few of the conspiracy theories.
I thought the first response was pretty good, but as soon as she started using the same tired arguments I was lost. If only we knew the truth (about factory farms and the treatment of animals)? Is that really enough to make people go vegetarian? The really annoying thing about that argument is that I know about factory farms and the treatment of animals, the suffering they go through and the inhumane treatment at the slaughterhouse. But I still eat meat. This is where you lose the most people, missing the fact that there is apparently something else at play, and those of us who still eat meat just roll our eyes. My life partners are both vegan, but I eat meat. They avoid eating meat because they say the eating of meat makes them feel guilty, but they call me their meat-eater. My friend's wife eats vegetarian and will have sushi and no other meat, but she will still gladly prepare a big, thick steak for her partner.
There are no reasonable arguments for adopting veganism over being omnivorous; there are only appeals to human emotion.
Beans and oats do NOT give protein calories like meat. At best you can maintain a sub-sufficient mass to carry out daily life. Proof is in your demographic. Vegans are skinny, near emaciated, lethargic zombies. There's NO diet that can build muscle anywhere close to meat-eaters. You suffer deficiencies from iron, zinc, B12, calcium, vitamin D, long chain n-3 fatty acids (omega-3), iodine and others.
the horse argument is weak at best. horses are muscular because, well, they are horses and their physiology is quite different from ours.
So wrong. All nutrients humans need to thrive can be found in the non-animal kingdoms. I have posted sources of all the nutrients you list in the MD/PhD thread. If you want to see proof of veggie protein power, check this out: http://veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bios
Roger, you miss the point. Just because you CAN get the nutrients doesn't mean it's PRACTICAL from a clinician's standpoint. We can't get our patients to eat a balanced diet that includes meat, which is basically like a superfood in terms of the amount and array of essential nutrients it provides, how would you expect us to responsibly recommend vegetarian/veganism to those patients?
More power to you for your dedication and responsibility to a lifestyle, but recognize that it is your serious dedication which makes it possible, and no amount of pressuring by a doctor will ever instill that in the vast majority of patients.
Why don't you ask Dr. Dean Ornish how he does it? Or maybe Dr. Michael Greger?
wow, bravo Jane velez mitchell! i did not expect that. i woke up last week and read 5 reasons to not be a vegetarian and thought it was a joke. it was a waste of a post and i couldn't believe it was on the news. this hit it on nail, it's time for Sheople to wake up, it's time for a paradigm change. i have been an organic vegan for a year and half and cannot begin to tell you the amazing changes in my life. we have been brainwashed people, it's time for a change, it's time to evolve because if we are not evolving we are dying. wake up sheople, wake up.
I feel like the biggest issue that many vegetarians and vegans have about eating meat is eating factory-farmed meat (which is almost all of the meat that most of us eat). The conditions of the factory farms are horrible, for both the animals and the workers involved. If you care anything about animals then of course this is going to bother you and encourage you to eat a more vegetarian/vegan diet or to eat meat that doesn't come from a factory farm. Because these factory farms also have been proven to contribute more to pollution than any other sector, if you care about the environment at all then it seems reasonable that you might make this decision as well. But seeing as most of the authors of the comments I read on here have made it abundantly clear that they don't care about either of thes things...I encourage you to look at the workers, who are frequently injured, paid very little, and are also mistreated. If you care about human rights then it is hypocritcial to support factory farms. End of story. If you're still not convinced, because of the stress, malnutrition, and general sheer hell the animals are forced to endure, the quality of the meat is greatly diminished as far as taste and nutrition. Factory farms produce UNHEALTHY animals. If you feel comfortable putting them in your body, then by all means, please continue. But for these (and MANY other) reasons, people shouldn't support factory farms. That's why I'm a vegetarian, and why many other vegetarians/vegans decided to make the switch. People polarize this argument, and turn it into something much more black and white than it is. There are valid points for eating meat and for not eating meat, but we should all be able to agree that supporting factory farms is immoral and illogical, And is a valid reason to be a vegetarian or vegan.
Well said!
Ok, so reasons #1 through 3 she lists for being a vegetarian are because she feels guilty. Well, I don't. She whines about how a steak is just some animal's rotting carcass. That's great. Most of the plants we eat are the seeds. That's right folks, we eat plant fetuses. And those plants that we eat parts of other than the seed? It's still dead and rotting, just like the animal flesh. Further, with modern farming techniques, animals get killed as we harvest plants, too.
Every morality based reason for being a vegetarian is a personal choice. Some people feel it is immoral to keep animals as pets, should I turn my cat out, too?
As for health reasons, meat is part of a healthy diet. Yes, people do tend to overindulge (guilty). But it is no coincidence that many vegetarians are anemically thin and that many of them do not properly recover from injuries. The body needs nutrients found in meats that are not found in plants in practical quantity.
One of the things that boggles my mind is that vegetarians are always trying to find ways to make their food taste like meat. Really? Than why be a vegetarian at all? Eating meat is an instinct, not eating meat is a choice. No one is under any obligatin to make that choice. And making that choice does not make a vegetarian in any way superior to a non-vegetarian.
Why are you confused by the fact that many vegetarian foods try to emulate meat? Most vegetarians/vegans do so for moral reasons, not because they don't like the taste. And many of us grew up eating meat, so yes we are used to having that taste as part of our diet. Also, yes if vegetarians ate only plants then it would be hard to maintain a healthy diet. However, there are plenty of meat substitutes that provide plenty of protein. So if you throw in a mutlivitamin and some vegan omega-3 pills and you're all set.
Yes, animals are killed accidentally as part of harvesting techniques. Do vegetarians say we can save every animal on the planet? No. We are trying to lessen our impact. And your plant fetus comment is too ignorant to even address.
Ignorant, is it? Ok, smart-guy, what do seeds grow into? What does a human fetus grow into? Holy crap, look at that! It is no coincidence that many of the sexual and developmental terms used in science to describe animal and plant reproduction are the same. In the spring when you see tree polen accumulate all over the place? Guess what, that's tree semen! I'm dead serious, look it up.
I love animals....they're delicious!
Mario, I suppose you're right. I only liked meat smothered with salt and sauce. Guess I never really liked it to begin with. My humble suggest would be that everyone ought to give a vegetarian diet a try. You might find you were really just hooked on ketchup all those years.
The closest I have personally come to how you and other vegetarians eat was when I was in Korea for a while. I ate mostly at local restaurants. They eat a lot of vegetables in their diet, some meat, and very little carbs (it was usually in the form of a very small bowl of white rice, lol). I didn't like the taste at first, but my body felt a lot healthier.
After a few years, I reflected on that time again and decided to make it a normal thing to increase my vegetable and berry intake(learning about berries was another experience I learned about). I have experienced the value of a higher consumption of plant life, but the absence of meat from my diet has caused negative reaction in my body in the past.
People should have to do their own killing like in the old days. We would eat less meat and have more respect for animals and hunters.
Couldn't even finish reading her answer to the second question. I am an omnivore and I love both vegetables and certain types of meat. When someone uses terms like rotting carcass and unimaginable hell then they are arguing from the heart and not the head. They are trying to appeal to my amygdala and make me feel bad for treating animals cruelly. I loose all respect for people who look down on me and think I am a horrible person for my 2 pieces of bacon in the morning. I will listen to someone who will make arguments on the taste and the healthiness of vegetarianism vs. meat-eaters. But I will not entertain arguments from someone who thinks of me a a second class citizen. Chef Tim made the case I am talking about..."holier-than-thou types"....let us eat in peace. CNN...next time choose someone who brings intellectual debate to the table instead of someone who just puts down and rejects what the other person is saying. She did not once bring up the health benefits of being vegetarian. She only brought up the health benefits of NOT being a meat eater. Horrible argument.
"She did not once bring up the health benefits of being vegetarian. She only brought up the health benefits of NOT being a meat eater. Horrible argument." NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. Excellent point. I support better management of our meat production and the lifestyles of vegetarianism/vegan. However, you are the only one who brought out that problem in a way that is logical. I friggin' love you right now!
Logical thinking should survive...if that was only the case.
PS Love you too amanda! ;)
The Food Chain works by the predator eating prey within their element or environment. This is also known as survival of the fittest. The prey gets to spend their life as it was intended to be, not cooped up in cage under foul conditions that possibly in the near future will raise some flags and change how we massively handle meat. In all fairness, if we eat meat, the animal should be in their environment and trapped in a cage. This was the way the food chain was meant to work. Our great ancestors rapidly evolved into what we are today just by doing it the way the rest of the animal kingdom does it. Our species requires us to eat meat because we have yet to find a syndicated replacement that provides us with all the benefits meat gives us. I fear the worst if we continue treating animals this way and eating garbage meat from mass production. For now I eat vegetables and meat that is 100% from it's element (hunting).
sorry, I meant in their element and not trapped in a cage.
See reason #3.
Neither are very convincing arguments. They both come across a little... fringe. Besides, what happened to a balanced diet? They both act like its all or nothing. Humans evolved to eat all kinds of things, including meat and vegetables. IMO, there's nothing like a Steak with a side of Broccoli and rice preceded by a fresh salad.
Excellent points Amanda. Well said.
Matthew, is it about fairness? I don't believe so. It's about equal choice. I won't get on the bandwagon about what choices animals have regardless of how they are killed. My husband is a hunter although he has not hunted since we met. I never asked him to stop nor did I judge him for hunting. I believe it's mostly as Jen stated, it's mostly about disconnection and it sounds as if you are connected Matthew, you are considering your choices. I have a dear friend who hunted for 50 years. One day he looked through the scope of his gun at the buck he was intending to shoot and could not pull the trigger. He put down his gun and never hunted again. He is a natural photographer ~ all the years of observing wildlife in their natural habitat. He told me he's never been happier shooting animals that with his camera. It's a story I've never forgotten.
Beautiful :).
What a beautiful bedtime story.
I quit eating meat after reading a book by Anthony Robbins. After a short time of staying off the stuff I came to realize that it smells of bile and rotting flesh. That's why they have to put all that sauce all over it to make it bearable to eat. I still go to steak houses when social events require it. I just eat the salad. I don't tell anyone else what they should eat, or why I don't want to eat it. It's a bit of leap to become a vegetarian, but once you've crossed over to the light your simply don't want to go back. And to keep myself honest I eat a bit of bacon now and then.
Hmmm..... I've never put any sauce on my steak, other then to try and see why others did. Usually having to put sauce on a steak is a sign of poor cooking. I have seen American's other then myself put sauce on meats, but I never understood it fully. It always came out too sweet or too salty for me. It ruined the taste. As far as meat smelling bile, maybe the meat really was old. There is a certain science that comes with picking meat out, including poking, looking for color, and of course, smelling. If it smells bad, it probably is bad.
It smells like bile? It's all in your head. The vegetarian argument is typically psychological, as much the strictly carnivorous attitude is usually dumb and ill-informed. In my book, all food that is delicious to ME, vegetable and animal is, by default, delicious, and as such, the way for me to go.
One man's 'bile' is another man's olfactory nirvana. What does bile even smell like anyway? If it smells like a medium seared ribeye, I guess I'll blow the froth off a fresh mug of bile to go with my next meal. LOL.
Hunter gathers did a lot more gathering than hunting (or catching i should say). They didn't feel bad for the animals, but they probably respected them a lot more. The meat industry is not instinct. The real irony is that I am driving to five guys as I text this ;)
What. the. hell. I was hoping to get some insight from this article about why a vegetarian diet would be more healthy, and instead I am confronted by some fanatic's idea of morals.
I suppose lions are going to hell for eating gazelles. Some bozo in here said that all animals are equal, including humans!!! Well then why is it ok for a snake to eat a mouse, but I can't have a burger!?!
Ridiculous. Have a factual argument and I'll start listening.
I understand your frustration, but she never said you can not eat a burger- she said it's bad for the planet, unsustainable for the population, and ultimately bad for you that 6 billion burgers get eaten. Make a little more sense? On the side, you should check out the "vegetarians taste better" campaign. ;)
Ok, how about the fact that we are far more intelligent and capable of reasoning (moral, logical, etc) than other animals such as the snake and lion you mention, which act primarily based on instinct. They need to do that to survive. What's your excuse? Are you claiming to be as enslaved by your historic primal urges as one of these animals? You have the ability to think about your options and to choose to consume vegetarian food rather than killing an animal for a cheeseburger. Yet you voluntarily choose to still eat the burger assumably because you like the taste. This is specifically what incriminates consumption of meat by humans over consumption of meat by "lower" animals.
Im not going for the big arguments concerning what is more precious (animals or cognitive animals), etc. What I am saying is that to kill an animal for food is not bad. It is a part of our genome to do so for survival in certain regions for adaptation purposes. Northern, marginalized cultures still eat primarily nothing but seals that they personally kill as frequently as necessary to survive in that climate. However, I live in an industrialized, first world country. I have a choice to run for a burger, or take the time to eat in a way that demands higher levels of quality as opposed to brutal quantity. I think that is a thing to be supported more often. I don't have a problem with a family buying free range cattle meat from the market with zero hormones because it will last them a week by freezing and thawing proportions– I'm saying we are not capable of continuing the demand for fast food, filler garbage. It's not good for us to eat, and it's not necessary for us as a culture to promote anymore- even if you really want to.
I am going to try to find a middle ground here. The way that animals are treated and kept in these “farming” facilities is quite horrendous so I see why people would have a problem with it. In most cases however, these same people have a problem with hunting to obtain meat which is totally different. My family and I have only eaten the meat that we have harvested with our own hands by hunting animals on my families land. I do not find this cruel in the least, and I think it is fair to say that killing a free animal for food is not cruel. I am highly interested what others may think though. Is this type of meat eating practice fair to the vegetarian community? I do not completely abstain from eating meat, but I am getting it from sources that are not condemning animals to torture and disease. Please comment, I would love to see your opinions.
I'm on a strange side of things because I am not a vegetarian. I simply try, consistently, to buy only from producers that ensure the free-range, organic diet and non-hormonal treatment of their animals. I do this because I think it is much healthier for me, and I think the more people invest in these specific farmer's/stores the greater the demand for others to change their practices. As for hunting, I don't have a problem with it- but I'm not necessarily a huge livestock advocate in the first place. If you are not overkilling the nearby herds or going after the most likely to continue the vitality of the group, I have zero problem with hunting your own food. Deer and moose steaks are amazing!!!
Ive been reading your posts. Keep up the good work!
In my college anthropology class, we actually spoke extensively about food-getting techniques in different cultures as it is one of the most basic universal needs all humans have and can relate to on some level. Apparently, we have only been a species of non-foragers for approximately 10,000 years. That is not a long time to adjust, for us or the planet. Due to the extreme upswing in demand for processed food stocked in our fridge as opposed to a daily calorie intake/cooperative and community oriented way of life, the collective human race has ultimately gone against its natural needs and appropriate population. Meat was only supposed to account for about 30% of our diet, the rest is meant to be (in most regions of the world) either fish or flora. The fact that we have become so defensive and ultimately addicted so quickly to maintaining the meat industry only means it will get worse. It is an individual choice, but the way demand is going (up and only up), you may do well to adapt before the curve forces you to acculturate and take the loss in a way that hurts later.
An abstract concept such as morality should not be placed in front or interfere with instinct. Lets go back a step to when we humans were hunters and gatherers, I bet we felt really bad for killing all those animals to survive, not.
As time has led to this moment, we humans have the ability to reflect on what we perceive, something that separates man from every other animal. We know that we are going to die some day, an animal doesn't know death until it comes.
Like someone said before, a plant is also a living being. It may not have consciousness or the ability to perceive but it would be a hypocrite of you to call out animal cruelty and not plant cruelty as well.
The woman that posted those 5 reasons can only be called ignorant. Firstly because she doesn't see the 'bigger picture', she lacks perspective on something that cannot simply be attributed to morality, but political systems as whole, an accelerating population, and the fact that she blames meat as the ultimate reason as to why people are so fat in the US.
After reading this I'm in the mood from some flamenons
Jane Velez-Mitchell is on several ridiculous crusades because CNN has given her a pulpit. What difference does it make what one eats and processes through the body? Humane treatment of livestock should always be the goal and is, in my opinion, the only value the article contains. In addition to her seemingly endless rants about animals, she's on a men hating crusade with her "war on women" spew. I am so nauseated by her continuous blame of men whenever there is a crime where the victim is a woman. Is it a coincident that she's a recently avowed lesbian? I don't watch her show any more; I'm sick of being attacked because of my gender.
I am confused as to how the commentator's gender, sexual preference, or other opinions are directly associated with her concerns specifically about the meat industry and subsequent lifestyles that do not believe it is affordable or healthy to maintain. I agree that she is a forceful writer, but she was asked to commentate due to CNN's overwhelming response from her side of the discussion. She did not demand to push any doctrine down someone's throat.
It is curious to see the venom and defensiveness in the comments . . . . . quite the study in humanity . . . like I said, it is an emotional subject. And Jen says it best when she states that "we are so disconnected from our food . . .". I am truly grateful to live in a country we have so much choice. I have made a choice to eat vegan. It's really just that simple for me. Why are we all not celebrating the fact that we are blessed with the freedom to choose????
No kidding... its one more example of the problems we face right now. Someone gives a second opinion about how our culture needs to move beyond this pubescent stage and suddenly everyone's rights are in danger? You just can't have a civil argument anymore without "don't tread on me" completely destroying every opportunity for advancement. My generation (about 25 y/o) need to be held accountable to how this type of situation is getting completely away from us. Don't blame the generation that gave us these problems, blame the guys who don't want us to do ANYTHING ABOUT THEM lol
I wish i could eat meat, sometimes
but i'm restricted health wise to a diet , i try to makethe best i can, oils and sugars ect are tough on my system.
very
but i remember.. gotta enjoy life and there are great substitutes,
music is love
love is god
pitta bread
Who is this Dick Love guy anyway? Is he always a condescending jackass? He reminds me of smokers who ran around blowing carcinogenic smoke in babies faces and telling them to toughen up. I don't care if you eat meat or vegetables, but whatever you do, please don't be a baby seal-beating smarmtool like Dick Love. This guy is the ugliest thing in the whole article.
I LOVED MEAT, but now I'm a vegan because I want to be healthier and live a cruelty free lifestyle. Here's a challenge:
Read the book "Skinny Bitch", and go without eating meat for 30 days. See if you feel better both mentally and physically. After 30 days, go back to eating meat if you like. What's 30 days away from your normal habits going to cost you? Not preaching. Sharing is caring.
Holy molly I feel absolutely no guilt in eating an animal. So thats not a problem for me. Ah meat is good for you provides you with protein needed to help growing minds etc. Your parents ate meat and so did your ancestors. Your only surviving if you go without meat. I'm going to go on until the day I die eating what I enjoy.
In our society today, as in all things, it is about money. No matter where one stands on an issue, the bottom line is always money. Money allows people to survive.
The main reason for the obesity epidemic in our country isn't from eating meat but from over consumption of calories in general, mainly from sugar and "high fructose corn syrup". Soda and liquid sugar are easily digestible and get converted to fat much more easily.
Jane sure out intellctualized Tim. From presidents to chefs, are all people from Texas numbnuts'? Appreciate what you had to say Jane. I've been trying the vegan route, haven't mastered it yet but I'm remaining conscious of animal products in my food.
Indeed she did! I'm still almost baffled by Tim's embarrassing attempt to argue against vegetarianism. Anyway... also considering veganism myself. I suppose I'm basically vegan in practice, but I will consume the occasional dairy product when eating out. Best of luck to you.
"Are all people from Texas numbnuts?" Yes, we are. That is all.
Are all people from california homosexuals? Didnt think so. Lets think before we speak next time. Thanks and Gig Em
I'm from California and I'm a Homosexual
Let's get real here. I am by no meas a vegetarian or commie, though I may be accused of being one after this post. When a vegetarian starts to preach to me, I naturally get defensive about my choice to eat meat. But this isn't simply about eating meat. It is about where our meat comes from. Most people who eat meat probably spend 25-50 seconds a year pondering why we have so much cheap meat that is so readily available (you can purchase a double cheese burger for a dollar without getting out of your car). Some people might have some notion of a family farm of hard working Americans putting steak on our table. Those people are thinking of meat production from the 60 years ago. It is 2010. The industry has been walmartized. I see 12 year olds who look like 16 year olds and I wonder. Probably living off the dollar menu at your local meat/grease shack. Something just doesn't seem natural to me. I don't blame other countries for banning our 'roided up meat (they do). As for the bravado and feeling of manliness wrapped up with eating steak, that was probably formulated by the same people who, ten years ago, convinced us it was every God-fearing Americans' right to own a two-ton SUV. I am not saying don't eat meat, but don't be blind to what's going on because you feel threatened either. I admit there is the matter of cost. Free range, humanely raised, meat may cost a little more, but then again we could stand to eat a little less of it anyway. I taste the difference in the meat I buy at whole foods, compared to the shit they sell at the discount grocery store(savers, stop&shop).
Eating meat is an ENTIRELY separate issue from factory farming. I disagree with the horrendous conditions in most factory farms, but that is not to say eating meat is wrong. There are many humane ways to produce meat (take Chipotle's chicken, for example). Let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater!
Her counterpoints were a bit ridiculous. If she is pro-life, then she wouldn't be eating plants, either. Plants are living things just the same as animals. If she wants the purest for of energy, she should lay out in the sun and try to evolve photovoltaic cells.
In reality, we are omnivores. We have been omnivores throughout time. Our bodies have adapted to this lifestyle and evolved this way. That being said, the environments our farm animals are living in are atrocious. I would wish that on anyone except Bin Laden and pals. There does need to be a revamp on how these animals are prepared for consumption. Just because maggots are nutritious, doesn't mean I'm going to eat one because it lives in an atrocious environment. That same mentality needs to be applied to our farm animal raising. Don't raise animals in shit for me to eat.
I am a meat eater, but I do know the pluses to both sides. I am a realist. I believe in a happy medium and eat lots of vegetables(and as many berries as I can) in my diet as well. There are other, greater factors to our obesity in America.
One of these things is HOW OFTEN you eat. The human body is designed to eat more often then the 3 meals a day. Smaller portions eaten throughout the day is the healthiest way to eat. As far as diet goes, carbs are overrated. We need much less of those, and more vegetables and fruits(especially berries). Eat bread with more grains in it(9 grain, 12 grain). Things like this.
Health cannot be solved by some all exclusive rule. You then ignore other aspects of what makes us human. We also can't forget that we are human and as such, better then treating farm animals in the way we presently do.
"If she is pro-life, then she wouldn't be eating plants, either. Plants are living things just the same as animals."
I'm never quite sure if people are serious when they try to use this argument against vegetarians. You do realize that plants have no nervous system, and thus are not capable of physical or emotional suffering or having desires like the will to live, like we humans do..?
And the "natural omnivore" argument really doesn't fly. I don't give a darn if we evolved by raping and pillaging each other and other species, or if we evolved as gargantuan space-fearing beasts that devoured worlds, if we can survive perfectly healthily while reducing the harm we do to others, then how can not and just go around saying "meh, this is just what we do". We must use our brains and evolve.
Unfortunately for your argument, a nervous system has no bearing on whether something is alive or not. Believe it or not, there are ways of killing things to where they are dead before they feel pain. For example, the proper way to kill a pig is to knock it unconscious first. If you don't do that first step, you contaminate the meat. Whoa... nature has a humane way to eat animals?
Unfortunately, the natural omnivore argument does hold weight because we have EVOLVED by the use of those nutrients. We don't rape and pillage to lead a healthy lifestyle because it has nothing to do with the fuel for our bodies. We do need to eat healthy, though. That means eating our foods in their most natural state, both plant and animal. Think of it in the sense of Yin and Yang. Through balance in diet, we can lead healthier lives.
Every baby born craves dairy.
I think factory farms are deplorable. Yet, I still do enjoy eating meat, eggs and dairy products. But I also choose organic products and I don't eat meat at every meal.
I am lucky to live in a state where organic produce and other products is readily accessible. This is a problem.
Everyone has a right to eat healthy food that doesn't poison our farmers, poison us (due to chemicals, and the factory conditions that cause contamination), and harm the environment (everything that goes into the water, comes back to use somehow).
I hope that one day people will reliable that our current standards are not sustainable in the long run. We are so disconnected from our food, it's actually sad. Organic food/choice is not about hippy values and environmentalists. It's about health, quality and respecting our food and ourselves.
It's interesting to read people's responses as I've been at both sides of the spectrum and my family falls across the meat vs veggie continuum. In some respect, I agree with people who want (and have) the freedom to eat meat, and the other half of me is torn for the US to make one big experiment and try to eat meat only once a week...just to see what happens. I'll never be a bleeding heart vegan or a card caring NRA member, but I would encourage people to just try being vegetarian (outside of your yearly cleanse diet) and record how you react to it. I managed to do it for 7 years, and while I'm back to eating a very limited amount of meat, it changes your perspective on one's own eating habits.
All that said, there are a lot of silly arguments on both sides of the equation, but I would encourage both sides to try to be a little vulnerable and try to hear each other out.
I think both sides represented themselves very poorly. As far as not eating meat for a week, if I don't eat meat for too long, I start getting heart palpitations and anxiety. I also get that feeling you get when you're teething. I'm not sure how long it takes because I've never done it consciously, but I imagine it starts happening after 2 or 3 days. For some reason, eating things like cold cuts in sandwiches(except for roast beef) doesn't really help. When I get like that, it's really only beef that I get the craving for. On another note, If I don't eat vegetables and fruits often enough, I have severe drops in energy. I literally lay down wherever I'm at and take a nap. It almost always lasts 2 to 2.5 hours.
I should probably see a doctor for all these things, lol. Maybe something's wrong with me. Haha
ha, i was praying she had a few Real reasons just to spark my thoughts. 'I get quite sad when i smell bacon lol' lol
I hear that sperm count is way lower in vegans :)
Ahhhh! That's right! It's because vegans are mostly gay or lesbians. Wait! shouldn't the sperm count should be way higher in the gay vegans than the lesbian ones right?
Glad to see you're making such good use of your time here.
Everybody knows Neanderthals were mostly vegetarians and everybody knows Neanderthals aren't around anymore! I Thinks Homosapiens ATE Neanderthals!!!!!! so only time will tell if vegans become extinct, but then again you'd have to believe in evolution and that's another story.
we are living longer than ever as human beings, and we are still eating meat from every other species on this planet, something must be working, right?
Now you got directly to the crux of their issue – "People are bad – Animals are good – Get rid of the People"
Does it still count as being a vegan if the people who make your clothes, build your house, fix/make your car and grow your food eat cute animals? Labor is part of the process.
This is an emotional subject for people (as evidenced by the comments). I appreciate the intelligent debate between Jane and Tim, thank you both. As for the responses . . . most are embarrassingly apathetic . . . at best.
I am vegan and have been for the past 5 years. Before that I was vegetarian for most of my adult life. It's a choice I came to first morally, and then because of my desire for peak health. We are a fat, sick, and emotionally crippled society and it's because of what we put into our mouths. The average American diet consists of very little 'real' food. We refuse to eat whole foods but we will shoot ourselves up with Botox and drink ourselves stupid and then run to the doctor and act all confused when he tells us our arteries are clogged and our liver is toast. I have little hope that we will make intelligent, humane choices about our food and our consumerism before we destroy ourselves completely. It's frightening to think of how rapidly our overall health is declining. We are like, spoiled, undisciplined children that will hurl ourselves to the ground and throw a tantrum if we can't have what we want even though it's bad for us (killing us!). We're not hopeless but we're headed in that direction fast . . . We need to educate ourselves or stay ignorant and die.
"We are a fat, sick, and emotionally crippled society and it's because of what we put into our mouths."
Here we go again – "We're going to tell the government to tell you what's good for you because we know better than you do about what's healthy"
I will give you some credit though – At least you are not apathetic – How does Pathetic sound!
OBTW – You can tell me what to eat as as you can pry my cold dead fingers from the trigger of my assault rifle
ur fcn duuuuum wayn holy craaaaap
Amen
You keep saying "WE", but you are not a part of that category. You mean to say "Ya'll" or "You people" or "Yoose guys". You are no destroying yourself. You are not undisciplined. You are not making bad choices when it comes to food. You are healthy, vibrant, intelligent, an adult, unspoiled, disciplined, and full of hope and will never be hopeless. I'm certain you mean people who eat meat, sugar, and fast food, not you.
First of all, she makes alot more good points than Tim Love, and, I am a meat eater. No doubt some of this type of treatment to animals is hidden from us (the consumer). In eating meat, there is no right and no wrong.....its simply a choice that everyone has a right to make and she is just bringing issues to the table that everyday people don't think about. A good, healthy choice would be to greatly reduce your meat consumption and I'm going to try that myself....so....thank you Jane!
I understand why people would eat meat...tastes like heaven. I just can't wrap my head around the killing machines. So cold...........
That's because it's better warm. Try tossing it on the grill for a bit.
Humans need different forms of protein than horses. Horses can become muscular by eating grass because they are hind-gut fermenters. The bacteria in their cecum converts plants into volatile fatty acids; we can't do that.
As for the gestation-crates, those aren't for meat animals, they're for breeding animals. Mother pigs eat a high percentage of their young. Getting eaten by your mother... how's that for animal rights?
4.4% is not a high percentage.
Have you eaten a higher percentage of your children?
I agree we eat too much meat. I killed an animal the other day with a high caliber rifle. Uhh oh, I just pissed off animal lovers, the anti-gun group, the anti-hunting league, and the meat industry with those two sentences. I helped gut it and cut it up, and I am now eating that meat and will continue to eat the meat that is stored in my freezer. Uhh oh, I just pissed off people who don't like knifes, blood, a rotting corpse, meat and cold places . There was no waste of the meat. Uhh oh, I just pissed off every American because we are all wasteful and I claim to have not wasted. I suggest we build our own houses out of wood. Uhh oh, just pissed off people who love trees. We should find our own water and dig our own wells. Dang, just pissed off everyone again because we're too lazy to do that too. I know I am being sarcastic, and I don't like to see animals suffer either, but the truth is that I don't agree with you your agenda of eating vegetables exclusively, and you probably wish I were dead. Therein lies the difference between us. You're a vegan (and I would offend you if I called you a vegetarian who doesn't use animal products or products developed using animal testing because that doesn't have the same ring to it) who wants me to see things your way, and I am a person who eats fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, AND meat and I respect your opinion. I wish all vegans a good life.
Well said!
But don't worry too much about pissing them off they are just a bunch of fruits, nuts, and flakes
i am a vegetarian. However, the rampage this woman goes on does nothing for the debate. When you attack like this in such an abrasive tone, you immediately turn off those you are trying to sway. I actually agree with just about everything she says, and all these observations at one time informed my own decisions on the matter. However, never would I jump all over someone like this. It accomplished nothing. Much better to lead by example - vegetarianism isn't a religion. it's a choice. I happen to believe it's the right one – based on morality – but I will only convince others of that by gently making them ponder the my decision rather than punching them in the f-ing face. That is, in fact, how we should conduct all the significant debates of our time. "Rallly to Restore Sanity..."
I just quickly scrolled through this mess without reading....can't believe there are this many idiots in the world...WE ARE DOOMED!
No – Just those of you that live in the northeast :)
where did SMART debate Go????
Common people!!! Maybe we are all f-ed Though not likely! BLOOD TYPE!!!! Google it! And Grow Up!
Stop making this an IDENTITY marker which only MAKES ENEMYS!!!
Vegetarians make me laugh. It's like they weren't paying attention in Health class. The four food groups? The food pyramid? Any of these things ring a bell? I'll take my cues from science and nature, rather than deprive myself of things my body needs on a groundless principle that killing animals for food is somehow morally wrong.
"Vegetarians make me laugh. It's like they weren't paying attention in Health class."
lol...I have a degree in biology and have researched vegetarian diets extensively and have lived perfectly healthily without meat. But ok. I'm sure you know better, chief.
Yeah, and I'm the King of Siam. Just because something can be done, doesn't mean that it should be. You can raise a child as a single parent, that doesn't mean it's a good idea. Since you have a "degree in Biology" you are well aware of that vegetarians are far more prone to anemia, infertility, depression, muscle erosion and dental erosion because of their diet.
No, I'm not. Because that's simply not true. You're really going to have to back up your claims with proof, because I've found studies that either contradict what you say or are simply inconclusive. Some link, maybe. "Far more prone"? Hardly. At any rate, not due to a range of different problems with a vegetarian diet but due to lazy or uninformed eaters. I've heard all the nutritional scare tactics in the book regarding vegetarianism. Consistently, almost every single one I have personally researched (out of personal concern/interest) comes up either false, inconclusive, or insignificant.
And of course, I could list all the ailments that meat consumers are "far more prone" to, such as food poisoning, cancers, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc. Let alone the animal welfare, environmental and food crisis issues...
I'll take my doctor's word over yours, Mr. Biology degree.
I hate Vegetarians. For every one piece of meat they refuse, I feel like I have to eat three to make up for it. It's a tough life.
What's even funnier than their diet is their politics – Almost all of them believe in man made global warming – Almost all of them practice some form of hedonistic behavior – Almost all of them are communist – Almost all of them are atheist or at a minimum multi-theists – And almost all of them want to ram their point of view up your meat eating asses or in the author's case...pussey
I F*CKING LOVE VEGETABLES. THEY TASTE SO GOOD WITH MY FULLY COOKED STEAK. Yes, I am an omnivore. Consider my dad. He's almost vegetarian- he eats mostly rice, kimchi and vegetables. But there is the occasion when beef is served- he eats it happily. He has a lot of vegan / meat eating friends, but he doesn't care about anyone's diet, only that they stay healthy. "When I was young, I was lucky to eat even a piece of meat. Now, vegetables is my usual diet, but I will happily eat my occasional half-cooked steak, and nobody can force me not to."-my dad. I myself eat more meat than I should. I love meat. I even ate dogs back in Korea. But, I eat vegetables, and I'm very fit. No high blood pressure/ no illnesses. On the topic of animal cruelty- my family is an "organist", we only eat certified organic foods that 1. meat -we buy from farms in the country (BC), 2. on the case of seafoods- we buy from the fishermen, 3. plants- no chemicals used. (Like Seriously.) I am against excessive animal cruelty- it sucks. Also, it's worth noting that most of this lady's points seem to be made up of anti-animal cruelty instead of other reasons. I accept that other people would like to crap out vegetable sh*t in the toilet rather than meat. But they should accept that I like crapping meat. Yes the meat guy seems a bit ignorant; but the vegan lady is too preachy. Remember the golden rule- treat others as you would like to be treated. Yes, I realize other people may have said this already. You vegans- you can rant on my comment as much as you want- but you won't change my ways, I'm sorry. But I respect your diet. Now people, go eat your favourite food, whether meat or veggies- and stop worrying about this meat/vegetable debate crap.
If they gave a 'Pulitzer Prize for Opinions', I would vote that you get the prize. That was a well written piece of meat.
I found the article to have potential strong points, but they were never realized and some of the stuff she says in her article is incorrect. Namely -we are overweight because of our consumption of soda pop. Studies have shown that there is a a direct connection between the increase in pop consumption and the increase in our waistline. The abuse with animals takes more than not eating meat to stop it. Laws must be changed so that animals are in more humane conditions. Biologically we are omnivores like it or not. We are designed to eat meat, vegetables and grains. A bear is a carnivore that chooses a more vegetarian diet and you can tell this because berries and other non- animal substances that they eat are not digested. It is the same with humans there are some vegetables like corn or nuts that we do not digest well so if a person chooses to eat meat from organic sources or grow them themselves it really is biologically and morally sound.
I like eating meat. I will continue to eat meat. Sorry, that's what animals are for. You do what you want, I will certainly do what I want.
I bet I could make a dress out of chicken skin and I'd let a hunk-de-jour eat it off of me very slowly. OOO-AAHH!
NOT DNA! Blood type. READ up on it! and stop fighting about principals.
This might be the stupidest "defense", and I use that word lightly, of vegetarianism Ive ever seen. A point by point answer would be, well, pointless, because she never said anything of merit.
lol, wow. You either can't read or just wildly dismiss opinions you disagree with without any counterpoint/argumentation of your own. Did you SEE what chef Tim Love wrote in defense of NOT being vegetarian? It was absolutely laughable, childish and thoughtless compared to Jane VM's piece. As is the average comment by meat eaters on this board (not to mention most other discussion forums regarding vegetarianism/veganism).
DAVE i think its time for bed time, now go on do me a favor and go play in traffic for a ittle bit before bed!!!!
Isn't it funny how vegetarians think they're smarter than meat eaters – I bet that they have studies conducted by vegetarians to prove their point.
But of course I never said anything about vegetarians being smarter. But if you've been through enough discussion forums on the matter like I have, certain trends become...apparent. You'll get one thoughtful response for every 10 "lol imma eat 3 animals for every one you don't", "mmm bacon", and "vegetarians are pussies" comments.
LOL....I just scrolled down and saw this by sunisouttogetme:
"I hate Vegetarians. For every one piece of meat they refuse, I feel like I have to eat three to make up for it. It's a tough life."
Don't all rush in to prove my point, fellas :).
Eat what you want, legally (drugs and cannibals). You wanna tell me what to eat?... pay my food bill!
It's in our DNA to eat meat – a strong biological urge to conquer. I'm one of those wierdos who get distressed by seeing abused or tortured animals – not so much humans. The contradiction comes from my salivating over a great T-Bone steak. Sorry – can't give it up. How about extra old cheddar cheese, bacon and eggs or an egg McMuffin. You will never see me visit a slaughter house. I don't want to wreck my protein buzz.
EVER!!!!!!! heard the SOUND of A PLANT Screaming WHILE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!KILL IT?????
Talk about a Stupid. Vegies say ALL Life is Sacred??? BS. KILL ANY THING Means YOU! KIll...
I do not care what happens to the animals before I EAT them, why in the world would i care how well the animals were treated before I killed them and ATE their tasty selves
Sounds about right. Do the gene pool a favour and don't breed.
Save the world dave and sacrifuce yourself for the environment
lol @ "tasty selves". Mmmm....
Last I checked, we are omnivores. We got all the necessary teeth.
She's a pretty hot vegan though. Rare please.
Which teeth are you talking about? The cutters up front for snapping carrots? The grinders in the back for gnashing fiber? Oh, you mean the 'canines', which sort of look like a small version of tiger fangs. Tiger fangs are perfect for tearing into hide and flesh. Your sissy 'canines' are perfect for helping to crack open the tougher skins of fruit. When's the last time you saw a human take down an herbivore with his mouth and claws? lol
By eating animal products humans are eating their way to extinction, not just because of poor health but because of the huge environmental impact of animal agriculture that contributes to global warming. There are too many humans on the planet, and we're consuming more animal products each year The problem is further exacerbated by countries outside of the US, such as China that are adopting a more westernized diet. Yes, humans will be the first species to eat themselves to extinction, not in your lifetime, but in generations to come.
"Greg. It's what's for dinner."
DA! Hope you got your blanky and binkey ... ready for beddy bye?
While you sleep, the adults will be enjoying a rack of ribs and a nice zinfandel. Nitey nite.
I mean really take a look at the picture of this ladies hand, her veins are going to pop right out WTF she has a bad case of the man hand, nasty red rocket muncher!!!!!
Hey Vegans...your tears make my food taste better.
Hey meat eaters .... your stupid comments make me feel smarter.
Ok. You made me say it. Instead of reading all of this stuff just read Genesis chapter 1. If you don't get it – Thou shalt not kill.
O.k you made me say it – Thou shalt not kill is from the ten commandments moses – Exodus 20:2–17[4] and Deuteronomy 5:6–21 not genesis.
Interesting enough what is from genesis is cain and abel – you know the vegetarian cain murdering his brother the shepard abel – Is that the suffering that you want to talk about?
True, but I don't think you can argue that- Jesus ate lamb meat. -Bible. If you're using "thou shalt not kill", from the Bible, to argue against meat eaters, it seems kind of an invalid argument to me.
Edible plants such as fruits and vegetables may have a conciousness but they do not have a central complex nervous system and thus do not feel pain. They are not sentient. The plants are meant for us to eat. We are made from the dust of the Earth assimilated throught the plants. A fruit tree will become very stressed if the fruit is not picked and will simply fall to the ground and rot.
If my only choice was to eat a living animal or die than I would. But first I would have to catch it. It would have had its time on Earth living as its Creator intended than if I were faster than it, it must surrender to the higher more evolved life form. But I do not have to make this choice. I do not have to shorten the life of another to extend my own. I have so many other choices before I take the life of another being. I choose to nourish my body with healthy plant based foods instead of feeding my mouth with whatever I think tastes good. Do no harm, live and let live. Extend this philosphy to the animal kingdom.
Red rocket muncher!!!!!!
For those of you who say humans have eaten meat since the beginning of time remember this .... Once we said humans have had slaves since the beginning of time, or women have never owned property since the beginning of time. We use that excuse to continue all sorts of abuse. Thank God people like Jane Velez-Mitchell can see new possibility and inspire change in the world. Her work inspired me to open my eyes and get real about what is going on behind those doors on the farms. When you see the truth you have complete clarity. Are you too scared to look? Ashamed? Face up. Watch a documentary called Earthlings. Get real about what humans are up to these days
Give me a break. What you just said is completely inaccurate. One doesn't have anything to do with the other.
This is an ages old tactic. First, connect two completely different thing with a shaky thread – the phrase "since time began" in this instance. Second, choose something hideous, scary or embarrassing to represent the opposing position – usually nazis or slavery – so that people will be so horrified, they'll back away from the argument.
Slavery and meat eating has nothing to do with each other. The reason people brought up that humans have been eating meat since forever is because you and others like you tried to say that eating meat was unnatural. One is a moral issue and the other is a biological issue. Unless you want to contend that biologically people should be or keep slaves. You're on your own with that one, though.
Humans are NOT at the top of the food chain. We are tasty munchies for polar bears, orcas, tigers, lions, and grizzly bears.
The last time I saw a polar bear it was swimming for it's life thousands of mile because of man made global warming – Oh wait that was photoshopped
ohhhhh snap!!!
Omega-3 - flax seeds, flax seed oil. Iron - kale with lemon juice to help me metabolize the non-heme iron. B12 – Nutritional yeast occasionally - the body recycles B-12 very efficiently. Calcium - leafy greens. All essential aminos are found in the plant kingdom - take amaranth, for instance with has every amino acid.
Do some research in your medical library on how high protein sources, like cow's milk can cause the body to deplete itself of calcium to buffer the acidic environment of a high-protein diet.
Please, eat what you want, but don't try to justify a diet based on half-truths and scare tactics.
Flax seed is EXTREMELY inefficient compared to fish oils, at least for males. You absorb VERY little EPA and DHA from flax, so you have to take a huge amount of it to equal a regular serving of fish oils.
I've never seen amaranth in my grocery store. Sorry, but I don't feel like shopping around the city looking for a plant when everyone already carries foods with complete AA profiles. Like delicious chicken. Which ALSO has B12 and iron.
What you say about flax is simply not true. Grinding flax into a powder or consuming the oil is a good source of Omega-3. Fish oil, on the other hand, may be contaminated with PCBs.
I am lucky to have many local stores with amaranth. With a little sugar, it's a delicious oatmeal-like experience. Lucky I don't have to order Bob's Red Mill Amaranth from amazon.com, for sure.
I love the amount of people that like to claim their relevant knowledge on the meat market, when most have never spent more than ten minutes around cattle or poultry or any other kind of meat. I've birthed cattle and I've seen them slaughtered. Growing up around cattle I was able to really respect and understand all the attributes that made cattle a natural marvel. But you know what the greatest marvel of it really was? A thick, juicy medium rare sirloin placed next to steaming hot potatoes and fresh-picked corn on the cob!!! Yes an evolutionary marvel and spectacle every time I sit down to a steak. The fact that we have evolved into creatures of reason, gives us the ability to understand the millenia that it took for human-kind to reach the top of the food chain! Next time you bite into a bloody red steak, you throw up a that index finger, point skyward, and give some love for homo erectus gone before for giving us the ability to enjoy the blessings of being the most powerful omnivores on the planet! Woooo! Beef it's what's for dinner!
I'm a city-slicker, guilty as charged. Then there are people like this guy: http://www.madcowboy.com/ I think he knows something about ranching.
Would Love to read it, but seems I have to pay for it. As a former Ambassador once told me... Follow the money before you come to any conclusions. But hey, I've had 17 years of ranching/farming experience so I can say that ranchers like him are about 1 to every 1,000. I've since moved on from my humble beginnings on the family farm, received two bachelors and a masters degree in areas far from the ranch, and have lived in third world countries that rely on meat every day. It's this pretentiousness of vegans that just drive me insane. Go to a country that sharecroppers/ranchers squeak out a living on winter meat and tell them that they are backwards. It's completely elitist, and most of all, it really is "unnatural."
Well, I admit it's a little like pointing to Roe and saying "see – she's against abortion now". It's a lame argument. But, just making the point that not everyone is a clueless city slicker when it comes to veg*nism and the conditions of modern ranching. You don't have to buy his books. I've heard him speak for free, on vegan podcasts. lol, yeah, I know fat chance of that too...
If animals raised for food were raised in humane conditions, would she still object to people raising them for food and eating them?
I'd imagine so, yes. Otherwise she wouldn't be vegetarian, she would eat meat and support cruelty-free meat production. Humane treatment is a start, but ultimately the use of animals for food is pointless mass slaughter, and thus abominable. If I have a pile of fruits/veggies/etc on one hand, and a live animal on the other, I don't see why its humane treatment would make it any more justifiable or ok to kill instead of just eating the vegetarian food and letting the animal live its natural life as it wants to, just like us.
Gotta love how vegetarians espouse "natural habitats" and "living naturally" for animals, and then whine when predators like us eat prey. Keep hurping and durping, vegetarians!
Can't think of any natural carnivore that ruins ecosystems at a rate of knots by breeding its prey in monstrous factories.
Gotta love how Guy appeals to "food chain" and "us predators", when apparently the only naturally grown piece of meat he ever tasted was someone's dick. Got any more herps to derp, Guy?
lady shut your meat hole!!!! please crawl back from whatever rock you came from. I mean what are you trying to say stop feeding the animals because of methane gas and they consume all this grass that some starving person may need. I just want to know if you have ever tried meat before,,,,,,maybe in college at one of those parties you know what im talking about::::: you red rocket muncher!!!!!!
What a nonsense post. I doubt you know much of college or higher education in general. There is a lot of validity to her arguments about pollution and the human food crisis if you bothered to think about it or research it.
Dave you are doing such a good job commenting on peoples post great job buddy i am proud of you....now shut your meat hole as well and grow a cucumber will ya..
Well. You showed me.
A vegetarian/vegan diet is absolutely not guilt-free in the slightest. Sorry if you're unaware, but you usually require big machinery to harvest the massive amount of craps that it takes to give someone energy equivalent to meat. And what gets caught in that big slicing machinery? Small animals like shrews, field mouse, moles, etc. So don't start with the morality of eating meat, because herbivores are just as guilty as we are.
So yes, my plate might be "dripping in blood" when I eat a "carcass". But at least the animal I kill I USE. At least I don't waste the animal that gave its life for me. Unlike you, you reprehensible, self-righteous twit.
Oh, and plant protein does not have a complete amino acid profile like meat does, so that's another strike against your unhealthy diet. The only reason meat-eaters are "less healthy" is because vegetarians are less likely to smoke, drink alcohol, or drink those disgusting, HFCS-riddled, worthless soft drinks that so many fat Americans know and love.
Plants do have all the amino acids we need. Look up amaranth on http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5676/2 for a super-example of this - look at it's amino acid profile on the protein quality chart. And, no, you don't have to eat rice and beans with every meal.
The argument about killing plants and the animals in the field with the plants goes 10x over with a meat diet. It's killing way more plants and field mice to feed the 8-16 lbs. of plant protein that must go into a vegetarian animal to get 1 lb. of protein out. Think about it.
Silly me. I wasn't aware that animals grazing on grass required huge machinery. I guess cows have trouble chewing, so we need to chop up their food for them, right?
*facepalm*
Do you realize how much plant food is cultivated for meat consumption? Not only are you killing animals by choice, but the harvesting processes that may harm small animals that you suddenly care so much about go on in far greater intensity for the combined vegetable intake of yourslef and of the animals you consume. You simply can't win this argument, because vegetarianism will always be a strict subset of the processes involved for omnivory. Any way you slice it, meat consumption causes far greater death and environmental harm. And that does change by whatever half-truths and excuses you contrive to make yourself feel better. So nice try, you "reprehensible twit".
"Oh, and plant protein does not have a complete amino acid profile like meat does"
Vegetarian food provides ALL of the essential amino acids. Do your research, Guy. Thanks for showing your lack of knowledge on the issue. I hope your little rant made you feel better, because it certainly didn't make you look any better.
typo: "And that *doesn't* change by whatever half-truths..."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDCAAS
The ONLY vegetarian food in there with a complete or nearly-complete AA profile is soy. And I don't want to have to worry about phytoestrogens. I'm much more comfortable putting in protein I know won't harm my body.
Sheesh, you'd think with all of the vegetarians in here, at least one of them would know how to use google.
The point, for many vegetarians and vegans, is to reduce the amount of sufering we cause. By buying from grocery stores and other large chains, I'd say that most of us acknowledge that there is no way to completely eliminate the impact we have. Big corporations have made that impossible. However, many people who adopt a more vegetarian or vegan diet also have started turning to people growing food locally....which I believe completely eliminates that part of your argument, as these people in fact DON'T get crops using machinery that accidentally kills animals.
Furthermore, the animals that are killed by those machines don't suffer the cramped, malnourished torture that those in factory farms do. So it a different situation.
Correction: It *is* a different situation.
Vegetarianism is not sustainable, either. There simply isn't enough room to grow enough crops to feed everyone in the world. Cutting out all meat and dairy is not the answer to the obesity crisis, and neither is eating a diet consisting of large amounts of red meat. The key to healthy living is moderation. Neither Tim Love, nor Jane Valdez, responded appropriately here. They both took extremist points of view.
As for the disgusting conditions of the farms, that is something that the government should be regulating. Also, if you don't agree with these conditions but want to eat meat, buy free range. Or consider raising your own chickens (if you have the means). There are more options available. Besides soy is one of the most destructive crops to the environment, so even vegetarianism isn't perfect.
Caroline – Most crops go toward animal production, not human consumption. The government USDA and FDA are grossly underfunded and staffed. They could never monitor factory farms.
It is amazing how many comments this subject has generated ~ CNN will take note to be sure . . . .
I don't know if Tristan's point was previously addressed but it is a valid one indeed. Before and during the slaughtering process animals feel intense fear and pain, and just like with humans, all of that fear produces adrenaline. When you eat meat you are taking in that adrenaline, essentially your are taking in the 'fear' and pain that animal experienced before and during the slaughter process. The following is a very disturbing video of a slaughter . . . . CAUTION, it is very graphic but gets the point across about pain and suffering. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=158410984170987&ref=mf
So this article and discussion got me interested, and I decided to look up the actual medical analysis and recommendations on vegetarianism/veganism (as a med student I have access to the "definitive" sources, such as UpToDate.)
Here's the bottom line:
Potential benefits: Leaner
Potential problems: Omega-3 deficiency, iron deficiency/anemia, B12 deficiency (only available by animal sources fyi), insufficienct energy consumption due to premature satiety from high fiber, essential amino acid deficiency, calcium deficiency
Not an ice cube's chance in hell that I will be recommending this lifestyle to any of my future patients, especially when it comes to their kids, as my confidence that the average person has the time, interest, and ability to manage this exhaustive list of potentially serious issues (especially for a growing child) is quite low.
Especially when one considers that all of this can be avoided by a well balanced diet that includes normal sources of animal derived nutrients, my resolve is only further solidified.
Do we have a dietary crisis in this country? Yes! However, the answer is BALANCE, not a shift from one extreme to another. The issues with obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis etc. are so much more complex than what can be explained by consumption of meat. Cooking methods, variety of foods, *PORTIONS*, and *LIFESTYLE* are all infinitely more important.
Hooray for reason!
Sorry for the repost. This was supposed to be a reply to MD/PhD Student.
Omega-3 – flax seeds, flax seed oil. Iron – kale with lemon juice to help me metabolize the non-heme iron. B12 – Nutritional yeast occasionally – the body recycles B-12 very efficiently. Calcium – leafy greens. All essential aminos are found in the plant kingdom – take amaranth, for instance with has every amino acid.
Do some research in your medical library on how high protein sources, like cow's milk can cause the body to deplete itself of calcium to buffer the acidic environment of a high-protein diet.
Please, eat what you want, but don't try to justify a diet based on half-truths and scare tactics.
I'm not sure if you expected your user name to garner more significance or validity of your comments, but suffice it to say it doesn't sound like I'd be going to you for advice. Apparently the extent of your knowledge about vegetarianism is an extremely simplistic personal view based on some random data you apparently looked up. And suddenly you consider vegetarianism to be a horrible idea. You never actually tried it...at all...have you. Or done much research into it. I went from regular meat consumption to vegetarian (and borderline vegan) in an instant at the start of this year. And fyi I'm not the most organized person or a fancy cook by any means. Ie I'm an average cuilinary simpleton. And somehow I'm in the exact same health I was before I gave up meat. Crazy how that works. People like you don't realize how simple it can be. You just hear or read one or two things and use it as a scare tactic for yourself and others as a convenient excuse for sticking to eating meat that you never intended on giving up in the first place.
All the "problems" you describe would be for someone who was a very lazy and uninformed vegetarian. The exact same thing can be said of someone for ANY diet. A lazy and nutritionally uninformed omnivore will have health issues as well. And a great deal many do. Shall I make a benefits vs problems list for you regarding meat consumption? You know...cancers, food poisoning, heart disease, etc.? Well I'm sure you are aware of all the issues pertaining to meat-related diets. You are an MD/PhD, after all...
You folks missed the point.
My concerns have nothing to do with you, the responsible vegetarian/vegan. I will not recommend this to other patients, as the potential pitfalls far outweigh the benefits. More power to you for being responsible enough to handle the vege lifestyle. I guarantee that the average American is not that responsible. It's enough of a challenge just to get people to eat X number of servings of various food groups as it is, do you really believe we're going to get them to eat "X for calcium, Y for zinc, etc. etc." Live a few seconds in a clinicians shoes and you'll realize very quickly how impossible it would be.
Oh and, fyi, most of those nutritional deficiencies are insidious, the effects of which take quite a long time to observe. Not everything boils down to a medical emergency.
So you're a MD (supposedly) and a PhD candidate (again, supposedly), and the ONLY pro to a vegetarian diet you could come up with is that it makes you leaner? I find it hard to believe that you did any actual research. If you did actually do research, I find it even harder to believe that you made it through med school and are now pursuing your PhD, because your research skills are very poor.
Gawd, that chef is a real hick! No surpsise though, considering he's from Texas.
Easy, Brian. There are a lot of us vegetarian animal lovers in Texas.
I've been vegetarian for 6 years, but don't get these comments. Meat eaters always seem to be absolutely mean-spirited when they find out someone is vegetarian. Why all the animosity?
I was wondering about all the rage myself, Jeff. Many of them will tell you that it is about "preachiness'. There are some of those, but most of the vegetarians that I know are very laid back and into letting people pursue their own path. Still, the hate seems to be directed at anyone who finds eating meat or killing animals to be sad or otherwise offensive.
Exactly- my girlfriend is not vegetarian...in fact I've never dated a vegetarian. It's just a complete non-issue.
Hitler was a vegetarian.
Not that it matters, but NO, Hitler was not a vegetarian. Common myth. http://www.naturalnews.com/025163_Hitler_vegetarian_vegetarianism.html
Sorry Roger but going to have to play the B.S. card on ya! SNOPE ya buddy!
Per Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/glurge/twoquestions.asp
It basically states in "later life" Hitler was primarily a vegitarian due to a gastric condition. You know the part of his life when he turned into a real monster.
Next time, don't send us to a vegitarian web site to spew the misinformation, maybe he ate meat earlier in life.
I like snopes, but I think they got this wrong. Some people consider mostly not eating meat as vegetarian. Hitler was one of those. He was not a vegetarian. I would post a link to a carnivore site, but can't find one. Like, I said, it doesn't prove anything anyway. It's just a silly thing people like to post like it implies evil people are vegetarians. lol
There is reason to believe that a myth of vegetarianism may have been part of Hitler's propaganda. See the relevant section of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler's_vegetarianism.
He ate a bullet not carrots or lettuce!
Because you all seem to portray a superior and condescending attitude toward the rest of us.
every single vegetarian in the whole wide world, huh?
Re: the hateful variety....there are also those who are just trying to shock people and of course you have some adolescents. Some people come on the boards just to instigate trouble. The subject could really be about anything at all.
LOL! "Meat eaters always seem to be absolutely mean-spirited". So, there are absolutely no "kind-spirited" meat eaters, or "always" seemingly so. Do you see a problem with your absolute style of logic?
I would have to agree. Generalizations are bad.
Are you for real? You're talking about 99% of the world population. What an absolutel moronic statement.
Hmm...I guess Louisa didn't realize that you were quoting another.
Jeff, the other thing is, I really don't know why they care what we think. I don't care what anybody thinks of what I eat, or do, or say or wear, etc.
Read Velez-Mitchell's screed again. She makes omnivorism sound like vampirism. Vegetarianism is fine, but smug self-righteousness is not.
Read Velez-Mitchell's screed again. She makes omnivorism sound like vampirism, or even cannibalism. Being vegetarian is fine, but shrill self-righteousness is not.
Oops. Sorry for the Double-Double (mmmmmmmmm, In-N-Out....)
I thought portion control and lack of physical activity was the reason people were getting fat. Overall, we all live in a great time and country. We have time to complain about food preferences when I'm pretty sure other countries eat whatever they can get their hands on.
First of all, we aren't getting fat because we're eating too much meat. We're getting fat because we were all so trusting and bought into the "low-fat" crap that the government has been selling us for the last 25 years. Look at the data. People started eating more carbs (think: whole grains) as fillers because we had been told that fat would kill us, yet we were STILL hungry, and the scales crept higher. Look, humans evolved for YEARS on meats and some fruits/vegetables. Riddle me this: If plant life around us froze or died during the winter, exactly what plants did we eat all winter? Not all of us evolved in the tropics, so we must have eaten....MEAT! No, I don't agree with factory farming, but there are MANY humane/organic/sane sources for meats out there. All you have to do is look, and create a market for them, and they will flourish. BTW, bacon has NEVER made me sad.
Vegans better preach to the venus fly trap plant on what is proper to eat! LOL
There are 5 topics that cause sure-fire debates on CNN: 1) politics; 2) abortion; 3) sexual orientation; 4) religion; 5) vegetarianism. Wait; maybe it's all politics?
People still have not figured out that you aren't going to sway someone to your position by arguing with them and insulting them. Honestly, I think that a lot of people are just chomping at the bit to be nasty to someone and they'll take any excuse to do so.
True. I generally try not to comment, but this article struck a nerve in me because of all the vile words. When folks attack a person or a group of people, that's not a true debate. Vegetarians and Vegans are people who discovered facts and conditions that turned them off meat. Why is that bad? Meat eaters either don't know or refuse to acknowledge what goes into meat production. Why is that good? I don't see why they have a need to attack since they clearly outnumber us. It's just bullying.
"Children often naturally shun the taste of meat but are forced by their misguided, although well-meaning, parents into eating it anyway. Eventually, they develop a taste for it and it becomes their 'normal.'" My meat eating children (teens and adults) are healthy and thin. Jane is a lil' over the top... and maybe misguided?
What a line of bull. Our two kids never displayed a shunning of meat. Scientifically humans are omnivores, that's a fact! Neither favoring one food over another except for personal preference. Talk about a "well-meaning" misguided physiological observation.
There's room in this world for all God's creatures... right next to the mashed potatoes.
Reading this article makes me crave bacon.
Veganism is an eating disorder.
oh brother
Mmm protein
All in moderation....each in the season there of.
Humans are omnivores deal with it. Plants do feel ...something as evidenced by studies and kirlian photography.
"Guilt free eating" Uh, didnt occur to me that I should feel guilty for hunting, killing and eating living creatures. Humans are the only critters on the planet that have a problem with killing and eating. And those humans with that problem tend to be big city or suburban dwellers with little or no exposure to where food actually comes from. And zero knowledge of how to survive in nature on your own. Pathetic really. I'd bet that most vegans are anti gun as well.
What happens in factory farming/meat industry is not remotely similar to what happens when you hunt an individual animal. I'm not into hunting, but I am willing to assume that the animal had chance at a normal life right before you shot it. The animals raised by the meat industry are treated horribly. The people who work in the meat industry are treated horribly. The general public is eating meat that isn't good for them because of the conditions in the factories. The general public doesn't hunt for their food.
You are correct. I honestly cant conscience what happens in most of those places. I physically could not be there without getting bothered if not actually ill.
Yes the animal has a nice normal life. I actually dont shoot animals...well with guns. I bow hunt. Killing with guns is easy, a bow takes skill, knowledge and patience. I waste nothing that can be used. Think that is a side effect of my father making me eat the mocking bird I shot in the yard when I was 11. "You kill it...you eat it." I get so tempted to catch more fish (for example) than I can eat. Takes some control.
In general the meat industry is a sad affair. I buy grass fed beef and dont buy beef from the store. My eggs come from the chickens out back.
I dont feel all the stuff they inject in them is good for you. Don't think genetically modified plants are good either but that's another topic.
But this is all irrelevant, meat is moderation and in the season there of is good for you. Plants are great but do not a whole diet make.
cheerio
What a dumb whore.
if I ate her pussy would she be mad at me?
Vegans are skinny, cranky folks. It's too many veggies.
Vegetarians I can respect for making that particular choice. Sanctimonious snob I cannot.
Ditto except that every vegetarian I've ever met is nuttier than a squirrel turd. Just sayin' ...
Once you read The China Study ( a book) you will never eat animal flesh again- seriously. I was a died in the wool meat eater till I read it-- must read !!!
the China Study is crap and full of cherry-picked results. Try again.
all these people are saying that just because bears and sharks and other animals eat meat, humans have to? thats stupid. We as humans have a choice, unlike other creatures. and as the most evolved beings of this planet it is our duty to conserve our earth, to protect it for our kids. it also has tremendous health benefits.
"America’s over-consumption of meat and dairy is largely responsible for our nation’s obesity crisis."
Well, she simply does not know what she is talking about. This is a flat-out, indisputable, idiotic untruth. If Ms. Velez-Mitchell went on, say, a traditional Native Alaskan, which consists almost entirely fo animal products, and did some exercise and drank her daily water, she'd be in fine shape. The FACT is, the obesity elpidemic is FAR more a result of the mass consumption of sugars adn grains and starches, from sugary cereals in the mornings, to all the fries and breads in fast food, to all the cakes and cookies and chips and Doritos considered "snacks" in todays corporate-speak, etc., as well as the governments abandonment of children's physical fitness in the schools due to lack of funding, adn curriculums that focus incorrectly on only the Three R'S: Reading, 'Riting adn 'Rithmatic. (And if THAT slogan doesn't demonstrate the state of our education system, I don't know what does!)
Studies have shown that a pure vegan diet is detrimental to a child's development. An infant needs the right about of protein and vitamins. Soy milk and fruit juice do not give enough nutrition. Vegan diets lack in vitamins A, B and D, and minerals like calcium and zinc. Pure vegan diets lack DHA, the omega-3 fat found in fatty fish. This is vital in the development for the eyes and brain to develop properly. Supplying an infant with the missing supplements (which violates a pure vegan diet), may be possible but hard to achieve.
Holy crap Balaji.....funny reasoning. "But most of people are terrified of the thought or sight of Blood. So humans are not carnivores psychologically. "
LOL, thats because people are not exposed to blood and butchering. Goto africa where there is no supermarket. You wont find any squeemish peeps. Does that mean they are not human psychologically then?
Putting aside the numerous logical mistakes and errors of style;
she mis-spelled "peek" in the last sentence of paragraph one under point #3, and she clearly doesn't understand what "I.Q." is since she claims pigs have an "I.Q. similar to dogs" (I.Q. is the ratio of one's intellectual age to one's physical age multiplied by 100). It makes no sense to talk about one group or species of animal having an IQ similar to another species or group. I know these aren't really the core points, but it's hard to ignore that whenever you hear a vegan go off on a rant they end up sounding not-very-intelligent for reasons both related and unrelated to their principles.
So Jane Valez-Mitchel has an "issue" with meat. Don't her shows always include her saying "that's my issue"? Obviously she needs to talk to her therapist about all those issues – as well as this one. Her rants on all 5 points were so emotionally based that surely they must be dismissed. And "morality"? There is no high ground regarding morality that anyone can claim. Your morality is based on your own myth structure about what is right and wrong.
Try this out: Regarding your food there is no good or evil. There is no god there is no devil. there are no angels, no demons, no heaven, no hell. No afterlife. All things die sooner or later. Plants, animals, vegans and omnivores. Eat what you want. Love who you will. Enjoy yourself while you are hear. And leave me the hell alone. If you must know I hunt plants and animals. I raise plants and animals. I eat plants and animals. I am not interested in your stupid opinion about what I should or should not eat.
Then why did you take the time to post such a long response to the article? I'm confused.
So one of the reasons we should stop eating meat is because of the poor living conditions of the animals? That's a little drastic and it's not going to help the animals. Some people can stop eating meat but most people won't. So why don't we try to actually do something proactive like change the living conditions of those animals? Just a few people giving up meat really does nothing for them.
This is simply not true.
Get over yourself lady. I like my greens and I like my meat and I have no weight or energy issue at all.
I don't eat junk food or drink pop. Most of my vegetarian friends eat 30% junk food and are overweight.
Does anyone else here crave arguments for vegetarianism that don't talk about how awful it is to slaughter something? There's a reason people like you weren't alive for long 100 years ago. If you didn't want to eat, you starved. Nobody tells you that you're torturing innocent plants. You don't even know if THEY have feelings. May as well stick to water and sunlight if you want to live guilt free. The romaine will thank you.
You probably crave those arguments because deep down you also feel guilty.
You are probably a communist and a drug user
i like how civilization has advanced enough so we have the choice to elimnate the choice to not eat meat.
Huh? Wat u say? -> lol
Humans are Vegetarians.
Psychological Reason
==================
If Humans are Carnivores then they should be ready to lap up the Blood of a dead animal as breakfast. But most of people are terrified of the thought or sight of Blood. So humans are not carnivores psychologically.
Economical Reason
--------
90% of the grains fed to build the animals body is used to build the bones of animal which humans cannot consume. So you only get 10% worth of the grains. So it is not economically to keep producing meat. I heard in NPR that if the human population grows at this rate, by 2050 it would not be sustainable to produce meat and most of the people have to be vegans.
Environmental Reason
---------
Plants only produce oxygen in exchange for carbon dioxide unlike animals which produce Methane gas. So growing plants is definitely healthier for the environment.
Health Reasons
-------
Vegetables and grains are truly low in saturated fat and cholesterol compared to meat. if X amount of bacteria is present in the grains, and Y amount of antibiotics is injected into the animal to counter it, they you are definitely getting Y amount of antibiotics in addition to the left over X into your body.
Psychological Reason
==================
Humans do lap up blood – just asked the Kmer Rouge and Pol Pot about that one – OBTW They mostly ate rice
Economical Reason
--–
That's a good one – The same one why they are genetically altering most of the vegetables. Did you know that they are researching tomatoes that are resistant to aluminum and barium? That's so when the eco wackos that have taken over the UN start spraying the atmosphere to keep our planet "cool" at least a tomato will grow in the aluminum sludge created from the constant aerosol spraying and they will have something to sell to you and whoever else might survive. Say hi to them when you see those nice white streaks across the sky – They're 'protecting' the earth with chemtrails!
Environmental Reason
---
Plants grown for commercial purposes contribute just as much pollution as meat. The pollution is in the form of algae thriving on the fertilizers used to grow vegetables and have been linked to dead spots in the ocean and coral bleachings. But wait we can eat algae.
Health Reasons
---
A balanced diet is what is healthy – Ask the inuit of alaska and canada that eat fish and meat exclusively how they have managed to live beyond 40
Economical Reason
––
Insane Wayne, you do know that omnivores such as yourself consume vegetables too, and it's hardly just vegetarians who support wacky specialized vegetable crops.
Environmental Reason
-
"Plants grown for commercial purposes contribute just as much pollution as meat."
Wrong (unless you are talking about hunted meat). Vegetarian = small vegetable matter production to feed 1 person. Omnivory = small vegetable matter production to feed 1 human plus large amounts of vegetable matter to grow and sustain 1 or more animals to also feed that person. In no way can you claim that the processes involved in vegetarianism have more impact, because livestock consume far more than a vegetarian human would, and thus require much more production and also produce much more pollution.
Health Reasons
-
"A balanced diet is what is healthy – Ask the inuit of alaska and canada that eat fish and meat exclusively how they have managed to live beyond 40"
Actually I agree. Except that these days I would hardly recommend living off of arctic meat due to mercury contamination. Yet another dietary danger that only meat consumption is concerned with.
The entire argument from both sides is stupid. Simply look at your teeth – you've got omnivore dentition. Like most omnivores, humans have evolved to eat anything – animal or plant – that we can arm wrestle down our throats
So we've evolved to be fat and sick? I don't think this argument holds ground. Just because we can, doesn't mean it's best. Studies have shown that native Americans used to only eat animals in times of famine or drought. When is the last time you saw a dead animal on the side of the road and felt like that was what you should eat? You would only do that if you were starving to death, right? So, yeah, we CAN, but it's still gross in my opinion.
Paraphrasing, right? While we're talking crazy, let's teach lions to eat tofu! Those poor antelopes :(
Being a vegetarian is an aesthetic choice and you are welcome to make it. Your comment about evolving to be "fat and sick' has nothing to do with the fact that humans are functionally omnivores. The latter is a neutral fact, while your comment is a prejudiced perspective implying that vegetarians are more evolved. Some days I eat a vegetarian diet, some days a meat heavy diet, other days a well balanced mixture. Every thing in moderation and balance.
Well, I'm not a lion, and I like tofu. :)
Yes, I do believe vegetarians are more evolved actually.
I like tofu also – particularly when tossed in the wok with a hot spicy garlicky sauce. And like you, I am not a lion (a carnivore – look at it's teeth), Instead, I'm an omnivore and eat like one.
LOL – please take me with a grain of salt. I'm actually just in a mood right now. But I do think I've made the right choices for me personally. I do agree that one's diet is a personal choice. It would be hypocritical to think otherwise. I don't judge you, you don't judge me...
Being a vegetarian is a political choice – The same people that brought you avatar are just waiting for all you the meat eating borgs to join their collective and be led to the slaughter by the NWO like the sheeple that you are
If your proof is going back in time, what was before agriculture? HUNTER/gatherers.
The truth hurts doesn't it. VEGANS all the way!!!!!!!!
lets veggies be veggies and let natural selection take its course
Exactly – enjoy your cancer.
Enjoy your monsanto genetically modified seed grown vegetables while your texting your vegan recipes to your friends from facebook and sitting on the couch doing a bong hit after meditating and yoga and voting for obama
I enjoy hunting and eating anything that walks on all fours....... Especially when its roasted over an open flame...... I also enjoy diving and spearing any number of large game fish...... And eating that raw usually with rice and beer....... I don't have a problem with most veggies but I do have a problem with the obnoxious preachy ones...... To each his own people
I believe she was merely responding to the obnoxious chef.
like i said there boss to EACH HIS OWN
And yet you have a "problem" with what she says.
You miss the point in the end its a pointless argument..... why be an arse about it.... enjoy what you enjoy and let others enjoy what they enjoy..... this world would be better off with out fanatics of all kinds....... people need balance....... you tip a scale to far to one side in any direction and no good will come of it....... thats all I'm gonna give you boss I bid you goodnight and live life......
@bit you seem a tad bitter..... to many turnips???? I have read both articles..... And ya'll taking the Chef way to seriously for your own good..... Where this gal writes a rather bitter and angry angry article...... Using factory farming and things like "rotting" meat as her only points in validating the life style of vegan/veggy......... Hence she is a twit...... And I do give the point to Az that you are being a bit of an arse about this......
...but, anyway, have fun! Enjoy!
"To each their own" and yet you are calling me an arse? : ) Jane was presenting a valid argument, and everyone jumped on her case. I felt a need to defend her, not that she needs my help. I'm curious; did you have the same reaction to Chef Tim Love's article?
goodnight troll :P
you only prove the point it's pointless
I'll save you folks the trouble the comments that are worth looking for are Phd students and Azreals are the only ones with any level of sense who have posted on this board.......
op and I just noticed Logics and brians comments there worth a look too
One Reason Not To Be A Vegetarian. Its unnatural.
The major theme I gleaned off this whole article was that Jane has a problem with factory farming...What about those in my family that have dairy, hog and chicken farms...which I have been to and have not seen inhumane practice in their barns and pens. There are many animals raised and sold like that today...but they are more expensive...I assure you ma'am that they are right there in the Whole Foods down the way from your tofurky dogs. If you look at the statement the guy made about meat consumption...I read the 'in moderation' statement', whereas it seemed she breezed over it to go into that 'preachy' vegetarian mode. Variation is what makes a good diet...we were hunter/gatherers...Im not saying lose the meat...just make it the smallest focus about half of the week...I love meat...but I eat more than one vegetarian dinner a week
Is this woman aware that plants are alive, and that it's impossible to eat without killing. Fruits and nuts are plant embryos. There is no such thing as guilt free eating, you must kill to survive, end of story. Plenty of studies have shown that plants feel pain and do their best to not become animal food, but such is the way of the world.
You say there's no such thing as guilt-free eating...therefore let the inhumane treatment continue? Please read Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows; then decide celery suffers as much as the animals (and workers) in the meat industry do. This business breeds sadistic behavior. It's not like it used to be where a chicken led a basically peaceful like right up to the point when their head was chopped off. If we're going to eat an animal, we should at least show it some respect.
Hey PLP Irukandji, the 1950's called and they want their sexist derogatory name for women back. I hope you choke on your meat.
im a vegetarian, born and raised, and you do sound a kinda preachy.. to each his or her own..
GREAT article! I totally agree with the author!!
Anybody else find it ironic that the background of the Eatocracy banner at the top of the screen is a close up of a giant piece of meat. Man!! I totally want steak now.
Oh! Now its a lemon. Not so ironic anymore.
P.S. Tim Love cooks and sells meat, so of course he wants people to eat it. I don't think he's in any danger of losing business. There's no need to criticize those who abstain from meat.
Monk – Your statement "People who eat meat don't push it on vegetarians, so shut up and leave us alone" is moronic.
I have never, ever preached to anyone I know about why they should stop eating meat, and yet on an almost daily basis, I am constantly asked by strangers, friends and family – Don't you miss meat? Don't you want some of this steak? Don't you think you should eat this so you don't lack protein / iron /whatever? People can't open their minds to other ways of eating a fulfilling meal that doesn't involve a main course that once had a mother, eyes and a beating heart. I don't preach to you, so don't tell me that I'm self-righteous and superior.
Also, the argument that 'people have been eating meat since the beginning' of whenever is ridiculous. They also used to walk hunched over, use rocks for tools and grunt for language. It's ok to evolve and be educated on what you are putting into your mouth.
I know what you mean. My family especially. When they ask if I'm getting enough protein, I say "Sure. Are you getting enough fiber?"
Since when is compassion offensive? Her list does make more sense. It takes considerable bravery and commitment to be vegan or vegetarian in this country because we're so out-numbered. Reactions range from mild ignorance to downright vicious attacks. You see it here in these comments. I grew up eating meat and liked it very much when I decided to give it up in middle age due to basically everything Jane said here. I have not regretted my decision in any way. I'm not morally opposed to consuming meat; I'm opposed to the way meat is produced.
Reason #6. You not eating any meat leaves more meat for me. Enjoy your twigs.
We have canines. We are omnivores. We were meant to eat meat AND vegetables. Animals die, so what? its the way life works.
And then there are bunch of people that haven't tried Indian Vege Food. Period.
That woman looks like she's about to die. Give her a Double-Double from In N' Out, STAT! We only have minutes to save that scraggily waif from doom.
That chick is a lesbian? Too bad, at the rate gay people are offing themselves lately she won't live long enough to get any of those vaunted health benefits.
A counter to all her points since the "meat eater" obviously fails:
1. Rotting animal carcass is awesome. I love the taste of a rare piece of steak, well cooked chicken, pork, or lamb. I don't feel guilty about eating them. I'm also in great shape because I excercise.
2. Bacon smells awesome. How can you not love it? As far as the pigs IQ. I don't care! It's an animal that is meant for me to eat. Would she eat a pig/bacon if it smelled fresh air and saw the sky?
3. I eat meat in piece every single day...for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Finally "world hunger" would be solved if those indians stopped treating the cow as a god (since the population of India is huge thats a big chunk).
4. Unless you eat the salad without any dressing you are still going to get huge. Sorry Mrs. Velez but your barking up the wrong tree.
5. Yeah I'll feed my turkey all right...to make sure its nice and fat for me to eat. Tofurky is horrible, I've tried it before...needs salt.
This woman is lucky she is good looking otherwise no one would put up with her crap. Even then I question if her husband is straight.
Dude....see Food Inc. and Home documentaries. They show how meat eaters pollute the world and destroy the earth.
I have seen Food Inc. and Fast Food Nation...still haven't changed my mind. As it says inside every Fatburger restaurant "Man did not crawl to the top of the food chain to eat soy"
I understand the arguments about animal cruelty and global warming, but what always turns me off about these pro-vegetarian arguments is the insistence that humans aren't designed to eat meat, or have no natural inclination to do so. Bull. The reality (as any palentologist or dietary scientist can tell you–or heck, just open your mouth and look at your teeth) is that we evolved as omnivorous mammals, eating both things that we found and things that we killed, and those tastes are still with us. The things that tasted best to us (meat, fat, sugar) did so because they provided the most effective nutrition for our needs at the time. Why do you think there are so many cave paintings of buffalo hunts? You can't "trick" somebody into thinking something tastes good. If that were the case, we'd all just trick ourselves into liking spinich. Problem solved! Hey, I agree that being a vegetarian is healthier and better lifestyle–just don't tell me it's more "natural".
The carnivores are calling the vegetarians preachy (and then follow that remark by...preaching. pointing out that humans have eaten meat since the beginning of time...yes, and only until a few hundred years ago people thought a solar eclipse involved a dragon eating the sun to display God's anger). There are a LOT of things we have done since the beginning of time that have been pretty stupid. In fact, most things done by our ancestors has been found to be outdated and unintelligent by today's standards. We used to use leeches to draw out "bad blood". We sacrificed virgins to appease an unverified God. We thought the sun revolved around the earth and that our planet itself was flat. Sarah Palin still believes that Jesus Christ himself is going to make a sequel appearance IN HER LIFETIME. Not even a peep for the last 2 millennia, but now that she's on the planet, he MUST be coming back for HER!
Oh, and for all you meat eaters out there who just looove your delicious steaks and lamb chops and other assorted animal carcasses, try eating free range animals. Don't buy the stuff you find in grocery stores – that has extra salt and other additives to make your meat taste good. Free range has nothing but dead animal. Switch to that just once. Then you'll really taste the truth.
And stop whining about the "holier than thou" issue. Watch documentaries about slaughter houses and factory farms. You'd feel good about yourself too if you realized that you weren't causing the images in those films.
What don't you understand about being the top of the food chain? We catch fish to eat it, causing it suffering. We pave the forests to make room for our houses, causing suffering. We drain the swamps and dam rivers, again causing suffering. Planting crops and harvesting them also causes suffering, FYI a ton of animals are killed during harvest of your soybeans and a forest was probably paved down so you could choke on your squash.
So it's the truth that I'm tasting when I eat free range? Then the truth is delicious. Especially grass-fed truth.
Yes, they used to believe the earth was flat, but your argument that eating meat is like believing the earth is flat is begging the question and ludicrious. It's called faulty logic. They also thought that drinking water was a good idea, so is that passe and incorrect now too?
Great article Jane! Thanks so much for all you do to promote compassion in our too violent world.
lul at all the dumb vegetarians choking on their white bread and butter "cuz it haz no dead animal in it."
PS. you don't get fat from proteins, you get fat from carbohydrates. Also man made contribution to greenhouse gases is like 2%
This article gives me another reason to dislike JVM. She screams at the tv camera and she had a gigantic mouth. Not to mention her voice gets on my nerves. Now she has the nerve to preach to people about why we shouldn't eat meat. Would someone please stuff a rare steak down this woman's throat.
Okay vegetarians, if your diet is so healthy then tell me where you get vitamin B-12 from? Vitamin B-12 is a required in the formation of red blood cells and the only reliable source of it is from animal protein. If you are a vegetarian and take B-12 suppliments you are still part of the food chain, killing a cow, chicken or some other animal for your neccesary nutients. See there is no such thing as a true vegetarian.
Vegans are everywhere in my social circle, and I have yet to meet one who isn't a self-righteous ideologue. They preach tolerance and compassion, but when confronted with an omnivorous diet, they exhibit only scorn and condescension. I feel zero guilt about eating meat. Yes, it has a severe impact on the environment, but I eat it in moderation and buy organic when I can afford to. Americans are suffering from an epidemic of obesity on account of what they eat, but I don't know a single omnivore who is suffering from anemia.
I bought a cornish game hen today. Don't worry, I didn't eat it. I washed it off and wore it on my dick like a condom. After about 6 pumps, I shot my clammy load into it's cavity and tossed it into the garbage.
I love animals!
I love you!
Imagine the impact that it would have on the entire world if only the U.S. went completely vegan 1. The poor of the world would starve due to the fact that Americans would be spending all of their formerly meat eating budgets on only vegetables. Do you really think that Ethiopians would have enough funds to compete in the supply demand curve created? 2) The rivers and the oceans would turn into one big green algae pit from all of the fertilizers that would be dumped onto the world's soil just to produce the vegetables in the quantities required for U.S. Only consumption. After all, prior to the oil spill their was a dead zone at the mouth of the Mississippi river due to algae eating the oxygen out of the water fed by fertilizer from all the mid west corn fields. Think before engaging your emotion driver brains you animals
Your logic is so off, I don't know where to begin. Please do some research before you type something like that. Heaven forbid anyone actually take it seriously. More square miles of vegetables don't necessarily need to be grown, they just need to be fed to PEOPLE rather than to animals raised for their flesh.
I find it extremely unfortunate that animals are treated in the harsh conditions they are today.
However, I see the value in eating meats and the nutrients contained within said meats.
I think it is extremely important to change the way that animals are treated. (I also agree that America eats far too much meat. KFC double down... *Shudders*)
But, I think that meat should stay in our diet (For those who choose to have meat in their diet)
P.S. Studies have shown that yelling, and attacking (Trolling) people based on their beliefs does not often sway their beliefs, and instead makes them clutch to said beliefs all the more.
P.P.S. Grammar Police; be nice to me. I'm only 14.
For anyone who wants to know the truth behind why eating meat and dairy is actually good for you they should go to http://www.westonaprice.org and read the science behind it. These baseless articles are full of opinion and lacking fact. This ladys counterpoints are empty and biased.
Venus fly-traps. Plants that eat meat. Don't they care about those poor suffering frogs and insects dying slowly in the jaws of that cold-cholorphylled plant?? We're more intelligent that the other animals. They are not our equals. Other animals eat animals, so it's good enough for me. Sorry, meat tastes good and if we were meant not to eat it human taste buds would say so. Plants are treated more and more with pesticides/chemicals because they are so genetically altered that's it's affecting their ability to fend off pests by using natural methods that evolved over millions of years. Too many people care so much about animals while disrespecting and belittling their human neighbors. People starve while many pet owners give their pets a higher standard of living than people in third world countries. Pet overpopulation is destroying the world almost as much as the animals we eat. Pet owning vegetarians are hypocrites, even if they feed Rover broccoli every day (enjoy the dog farts).
I think Jane VM is enlightening us about the dangers of overproduction and consumption. Moderation is key. She makes some very valid and informed arguments. I applaud her!
I question why everyone compares human beings to animals? Can you hold a relevant conversation with an animal? Can an ape program a computer or resolve our economic crisis? No...I eat meat and vegetables in relatively equal amounts.
1) "I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass" **It's not a rotting carcass, it's not even rotting meat, they have this new invention called refrigeration that will preserve the meat until it's ready to be eaten.
2) I'll agree with #2... bacon is pretty disgusting, but that is just my personal opinion.
3) How can you talk about peace if your plate is swimming in blood? AND Ever wonder why we’re experiencing all those salmonella and swine flu outbreaks? **Most meat is drained of blood before it's eaten.... Salmonella also infects lettuce and other veggies.... and as a former newscaster she should know that swine flu did NOT come from swine.
4)"If huge amounts of protein were the key to perfect health, America would be the healthiest nation on earth because we eat a lot more meat than people in most other countries." *** Sorry... but protein doesn't make you fat, the FAT you eat makes you fat.
5) Yes... Lets all go feed turkeys on turkeyday.
Ok, pick up your bio books and learn. 1) all plants host mites. You are eating animals every time you eat plants, MURDEREING hundreds of living animals as you chew. Eating a burger is killing fewer animals than eating broccoli. Guilt free? Keep your head in the sand. 2) Think you are a vegan but eat mushrooms? Whoa, fungi are not plants, nor are they autotrophic. They get their energy by consuming the broken down remains of organic matter, typically derived from an animal. You like eating something that broke down the feces of an animal? Mmmm, yummy. Me, I will rather eat the animal that produced the feces instead of eating a derivative of its waste. Ahh, if only real science was still taught in schools.
But calves are cute and mites are icky. lol
When we stop killing our babies in the womb, I will consider the Vegan energy well directed. Protect the humans first.
It's not a baby at 3 months old... it looks like ground up hamburger meat! With all the over population and the stress of all the state/federal aid for the poor there should be more abortions! There should be a DirecTV promotion where you get $100 off your bill for every abortion you refer to the abortionist.
Read this, the world is set for a population decline with many ramifications.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/america%E2%80%99s-one-child-policy
I'm not talking about the world, I'm talking about the USA. Last year the federal govt spent 587 BILLION dollars just for kids on Medicaid. That doesn't even count Welfare, and the other helping hand funds for kids, and that doesn't count the billions spent by state programs for all of these "blessings". Teens, poor people, and the stupid are breeding like crazy, we could easily handle a few thousand more abortions a year!
Dentist, if you read the article you would see that America's population is set to decline too. We're not in as big trouble, as Singapore, or Italy but we will be. Read the article.
That's right! Until abortion is stopped, we meat-eaters will not lift a finger to be compassionate. And we refuse to help old people if babies are being killed. Afterall, babies come first! Babies come first!
Before non-humans they do.
I want to give her a tube snake. Does she tube snake boogie?
Meat isn't the enemy here, it's the careless, over processing of food that is being done to keep feeding the numbers. A lot of farmers would be happy to produce healthier foods but the demand has to go up before a lot of them will do it.
The evolution arguement has me laughing. To say we should have "Evolved" away from a meat eating species is...well...stupid. Evolution made us a meat eating species. We grew away from herbavore mammals to evolve into ominviores, most likely to fill a need we were not getting from plants alone. Evolution is not a state of mind!! You can't will your way there by some strange sence of superiority! If we were truly evolving away from the instinct to eat meat, you would have a true physical change in our appearance. For instance we would start to lose canine teeth. We would start seeing children born with all of their teeth flat. No need to have teeth to tear flesh. We are the only species on the planet that believes we are above the food chain. There NO morals conflicts in the aninal kingdom. Eat or die. Very simple. When we we step above that equation...we act as though we are above all life on Earth. And I thought God didn't beileve in evolution.
Interesting that you mention physical changes.... In the developed world, one of the most common surgeries is wisdom tooth extraction. Wisdom teeth are extra molars, good for chewing grains and vegetables. Perhaps the fact that our mouths are shrinking so that they can no longer accommodate these extra molars means we are evolving towards a diet that is higher in meats and lower in grains and vegetables....
Although, I personally believe that it's just greedy dentists taking advantage of people with insurance. It's an interesting point to ponder.
I see your point. But, wisdom tooth removal is NOT evolution.
Let me clarify.
If the wisdom teeth need to be removed, which our friend Dentist attests to, then we can only assume that there is a problem with them....
The problem is that they are growing in from the wrong position.
So let's imagine we're cavemen without any modern technology...
If we did not have any dentists to remove these poorly positioned and painful teeth, one could assume that it would cause extreme pain for the sufferer. And would interfere with their hunting and gathering caveman activities. This would cause a higher death rate in the cavemen with the bad wisdom teeth.
Some people however, would not produce wisdom teeth (just as some people are born with no left thumb or blind in one eye... just luck of the draw) These people, having no problems with painful, infected, poorly positioned wisdom teeth would be successful hunter/gatherers. They would have their pick of women because they would have more food. They would produce more offspring. And eventually, due to a higher birth rate among people lacking the wisdom teeth, and a higher death rate among those of us with them, we would be outnumbered and replaced.
Evolution at it's finest.
And dentist, I meant no offense. I'm sure most dentists are not after just money. But my dentist recommends every single person I know who goes to him to get their wisdom teeth removed. He didn't even x-ray me... It's left me soured on the experience; but I will concede that most dentists, probably the vast majority of them, are conscientious professionals.
Good point. yet i am confused on how this would support against an omnivore diet? Is it the lack of vegatables or the addition of many more types? Is the outbreak of tree nut and gluten allergies caused by a lack of a meat diet? How would we know? Evolution is generally caused by a NEED of a specices to change or die out.
Yup, that's exactly what we do. We take X-Rays that show your wisdom teeth growing sideways, causing crowding and pain, and we remove them just to get the insurance money. The real cure is to think positive thoughts, sprinkle some fairy dust and sparkles, and the pain and crowding will stop.
I like how vegetarians preach and preach about how the factories just destroy the environment. Although, the factories do contribute to globle warming and stuff, growing plants can also do some damage to the environment! Don't tell me that all those chemicals that are sprayed onto the plants are healthy for the natural world. This all really comes down to how you want to live your life, if you want to eat meat, then eat meat. If you want to be a vegetarian, then be one! Don't act like your choice is the ONLY way to live in this world. What kind of world would this be if everyone was the same?
We are NOT horses, horses have a different physiology.
Vegetarian is a healthy diet, but a vegan requires fortified foods or supplements.
You can't get B12... an essential vitamin from plants.
B12 is produced by bacteria, in the guts of herbivores... who have special stomachs for this purpose.
Humans would have to eat their own feces to get enough B12 naturally.
You know what my favorite meat? Lamb
I guess since it's still a baby, it's extra tender. Nice, juicy and gamey. I like to braise it, or perhaps roast it with some mint for a few hours. The meat becomes so soft, it lbasically melts off the bone. Om nom nom nom nom. The animal made a great sacrifice to satisfy so many higher beings, ie humans :) . Let's praise the noble lamb for his altruism :')
Where do most vegans obtain the protein in their diet? Answer: Soybeans
Guess who's the largest producer of Soybeans? Answer: Brazil
Why is Brazil now the largest producer of Soybeans? Answer: Down goes the rainforest to create more soy cropland
Vegans - the eco-green-feel-good-lovey-dovey boat you're bobbing in has got unrepairable holes and is sinking! Do us all a favor and shut-up! Oh, and tell your friends at HSUS (Humane Society of the U.S.) to stop wasting everyone's time & money brainwashing today's youth...
Is that a leather bracelet she's wearing in the photo?
For many years I worked in the food industry exporting North American grains and meat to Asia. The factory farms range in quality and actually include some great operations that take good care of their animals. Lots of wide open spaces with free range grazing. But there are also many nasty places that don't follow the rules and we have reproted and shut down a few of those. Too bad we can't get them all.
What I always wonder is if the vegetarians out there realize the changes in the food that they claim is so healthy and good for the environment. Grains and veegtables are also raised on factory-style farms that use a lot of chemicals to kill insects and weeds, and enhance productivity, just like the factory meat farms. They are also only about making money and have introduced genetically altered foods into the system. Most vegetables and fruits have significantly decreased in flavor and nutritional value over the past 20 years. If you have an opportunity to have a blood toxology test done you might be surprised how many chemicals you are pumping into your bodies, even if you are a vegan.
It isn't about meat or vegetables but about the evolution of the foodchain that supports the factory production of the food we eat. If we all went back to growing our own food and raising our own livestock we might have a bigger positive impact on our health. But society today does not allow or support that and so we all get to make our own choices on how we feed ourselves. My job doesn't allow me to have a hobby farm to raise my own food so just like most of main stream society in the developed world, I shop at local stores.
Both sides of this argument need to get all of the facts and make a decision for themselves. We can argue until the cows come home about which is right and wrong and never reach a resolution becasue this isn't an argument about absolutes.
I am looking forward to the Bison steak I will BBQ on my charcoal BBQ and eat with fresh corn on the cob, squash and new potatoes I got fromthe local market garden farm. Almost organic but not quite. Still better than the local supermarket.
There's also the whole idea that our beef is pumped full of dangerous hormones, antibiotics, and corn that was also grown with harmful chemicals; not to mention countless other mysterious feed ingredients that have included plastic, cement, feces, and even beef (yes, cannibalism) in the past. But do I care enough about it not to eat meat? Of course not.
I still cannot figure out why it would upset a meat eater if the rest of us choose not to eat it. That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. It has zero impact on their own lives.
We really don't care that you don't want to eat meat. That's your choice. But the problem is when you:
A) Start acting smug and superior
B) Start acting as though we're evil and immoral
C) Tell us we should think the same was as you, or we're destroying the world, or our health, or the cute innocent animals or whatever.
We feel as though we are under attack, because many vegetarians want to make vegetarianism the law (see PETA)
Leave us alone, and we'll leave you alone. As a matter of fact, we wouldn't even know you were a vegetarian if you didn't feel the need to express your own self-satisfaction constantly. Once you start telling me how you feel the need to be a vegetarian because (insert your reason here), I will feel the need to tell you that I think you're nuts and that eating meat is normal.
Well Mike. Not all of us preach or tell you what to eat. I certainly don't.
Yet you seem rageful towards all vegetarians.
A lot of people in my family and circle of friends are either vegetarian or vegan, and I think they (as well as Jane) make a lot of really good arguments. Let’s face it, I haven’t heard any good (in terms of scientific) claims from meat eaters, but of course we’re all entitled to do what we want. I myself eat meat but was vegetarian for a couple years. I eventually gave in to temptation, but I’ll probably try vegetarian again once I’m not working and going to school full time and can find time to shop healthfully and prepare my own food. For now it’s a lot of eat-whatever-is-the-fastest.
The only point of hers that I think was way off was that kids are forced to like the taste of meat. I’m sorry, but if there is one thing kids don’t like the taste of it’s vegetables!!! Once it’s no longer pureed (veggie And meat baby foods), kids don’t seem to like either one.
Also, sugar and other carbs are a huge part of the obesity crisis. You can’t just blame it all on animal products.
Go to http://www.westonaprice.org and look for the Take a guided tour section in the left column. It has info on both why being a vegetarian is bad for you and the basics of nutrition.
whoops, right column.
I've got to challenge her on her 5 points.
1. I have no guilt eating meat. I do think that dairy is a far greater to obesity then meat. The sedintary life style is the leading cause of obesity.
2. Bacon is awesome.
3. She is the Holier-then-thou vegan that he talks about.
4. He says moderation, she didn't even read what he wrote the first line of what she says proves it.
5. Ah yes Tofurky. Also known as meat for people who wish they could eat meat.
She would have carried more weight with me had I had the impression that she even read what was written beforehand.
This article would be offensive if it wasn't so laughable. Smug, arrogant, and self-righteous vegetarian thinks meat is evil. Gee, thanks, I can get so much out of that. I'm going to order extra meat on my burger tonight, just for her.
I will eat anything with a pulse and I am pro global warming!
Ted Nugent has one of the more ethical approaches. Eat meat, but only if you're willing to kill it yourself. Man-up everyone! Meat is not created in a cello-wrapped styrofoam package.
Is too! It's just the way my daddy bought it and brought it to mom to cook for us.
I used to love meat – then I stopped in a veal farm in Wisconsin a couple decades back. X'ed that off the list – cruel and unusual punishment to a baby for 6 months – in a crate, can't move, anemic, diarrhea running down its rear for its 6 month life until slaughter – did not want to see that. All that pain for a tender piece of meat. Began to make me think and read.
Then the chicken house – you really don't need to see the conditions there – just look at how sick the chickens look in the next truck full of them you see on the highway – don't want that illness in my body.
My brother in law became a pig farmer – got to see it up close and personal – there was always a carcass laying around, or on a truck, or in the "buzzard pit". But most carcasses never made it out of the pens, because wounded pigs would be eaten alive by pen mates. And the amount of drugs they use to keep them growing super fast and keep from getting sick – if you had a cold, you were not allowed to visit – because they are to susceptible to lots of disease.
Ever notice that kids are developing faster – why would a growth hormone stop working after the animal it was originally in was eaten by a human? It can't tell the difference.
Recalls might be a clue too – how many mad cow scares have there been? – how many meat recalls have there been? – and most importantly, what meat should never make it to market, but does anyway for the sake of profit? Feeling queasy thinking about it.
If animals had good lives, fresh food, were drug and disease free, and had a humane end, I'd still be eating them. But because the majority of people think they need meat at every meal, it forces mass production, drug laden, poor conditions, and a terrifying and painful end for lots of them – check YouTube if you need proof. And, meat is a product not necessarily good for humans, Until something changes I'll continue to enjoy eating vegetables and Morningstar products.
And, economically – my family eats better food – mostly organic – than most meat eaters.
Concerned about our environment? Why pay for a cow or chicken to eat months of corn/grain/animal remnants when you can have a piece of corn and grain on your plate. Less water used, less fuel used, less land used, and less pollution if you just bypass the animal.
Need more info.? – the turning point for me was when a friend loaned me the book " A Diet for a new America". I read the first chapter on chicken farming, and gave it back to him. That was all I needed to know. And, I would bet – if most people saw what the how the animals they eat were raised, there would be a major shift in how they ate.
We need to stop arguing. Just like Republicans and Democrats that just attack each other and nothing good gets done. We are most likely omnivores but people can lean either way. No problem. But let's stop attacking or insulting each other. We are all in this together. If we don't start working together then nothing important or useful will be achieved.
I'm 49 years old, a vegetarian for more than 20 years and way healthier than most people my age. And there is no price on compassion. Thank you, Jane Velez-Mitchell, for expressing the views of us vegetarians on 5@5.
hmmm. I don't think the obesity crises is linked to meat.
Potato chips, chocolate bars, and sugary drinks are the main factors that contribute. Fast food burgers are bad too, but even in that, it's mostly the sodium and fat in the sauces and the sides and drinks.
Her argument is also flawed in that all her points come to the same thing... meat is bad for you because it's immoral. That's not actually an argument though, since morality is something that is socially conditioned (as is eating meat, according to her), and most people in our society don't view eating meat as wrong. She completely avoided any rebuttal in terms of actual taste, or any actual tangible health benefits. She chose, rather than complement vegetarianism, to simply insult meat-eating. This is why vegetarianism will never go main stream.... because vegetarians cannot make a decent argument that isn't based on "Killing animals is wrong, and makes you fat"
The studies demonstrate clearly that an animal based diet increases a host of diseases. Whether it's the Framingham study or the 7 nations study and a variety of others... eating a plant based diet is superior. Eat what you want, but be honest about the facts. Interesting if evolution is true that a plant based diet would be superior... evolution should have made it the opposite.
Well now that I've been preached to about my life choices enough for the day, I think I'll go to Five Guys for a delicious juicy meaty cheeseburger. Thanks for the laughs, Jane!
see you there Ban. if you get there before me please order me a burger with bacon, grilled onions and grilled mushrooms.
By design, Humans are Omnivores. We have two eyes at the front of our skull, which all predatory animals have. This unique feature gives us depth perception. Imagine, a leopard is stalking prey, and pounces... only to over shoot, because it has a limited view range.
Now, in defense of the "skull and teeth" arguement, yes, humans have teeth that are made for chewing grass, our skulls is made that way too. Along with this, we have a apendix, and other such things which grants us the ability to eat plants, and not animals exclusively. The apendix was(and is) used by animals to break down vegetable particles for maximum nutrients, but now serves no purpose, because it does not function.
There are many arguements for both sides, so here is my resolution: Zealot-like Vegetarians, I know that the animals are treated bad, but would you still blame me is I took my rifle and shot my pig, or cow?
Defensive Meat-Eaters: I understand that meat is good, and killing things with a nervous system is wrong, but how about we conform slightly more, and buy our food from the farmers where there is no involvement in factories.
I forsee that in the future, we shall all co-exist and have a balanced diet of vegetables, meat, grains, dairy, and fruit, but until that day comes, I say that we not only have the Freedom of Speech, but we also have the Freedom of Eating-whatever-sustains-our-bodies.
In closing, I would just like to say this, in some of the most inspiring words ever, Good Night, and Good Luck.
The beau
if we weren't suppose to eat meat then why do we have canines
People are very eager to justify the cruelty that our farmed animals suffer – to say it's natural or the food chain, etc. There is nothing natural about cutting off a bird's beak, forcing a pig to endure pregnancy after pregnancy while spending her whole life in a two foot crate, or taking a calf from it's mother hours after birth to live in a dark cage for a few months before being slaughtered for veal. There is nothing natural in factory farming including stuffing the animals with millions of drugs. There is nothing natural in these animals lives. Be honest about your selfish cruelty, don't pretend it's natural. Be honest about your desire to inflict pain on lesser beings. If you are honest with yourself, you might recognize the horror you participate in and may be able to change. I don't think humans truly want to be cruel. Just open your eyes to the truth.
This lady is as blind as any person who looks at an issue from only one side (such as all far-left or far-right politicians). She has some valid points, unfortunately it is almost all couched in idiotic propaganda.
Meat and dairy consumption are the main causes of this country's obesity? I call bulls***. Sure, Americans could do with lessening their portion sizes when it comes to meat and dairy. However, the main cause of our country's obesity problem is directly related to our entertainment and technological advances. Most people don't have to physically exert themselves for 12-16 hours a day any longer.
All of you, ask your mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers. Vegetarians in their days were a severe oddity. Society thought they were literally crazy. And they didn't have the obesity problem. Why? They led active lifestyles. America's obesity problem is because America is lazy.
Incidentally, healthy vegetarianism is much, much more expensive than an omnivorous diet. That's a lot to ask from a country where poverty is quickly becoming a majority. Has anyone met an unhealthy vegetarian? The complex balance and large quantities of foods they must eat to make up for the B-9, B-12 proteins, iron, etc leaves most sickly and anemic. Not to mention those vegans and vegetarians that require their quarterly B-12 shots in order to STAY ALIVE, since their systems forgot how to process B-12 from natural sources.
Jane is going a little overboard here by bringing up extremes with the blood and pig pens. Fruits and veggies have their problems too like ecol i strains, pesticides and preservatives. You can buy meat that comes from healthy animals that were raised without hormones and cramped conditions and get it without all the nitrates and preservatives. Sometimes you pay a little more but the demand is growing and bringing prices down. You don't have to quit eating meat altogether but fruits and veggies are typically more healthy.
It's been said that the human digestive system with all it's curves and angles was meant for vegetarian diet when compared to that of a dog or big cats that have more or less a straight digestive tract. It's also been said that some blood types are meant for a more carnivorous diet. If eating meat was so unnatural there wouldn't be so many carnivore animals. The best thing to do would be to grow your own fruits n veggies and raise or hunt your own animals. Since not everyone can do that, the next best thing is to look for organic or minimally processed foods and lean toward eating minimal amounts of meat. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?
For all of you who are so worried about the environment that you are willing to sacrifice my quality of life for your cause. i would like to point out that the greenest thing you can do for the environment is to kill yourself. Please feel free to take this all important step for the environment. Just think of all the trees you'll save in toilet paper alone by ending your miserable lives. Not to mention the all the methane that won't get in atmosphere from all the crap that falls out of your mouths.
People actually feel guilty about eating animals? Only when you overcook it, in my experience.
As usual, vegetarians can't make their case without it being an emotional, ethical one, because there is nothing unnatural about eating meat for a human being. It's a part of almost every culture's diet on the face of the earth. Our social skills and even the size of our brain developed the way they did because of hunting and eating meat. The problem is that Americans, for the most part, simply eat too much of it.
There's nothing wrong with being a vegetarian, and it can be a very healthy lifestyle. But there is nothing wrong or unnatural about eating animals. This is why vegetarians need to stick to the health benefits of moderation in their arguments.
how did this get onto CNN? LOL
GARBAGE Your d*mn right my plate is swimming in blood. People kill people. People kill animals. At least people eat the animals. Maybe you should focus more on people killing people, instead of your self righteous same the animal crap!
I think going vegan is a good idea. Plus I work at the grocery store which sells tofu turkey and it is a really seller, plus my mom use to make me tofu sandwich's for lunch. So please quit complaining and just enjoy life. I have defended National Parks, animals and I just saw five eagle rays while on vacation 2 weeks ago . So if they could talk they would smack those hunters and claw them, so that way the hunter suffers. So Vegan is a great idea. Thanks.
I love animals.
They are absolutely DELICIOUS!
Omnivore for life!!
I can certainly understand the protest against factory farms, however, not everyone obtains their meat from these sort of operations. I also hope, lest she be hypocritical (which most people are, regardless of what they eat) that she buys her veggies only from small, family farms or grows them herself, factory farms also produce vegetables, and are notorious for hiring illegal's and then treat them horribly, and yes, even illegal immigrants have more rights as humans than cows or pigs do (which I doubt a lot of vegans would agree with). Lastly, I'm sure this woman is a city girl, never actually been to a small family farm, they treat their animals w/ respect, after all they are their livelihood .
I never watched her show, but she makes a lot of excellent counterpoints here. I thought the meat-lover was just making a classic case of rationalization for something that he doesn't in his soul believe is right.
Guilt trips don't work on me. Sorry, I will be grilling a steak this weekend and eating it with delight.
" How can you talk about peace if your plate is swimming in blood?"
How can you eat tofu when it's smothered in sanctimony?
Let's get smart about how we raise and slaughter food animals. End the inhumane treatment and pay a little more at the grocery store–who am I fooling, it's all about money whether it's animal or plants.
To all who want a laugh on this topic please watch The Food Chain http://cinemasaville.com/videos/food-chain
Enjoy!
Reason #6 – You taste better than meat eaters.
I urge all vegans/veggies to read "The Vegetarian Myth" by Lierre Keith - a vegan.
You mean the book that's skewered here? http://skepticalvegan.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/myths-of-the-vegetarian-myth/
At the end of the day, what you eat is your choice. We are lucky to live in a society were people have the option to either eat meat or not eat meat. We have choice and no one is forcing you to choose something against your will. Enjoy your well season squash and I will enjoy my bacon cheeseburger – I'm not forcing my food culture on you, I'm just eating my choice in peace.
Not animals??? what the FFFFFFUUUU? were worst than animals more like it..."animals" should be called something more better like humans...we should be called animals
The only thing I take issue with is people claiming they are some sort of evolutionary leap ahead of meat-eaters. The author also attempts to make some point about peace and blood-soaked plates, as if the carnage of the butchery is happening right there on the table. Sorry, author, but some folks do not imagine the butcheries when consuming animal products. Also, for those who keep using the term "rotting meat" – the veggies you are eating are also in a state of decay. The argument on both sides will never be won.
God I love meat. The best thing about Jane and all her cronies is that there's more meat left for me. Ohhhh, meat. Goood!
Ok, to all the comments about the factory farming industry, and its horrible practices what about i do this. Instead of giving up meat, which i have no want to do, i make the decision to buy from a local organic ranch. They raise beef, pork, chicken, and eggs all free range, no slop feed, no weird drugs, even the beef is grass raised and finished, no annimals kept in cages. Would that be ok with you then?
My guess is no.
clearly she is a lesbian, making her a true vegetarian. i am just sick of listening to her liberal nonsense. someone needs to tell ms. mother ducking nature that there might be a few bigger issues in the world than my thanksgiving turkey not being able to vote in our upcoming elections.
Who wants a piece of this?
If God did not want us to eat meat he would not of made cows out of STEAK! The problem with vegetarians who choose to be, and want everyone else to be, for guilt reasons are claiming that humans and animals are the same, which is a moral fallacy. If someone truly believes that they are just the same as the animals, let them go live in the woods naked with absolutely nothing from the modern world.
stupid, preachy, self-righteous, c&nt...food chain!!! Deal with it you have incisors.
I suspect you have a brain as well but we aren't forcing you to use it to its full potential.
one word: incisors
Jane doesn't really count very well. She just tries to say "guilt" five different ways.
If you buy the guilt trip fine I kill vegies too.
Compromise. No need to have meat for breakfast lunch and dinner. Just have it a couple of times a week for a special treat and with all the money you have saved by not eating meat every day, buy the best organic free range meat you can get. You will do yourself and the world a favour by being 90% vegetarian. And you won't miss meat on the other days.
I like to go bow hunting for all animals.
I enjoy striking the heart, and letting the animal bleed out before my eyes.
It give me great pleasure to KILL that animal, bring it home, and eat it.
Humans have been doing this since the beginning of time.
Read a book about Native Tribes, and get real.
Ya know...meat and dairy do not just magically make you fat. Eating 5000 calories a day or a ridiculously fat-laden diet and not getting off your lazy ass and exercising makes people fat. I know several chubby vegetarians. Just because potato chips are vegetarian doesn't make them healthy...
You can be veggie and do it right. And there is nothing wrong with it. And there is nothing wrong with eating meat. You can be just as healthy eating meat in your diet alongside veggies and fruits!
And yes, there are many places that are cruel to their animals, and that should not be allowed. But animals have been used for food for literally thousands of years, and there were no complaints when farmers slaughtered cows or strangled their chickens. How is that any different from today?
I am genetically engineered to be an omnivore, and will continue to consume meat. But if you want to eat veggies, that's fine with me. Just think about all the pesticides used to grow vegetables when you eat it, though. Isn't that yummy?
Well, I eat organic veggies. But those same pesticides may be getting concentrated in the meat of those vegetarians you are eating. Om nom nom.
absolutely loved reading this... yea, vegetarian! let everyone live peacefully. no seasoned dead animals please.
I love this article. I dont know why meat eaters are so offended. I dont see how what's wrong with wanting to save animals from cruelty. perhaps, meat eaters are just feeling guilty. we can live a perfectly happy, healthy life, and not eat meat. meat and dairy cause pain and death to animals. animals that think and have rich emotional lives, and scream in pain when they die. what is so wrong about wanting to avoid this?
today i had a chicken bacon ranch pizza. it was fucking amazing! it was like my mouth was having an orgasm!
I'm a farm kid and I show cattle as my main hobby. I see beef from calf to plate, but I also understand that there are people out there who do not see things as I do, in fact I attend college with a lot of them. It is there right to disagree with me. The thing that really eats me up though, is the fact that some of these people do not believe that it is also my right to eat the meat that I and many others work so hard to produce.
The next time anyone that reads this either enjoys, or chooses not to enjoy a cut of any type of meat, think of all of the people who make a living by putting meat on your plate; it would be a very sad thing if those people suddenly lost their way of life (and it is a way of life, not a profession).
I'll go vegan when the food is so good, i dont have to "adjust" my taste to get used to it. Food is food, if its good its good. Most vegan food is disgusting.
This is one dumbest things I have ever read in my life. First off, I don't like either of these people, but just so the record is straight, I eat meat and will continue to do so till the day I die. But I also love animals. But this article was obviously set up to expose two polar opposites. Simply put, and dumb redneck and a vegan. And WOW, let the fireworks begin. This is retarded. Articles like this make me sick. Shame on CNN for putting trash like this up. I always thought they were better than that. I feel sorry for anyone who bothered to read this whole thing without realizing the set up.
I don't listen to anyone with a warped opinion on a well balanced diet, with a hyphenated last name, who advocates the consumption of man breast producing Tofurky.
Get the Tofu%k outta here...
why do you bring up the fact that her name is hyphenated? does that fact that she didnt choose to take her husband's name frighten you?
why would i be frightened by a hyphen? she probably chose it because she had a career before getting married, but the hyphen is unnecessary.
have two unhyphenated last names. keep your last name. take a new one. change it, to Jane Veganith for all i care. i just think hyphenated names are a ridiculous way to show how indecisive you are, and how post modern you want everyone to know you are...
I said that you might be "frightened" because the way in which you brought it up made it seem as if you were threatened by her liberation. the fact that she chose not to take her husband's name. alot of women, and men, choose to hyphenate as a way of making a nod towards a equality, just because i marry someone doesnt mean they are my property, and have to take my name. personally, i dont like hyphenated names, aesthetically, they are messy. my wife and i chose to combine our names into a single word.
I don't like food that had a face.
Its unfortunate that she spent so much time talking down to people and being a tree hugger. I would have like to have read some more about the specific health benefits of being vegan. I am a meat eater but have always been interested in removing some meat (but not all) from my diet. I am more interested in the health benefits than the size of a chickens cage on its way to slaughter.
wow, the meat-eaters in the room are seriously behind the times. i find their defensiveness pretty telling. good for your, jane, for posting this. when the meat-eaters are dying, you'll still be going strong with your sweet vegan self.
Guilt free eating? I eat meat all the time. No guilt here. Meat makes people fat? Nice try. Carbs and sugar do more damage to most diets than a steak ever will. As a matter of fact, of all the vegetarians I know, all but one is fat. How does that happen?
I've seen that too, they're also sickly pasty looking....
You mean like these vegan wimps? http://veganbodybuilding.com/
The horse is extremely muscular and fast and eats grass and hay. The lion eats raw meat, sleeps for more than 75% of it's life, and by no means is a fat slob...just sayin'.
Also, what facts is she refering to with the rainforest being torn down for grazing lands? Didn't she state in the paragraph before that all the animals are locked up in cages so small they can't even move? And if we didn't kill the billions of animals for meat...then they'll just stop producing methane? Weird logic.
I am far too lazy to come up with a workable vegetarian diet that won't give me a headache from lack of substance. If someone were to create a menu for me, I would follow it as long as it included hummus and eggplant. Otherwise, I'll just keep on keeping on.
I haven't eaten meat since 1982!
If eating animals is ok, why not eat your pet dogs and cats on days that you can't go to the store to buy the killed, neatly packaged dead animals?? Why do you think these "pet" animals are so special that people go on to make scrap-book pages for them (which by the way is hilarious), while a cow, goat, pig that is killed to satisfy your palate is just an ordinairy animal meant to die for you?? Ever stop to think about it??
when people eat meat, they're not eating rotting carcass. people aren't stupid, we don't eat things that are rotten. if we believe something tastes good, then it does. who cares if we were conditioned to like it, that fact is that we like it and we're going to eat it. and our consumption of meat has nothing to do with our nations obesity. i eat almost a pound of beef/turkey every day, but i go to the gym and live a healthy lifestyle. americans are fat because we don't exercise.
i read the first paragraph of this woman's argument, and refuse to read any more.
She has compassion for animals; he doesn't.
wow. these comments are crazy. i think we know who are the angry, defensive, self-righteous ones, and it ain't the vegetarians. the meat-industrial complex is collapsing. i'm just so glad people like Jane are out there speaking the truth and helping to expose the damage it is causing to the animals, the earth and to human health. wake up and smell the rotting flesh, folks.
A lot of the die-hard meat defenders are missing the underlying point of the article.
It's not "wrong" to eat meat. Any bonehead knows it's obviously natural to crave it so stop using that as an argument. What's WRONG is to support our horrifying meat industry. See past her vegetarian remarks and pay attention to the truths she's pointing out about how our meat industry operates. If you saw the factories America uses to produce the pork chop/chicken breast/steak on your plate, trust me you would not be putting it in your mouth. It's disgusting and it's not how meat should be produced. If we all ate LESS meat (i.e. try to be vegetarian on the weekdays, and eat some meat on weekends, for example), then maybe these farms can afford to allow the animals to see the SUN once in a while and walk on actual grass. But because so many Americans insist on meat with every single meal, the industry crams animals into tiny cages and concentration-camp-like living conditions. That's the point she's really trying to make. Then you, and the entire world, would be better off for it.
Yes. If you've ever loved an animal, you should at least consider Marie's point.
Rotting carcass? Sounds like Jane was eating road kill - that would turn anyone into a vegetarian. There is nothing quite as good as a deer steak from an animal that you harvest yourself. Maybe I'll send her some venison this season.
people ask vegetarians why they don't eat meat and then they never like even the most timid, and polite answers. i used to avoid answering now i answer as directly and as honestly without judgment. one day humans will look back at animal eating the way we now look at canniballism. i can't spell.
This lady is pretty much nuts. Typical TV personality.
"rotting flesh" ? what the !?!@? I am a meat eater and a hunter/gatherer, never had to eat anything rotten in my life.
for all of you people talking about the food chain, you guys need to get the obvious facts right. do you see cheetahs cramming antelope in the wire cages and sawing off their hoofs? no. they kill the animal as quickly and painlessly as possible. as humans, we can make the compassionate decision and stop eating them altogether. obviously, animals like the cheetah can't. and don't say that the cheetah just isnt capable of making a cage. just stop with the lame excuses
Given the correct tools and maybe a "how to make a cage" video, I'm sure they could. Shame on us for not providing these resources.
It's people like her that make me want to eat a nice juicy ribeye steak with gorganzola butter dripping off the top. Yum. BTW, not everyone who eats meat is brainwashed or obese....says this 110lb free thinking woman.
or Gorgonzola rather, I get a little excited about a nice juicy ribeye sometimes.
Please take the Veg Pledge visit http://www.animalfreedomday.com
Wow. This article was stupid and a waste of time.
I didn't end up at the top of the food chain to eat vegetables.
Last time I checked, plants were living things too. Or did she conveniently forget that little tid-bit?
Just turned 50 and have been vegan for over 4 years and my only regret is that I didn't discover sooner that I was wrong about not being able to survive without eating meat at least once a day. I feel really good in so many ways: I lost weight; I have more energy; my sinuses cleared up; I am not constantly constipated; I don't have chronic heartburn that requires taking beta-blockers weekly; from a decade ago (when I was still eating some meat and dairy), my cholesterol is down slightly from 165 to 153; my blood pressure is down from 117/90 to 103/65. It's the most direct way an individual can contribute to the green causes of slowing deforestation and lessening of greenhouse gasses and, of course, takes me out of the loop when it comes to the suffering of animals, especially in the factory farm environment. This is not something I want to make others feel guilty about, but it's something I feel good about. My wife and 2 teen kids are omnis, so I try not to be preachy about it. Thanks for having vegan representation on your forum.
I was thinking about going vegetarian, but after reading this pretentious blather, I think I'll stay a carnivore just so I don't run the risk of turning into a self-righteous a-hole.
Do you base all your life decisions on anemic "debates" between D-list celebrities on a website?
I was originally thinking that perusing the comments for this article and throwing my two cents in would engage me in healthy, meaningful discussion. Instead, I find alot of meanspirited name calling coming from both sides of the argument, and rather han giving my opinion on the topic at hand, I will just point out that this is the same type of caustic commenting that I've come to expect from the more politically charged articles on CNN.com. Although I agree on the importance of this issue, neither side will benefit, much less gain converts, if they are not willing to respect the veiws of others, whether flawed or not, but based on the merit of coming from another human being. Only when the fighting stops can we find agreement.
I've been a vegetarian (not vegan) for 21 years. I'm a guy, i watch sports, married, play poker every Tuesday night, ride a motorcycle, have tattoos, smoke cigars, etc. I chose to be a vegetarian because like has been said, i feel it's terrible to horribly make these animals suffer and then kill them. It's that simple. I have no vegetarian friends – they're all meat eaters including my wife. Everyone knows i'm a vegetarian but i have never once told someone what to eat. If they ask me i tell them what i know, but outside of that it's not my place. Becoming a vegetarian is something someone has to come into on their own. If i harped and "preached" about it, it would just drive people the other way.
Since the points above are number, I've numbered mine below accordingly:
1. Tim was arguing a matter of taste. Jane, as Tim argued in #3, took it to an entirely different level. Tim likes the taste of a good steak. Jane doesn't (for her own reasons). Tim explained his like in a few short sentences. Jane launched into multi-paragraph speech on animal cruelty.
2. (see #1)
3. When I originally saw how long Jane's response to this one was, I knew it was going to be bad. But when I saw the post begin with "I challenge the idea that anyone can eat meat 'in peace.' " I just laughed. It's like Jane went out of her way to prove Tim's point. If people would like to eat meat, allow them to do so without having to suffer through your intrusion and unwelcome opinion about their meal. I cringe at the idea of eating with a vegetarian because the majority of vegetarians (not everyone, so if a vegetarian is reading this I am not specifically targeting anyone) wind up being intrusive at some point during the meal. Allow people to live without being badgered by your opinion.
4. Tim argues to eat meat in moderation for the benefit of essential protein. Jane goes on to argue points against eating "huge amounts of protein". That isn't at all what Tim was saying – I suggest that Jane thoroughly reads Tim's post before launching into an exaggerated response.
5. To each their own. I enjoy holiday traditions, but others may like mixing it up. Either opinion is not an argument for or against becoming a vegetarian however.
Yours is the best response so far.
meat all the way...tofu is gross
Going vegetarian would not solve world hunger. All of the food that animals eat on farms comes out in the form of manuere which is used as a fertilizer on fields to grow higher yielding crops of fruits, vegetables and grains. Taking animals out of the equation would result in all fertilizer being produced synthetically causing worse environmental problems. I'm not saying stuffing 3 chickens in a cage and stacking them twenty high is right at all, the animals need to be treated with some decency, but taking animals out of the equation is definately not the right answer. Also, i myself live on a dairy farm, and many of my friends live on pig, chicken and dairy farms, and not in one of them have i seen anything close to the conditions of which Jane Velez-Mitchell describes in this article. Just because the odd farmer treats animals like this doesn't mean all farmers are bad.
WOW! Are you serious? You bunch of liberal, holier than thou hypocrites. I will continue to eat animals, as will the billions of other people on this planet. Good luck on changing the world. Anyone got a taste for some lettuce?
Got a taste for pig eyes and bull testicles, Josh?
Lettuce? Seriously? That's your comeback?
She's right. If you actually read her responses – if you actually read them, she's right.
Here is why this article is ridculous, and i did read it. She is criticial of people that don't share her view. I could honestly care less what people eat and what they don't, but when someone says they are better than you because of their lifestyle it is counterproductive. Read the amount of posts saying this. And yes I have had calf fries, I eat all parts of the animal, it is much more tasty than lettuce.
She's right. You know she is.
In a society where we now accept homosexuality, people of different origins, and women's rights are we really going to argue and call names over what people choose to eat? Every vegetarian I've ever known has tried to get me to "go to their side". I have NEVER told anyone they needed to eat meat. If you want to live a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, then fine with me, I won't try to tell you that you are wrong. I expect to be treated with the same dignity and respect.
Stop. Just STOP.
I'm a vegetarian and I have been a vegetarian for fourteen years, since I was twelve years old. And this article makes me GAG.
She had the perfect opportunity to provide reasons why a vegetarian diet is a healthy choice when compared with a meat-heavy diet. Instead, she decided to become preachy. Smelling bacon makes you "sad"?!?! Give me a break! Smelling bacon makes ME go, "OMIGOOOOOD, BACON." But I don't eat it because it's my choice not to do so.
Thanks, lady, for painting all of us vegetarians in the exact light that I, personally, would like to avoid.
DO VEGAN WOMEN HAVE ORAL SEX, OR DOES THAT MAKE THEM LOOSE THEIR APPETITE?
Its meat salad time!!!
Our ancestors were hunter gatherers and didn't eat at McDonalds. They also had more fiber in their diet and weren't obese. And they didn't argue with each other about such petty stuff. Instead they bopped each other on the head to take someone else's woman. Ouch.
C'MON VEGANS, I KNOW YOU HATE ANIMALS, BUT WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PROVE WITH THE "CRUSH" VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE???
A chick that doesn't eat meat is like a beach without sand....
I'M ALL FOR BARBECUED HAMSTER ON A SKEWER! 5 TO A PLATE!!!
I have just started reading a very interesting book called the Vegetarian Myth By Lierre Keith. She explains how vegetarians (and she was one for 25 years) have deluded themselves into thinking that they are "one with nature" and don't kill when they eat vegetables. When the reality is that large-scale agriculture that is feeding the new Morally "superior" vegetarians is wiping out more animal life than meat eaters. Monoagriculture of wheat, corn and soy is stripping the soils , and taking away the wildlife that were once living on that land. Entire states are slowly turning to wastelands. She further argues that to say that we should take some "high road" and not be part of the natural cycle of life (dying, killing, feeding of the next organism), is absolutely foolish and deluded. Yes, mass-slaughterhouses are disgusting, but raising and slaughtering animals humanely is natural and the way it is supposed to be. I know she goes on to explain how sick she became from being a vegetarian in a future chapter that I have not gotten to yet. We are biologically programmed to eat animal products and are truly healthiest on a "hunter" type diet of meats, non-starchy vegetables, few grains and nuts and berries. I know I've lost 30 lbs doing so and have never felt better.
DUCKIES AND GEESE ARE THE LUCKIEST ONES OF ALL! THEY GET TO EAT LIKE PIGS SO WE GET TO EAT FOIE GRAS! SOUNDS LIKE AN EVEN TRADE!
Do your part, support Animal Freedom Day!
http://www.animalfreedomday.com
No Eating Meat – No red meat, poultry, fish/seafood, milk, eggs or animal bi-products.
No Animal Slaughter
No Animal Hunting
No Animal Clothing – No suede, leather, fur, wool or silks should be worn.
Animal Adoption – Visit a local shelter to adopt an animal and provide them with a loving home.
No Animal testing – Refrain from using animals for testing and use products that are not tested on animals.
Animal Spay/Neuter – Spay and neuter your pets.
No Fishing
No Animal Entertainment – Don’t support events/shows/programs that involve using animals for entertainment.
To create and ensure the passage of legislation for world governments of all levels to halt the advertisements of raw flesh/meat as marketing images for commercial producers
We need your help to achieve these goals! Please sign up to support one or all of these goals. Together we can make a positive difference for the lives of animals and humans alike. Take part today and let us know what you can do to help.
It seems this girl (like all others vegetarians) avoids meat because of the way animals are treated. Well, put it this way: humans are the only species of mammal on Earth who are conscious of their existance, relative quality of life, and what it could possibly be. Animals don't even have it in their heads that they exist (they survive by instinct), so how can they be aware of how they're being treated, let alone know any possible alternatives? How any intelligent life form feels about how it's treated is based on how it was initially treated when it was born and raised. If they're born to harsh conditions, they don't even feel it. On the contrary, something better may feel like heaven as opposed to being taken for granted. Remember this is different from women's rights or ethnic groups or anything else having to do with treatment of other HUMANS.
I feel sorry for anyone who "feels sad" when they smell bacon. How brainwashed can you be. I feel everyone can have their point of view, but the guy was having FUN with eating meat. And I love both meat and vegetables. But if I was going to die and was allowed a last meal, you better believe it would be a medium rare steak and not a grilled veggie.
wow, there are a lot of ignorant statements on this page, but yours takes the cake. i've never heard a more hypocritical statement in my life. the only word that i can think of to address the meat-eating population is brainwashed. you'd have to be half blind to not realize that the whole country is shoving meat down everyone's throats. i don't see anything brainwashed about refusing to eat an animal that's quite similar to humans. and by the way, who was the moron who said we weren't animals? now that's so asinine it's funny. just so you know, there's no difference between eating the family dog and a cow. just because we can, should we? just think about it
Here's the real deal....Vegetarians like to pretend that they're eating "guilt-free", but guess what? How many innocent animals die while the grain is being harvested? You know how many field mice get crushed to death every year due to grain harvesters? It's hypocritical. Unless you raise everything in your own backyard, and gather it by hand, you're killing animals to eat. And if you do grow everything by hand...My hat's off to you....That's impressive.
ok, listen. until YOU go vegetarian, i think you'd better not make a comment. the only thing hypocritical here is someone who probably chows down on a corpse every night and criticizes the people who are getting off their butts at least trying to make a difference. so until you're growing your own food by hand and making your own tofu and tempeh, i'd suggest you shut up until someone grills you for your ridiculous statements.
Ahahaha! Wow. He raises some valid points and facts while all you do is make personal attacks about lazy meat eaters. Look at the numbers. You kill just as many with your grain harvesters. Yours was the ridiculous statement. Why dont you just eat rocks and dirt and stuff? Then your conscience can be completely clear. Until you get of YOUR lazy butt and try to collect your own rocks and minerals "i'd suggest you shut up until someone grills you for your ridiculous statements." Yeah. Basically until you stop eating I think you'd better not make a comment. You kill too. You're just self righteous enough to tell other people that their killing is worse. Death = fact of life. I'll pray for you.
I keep vegetarian, not vegan. No animals die for me. But I notice that everyone keeps talking about plants when they're talking about vegetarianism. Anything wrong with having pasta? I love the pasta. Don't you love the pasta?
Can I get pumpkin swimming in blood?
it's amazing to me how vegetarians and vegans always try to pull a guilt trip on folks for eating meat. They never make a valid argument about why not to eat meat. It's always some philisophical argument that is not grounded in fact. The reasons why americans are fat have nothing to do with meat. It is because as a nation we over consume carbohydrate plain and simple. Now i will admit that the conventional ways of raising animals is devastating on the environment but they never address the fact that animals that are raised humanely provide THE MOST NUTRIENT DENSE FOODSTUFFS ON THIS PLANET. Just because you can get partial omega 3 fats from plants does not mean that they are ideal and that they are highly bioavailable. In fact, omega 3 fats from humanely raised animals that are allowed to forage and graze instead of living there lives on CAFOS provide the most bioavailable fats you can get. You must have high quality protein(i.e. meat....sorry vegetarians) to maintain a level of health and build muscle, you also must have essential fats and contrary to popular belief some saturated fat is good. what you do not HAVE to have is carbohydrate in the form of grains and most people don't believe it but fruit in excess can actually cause you to gain wait. Education is the key. If you get a chance Google Lierre Keith and find out how being a vegan for over 20 years worked out for her.
I agree. Sorry, I didn't see that you had already posted about Lierre Keith's fantastic book. What an eye-opener.
Only one reason is needed to be vegetarian, i.e. DO UNTO OTHERS WHAT YOU WANT OTHERS TO DO UNTO YOU. Do you want to be eaten?
For instance... I would really enjoy my family to all be cut off at the knees and eaten by a large animal.
HUNTERS ARE HUMANE. IF THEY SHOOT A DEER, AND IT IS A'KICKIN AND A'SCREAMIN WHEN THEY GO TO GET IT, THEY QUICKLY PUT IT OUT OF IT'S MISERY BY PUTTING A BULLET INTO THEIR HEAD! NOW THAT'S HUMANE!
Animal Freedom Day was initiated due to a documentary film 'Don't Eat Me'. The concept behind Animal Freedom Day is to bring the world together to free the animals from the abuse they are currently experiencing. This will bring an epic climatic moment to the film as the world unites to free the animals once and for all. The sole purpose of the film ‘Don’t Eat Me’ is to raise awareness of the lives of factory farmed animals and what can be done to change it. All proceeds generated by the documentary will go towards charity, putting abused animals in sanctuaries as well as researching and marketing new vegan food dishes as an alternative replacement to meat. To find out more about Don’t Eat Me please visit http://www.donteatme.ca
For an eye opener on how food is manufactured (it stopped being farming a long time ago) check out the documentary "Food, Inc."
It's pretty revealing that the vegetarian viewpoints in the article AND comments actually tie their reasons to factual information and some attempt at learning about the world. The pro-meat position is "herp derp TAILGATING!". I'm a veg who doesn't judge meat-eaters, but this article actually makes them look pretty dumb. Snotty vegetarians are annoying, but today we've learned that there are plenty of snotty (and misogynist) meat-eaters.
SLAUGHTER IS HUMANE!
Eliminate World Hunger, Free Yourself, Free the Animals http://www.animalfreedomday.com
Hey vegans, if you are clinging to life in an emergency room, and the medication that is about to save your life was tested on rats, would you rather die? If so, you are clinically insane.
I'd like to eat Jane Valez-Mitchell and have a drink with Tim Love! High Protein and Healthy!
For an eye opener on how food is manufactured (it stopped being farming a long time ago) watch "Food, Inc."
Jane definitely has some issues. "Guilt free eating?" WTF? Word on the street says that eating isn't the only thing she's confused about and that veggies aren't the only things she likes to munch on.
This is a lame debate, 99% off all plants are dangerous for human consumption, on the other hand 99% of anything that walks, crawls, swims or flies is safe for us to eat. If we were supposed to be vegan we could just go outside and eat tree bark like any other animal herbivore.
So many fallacies in your point. Percentages don't mean anything when you're dealing with vastly different quantities (plant life > animal life). Not to mention that you're just flat-out wrong about the safety of all meat for consumption. Please at least learn some facts before spouting off, your reasoning isn't much better than that of a child. That said, by all means keep eating meat. We're omnivores, which is maybe sorta kinda what you were struggling to say.
Our bodies are temples, and what we put in it a sacrifice.
"Do what thou will"
HEY "J". THE BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD PUT ANIMALS ON THE EARTH AND GAVE MAN DOMINION OVER THEM ... IN OTHER WORDS, SO THEY COULD BE EATEN! YOU MUST NOT BE OF THE SPIRIT!
Jim, I guess you didn't realize that according to the old testament God did not allow humans to eat or harm animals. It wasn't until Noah's arch and the lack of food on the earth that God told humans they could eat the animal to survive. Now that there is another option for food should be still be harming God's creatures?
I'm sorry. You lost me at "The Bible Says". Think for yourself dude.
ease
Isnt make-up and most beauty products made with animal fats? If so shes wearing a slaughter house on her face!
The factories shes talking about are horrible, but only exist because there are to many people on the planet. A nice plague should solve that.
Eat local and organic and feel great about life! Support your local farms!
One day it will be a crime to kill and eat animals. One day the future generation will look at these criminals and will be ashamed of their action.
You are obviously not playing with a full deck, and I rest my case. Vegans are NOT sane people. Is it a "crime" when a coyote eats a rabbit in the wild? You people are crazy.
Yes, and the punishment shall be to sit in the time-out chair for 10 minutes. Come on, you can't truly think there will ever be a law controling meat consumption.
HEY YOU VEGANS. IF YOUR MOM ATE MEAT THAN YOU ARE OF THE SUBSTANCE OF DEAD ANIMALS! YOU ARE WALKING AROUND WITH DEAD ANIMAL IN YOUR FLESH! PLEASANT DREAMS! (hey ... what's that mooing you keep hearing at night?)
PS. THAT MOOING IS COMING FROM YOUR ARMS, THE SQUEALING FROM YOUR LEGS, AND THE CLUCKING FROM YOUR BRAIN!
Bless her heart... you should get a real "counterpoint" and interview Sally Fallon or Dr. Mary Enig. Either one would send this gal and her tired arguments packing. Meat and dairy ain't the problem, honey.
This doesn't really seem to be 5 reasons to be a vegetarian. All she seems to say is "you feel less guilty being a vegetarian" and "being a vegetarian is healthier." Both are good reasons, I'm just saying it's a little misleading.
Why is that this subject always brings out the stupid little child out in all the haters? Is it maybe because there is no real argument why it's better to eat meat except it tastes good or for some reason you can't find something else? Most of us have a choice though. What ever higher power you believe in gave you plenty of smarts and power of choice. To chose to murder, or worse yet, to factory farm then murder an animal is an epic sin at the very least. Yeah, I like the taste of meat too but my health, the environment and the life of animals come before my taste buds. Why do we insist on ignoring our greatest gifts of critical thought and compassion. So unless you can't find anything else to eat and are going to die I have no problem asking you to at least think about the ramifications of your actions. I made my choice after personally killing animals as a child. Death is not pretty and certainly not worth it just for the taste. Tell me I'm wrong with an intelligent argument that does not involve religious dogma or some crap about being at the top of the food chain. There are plenty of predators out there that don't have the power of choice. You do, and it's a gift worth using. Peace brothers and sisters.
When vegetarians start talking about eating "rotting flesh" and "decomposing meat in your body" they show that they are so radical that you just can't talk to them. The chef that wrote the first article was humorous and had no anti vegetable agenda...it was good reading. Jasmine is right...Jane sucks as a reasonable spokesperson for vegetarianism.
I'm vegan and got healthy when I switched to eating fruits and vegetables, beans, and seeds. I believe meat is not good for us, but it's the junk and processed foods that are killing us in droves. Meat and dairy are also not good for us, and there really is no debating this issue. In the end the meat and processed food eaters will die first, and the vegans will live long healthy lives.
The smugness of this writer is the exact reason I will continue to eat meat. While she has valid arguments and points, her "my poop doesnt smell because I dont eat meat" attitude is something I have no desire to be affiliated with. As my father used to say, "less for you means more for me." This article makes me want to go out and order the 20oz steak instead of the 16 and get another side steak instead of a salad.
I just had pork chops for dinner, with potatoes and corn... the best part was the lightly breaded, pan seared pork chops... juicy, mouth watering, delicious. But the potatoes with rosemary and garlic were equally delicious, roasted with olive oil. I don't tell anyone to eat meat, or to not eat meat, but if you come to my house when I'm cooking, meat is part of the meal. Fruit and Vegetables make great sides and snacks, but I need a main course to my meals. I will never stop eating dairy products, cheese and ice cream are far too good to give up. Not to mention milk on my cereal.
Lets just move on, eating meat is natural. So is eating plants. Eat what you want, but I'll never feel bad about eating meat, I watch the nature channels. watch a a pack of lions, or a tiger, or gator rip an animal apart and tell me anything we do is any more cruel. We are animals. Mammals to be specific. We are not separate from nature, and in nature animals eat what they can to survive, if you don't want to eat meat, fine, you are fortunate to live in a land where food is plentiful and you don't have to.
That is ridiculous. Every time someone says "what about the poor plants you vegans eat?", you have to wonder about these people.
What is the difference between a plant and an animal? Plants cannot suffer but animals do.
To see some suffering animal action, punch yourself in the face as hard as you can.
It all depends on what you want in your life, I suppose. I think that for someone who is 55, Mitchell looks to be in extremely good health.
It is certainly true that Americans consume far too much meat and that this is a large contributor to our obesity epidemic. It would be unjustified, however, to blame this on a particular preference for consuming meat. The fact is that meat is relatively cheap in the United States, while fruits and vegetables are often prohibitively expensive for many Americans to consume on a regular basis. This is due to the enormous government subsidization of the mean and corn industry, while fruits and vegetables are basically completely unsubsidized.
Here is an idea, fellow Americans. Why don't we pass legislation that simply requires the distribution of government food subsidies to match the government food pyramid? Whole grains would be most heavily backed, followed by fruits/vegetables, followed lastly by meat/dairy.
Few things annoy me more than a lecture for a vegetarian/vegan. Being a vegetarian is their choice and I couldn't care less so I won't try to convert them to eat meat, but please extend myself and everyone else who enjoys meat the same courtesy.
The fact is that humans are omnivores, and we are for a reason. Meat and plants both have their respective (and overlapping) benefits. I am well aware that the living conditions of many of the animals raised for human consumption are abhorrent. I choose to continue to eat meat in spite of this, most of the humans on earth eat meat and that will never change, so why should I?
In regards to this particular article this strikes me as her main points:
1) The author views the majority of Americans as fat, brainwashed, meat and dairy addicted people who are slowly killing themselves.
-Yes america is fat, if someone doesn't want to be fat they can do something about it, those that can't can seek help. Personally I am 6 feet tall and weigh 140 pounds (I am male), I eat whatever I want, whenever I want (reasonably healthy though). I exercise, but I'm not a fitness nut. If anyone ever tells me I can't eat something because it is unhealthy, I'll tell them to shove it.
2) Bacon makes her sad.
-I love bacon, few things are better at luring me into the kitchen.
3) We should feel guilty every time we eat an ounce of meat, whether I eat meat or not is her business, eating meat is the biggest cause of global warming, if nobody ate meat we could solve world hunger.
-I'll feel guilty for eating meat when she feels guilty for eating lettuce. One of the few things I agree about, global warming will be the biggest problem the world faces this century. If nobody ate meat, it would cut down world hunger without a doubt, but thats not realistic.
4)Everything you can get from meat can be gotten from plants.
-Not the taste.
5)Don't eat turkey on thanksgiving.
-Then it wouldn't be thanksgiving.
hmm... I hadn't planned on writing that much.
Jane, usually I disagree with your points and methods, but I just found something to respect about you. 75% veg here, maybe will do a 3 month veg run and see how it works out. Meat eaters in general are just plain ignorant. But there is something to be said for balance. Meat even once a week would make a huge difference. Balance people.
I really don't have much patience for this. Here are the facts.
Animals are treated in a way that most people think is horrible. They ARE shoved into cages so teeny that they can't even move. Like it or not, it's the truth.
It isn't necessary to eat or not eat meat to be healthy. There can be balanced diets with both.
To each his/her own. I try not to be preachy about my vegetarianism, but the fact it, you're eating a dead animal, heated until it's an unnatural color, and shoved down our mouths. I personally believe that anyone who values life shouldn't support murder, and I know I'm going to be flamed for this, but meat is murder. Please keep it clean. These boards are an embarrassment.
DON'T UNPLUG A VEGAN IF THEY GET IN AN ACCIDENT AND BECOME A VEGETABLE! IT'S THEIR DREAM COME TRUE!!!
I used to think like the meat eater, but she makes a lot of sense..Since I have become vegetarian because my cholesteral level was rising, I have lost a lot of weight, bought my CHL levels down, I sleep better ,have more energy and have lost my cravings for junk food.. I too loved meat, but once you open your mind ,you discover stuff you never ate before and you learn that its not about the meat..its about the spices you add to your food.
Nadia Masoudi: One day, animal slavery for meat and milk will end
The slavery of animals is a worldwide blight that seemingly has no end. Animals suffer greatly by the hand of the species thought to be the most “evolved”. Sadly, by consuming our cohabitants, we are harming not only our planet, but ourselves.
The mass slaying of factory-farmed animals poses a greater threat to our environment than all vehicles and wars combined. The dangers of factory farming loom upon us, in the form of virulent disease, health issues, and irrefutable cruelty. I believe that healthy coexistence among animals and people can only be gained once we stop the genocide of their kind.
A factory-farmed animal is usually conceived artificially. Many cows are used for breeding then casually tossed to the gates of dog-food manufacturers once they are unable to produce. From conception, these animals (mainly cows, pigs, sheep, fish, and poultry) suffer through deplorable living conditions. These conditions are said to be made better through revisionary tactics (the implementation of free-range methods and the abolition of genetically modified organisms) but these dance around the major issue—animals should not be eaten by our kind.
According to The Nutrition Source site, from the Harvard School of Public Health, milk isn’t the best source of calcium for everyone. Collard greens and legumes are more than enough to sustain us, yet we keep cows producing until they are worn and beat before their stated life expectancy. Calves destined to become veal are confined to narrow pens and forced to eat an iron-deficient diet to coerce their muscle mass into immobility. Veal calves have been found twisting themselves into ruin in an attempt to lick iron nails embedded in their stalls.
I believe that every creature on Earth has the right to live. How can we be good to each other when we treat defenceless animals in this fashion? How will we be able to stop slaughtering each other when we are waging an unjust siege against weapon-less beings? The only way is to peacefully coexist.
I have heard time and time again the notion that animals were placed here for our use. Firstly, the arrogance of those words is appalling. Second, the beef industry has gotten to the point where its employees are victims as much as the animals are. Working at a slaughterhouse is the most dangerous job in America.
The idea of meat as the central basis of our sustenance is ignorant. On behalf of the beef and dairy industry, we are constantly told through mass media that meat is part of a healthy lifestyle (I’m looking at you Canada’s Food Guide). This is problematic. Thankfully, technology has advanced, and we now have many healthier and ethically inclined food sources. You can now walk to your local grocery store and find many meat alternatives, as well as a myriad of soy-based foodstuffs.
We are taught from a young age that milk and meat are great for us. Who are we to question the knowledge of our parents and society? But imagine a world without food-borne illnesses caused by E. coli O157:H7 and salmonella. Imagine a world where fecal matter in your food supply is a remnant of the past. Meat lovers or not, we must make a global change.
On the topic of slavery, Thomas Jefferson famously said to James Heaton in 1826, “The revolution in public opinion which this case requires is not to be expected in a day, or perhaps in an age; but time, which outlives all things, will outlive this evil also.” I do not know when the consumption of meat will end, but I am reassured by Jefferson’s words. It will end when we have gained knowledge and respect for all living creatures. One day, we will look back and proudly denounce our ways as the bygone standards of a bygone era.
Nadia Masoudi is an 18-year-old filmmaker, an activist, and the founder of Animal Freedom Day, which will take place on July 24. She lives in Hamilton, Ontario.
Please go out to a forest and and lose yourself in the woods. Murder is the way of nature, open your eyes and look around. I will continue to eat meat and enjoy regardless of what you think.
Mike...eating red meat is the number one contributor of colon cancer..remember your snarky response when you hit 50 and you are pooping into a colostomy bag.
haha. if we all lived in the state of "nature", there would be no rest for any creature.
you are human, you live in the opposite of nature. you get your dinner nicely packaged in the meat section. stop talking about nature. you've never been there.
Watch Food, Inc. It'll change your life.
Only eat free range, hormone injection free, natural diet meat.
Buy locally: meat, vegetables, and fruit. Anything else is not real food.
Buy food with as little ingredients on the label as possible.
Learn about what you are eating.
I ALWAYS CAN TELL WHEN A VEGAN USES A PUBLIC TOILET. THEY NEVER FLUSH, AND THEY EAT LOTS OF CORN!!!
If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would save:
* 100 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost 4 months;
* 1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year;
* 70 million gallons of gas - enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare;
* 3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware;
* 33 tons of antibiotics.
If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would prevent:
* Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 million tons of CO2, as much as produced by all of France;
* 3 million tons of soil erosion and $70 million in resulting economic damages;
* 4.5 million tons of animal excrement;
* Almost 7 tons of ammonia emissions, a major air pollutant.
Sourced by: Kathy Freston
Imagine if the world went vegan for one day... We could save the environment, your health, world hunger and the animals.
Being a vegetarian is for those who are educated, englightened, pure inwardly and outwardly, humane, and godly.
As long as you keep erronouosly and foolishly believing that you can eat meat becuase it is supported in the Torah, the Bible, and the Koran, then you will keep eating cooked corpses...
The number of people that think we should treat animals like humans really needs to stop what they are smoking. Get out of your fancy car and take a walk in the wild. Animals eat each other. Try putting any carnivore on a vegetable diet and see how long it' lives. We are omnivores we can choose plant or animal and be just fine. You eat what you want and I will eat what I want and we each get the consequences of our choice in our health. And by the way, even free range chickens eat meat, usually each other.
"America’s over-consumption of meat and dairy is largely responsible for our nation’s obesity crisis, one of the nation’s leading causes of preventable illness and death."
Actually, it's America's over-consumption of processed foods that is largely responsible for our nation's obesity crisis. Another big contributor to our nation's obesity epidemic is just flat out over consumption. Of course you're going to turn into Shamu if you pig out on nothing but burgers, fries, shakes and other super-fatty foods all the time. I indulge myself on occasion, but I also exercise regularly and try to eat well the majority of the time. It's all about moderation.
Besides, the fact is that animal protein is the only natural source of "complete" protein; that is a protein that contains the correct proportion of every essential amino acid needed by the human body. Plant proteins typically either completely lack one or more essential amino acid or, if they do have all of them, one or more of them will be in a much lower proportion compared to the rest. Additionally, contrary to what this chick may think, humans are actually hardwired to eat meat. Countless scientific studies have directly linked a high protein diet in our early human ancestors to large brain capacity we have now; there's a reason protein-rich food, such as fish, is considered "brain food."
Lastly, if man wasn't meant to dine on freshly grilled critter, then why did God make them so delicious?
WHAT ABOUT THE CHICKENS? NO CHICKENS TO EAT MEANS NO CHICKEN CRAP FOR YOU VEGANS TO USE AS FERTILIZER FOR YOUR VEGGIES, THEREFORE, YOU USE MORE PETROLEUM-BASED FERTILIZER, YOU FILTHY POLLUTERS!
Animal Freedom Day (Saturday, July 23rd and Sunday, July 24th, 2011) is a global event that aims to raise awareness about the need for animal rights in every society and to create positive solutions for the protection of animals. It is a day in which people from all walks of life cease to consume animal or animal by-products and to gain support for the goal of putting an end to the slaughtering of animals, animal abuse and the creation of alternative food sources.
This event is organized by Hamilton, Ontario, Canada's Nadia Masoudi, an 18 year old with a passion for the protection of animals everywhere; so much so that she is now directing and producing a major documentary, "Don't Eat Me". As her research for the film expanded Nadia's experiences regarding animal cruelty in its many forms around the world, she joined with several like minded individuals to create a worldwide event to bring about the end to animal suffering- Animal Freedom Day.
On July 23, 24, 2011, you can show your support for animals everywhere making just this one day in your entire year an "animal free" one. It's simple, just pledge to refrain from eating a hamburger, drinking milk or using products tested on animals. You can even support your local shelter through adoption or choose not to wear an article of clothing that comes from an animal.
The vision of Animal Freedom Day is to see the world’s population become fully vegan by the year 2375.
How so?
Every year we will increase the dates for Animal Freedom Day by one day. For the first year we wish to have one day where families can make a festive event to have meals comprised of meatless and animal-free dishes. The second year of Animal Freedom Day will be extended to two days, then another day the next year, and so on. The idea is to be vegan for those days, if not more.
However, we hope to see a vegan world sooner than the year 2375.
Remember, this is not just a day for vegetarians, vegans and animal activists, it's a day for everyone to show that animals have just as much right to occupy the planet as man does; as free, peaceful and content creatures.
They're both snotty jerks.
I want a nice juicy steak right now.
I'd like to hear some real facts from meat producers. I don't think her statements about pig and chicken farming are accurate.
I agree with other psoters, America's obesity problem is a result of eating too many calories, eating too much fat and sugar and not exercising.
I
The one farm operator that worked for Tyson and appeared in Food, Inc was fired for allowing them to film Tyson's practices regarding the treatment of chickens on their farms. All other farm operators refused to allow the cameras in for fear of Tyson's reprisal. And she's absolutely correct regarding how we raise pigs and chickens. All of this information is readily available on the internet. So instead of waiting for self-interested parties like meat producers to blow smoke up your rear, you may want to just head over to the ever helpful Google and at least make a half hearted attempt to get informed.
Vegetarian for 10 years and vegan for one. Let me tell everyone here what is common knowledge in the veggie world: for every "preachy" vegetarian out there, there are at least 100 meat-eating a-holes who take great offense at the fact that somebody chooses not to eat dead animals. Seriously, you guys are the biggest hypocrites around. Oh, and by the way: pretending you're concerned about my protein intake is laughable. I'm getting the right amounts of protein (unlike you) and from a much more efficient source. So go ahead and eat meat. Just don't try and tell us that we're the ones who are crazy.
VEGANS CRAP MORE, THEREFORE, VEGANS USE MORE TP! STOP THE KILLING OF TREES! STOP THE VEGAN MENACE!!!
Watch out for the film Don't Eat Me coming summer of 2011
My wife and I mix in a few vegetarian meals a week, for healths sake. But this article spent about 1 paragraph talking about health, and the rest just sounded like lunacy. Does she really think people feel guilty eating meat? Why would I feel guilty? Yeah, its a shame, animals are treated bad. By I'll be honest, I don't care, because at the end of the day, when I go out to dinner on the weeked, I am eating a medium rare filet just swimming in blood! Because its awesome. Same for Thanksgiving. You ever think that people dig thanksgiving so much because its AWESOME? Family, food, booze, and football. Yeah, that sucks, lets go to the turkey farm and feed the animals. Thanksliving, LOL
Dear author of this article, you are the kind of person that gives us sane vegetarians a bad rap. Please stop trying to be our spokesperson, you suck at it.
A non-meat diet provides better health benefits. The comments below are purely selfish and
in self-interest.
1/ Most pesticide residues collect in the fats of animals, which is then consumed by humans.
2/ Meat stays in the colon for longer, because of its minimal fibre content, contributing to long-term
diverticular disease over time.
3/ Body temperature is about 98F. Meat takes 48 hours to travel through a meat-eating human,
but meat left in the open at 98F goes rancid in a few hours and not even a meat-eater would
touch it then, so why would a meat-eater endure 2 days of decomposing meat in their body ?
4/ Fat from meat is hard to digest, gets deposited in the linings of blood vessels, building up layers
until the recipient has a heart attack.
5/ Meat may taste delicious, but balancing 10 seconds of tasty chewing against 48 hours of body
damage is not a worthwhile trade.
6/ Eating meat may reduce one's intake of equally-or-more valuable vegetables and fruiit.
7/ Plenty of protein is contained in whole-grains, nuts, beans, and seeds.
8/ Most athletes feel quicker and stronger with less or no meat in their diets.
9/ Many doctors advise patiients with heart conditions to reduce or eliminate meat consumption.
10/ Many vegetarian sectors of society in the USA ( and globally ) have lower rates of major disease.
11/ There are huge costs to USA society in general because of diseases caused by meat consumption.
You know- meat does not sit in your stomach for 48 hours. Most of the time it is passing through your intestines and has already been chemically transformed. To say that meat is rotting in your intestines for 48 hours really hints that you may not know what you're talking about. Incidentally? Even if plant matter flows through faster (which it doesn't, since the fiber bulk retards peristalsis) then it's still "rotting in your body" for however long it's in there as per your interpretation of meat digestion. I support decreasing meat consumption for health and environmental reasons, but I do not support doing so because of silly crap like what you just made up.
you're wrong southern blue..It takes meat up to 72 hours to disintegrate in your system and remnants of it can stay in your system for years..Before I became vegetarian, I did a complete cleansing and my belly actually became smaller..the doctor explained that it was all of that old crap (sausage , meat) that finally came out..That alone helped me decide to go vegan.
Wow, talk about someone misrepresenting things to suit her argument. Ms. Velez-Mitchell does exactly that. She makes up "facts", or distorts them, or states her opinions as facts, to get her point across. Things that in fifth grade debate class they taught you not to do, as it only weakens your case.
Humans are omnivores. There is nothing unnatural about humans eating vegetables and animals. That's the definition of being an omnivore. If we weren't meant to eat meat we would be herbivores.
Re: obesity, it's simply a matter of self-control. I've seen obese vegetarians/vegans as well. To say there are more meat-eating obese people is disingenuous. There are many more non-vegetarians than there are vegetarians. You can become obese eating both types of diets.
Her statement that meat and dairy have ruined our sense of taste. Wow, did she just make that up? I've talked to two doctors about that claim today and neither have validated that claim.
Re:factory farming, this is also something that I am concerned about. But it isn't enough to justify a vegetarian lifestyle. If we can reduce factory farming and return to the state of responsible farming for both animals and vegetables–let's not forget that vegetables and fruits can be (and are) irresponsibly farmed as well–it will do the nation good. But to say we need to stop eating meat because of factory farming is like saying when the food poisoning outbreak that was traced to tomatoes means that we have to stop eating vegetables.
I could go on but her arguments aren't worth it. Jane, please do more research in the future before stating your opinions as fact.
she's a journalist. your error is that you accuse one person of distorting facts when actually you are wrong.
these are well known facts. do some research.
She is a "journalist"? Nice try. She's a TV Host. Says so right there in the article title. A TV personality. Her show replaced Glenn Beck...that tells you all you need to know about that. Better luck next time. And even if she were a real journalist – if the journalist had done actual research, they'd cite it, rather than state their opinions as "fact" and telling readers to check things out on the internet.
And I could bother to present the research here, but she hasn't so I won't. Once Ms. Velez Mitchell provides some actual peer-reviewed research citations, I'll bother to do the same.
VEGANS SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO HAVE KIDS! KIDS EAT, AND THAT USES UP OUR LIMITED RESOURCES HERE ON EARTH! STOP THE MURDER OF MOTHER EARTH! STOP THE VEGANS FROM REPRODUCING!
I ate nothing but a big salad full of different vegetables for every meal and lost 30 lbs and felt great.. still like meat tho.
There is one fundamental law of nature that must be addressed here: IN ORDER FOR YOU TO LIVE, SOMETHING ELSE HAS TO DIE. Vegans think no animals were harmed in the production of their food but they are DEAD WRONG. The machinery that produces vegan treats damages entire ecosystems. I have plowed those fields and seen all types of small mammals homes destroyed; the little furballs dying by the thousands... just to plant vegetables.
read the article before commenting about it PLEASE
After reading that long-winded, whining complaint about meat, I'm glad that most of the comments are against it. Come one...we're omnivores, we love the taste and satisfaction of meat. As for the "waste and global warming blah blah"...Woman....I'm pretty sure you drive a car, fly on a plane...'nuff said.
The idea that you think the emissions from a car are at all comparable to the output from a factory farm really betrays enough ignorance to disqualify you from any conversation regarding the effects of factory farms on the environment.
1. Is it "murder" when a big cat kills and eats a springbok?
2. Eating meat is natural; we have meat cutting teeth called CANINES.
3. You are unrealistic and preachy, just like every other crazy, elitist vegan I have ever met.
4. Why is a bunny's life more important than mine? A bunny can't do math, or drive a car.
5. I have honestly never met a sane vegan.
6. If you don't want the blood on your plate, I'll gladly enjoy it. Thanks.
7. PETA is an eco-terrorist organization.
1. yes, 2. yes, 3. yes, 4. yes, 5. yes, 6. yes. 7. ESPECIALLY yes.
http://www.animalfreedomday.com
GIVE ANIMALS A CHANCE AT LIFE YOU MEAN VEGANS! THEY WOULD'NT EVEN BE BORN IF HUMANS DIDN'T RAISE THEM FOR FOOD! BETTER 1 YEAR OF LIFE THAN O YEARS IN OBLIVION!
I found this lady so annoying that I went and bought two Whopper Jrs.
Well, I looked at him, then at her, at him again and then again at her...well, I don't know what she represents but she certainly wins, hams down...I mean hands down. I'm going to her place for fried squash and BBQ spinach.
I think this lady is a bit strident, but I'd rather have a strident voice armed with facts and reason than a condescending traditionalist armed with nothing more than logical fallacies and derision. That meatatarian jerk from the first article did nothing but spew ridiculously uninformed attacks on vegetarians. He didn't make a case for eating meat. He made a case for why he shouldn't be a spokesman for why people should eat meat.
IS IT TRUE THAT VEGANS SWEAT MORE THEREFORE THEY CREATE MORE B.O. WHICH IS VERY BAD FROM A GLOBAL WARMING PERSPECTIVE? I READ THIS ON CNN SCIENCE!
Wait. You can read?
http://www.animalfreedomday.com
I fear that our lack of compassion, and understanding when it comes to what we eat will not serve us well. The way you treat other living beings, is the way you treat reality. You can brush this all off and pretend that what you are doing is natural, by eating animals, but it is killing plain and simple. How can you say you care for life if you do not care for all life. There is no distinction, no difference, only life as it is, encompassing all living things. May you all find happiness in life.
As a former vegetarian, I empathize with the desire to reduce animal suffering and improve the quality of American diets. However, it never ceases to amaze me how angry vegetarians seem to be. This whole article was written in spite of those of us who enjoy animal protein. I understand that Chef Love's article utilized some humor at vegetarians expense, but the response was purely geared towards making those of us that do feel guilty or trying to gross us out.
P.S. Lol at the people debating whats for dinner in heaven.
He did not engage in some humor at vegetarian defense. He manifested a derisive, condescending and outright arrogant contempt at the very idea that some people may not eat meat. It was obnoxious and every bit as insulting as this woman's strident tone. It's just that more people happen to agree with his stance.
I am a vegetarian and I really don't agree with her at all. Just thought I should point out that not all vegetarians feel this way.
I have been a vegetarian for over 35 years and cannot imagine ever going back to eating meat, fish, fowl or eggs. I feel better physically and mentally being a vegetarian. My husband eats meat and enjoys it immensely. We have no quarrel with each other dietary's choices. The ONE thing I would change if I had the power would be the way food animals are raised: factory-farming has already taken a toll on our health with outbreaks of E-coli, salmonella and our bodies building up resistance to antibiotics. This doesn't even begin to address the dark side of factory-farming: the inhumane way food animals are raised in isolation and physical misery before their lives are ended in an often hideous death at a slaughterhouse. And for those who would raise the questions of the "economics" of factory farming, I counter with two thoughts: the quality of the meat eaten and the immense waste that happens daily in this country. I wish every meat eater would tour some of the huge farms where his or her breakfast, lunch or dinner is raised. If that veil were swept aside, a lot more people would be concerned with farming reform. The idyllic, family-owned farm that we picture in our minds is all but extinct now. I certainly do not mind that people eat meat but for ALL their sakes, I wish the meat animals were raised in more healthful and humane conditions. Better for all of us.
YOU AIN'T GOT NO SOUL IF YOU DON'T EAT SOUL FOOD! EVER HEAR OF HAM HOCKS?
Now hold on a minute. Cows are vegetarians, so what's wrong with eatinga little beef now and then???
"I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass."
If you would not eat roadkill you should be a vegetarian.
If you wouldn't be willing to kill an animal for food you should be a vegetarian.
I became a vegetarian after living in Nepal for 6 months and seeing where my food came from. You order chicken soup in Nepal and they walk out, grab a living chicken, bring it to the back, and you know something has just died so your soup could have a certain texture you'd otherwise be missing. I'm not opposed to anyone eating meat if they know what they are doing and where that meat came from. Hunters, I love you. For the rest of us if the thought of animals crammed into cages, mutilated beyond recognition, and oozing puss from infections gets you hungry then have fun eating at most restaurants. As Jane said, if you think I'm exaggerating look into it.
I give no one crap for eating meat, I get crap from virtually everyone who knows I don't. Her piece actually contained information and fact unlike the prior idiot. "Cuz I likes the smell", "You get funny looks", and "It's not popular" are not valid reasons to make such a profound life choice.
Whoa! Intense comments, man. Well, as a vegetarian myself, I have a few things to say. One is that we're omnivores, our bodies are amazing and can handle just about anything edible we shove down our gullet. So we tend to assume that as long as we feel healthy and energetic at the moment, we're fine. However, we are consuming far more than what what our bodies can handle over an extended period of time (not to mention the hormones and antibiotics and chemical nastiness you're consuming along with your meat). You'd do well to cut way way back on your intake, and there are studies to prove it. My primary reason for being a vegetarian is my health, and that is what gets me worked up when someone wants to get into a debate and tell me how meat is just sooo good and that I'm crazy for not eating it. Ya well, frosted donuts are pretty freaking delicious to, but I won't use that to justify eating them twice a day, every day.
Second point, all throughout human history we hunted our meat or raised it ourselves. It led a happy life doing it's thing and enjoying itself before its death. Yes, it's sad that one animal must die to feed another, but that's life. These days however, factory farming is a brutal reality, and I choose not to support it. Not that I don't think we don't have the right to eat meat, I just think that those in charge of getting it out to the rest of us are horrifyingly irresponsible about it.
Lastly, you live in America. Your options for amazing vegetarian meals are ENDLESS. I can GUARANTEE my meals are 100 times more delicious and fingerlicking than any meat eater because I take the time to thoughtfully prepare my food, and I don't feel all comatose and bloated afterwards either. Also, there are soy options for everything with flavors so good they'll surprise the crap out of you. And, if you MUST eat meat or dairy, choose free-range & organic. And let's all live in peace, shall we?
There is nothing wrong with a healthy balance of both. Honey get off the cross someone else needs the wood! Animals have long provided food, clothing and shleter in times when there wasn't a grocery store or a chain mart some place to go get your soy non fat mocha late. Get back to your roots and nature and live off the land for a year and then tell me if you don't believe in eating meat!
The problem is that most people have utterly no idea what a "healthy balance" is. Here's a hint: a "healthy balance" is somewhere along the lines of eating meat two or three times a week and not two or three times a day.
Please GO Animal Free! Do the world a favor. Please visit animalfreedomday.com and take the Veg Pledge. Go Vegan for two days this year. We have a solution to bring prosperity to the world. We need everyone to take part to free these animals. This goes out to Veggies, Vegans and the Meat Eaters, together we can bring peace. Join Nadia's effort an 18 year old activist who is bringing change.
In case any of you carnivorses didn't know, tomorrow is world vegetarian day!! see navs.org for more information :)
this lady the epitome of the self-righteous, preachy, cliche vegan. she manages to come off as both ignorant and obnoxious.
I'm mostly veg, myself. not for any ethical reasons, mind you(although I am a staunch supporter of humane treatment of food animals). we need to eat LESS meat, certainly, but to cut meat out altogether is a foolish fantasy.
No.
I hate preachy people. Whether it's about meat or religion or politics. I'm not yelling in your god forsaken ear about what you eat, what you believe, and what you fight for. So don't yell in mine! I'm sorry but even as a kid I have NEVER liked veggies and fruit. I still don't, I have to force myself to eat it. Vegetarians/vegans really get no respect from me because they are so preachy about it. "OMG you're eating rotting animal carcass, you're such a bad person!" Yeah, well you're being rude and interrupting my dinner. SHOO!
I think one of the points that this author was trying to make is that no, you are not screaming for people to eat meat or criticizing vegetarians but every time you consume meat you are making a choice that is a statement about either the health of you knowledge regarding the impact your food choices have or your complete disinterest in those effects. You do not have to be preachy and aggressive to make choices that have an aggregate negative impact for our shared experience.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
DR. SMITH PISSED THE BIG CARROT MAN OFF ON LOST-IN-SPACE WHEN HE STARTED EATING VEGETABLES!
As a vegetarian, I don't concern myself with what other people are eating. They can do whatever they want to do. This article was ridiculous though – Jane comes off as a houlier-than-thou vegetarian with no sense of humor, and Tim seems like a complete moron who wouldn't know a balanced meal if he ran into it.
STOP THE FARTS! STOP THE OVER-CONSUMPTION OF FIBER , YOU DIRTY SMELLY VEGANS!
She's passionate about her stance, but there's no need to blatantly lie to support the point.
10 billion animals killed for meat each year? A little simple math for you – 1 million animals/day for 1 year would be 365 million. This is a far cry from 10 billion a year. According to her numbers, America kills over 25 million animals a day to support our "blood lust". Is there a single one of you who actually believes that? If you do, you can quit reading this now, because you have no concept of reality.
INDISPUTABLE FACT: There is no plant source for Vitamin B12, period. B12 is required for the production of red blood cells, a serious deficiency causes pernicious anemia. There are some B12-like compounds in some plants, but none of them can be converted to cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) in the human body. Vegetarians can get enough by eating dairy products, eggs, or fish, but strict vegans must supplement with B12. They can put together a diet that doesn't require protein supplements, but they absolutely cannot get B12 without an animal product in their diet.
Eating too much of anything is not good. Overconsumption of meat, overconsumption of sugar, and overconsumption of starches – all coupled with a lack of exercise – are the main reason for the high rate of obesity in America. It's not due just to "eating meat".
There are 'extremist' elements of both sides of the food argument, but it seems that a large proportion of vegans tend to be extremely hard-core . . . and they really like to push their opinions on everybody else. Too many of them just won't let others be – it has to be "their" way. I'm a meat guy through-and-through, but I'm not going to push my beliefs or my eating choices on anybody else – if you want to eat meat, fine, and if you don't, fine, but don't come and force your ways on me.
I should qualify the statements about B12: vegans can't get B12 without eating "processed" or "refined" foods. Most baked goods are 'fortified' with B12, so they can get some there, but without this, they get no B12.
Thank you for a well written and informative comment. It would be nice if they could have found non-fundamentalist people to write both sides of this, it could have been a very informative and interesting debate. Reasoned discourse does not sell like fiery ideologues arguing however.
I understand why people would eat meat...tastes like heaven. I just can't wrap my head around the killing machines. So cold..........
I agree. Eat lots of vegetables, in addition to all other food types. I cut down 35 years ago on eating meat. However, I love eating meat. Tastes great if cooked to taste. But I do keep it at a minimum by never cooking my own meat. My goal is basically a well-balance diet overall, but not so much as to gain weight. Of course, ten hours per week on the tennis courts helps.
But I do take exception to the logic of 5 reasons to be a vegetarian.
1) Socially conditioned to enjoy meat? That may be, but most parents, I think, remind their children to eat their vegetables. And still they resist certain vegetables. I did. I ate meat because I enjoyed it, despite the brainwashing to eat vegetables, which, contrarian-wise, helped me to better enjoy my meat.
Eat rotting carcases. Ycchh!!. Why not eat the meat before it rots? Tastes much better. Goes great with vegetables.
Why should I feel guilty eating meat? Simply because if it were alive it could look at me? Life must subsist on life. It was ordained. Why be so picky?
Destroyed our sense of taste? You've got to be kidding. Meat adds to our sense of taste. Vegetables and fruit are rich in taste. Meat as well. Sense of taste is definitely warped with too much of any one food. But definitely not a valid reason for becoming a vegetarian.
2)Life is a living hell for many animals before they are killed. Sho nuff. But that has nothing to do with becoming a vegetable addict. That has everything to do with improving dramatically the conditions under which animals are born, live and die.
3)I certainly eat meat in peace. I think I really appreciate an animal that has lived and died and provided something for me. At least I did not scare the hell out of it, and chasing it like a predator. As I said, life lives off life and that's been the way for an eternity. I hardly think it matters because some individuals now feel guilty about this reality – especially when the human race's domination on this planet could arguably be coming to an end.
So farm animals give off a lot of methane gas. So what? Do you want to kill off all these animals simply because humans would have no further use for them? And what about all of us old farts. We're not called that for nothing, you know. Would you like to get rid of us too?
The problem with world hunger has very little to do with cows eating. There is plenty of food to go around and is wasted. The problem is getting the food to the poor. Cows have nothing to do with that. Human wars, deficient transportation and corruption, etc. cannot be ignored by becoming a vegetarian.
4)Replacing tons of meat with vegetables, fruit, nuts is absolutely necessary to help making all of us healthier. No doubt. But strictly a vegetarian? Sounds nice. But as much as I do like vegetables – Ycccchh!
5) To quote someone, somewhere, at some time "I did not rise to the top of the food chain just to eat vegetables". Vegetables, and fruit, and beans, and nuts. Now that we're at the top, I want to sample it all. Without gaining excess weight, of course. Any takers?
Vegetarians get called preachy, but meat eaters leave the stupidest, crassest comments. They can't think straight because of all the bad chemicals and cholesterol. Show me a group of vegetarians and meat eaters over 30 years of age, and I can tell you who eats meat and who does not. The vegetarians are slender and have clear skin. The meat eaters are fatter and not as attractive. The difference gets more pronounced as we get older. Heart problems, diabetes, colon cancer and obesity are almost unheard of in vegetarians. Eat meat=age fast, die young, take the planet with you. Some meat eater is sure to leave a snarky comment about how he'd rather die young and kill the entire planet than give up his daily steak. Part of the problem is that we glorify stupidity in this country. We are a nation of poorly educated sheep. Spend more money on education, and educate people about what they are eating, and we will all live longer, happier, healthier lives on a cleaner planet.
Acne is genetics dummy
I said this in comment to Tim Love's blog too.
Why is it morally right to eat plants?
I'm planning to kill some bacteria tomorrow. Maybe some viruses and fungi too.
Why is it morally right for plants to eat animals and other plants?
Is it healthy to be an ovo-lacto-swim-o-quack-o vegetarian?
I'm all for killing food animals kindly, but I am not going to let mosquitos bite me and I support vivisection (look it up).
OH VEGGIES!!! What do we do with all the millions of animals alive today if we don't eat them?
Keep up the good work Jane. It takes a lot of patience to educate animal eating with porky attitude folks.
I really don't care about what people eat and why, same with sexuality and religion. But, don't start to till me what I can and can not eat.
i am a new vegetarian, havent eaten meat in weeks, the oil and grease in bacon disgusts me and i never liked turkey, burgers, etc. and i dont wanna 'force' people to become vegetarian, but i hav also felt an increase in my energy (i am an athlete too!)
Being a vegetarian really isn't for everyone. And the author shouldn't try to make non-vegetarians feel guilty about it. That said, I do agree that we should all try to keep an eye on the bigger picture with what we eat. Eating less meat (particularly red meat) will help the environment and your health, buying free range eggs, cruelty free meats, and hormone and antibiotic free everything will help the environment, your health, and your conscience. It's more expensive, and you often have to look for these products at specialty stores or farmer's markets, but the benefits do outweigh the costs.
We eat, take, $hit, want, whine and destroy. There is nothing moral or ethical about anything we do. Eat meat...don't eat meat either way we are all pigs! You think were superior because we can build machines? We are slowly and knowingly killing ourselves. I dont know any other species on a collective suicide mission like we are. Why dont we care about survival like the rest of the animals? Oh yea because gods gonna send us to heaven. Superior my @ss!!
So instead of only being thumped on the head with a bible now i have to dodge carrots.....time to go out for a rare prime rib steak and some garlic roasted mash potatos mmm mmmm good!
i am a new vegetarian, havent eaten meat in weeks, the oil and grease in bacon disgusts me and i never liked turkey, burgers, etc. and i dont wanna 'force' people to become vegetarian, but i hav also felt an increase in my energy (i am an athlete too)
yeahh but runners don't need twitch muscles, the science differs for different sports
If you want to be a vegetarian or vegan, fantastic. More power to you. I would say that eating too much meat is really not good for you and that we do eat too much salt fat and sugar in the US. That said, I really enjoy a good ribeye steak every now and then, just as much as I enjoy a salad or sushi. So:
1) Being a vegan is just as much a luxury as having filet mignon because you have the PRIVILEGE of being able to choose what you want to eat. I mean, how elitist is that? Try going to a really poor country where people there will eat whatever they can get their hands on. Trust me, if you were hungry enough, you'd eat meat, or rotten vegatables, bone marrow or fish heads. "I'm not going to eat that because it's MEAN." Get real. You're lucky you have any food at all.
2) Arguing meat or no meat is like arguing about God. Some believe in it, some don't and it just isn't going to change. Ever. Eating a lot of meat isn't good for you, but we will never become a vegetarian society. Ain't gonna happen.
3) If you just look at our teeth and digestive system, I would say it is pretty clear that we were meant to be omnivores, i.e. we eat everything. Kind of like bears who also eat garbage so perhaps we are in fact quite similar... The point is I really don't think we were meant to be vegan any more than we were meant to be carnivores. We are supposed to eat a varied diet because that is how we evolved.
4) I really don't feel bad about eating meat because at the end of the day, EVERYTHING on this planet sustains itself at the expense of something else. I'm quite sure a white shark doesn't feel a bit bad about the cute baby seal it bit in half, or the human it ate for that matter. Someday I will die and then the worms and plants will have a field day on me.
I eat meat. I eat veggies. So I am Switzerland in this epicurean debate.
Oh and there is a reason why Jane's photo is from the neck up. Most vegetarians supplement their meat free diet with sweets and pastries and their @sses get real big.
Try to be a little civil...AH
Those who kill animals and those who eat meat...will be reincarnated and come back as animals so other non-vegs can kill them and eat 'em up. Imagine how it feels when the knife is cutting your throat...and you will become a vegetarian!
HEY STUPID ... THE ONLY REASON THEY WERE BORN IN THE FIRST PLACE IS BECAUSE HUMANS BRED THEM TO BE EATEN, OR THEY WOULD NEVER EVEN HAVE BEEN BORN! STOP YOUR WHINING!
I've attempted to become a vegetarian several times. I ended up ANEMIC and FLATULENT to the point that my husband kicked me out of my bedroom for a week. Tell me again why vegetarian is healthy?
VEGAN WOMEN FART TWICE AS BAD (IF YOU CATCH MY DRIFT LB)!
Vegan women do fart more than Meat eaters but it's usually quiet and never stinks.
As with any endeavor you should become intelligent on the subject and then move forward. There are millions of vegetarians and they don't have such simple to solve problems as being anemic or having too much gas. There are proper ways of doing things and it takes study and patience. Proper vegetarianism consists of eating a variety of fruits, nuts, grains, vegetables, legumes, and seeds in an unrefined state. I've done it for 30 years with no problem.
I'm a vegetarian, and even I think this woman is a self-important t w a t. Eat what you want to eat, just be educated on what you're eating and where it comes from when you make your choice, that's all. If you say, "I eat Big Macs 'cause dammit they taste good and it's my right to eat 'em", you're unaware of what you're doing. If you love a big tasty grass-fed porterhouse from the ranch, that's cool.
PS – Scroll back up to the top. The first person who turned this into some kind of political argument is the ultimate tool. This is why this country is starting to suck, everything has to be "liberal socialist" this or "right-wing nut-job" that. . .this article is about meat and veggies. Knock it off, dummies.
99% of these comments were made by total ignoramuses! Try putting yourself in the place of a poor defenseless cow, pig, etc. about to be slaughtered for your pleasure. You all make me sick!
Full of criticism with no solutions. What do you propose we do with the millions of cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and chickens alive today in this country?
of course we won't all stop eating meat or drinking milk on the same day. It would be a gradual thing .
If it ever came to that the amount of animals killed would be less and less every year until they were at last
appreciated for their beauty and individual Personality, much as our pets are treated today.
Give them their freedom. Give them LIFE in the great outdoors.
And YOU make me sick. Wonder how'd you'd taste on the BarB? Probably still tasteless.
1 reason to not be a vegan.........
BACON!
TERRY SCHIAVO WAS A VEGETABLE! DID YOU VEGANS EAT HER TOO?
O.K. Veggies. Full of criticism with no solutions. What do you propose we do with the millions of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and chickens alive today in this country?
Give them their freedom. If you were one of them what would you want others to do to you?
Please eat vegetables.. not vegetarians!
But by Back2Edens logic, eating vegetarians is good for you, because they eat vegetables which makes them high in nutrients which is good for health. Back2Eden, help me out on this one. You agree don't you?
I'm an omnivore, and an athlete, I refuse to become a vegetarian because a it's not practical for me and b. i enjoy my meat. Now that being said some people I know are vegetarians and I respect them for that. However I really hate the holier-than-thou alot of the people commenting on this article and the author
Ok, let's all just agree to disagree. Vegetarians and vegans, you like what you eat and omnivores like the meat that they eat. Let's just all work together and stop feuding on the comment board.
well said Jane!!!
I agree with Jane Velez 100 percent. Besides, meat creates belly fat, which not only makes you look like a buddha in your jeans, it is also the number one cause of heart attacks and musculoskeletal problems.
Wanna be a fat, sweaty mouth breather? Have a cheese burger. Oh yeah, one other thing.... high cholesterol is linked to erectile dysfunction. Maybe they'll invent a pill that has Lipitor and Viagra in it. But you'll be chokin' your chicken because no woman will find you attractive when you can't even see your limp wing wang.
So go have a cheeseburger, fatso.
Obviously you've never heard of venison. Lean yummy delicious Bambi. I love a man who'll kill it and bring it home so I can cook it. I rather have a deer to carve up, rather than an eggplant. Duck breast is good too! YUM!!!!! Killing and eating animals for sport is a turn on! If a man has a limp wang, its because he ate a bunch of boiled asparagus the night before!
I tried being a vegetarian and a raw foodist for years because of articles like this. Then I had a genetic weight management test and found out I need a high protein-fat, low carb diet. And vegetarian protein just wouldn't cut it for me. People who write about diets that work for them and therefore assume that it should work for others are doing many people a BIG disfavor.
She sounds emotional and hysterical rather than reasonable. Must be the anemia kicking in...
so glad there are people like jane in the world. smart, conscious, and providing hope for this sad planet. keep it up :) !!
Jane, if you tried to get the synapses of a tall hat wearing Texan cowboy moving I am sure you failed miserably. Don't waste your breath on impossible tasks. The animals Tim Love cooks are far more intelligent than him.
Alright this lady is a complete idiot. PIGS ARE NOT SENTIENT CREATURES!!! They don't debate the meaning of life, they don't think about death, they don't think about anything but eating, sleeping, and reproducing. Stop trying to make animals seem like humans because they aren't. Furthermore, we were meant to eat meat. In fact, it wasn't until our ancestors (meaning early humans) began to eat meat that our intelligence rose to the level it's at today.
For people bringing up primates being vegetarians...They are NOT. A monkey or a chimp will eat a baby bird or lizard as fast as anyone. Omnivores like us with sharp flesh tearing teeth. A crow will eat any other bird's chick it finds. The ant sucks life from the fallen butterfly.
ARE YOU SAYING EAT BUTTERFLIES, OR ACT LIKE ONE???
I do agree that we should work to improve the environments that many of these animals are forced to live in. The conditions can be quite bad and we should work to make it as decent as possible. However, to make an argument that children actually crave vegetables over meat is and that it is pushed upon them is missing the mark.
Hey guys, will you visit SaveStan.ORG a friend of mine with 4 young babies is fighting for his life.......Thanks
CARROTS HAVE A LIFE-FORCE, THEREFORE, CARROTS HAVE FEELINGS TOO! JUST WHAT I'D EXPECT FROM ANIMALS (HUMAN BEINGS)! ALWAYS DISCOUNTING THE LIVES OF VEGETABLES!
So, if plants and animals both have a life force, then eating both is wrong? So no one should eat anything. I don't get it.
Then your mom gotta have more life force than any cattle does. I can't wait to trace her, skin her alive and enjoy the most nutrient BBQ ever.
You have watched way to many Veggie Tales episodes.
Prove anything you just said. Especially the sentience part.
I LIKE RUMP ROAST. I LIKE ROSANNE BARR!
Hmmm....is that a leather watch band just below her "VEGAN" braclet?
Who knows. Could just as well be pleather.
I've seen the slaughter houses, and really i dont care i will still eat meat (especially bacon) its good its tasty. besides you know what PETA stands for. People Eating Tasty Animals
The only thing worse than being a vegetarian would to be this nuts husband/wife which ever way she goes.
I am a vegetarian because my stomach is not a graveyard for these wonderful, beautiful creations of GOD.
could you possibly be more self-righteous?
Do I detect a tinge of guilt? So the commenter is self-righteous and you are not?
This article is not helping anyone. In fact, it's probably hurting the cause it aims to support.
The author's holier-than-thou attitude is just driving people away from vegetarianism. I'm a vegetarian. I don't think it's monstrous to eat an animal. There are many reasons (health, environment, etc) to be a vegetarian, but for most people not killing animals is not one of those reasons. If the author could offer up some other reasons for her way of life (or way of eating) other than repeating the same thing 5 times, perhaps the response I'm seeing here would be a little less overwhelmingly against her.
Thank you BB, I know quite a few vegans, from the militant to moderates (they still love bacon). I'm a carnivore that alos loves good fresh veggies, but the most of my meat that I buy is by the side. I don't like the whole factory farm thaing, just like Jane but I don't use it as a reason to justify just eating veggies.
Maybe she repeats those 5 things because that is her opinion and her take on things. You have your take and she has hers. Where is the problem. I'm a vegetarian by choice and that is my decision to make for myself. I ate meat for 21 years then chose to be a vegan. I have no regrets or desire to go back to meat eating. If you don't agree with my choices fine. You are not me. You can make your own choices and live with the result. Those who insult others because they choose a different road to travel are just being self focused and have no concern for others and their freedom to choose for themselves.
True
STOP THE FLATULENCE! STOP THE GROWING OF BEANS! YOU CUT LOOSE ON THE BUS AND THE GAGGING DRIVER MAY DRIVE OFF A CLIFF!!!
Do you have any idea how much gaseous pollution livestock produce?
THEY DON'T RIDE THE BUS DOWNTOWN FOOL!
ACTUALLY, meat-eaters have worse flatulence, and the veggie smelly farts is a myth. Look into it, because there have been studies done.
BULLCRAP! ALL THAT ROUGHAGE MAKE YOU FART LIKE A NERVOUS GREAT DANE!
"They don't ride the bus downtown fool!" Greatest comment on this board! LOL
I have to agree with you there. I laughed so loud and suddenly they whole office looked at me. Thanks goodness I wasn't drinking milk. It would have been all out my nose.
What anybody has talked about here is about the SOCIALcial aspect of eating meat, the fact of sharing not only a meal but a moment with family and friends and ...meat must be there!. I'm from Argentina and I bet you to picture this!: imagine after a soccer practice a Saturday morning with a lot a frineds and/or coworkers, YOU start preparing the barbecue – and maybe opening some wines too – and when you ask for the meat ....some guys say "no...today we have ceasar salad", anather said "and greek salad too" other over there "I brought blue ch. dressing!!!, oh.. com'm ..give me a break !vegetarians ???
Jane: you never tried "chinchulines" (intestine), I can prepare it for yyou and you will no longer be a vegetarian!!
You hit the nail on the head, in MANY cultures just the ability to have and share a meat dish with family and friends is considered an honor. I'm not big on intestines but I love argentian asado meals and the whole concept and so does my family.
This piece is a perfect example why people can't stand vegetarians.
I'm a people too ... I have no problem with vegetarians ... fortunately most of the people I know are vegetarians. They are kind, caring, considerate, and for the most part don't lower themselves to attack others with words of slander and uninformed outbursts. It was God Himself that created vegetarians in the beginning in the Garden of Eden, so deal with Him if you have issues with vegetarianism. Soon, only vegetarians will populate the earth made new. Meat-eaters will no longer exist because animals will no longer be killed for sport and pleasure or be tortured needlessly. Those in the new earth will eat of the fruit of the Tree of Life ... no animal food there.
and this is a good example of why people can't stand religous nutjobz
Know what, I'll try to eat twice as much meat to make up for your vegetarianism, Jane.
Now there's the good old meat-eater intellect, argumentation and maturity I've become accustomed to. I love articles like these. You start to notice a distinct difference in the responses of meat eaters vs vegetarians in terms of argumentation, maturity and general knowledge about health and vegetarianism.
how serious and self-righteous. amazing you get enough oxygen up on that high horse.
Dave seems like the pretentious Whole Foods shopping atheist hipster vegan with Buddy Holly glasses. Get back inside and take your supplements.
Dave, take the carrot out of your ass.
she lost me at "rotting carcass". what a loon.
This stuff truly saddens me, you can have all the opinions you like and thats fine, but i really don't need a self righteous boo hoo poor pigs rant from a lesbian with a tv show. This is another wonderful example of why i rarely bother to watch or read cnn these days, i once heard it jokingly called the "Communist News Network" and these days it seems that joke is more factual statement than satirical jab.
did she say that kids don't like meat but are forced to eat it in her first answer? I'm pretty sure its the other way around and kids don't like vegetables and are forced to eat those. Good try though.
I love what Anthony Bourdain says about Vegetarians and Vegans: "I think its a rude first world luxury."
So those 3rd world bags of rice and beans don't count? Look at the open markets in most parts of the world where they sell lots of veggies and fruits. Most of the world can afford the luxury of meat.
STOP KILLING NATIVE PEOPLE! LET THEM EAT THEIR BUFFALO WHITEY!
Ok, so far what I have seen here is the usual obnoxious PITA commenter and some reasonable people, and also a few strong in their convictions. After reading it all Jane’s biggest problem seems not to be with eating meat but how it is raised and slaughtered. Meat is good and good for you vegetables are good and good for you. Jane forgot to mention the conditions that the people who harvest the most of our vegetables endure just to make a living. At times they are treated like animals but at least they aren’t slaughtered. The biggest problem is not what we eat but the way it is produced, from the factory animal farms to the fields, and even more to blame is the pre-packaged food industry feeding people all of these concoctions of hydrolyzed this and polysorbate that in the ingredients list instead of flour, oil, spices, etc… not to mention water added to everything. Mass production of anything equals lower prices that people want. I prefer quality in my food, I’m willing to pay for it and at this point in time I am able to, but there are a lot of people that cannot. People also have to remember that we eat better and higher calorie meals than our ancestors, but do we expend those calories as they did? NO cubed! When I worked an extremely physical job I ate like a race horse, I moved to a less physical position and started gaining weight, I CHANGED MY DIET TO MEET MY PHYSIVAL DEMANDS! My body adjusted, which it is designed to do. I still enjoy my favorites but in moderation. It isn’t carnivore vs. vegan it should be common sense, your wallet, and your taste buds. I miss a good local butcher and a real farmers market, not one buying bulk and trying to pass it off as home grown even though it’s in crates from California
I've been vegan for over 30 years. My daughter has been vegan all her life (she is now 18) and has never had any serious childhood illnesses or the need for any immunizations. She is beautiful, intelligent, and healthy. She is thin and trim. Those who choose a vegan diet are choosing life and health. To eat vegan is to eat fresh food directly from the source and to eat meat is to eat ABC food (already been chewed) or secondhand food. You can eat the grains and grasses fresh or after the animal eats and digests it. It's your choice ... live plant food or the dead carcass of some poor animal. Go VEGAN! In the earth made new there will not be any killing of animals for food. God originally created man and animals to subsist on plant food alone. There will be no meat eating in heaven so why not get used to it now.
UUHHMMMM Even Jesus did something with fish to feed the masses, if you are gonna try to say all vegans go to heaven at least read the d@mn book first.
I did not say all vegans go to heaven. I said all who live in the earth made new will be eating a plant based diet only. No killing of animals there. It was Jesus who created Adam and Eve and gave them a plant based diet. Read the book.
No, you read the book silly girl. Adam and Eve had the tree of life which was a perfect food. We don't have that anymore. You'll also notice that God clothed them in animal skins. Yup, God killed a cow to clothe his two lost children. Read the new testament where God tells Peter in a vision that it is not what goes in a man that defiles him, but what comes out that defiles him.
Guess what chuckles... those plants are just as dead as the "rotting animal carcus." They die the moment you pluck them out off the ground, or off a vine.
Actually plant food retains its nutritional value after being picked or harvested ... otherwise you and the animals would all be dead, since all living things eat a vegetarian diet ... some get it first hand but most get it second hand after it is eaten and digested and becomes flesh. Those animals that only eat meat are getting it third hand ... they eat those that eat the vegetarian diet.
Back2Eden, please go put your brain back in. Meat retains it nutritional value for quite awhile after the animal has been killed. The rest of your logic is so broken as to be silly. There are meat eaters who eat meat eaters and do just fine.
So does meat. There is no such thing as 2nd hand nutrients or whatever the hell your talking about. Everything is recycled over and over again. Those nutrients your plants are growing in are fertilized by "rotting animal carcusus"... amongst other nastiness.
and only a religions nutjob would have the gall to say we were made to only eat plants, when we obviously are designed to eat both plants and animals. Take your thumb and rub it across the tips of your teeth... feel that sharp one? It's called a canine, and its for piercing flesh.
Check out all the vegetarian animals like apes, elephants, etc.. they also have so-called canines, but they don't use them for meat eating. Ever heard of Little Tyke ... the vegetarian lion. Would not even taste blood or eat any kind of meat. Look at your intestinal tract and you will know it is not designed for meat eating.
You can't say "God made us this way" and then play the evolutionary card the next second. Canines may very well be a leftover of evolution, probably as a defense mechanism in much the same way they are in some herbivores, but human's certainly weren't "created" with canines as a defense mechanism by God... and so using the God argument is ridiculous.
We are omnivores, we can break down both meat and plants. Both have essential nutrients to our diet. I'll be the first to admit that humans probably eat far more meat than they were "designed" to eat, but thats because its simply more abundant than it ever was in the past. To pretend we aren't fully functioning omnivores and then using that as a jumping off platform as to why you shouldn't eat meat (regardless of the fact that almost never has nothing to due with the real argument, which is animal cruelty) is just silly.
Poor dumb cunt. Hasn't a clue what she's talking about.
Quite ironic, your user name...
i think people who eat meat wouldn't mind eating human flesh if they didn't know what it is in the first place........ as long as it taste good.
You sick bastard.
I am not a vegetarian; I eat meat. But I think what has become extremely disturbing is the detachment modern society has from the food on our plate and how it arrived there. We go to the grocery store and buy a nice, tidy little package of hamburger meat as if it just comes that way naturally. No slaughter of animal. All the dirty work is completely shielded from our squeamish minds.
I'm reminded of the opening hunt scene in The Last of the Mohicans, when Daniel Day Lewis and his Native American brethren kill an elk, but before the animal dies, they perform a ritual to respect and thank their "elk" brother for giving up its life for their survival.
I'm not saying that we should perhaps go to that extreme, but I think we do need to understand what we are about to eat and respect what it is and not sanitize the entire process in our minds as if we are completely guilt-free. I think if we do that, we can still eat and enjoy meat, but perhaps because our attitude is not so flippant, we will be far more judicious in the amount of meat we consume.
perhaps you'd prefer we go back to hunting our own game. Ever gutted a pig? It's not fun. It didn't stop people from eating bacon for the past several thousand years before we had processing plants.
That's exactly my point. I'm not saying we should stop eating meat. I wasn't advocating that at all. I'm saying we should respect what we are eating, and not be so casual and flippant about it. I think when human beings were mostly hunters and farmers they DID have more respect for their food. They knew the work that was involved to provide it and were much more thankful for it.
Humans used to treat their animals with much more respect. In medieval societies, animals would actually be brought into the house during harsh winters, and live with their human owners under the same roof. To lose an animal carelessly would almost have meant certain death to their human owners. The animals were valuable and respected because of it.
In contrast to today, where our animals are crowded by the hundreds into a chamber to get their heads lobbed off unceremoniously by a swinging blade.
You aren't being practical about the reasoning behind it. People brought their animals inside during winter because they would STARVE w/out them, not because they were more in-touch with their condition.
You are sensitized to the slaughter of animals because you do not see it every day. If this was medieval times, and you did slaughter and gut your own animals, you wouldn't give it a second thought, much the way they didn't give it a second thought back then. The only reason it bothers you today is because the absence of it in your everyday life has sensitized you to the brutal nature of it.
STOP VEGETARIANS FROM DESTROYING NATIVE SALMON BY DAMMING OUR RIVERS! DAMN YOU ALL!!!
Here is the deal. If eating meat is not natural or not meant to be and we only eat it because of sociological "brainwashing", then why do we have carnivorous and omnivorous animals in nature? They seem pretty ok with eating a "plate of blood." Should we only feed our pet animals lettuce and squash? No tuna or other meat products?
Man and animal were created to eat a plant based diet. It is SIN that has changed all that. In the earth made new the original plan will be restored. All will one again be eating a plant based diet. No killing of animals period.
An eye for an eye. At the end of the day, the healthy lives happy, the sick lives miserably. You have options!
I've been a vegetarian for over 25 years, and she's right on. Except for one thing. Tofurky is truly awful. If someone offers it to you, don't walk, run.
Also Tofurky, Boca Burgers, etc. are based on a truly odd approach to vegetarianism that you want to somehow emulate dead-animal-based foods. The food tastes *way* better if you don't try to do that. Well seasoned grains and vegetables taste great. Trying to make them taste like chicken or burgers or, god forbid, turkey, just ends up weird.
What is the life expectancy of Vegans, Vegetarians and Meat eaters? Seriously, where do I find this info? The oldest people I know eat meat & I also know a number of chubby vegans. So I don't see much real world difference.
Just wiki it. From the vegetarian wiki page:
"5 out of 5 studies indicated that adults who followed a low meat, high plant-food diet pattern experienced significant or marginally significant decreases in mortality risk relative to other patterns of intake"
In general the findings the wiki page posts are favourable for vegeatarians (or "low meat, high plant consumption").
I know a ton overweight meat eaters and ones who have died [relatively] young and had various health issues. Personal subjective recollection/observation does not amount to significant statistical relevance.
I know a bunch of chubby vegetarians too and I'm like whaaaa? It doesn't exclude cake.
Maybe the question should be how healthy are vegetarians vs meat eaters? You can live a long time and be miserable all the way along the journey. How obese are they? How well do they live? Those who live the longest are Hunzas and Seventh-day Adventists. Both are mostly vegetarian in diet.
simply my opinion, but i feel if a human being were suppose to eat meat then god would have constructed our bodies to naturally do so like many of our animal being friends. However, our flimsy nails and unsharpened teeth have not evolved so that we could naturally devour meat in its natural state. True; we have evolved an intellectual mind to help us create tools and machines but i do feel consciousness was lost when the ego set in. I challenge all meat eaters to go live in the jungle and try to hunt down their meat they love so much and eat it the same way a lion (an actual, legit meat eater) would. still crave it?? anyway, besides the ridiculous analogy the point i see is we as human beings are not built to eat meat simply because our bodies are not engineered to do so. I've only been a vegetarian for a few months and do not miss meat in the least. I can see the points she's trying to make. It seems she's simply trying to help people become healthier rather than them playing a pawn in their governments medical system! but whatev to each their own
I've lived on this good earth for 60 years now and will say this;argueing with a vegan about diet is like argueing with a Muslim about religon--both will get you nowhere.
Just do what I do: I have meatless days at least 3 times a week and I only eat meat caught and killed by me.
You all have a good day!!!!!!
We need more vegans in this world! Thank you for speaking up for all of us who support you and the vegan life style!
This article made me hungry for some meat.
i'm oddly craving some bacon now...
Throw your mother in the fryer then..
cheeseburger with bacon and bleu cheese....
I am a card carrying member of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals).
Look, humans have cuspids for tearing up meat and forward facing eyes for hunting pray. Sure, they're not canine teeth like a dog, but we're obviously omnivorous, and the preferred source of food is meat. It's in our DNA, deal with it.
And the most famous vegetarian is...........
Adolf Hitler
Cool story bro. Excuse me while I dig up a list of the 99% of horrible people in history who ate meat, not that the correlation is significant in the slightest anyway.
If plants respond to music, light, darkness, water, soil, and so many other stimuli who the heck is she to kill them? She probably eats poor little baby spinach and little baby carrots before they have even had a chance to grow up! Murderer!!!!!
VEGGIE EATERS STOP KILLING THE OCEANS THROUGH PESTICIDE RUNOFF!!!
And how much vegetable production do you think goes into the feeding of livestock? Let alone the massive amounts of pollution that result from livestock metabolism, which have been shown to have a significant impact on the global environment. Nice try though.
Ever hear of soil erosion? Free-range cattle eat grass that grows naturally! You vegetarians won't be happy until you destroy the environment through pesticides, runoff and depletion of water resources! STOP DAMMING OUR RIVERS FOR YOUR IRRIGATION YOU SALMON-HATERS!
How can one be passionate with animals and eat them too!! That would be hypocrisy.
As far as plants go, when you pluck a vegetable or a fruit from it, the plant regenerates them.
On the other hand, I do not object the people in the extreme winters killing bears or fish for food. Its not a
choice for them, but a matter of survival..
Just wondering how many of the posters were frightened by a vegetable as a small child.
wow come on people...consesus is that meat consumers are okay with being labeled what they are!...i am a vegetaarian..do i see anything wrong with it? funny question..i try not to go in depth when i'm eating because i am flabergasted at how an arrogant person compares to his dinner plate...
A vegan diet has cured people of all types of diseases and disorders. It has helped millions and is CHEAPER. It has helped me with a serious disorder, and doctors have been linking diet to so, so many diseases (not just the typical heart disease/diabetes.)
Once, we needed to be carnivorous, when we used to hunt our own food in the wild. But then, we used and reused the animal and never wasted. Now, we sit on our butts all the time and do not use even half of the energy we needed to survive back then. We waste and waste. We don't need meat now to supply us with energy because we don't exert ourselves in the same way.
Plus, if you had to go out and kill your own animals, skin them, take out their eyeballs, etc., you wouldn't eat meat ever again. It is so easy for most of you to just call this author names and put her down, but you know what, you wouldn't even be able to fend for yourself if it came down to it, and we all would be vegetarian/vegan.
Jane, you are awesome. These people are threatened by you and that's why they put you down.
"Plus, if you had to go out and kill your own animals, skin them, take out their eyeballs, etc., you wouldn't eat meat ever again. "
uh, no? plenty of people do this when they hunt. i do. guess what? i still eat it.
Well said!
Thank you, Jenni.
I'm keeping this one rapid fire.
I've not heard that a vegan diet has cured people of "all types" of diseases and disorders. That such a diet worked for your circumstances does not a scientific study make.
We have not ever been carnivores. We're omnivores. Our bodies are built for it. Note those delightful canines, which, I can assure you, were not evolved from our inclination to pounce on wild squash. In addition, meat does not solely provide energy in the same way that vegetables do not only provide fiber. Not having to eat it for energy purposes does not speak to the desire to eat it as a matter of personal preference.
The last of your points is wholly unsupported, but I'm going to take the bait here. You're right that some people would likely give up meat if they had to kill their own cattle. By the same stroke, many people would give up vegetables if they had to grow and harvest their own crops through several months of toiling. So all you've really observed is society's familiarity with convenient acquistion of both meat and vegetables, an aspect ubiquitous to developed societies that allows the bulk of the population to move on to new productive posts and create prosperity. You let me know how that 100% aggrarian lifestyle works out.
Excuse me, Colin, but it does work. Have you ever had to kill you cat? Skin it? Eat it? Or maybe your dog? People who love their pets would never do such a thing, but guess what, all animals can be loved in the same way. People eat horse all the time, but if you are a horse rider, you would never think of doing that.
Also, yes, it worked for me, but I have read STUDIES about how it cures other diseases. I am not talking out of my butt because it worked for me. I am a college graduate, have done ton of research and am a credible journalist that works for an amazing newspaper. I KNOW what I am talking about when I do research.
I do not appreciate your attempt to discredit me. I have an obese family, with an uncle who had gastric surgery but still weighs close to 400 pounds. I know what it's like to see the people around you slowly die and it's because their obsession with food - not just meat. (shocker!)
There are vegans and vegetarians out there that have a HORRIBLE diet. I do not defend them. I defend those of us looking to treat our bodies with respect, sans meat, and respect the Earth that billions trample on without an ounce of gratefulness.
Well, we're omnivores, we should have some meat in our diet. I like though how vegetarians take their food and shape it in to meat products. Tofu burgers, soy hot dogs, meatless sausage, and soyrizo (chorizo).
We omnivores don't go around taking our meat products and shape them in to vegetables. "Hey look, it's a sirloin carrot" or "I'll have the ground beef shaped into a squash please". If you are going to be a vegetarian don't fool yourself, go big, go all the way.
"Well, we're omnivores, we should have some meat in our diet."
Your conclusion does not follow from your premise. "Omnivore" is a label that explains one's dietary behaviour, not dietary necessity. I could just as well say "we are humans, we should live in caves and beat each other with clubs". After all it used to be a normal behaviour. *Should* it be? Not necessarily at all. I'm pretty tired of non-vegetarians justifying meat consumption by reverting to "it's just what we do" or "it's in my nature". Not exactly the brightest or most justifiable reasons...
What a bunch of idiots!! You don't pay my bills and you're not my mother so why the hell do you care what I eat? Even doctors I know are telling their patients to lay off of the disgusting meat. It's killing us.
Plants have only one soul, Animals have two souls, Humans have three souls. One and two souls have all kinds of different shape. three souls have only one shape . two and three souls have feeing, have parent , But one soul has no parent, no feeling so we can eat. (Human is a half way of a ladder, you can go up to become an Angel or Saint,or you can go down to become ev..de..).
Thank you for this article; I think Velez-Mitchell offered a very reasoned, fact-based argument for vegetarianism. I found it much more persuasive than Love's argument of "Meat taste good; me eat meat."
I am disheartened, but not surprised, at some of the comments above. In my experience meat-eaters will search for any and every rationalization they can to justify their food choices. The truth is, there is really no valid justification for eating meat; vegetarianism is by FAR the more ethical, environmentally sound, and healthy choice. If you want to eat meat that's your choice, but at least be honest and state simply that you are doing it because you want to and don't care enough about yourself, animals, or the planet to make a different choice.
Very reasoned, fact-based article? That could not be further from the truth. Rather than typing it all over again, I'll respond with what I said above:
When not smeared with the predictably pedantic vegan/vegetarian drivel ("Trust me. It's fun to evolve."), the article displays, at its heart, the host's confusion of personal conviction for fact. Taking a quick spin through the article...
Host: "Just in terms of common sense, look at a horse. It eats grass and hay and is extremely muscular and fast."
Reality: This is full-fledged, ankle-grabbing sampling error. The converse of the argument would be to say, "Look at a tiger. It eats raw animal flesh and is extremely muscular and fast." The fact of the matter is that the host's argument is so far from commen sense, it barely deserves an intelllectual dress down. Animals process materials in different ways (e.g. Cows having 4 stomachs and the appropriate digestive enzymes to handle raw plant materials). Eating like an entirely different species in no way ensures having the muscular build, health properties or athletic abilities of said species. Just embarassingly false on its face.
Host: "A lactating cow will consume every year almost six tons of forage dry matter, over 100 bushels of corn, 1,400 pounds of protein supplement, and 225 pounds of mineral/salt. You do the math."
Reality: I'll do the math if you do your homework. Even accounting for the lazy dismissal of the Host's obligation to expound on the implications of the cited numbers, the fact is that there is more than enough food to feed every person on the planet, including livestock. World hunger relates primarily to social and political barriers to distribution, including corrupt governments, poor infrastructure or misuse of aid funds. To assert that it relates to something as simplistic as hungry cattle isn't just wrong, it's flat out deceitful and is an embarassing misappropriation of a serious issue for the personal benefit of the Host's views.
Host: "If huge amounts of protein were the key to perfect health, America would be the healthiest nation on earth because we eat a lot more meat than people in most other countries. But, we’re not the healthiest. Two thirds of us are overweight or obese and the crisis is accelerating."
Reality: This is decidedly more sly than the Host's other fallacious positions, which makes me think it was probably unintentionally clever. The course of the dialogue in the Host's language appears to link protein consumption with obesity. While overconsumption of protein can have varied and serious health consequences (i.e. Kidney damage), obesity is not listed among the notable threats. The best the Host could have done to more reasonably support her argument would have been to correlate protein consumption with fatty foods.
Host: "Children often naturally shun the taste of meat but are forced by their misguided, although well-meaning, parents into eating it anyway."
Reality: Unsupported anecdote.
Host: "Also, factory farm run-off – yes I’m talking about all that animal waste – is creating a run-off pollution crisis that is threatening our rivers and oceans."
Reality: Much of the run-off "threating our rivers and oceans" includes fertilizers used to grow vegetable crops. If this isn't the pot calling the kettle black, I'm not sure what is.
Host: "I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass. It’s guilt-free eating, which is ultimately more pleasurable."
Reality: The response here (and it will be my last) is segmented. Number one, if the host would much rather devour the squash, then have at it. The Host afforded discretion in that regard, and I recommend it be exercised, rather than proselytizing about some purportedly evolved state. Number two, the "animal's rotting carcass" comment does little more than illustrate the Host's derisive view of meat consumption. Vegetables, and indeed all organic matter, rots. That's called entropy, and it's part of an ecological cycle that seems to work pretty well. So lets not pilfer the "rotting carcass" quip for the benefit of another flimsy argument. Number three, what does the Host mean guilt-free? Because the Host didn't participate in the direct demise of an animal? What about the classic mother's line, "Finish your vegetables, there are people starving in *name your country here*"? It's only guilt-free in the Host's narrow definition of guilt, which seems to apply to pretty much anyone other than herself.
The other logical fumbles and intellectual voids apparent in other portions of the brief article are too numerous to mention. The bottom line is that humans are omnivores, and have been for some time. A better, and decidedly less arrogantly militant, principle to live by would be all things in moderation, eat fewer processed foods and get some exercise.
You wasted a lot of time and energy to sound like an idiot. There is a bottom line, and that's all she was getting at: it is smarter to be a veg than consume as much meat as we do. Pretty simple pal. But be an 1800's American, the plains are full of bison, the oceans are eternally full of fish. What could little old us do to possibly tilt the system? But I'm sure you have an argument how meat eaters are destroying the oceans? Or the coral reefs they drag their nets on? Maybe my argument isn't intellectually balanced? Argue eloquently, that should make the coral reappear and the tuna appear out of the deep. Put the books down Faustus and have a look around. Ha. Idiot.
"Stupid" is as "Stupid" does. Oh, and I am a lacto-ova vegetarian. I believe humans and animals can help each other. Let's lead the way.
That's fine. More delicious meat for me. Mutton anyone?
Anyone else notice that the background of the "Eatocracy" banner is a slab of meat? Hilarious.
... you should probably try refreshing the page to see what happens... they're randomly generated images.
I read somewhere that "vegans are just poor hunters"...lol
On Nderf.org Justin U's near death experience #2366 it talks about his choice to become vegetarian was appreciated by the animals and also helped weigh out some negative things he had done in life. Very interesting check it out.
lots of hate in this place
we worry more about how we treat animals than humans. I fear one day that this USA that was carved out of wilderness for you will no longer be here for your petty differences...you might just want to eat some meat if that day ever comes
Wow...really? This is one of the most slanted "interviews" ever. The host acts like that people eat meat either in raw form or when it's past it's shelf life (i.e. her rotting comment(s)). A fresh cut of meat is no more rotten than a fresh cut of fruit or vegetables. And I'm pretty sure rotten fruit or vegetables would taste just as a bas as rotten meat. People like this woman like to say animals have "feelings" and all of that as one of their reasons for being a vegetarian. So then plants don't? Sorry but you can't have it one way or the other, it's both or neither. Children being misguided by their parents to eat meat...right...I don't know of any kid that would eat something they don't like. I know when I was a kid I would give stuff I didn't like to the pet or find a way to throw it away or something. And I highly doubt meat consumption has much to do with obesity. Obesity is a result of lack of exercise and people eating "unhealthy" foods, like snack/junk food, fast food, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just how it is. As for environmental effects, people would screw up the environment regardless if meat were consumed or not. Fossil fuels anyone? It's just a consequence of modern life. If you want to have no global warming and all of that you either will need to invent a time machine or move to a different planet because it's not going away anytime soon. TLDR: This woman's "argument" is more of an attack.
I'd like to see Gene Baur on the "hot seat."
Stop hating on native peoples! Their diets and ceremonies revolve around MEAT! Why do you want to take away their way of life, you veggies-only people? Do you want to take more of their land for farms? Take your Euro-centro attitudes and put them where the sun don't shine!
I eat native people you gonna hate on me b!tch?
EAT MORE WHALE MEAT! LOOK HOW LONG ESKIMOS LIVE!
I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to GEICO!
This goes out to all meat eaters out here! Join animalfreedomday.com and be a Veggie for two days this year. Save the planet..Save Yourselves...Save World Hunger!
hey jane valez mitchell, how about you tell a tiger to evolve and stop eating meat?
After reading this, i concluded that I want a steak right Now! Maybe even steak wrapped in bacon...
way to go Jane, eating meat is cruel and disgusting, and it is destroying our world and our bodies, in the very near future having a Vegan diet will be the norm
Both sides are right, and both sides are wrong. As a diabetic (Type 1) that has thoroughly studied the physiological needs of the body, I well know the importance of good protein (and soy doesn't cut it!). As a healthy person, I know the importance of vegetables and fruits. As an animal lover, I know the importance of not supporting CAFO's (confined animal feeding operations). As a mother to children who have had physical reactions due to pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and preservatives, I know the importance of "knowing the source of our food." Everyone can eat what they please, but the best overall diet for omnivores (like humans) is eating a well-balanced diet of fruit, veggies, and meats. However, all foods are not created equal. I have chosen to avoid all pesticide, processed, and preservative-laden foods. I cook from scratch to ensure the meal is as fresh and healthy as possible. Additionally, I select local ranchers for our meats, eggs, and dairy. I have personally visited the farms, know the care given to the animals, and know they are killed in a quick, humane fashion to eliminate all suffering. I also know that the farms I support are not dumping massive amounts of chemicals into the ground, contributing the methane problem, polluting our water ways, etc. I know that the animals I eat are healthy, not pumped full of "preventative" anitbiotics or hormones, allowed to act like the animals God created them to be (graze, eat natural foods, breathe fresh air, and go in or out at leisure), their waste is being used to re-fertilize the land they grazed on, and, when done correctly, this leaves the land in a much healthier state than when the farmer started. That makes a BIG difference in my health, on my plate, and around the environment!!
Can I come over to your house for dinner? We make great banana bread with unbleached whole wheat floor, sucanet and other good stuff. Thanks for the post. ;-)
If there were ANY risk of becoming as angry and crazy as Jane Valez from being a vegetarian I would NEVER do it; but again, it all just proves my old point: I have never met a happy vegetarian, they are always MISERABLE!! case and point!
That's a very odd comment. My mom has been a vegetarian for over twenty years and is the happiest (and also kindest) person I know. My husband and I have been vegetarians for over twenty, and are completely happy people. Why on earth would you assume that being a vegetarian makes one unhappy??
I find it strange that so many meat-eaters have responded so negatively to this article. In what kind of distorted thinking are compassion for animals and concern for the environment BAD qualities?
Im a vegetarian and I don't even want to hear your condescending and pretentious bullsh!t. Let people eat what they're gonna eat. There are health benefits and risks on BOTH sides, we all know it. CNN cover some real news please.
Agreed.
You people from the big cities... so detached from the real world. You require the factory farms which are terrible and un-natural. You think being vegan is holier than thou. You are the problem!
bring me some chiggin!!!!
Nekserph – Well said! I agree, wimpy, whiner vegans and vegitarains need to stfu and get a life. Most of the ones I've met are obese and stupid. That should tell you something.
I eat motor oil too man!! I marinate my lamb heads in 75W-140. I thought i was the only one wow
wow. I rarely eat meat, but I found his article light-hearted and reasonable. Hers just proves the point about "preachy vegetarians".
For one, "rotting carcass"? Get real. "I get sad when I smell bacon". Huh?
When you don't eat meat for a long time you DO smell it a lot more, and yes, sometimes it doesn't smell very good.
Still, that doesn't mean you gotta go ruin it for everyone else.
Despite all the well-published lies, people are built for eating both. If you don't want to eat meat, fine ... just don't get in everyone else's face over it.
Running spellcheck didn't catch the incorrect usage of a correctly spelled homonym; in the article, please replace 'peak' with 'peek'.
Thank you
one more comment. TOFU is NOT good for you if you eat too much of it. It's hard to digest. I'm Chinese and honestly we eat tofu in moderation and often with meat to balance things out.
I believe these articles give BOTH carnivores and vegetarians a TERRIBLE image. Yes, what BOTH authors say is true to the fullest extent. But all who read these articles are well-educated, literate individuals with minds of their own.
What's funny is the juxtaposition between Tim Love's statement about preachy vegetarians and my own experience. I'm usually the butt of the joke. Especially when I throw an Italian soysage on the grill next to my friends' brats! But I'm not offended or deterred. You shouldn't be either, whatever your stance.
You have the ability to read about the sources of cholesterol and decide, "Hey, I have high cholesterol. Maybe I should focus on a more plant-based diet or I'm going to die of heart disease." You're never going to change my mind about being a vegetarian by telling me, "Meat just tastes better." I beg to differ; I don't prefer it's taste. And I'm never going to change your mind by spouting statistics, however true they are. You have to research yourself. I KNOW you don't believe EVERYTHING you see on CNN without researching it, anyway. :-)
Extremists are the exception to the norm. Generalizing an entire population is dangerous.
BUT! If you are interested in a strongly pro-veg book (keep in mind, I'm vegetarian, not vegan), I could suggest "Diet for a New America" by John Robbins. Yes, that's Robbins. As in Baskin Robbins. Take it with a grain of salt.
Thank you for your attention!
i enjoyed your comment quite a bit. it was very insightful and not at all preachy. (i'm a meat-eater btw)
I agree with you, and I appreciate your level-headedness.
I do disagree that everyone reading this is necessarily "well-educated, literate individuals with minds of their own." Also, I think you may have meant omnivore, not carnivore... Not to be picky. Haha.
I wonder where the leather on that watch band she is wearing came from?
human skin
Yeah, cause fake leather doesn't exist...
Yes, because the chemicals that go into creating the fake leather are decidedly better for the environment than raising a cow for food.
This forum is vulgar display of American Society. People trying to prove what they think is what everyone else should be thinking. It is my decision to eat meat or not, and I have absolutely no corncern who it offends. Why do people care what other people eat? So, to all people invloved in this mornic debat....... get a life and stop worrying about other peoples diet.
You shouldn't generalize all that have responded – I posted that I am a vegetarian but that what you eat is your choice and what I eat is my choice. Not everyone on here commenting is forcing their views. I definitely said nothing derogatory or demanding others to choose my diet. Eat your meat, veggies, whatever, it's your body.
Hey Nekserph, since you are joining in this debate you must be moron too, and if you don't like Americans, sorry, how about we stop sending you food and/or money aid which America sends out by the ton and billions. Oh, and if you don't like what I'm saying, Bite me. Assuming you have any teeth.
She states that we've been conditioned to enjoy meat and that we over consume it. How does that support her argument to become vegetarian? Stopping overconsumption of meat does not equate to completely giving it up.
Besides, our eyes are on the front of our heads so we can focus on our prey like predators. Prey animals like rodents and deer have their eyes on the sides of their heads for better peripheral vision. Nature obviously intends us to be omnivorous.
Since so many people want to use the "nature" argument for why we should eat meat, I hope these same people believe in letting the weak "human and animal" perish, bc thats what nature intended and according to their wishes, thats what must happen. I also hope these same people understand that modern medicine, volunteering, or any helpful act for that matter is going against nature's plan, since we are letting "weak" beings survive and pass on their genes. One argument for which i will agree with meat eaters is that meat in moderation is not bad for you. It has its health benefits. Thats why I believe this argument should be a based on morality and ethics.
Well said, Jane! Eating meat is just plain selfish. It is saying, "Screw you, animals and environment! My tastebuds are more important than you!" I look around at all the obese people getting winded as they waddle into McDonald's or KFC and think, "Really? When are you going to open your eyes?"
One last thing… the comment about blood on the plate.
Its not blood. It can’t be blood. Blood turns toxic after the slaughter of an animal.
That’s food dye. Without it, the meat would cook and taste exactly the same, but be a gray slab of flesh. And we all know that no one would buy that. Well, I would… I am a fan of “if it tastes good, eat it”.
And trust me – I’ve eaten some very interesting things…
All I know is, I know a LOT of fat-ass vegetarians.
How utterly ridiculous. I'm so sick of wimpy, whiner vegitarians and vegans. Human beings evolved intelligence by being preditors. The most intelligent animals are carnivores or omnivores. It doesn't take any intelligence to sneak up on a leaf. If we were'nt meat eaters, we'd still be swinging from tree to tree and be pretty stupid. Nothing wrong with meat. Vegitarians and vegans are probably mostly enemic from not getting enough protein and iron. Pansy a$$ed wimps. If they want to eat nuts and twigs fine, but they need to stop whining about meat eaters and get a life.
I don't like what this lady says about meat. I don't like being guilted into doing anything. And yet everyone is throwing guilt around on everyone these days. I feel like I'm guilted to agree with Gay marriage, or guilted into disliking our president. I'm guilted to use fossil fuels and driving a car. The oil leak was my fault. If I'm not on board with change come November I'm guilted into not being a true American. Stop guilting me!
Isn't it time to put this thing to bed? Lets give it a rest.
Oh and I eat veggies all day, AND red juicy steaks. My cholesterol has never gone over 139. This particular vegetarian's cholesterol is over 300. When it is in your genes to have high cholesterol then you're done. Only 20% of your cholesterol score can be lowered by diet alone, the rest is produced by the liver and only medication can change that. I am blessed in that respect for sure .
When not smeared with the predictably pedantic vegan/vegetarian drivel ("Trust me. It's fun to evolve."), the article displays, at its heart, the host's confusion of personal conviction for fact. Taking a quick spin through the article...
Host: "Just in terms of common sense, look at a horse. It eats grass and hay and is extremely muscular and fast."
Reality: This is full-fledged, ankle-grabbing sampling error. The converse of the argument would be to say, "Look at a tiger. It eats raw animal flesh and is extremely muscular and fast." The fact of the matter is that the host's argument is so far from commen sense, it barely deserves an intelllectual dress down. Animals process materials in different ways (e.g. Cows having 4 stomachs and the appropriate digestive enzymes to handle raw plant materials). Eating like an entirely different species in no way ensures having the muscular build, health properties or athletic abilities of said species. Just embarassingly false on its face.
Host: "A lactating cow will consume every year almost six tons of forage dry matter, over 100 bushels of corn, 1,400 pounds of protein supplement, and 225 pounds of mineral/salt. You do the math."
Reality: I'll do the math if you do your homework. Even accounting for the lazy dismissal of the Host's obligation to expound on the implications of the cited numbers, the fact is that there is more than enough food to feed every person on the planet, including livestock. World hunger relates primarily to social and political barriers to distribution, including corrupt governments, poor infrastructure or misuse of aid funds. To assert that it relates to something as simplistic as hungry cattle isn't just wrong, it's flat out deceitful and is an embarassing misappropriation of a serious issue for the personal benefit of the Host's views.
Host: "If huge amounts of protein were the key to perfect health, America would be the healthiest nation on earth because we eat a lot more meat than people in most other countries. But, we’re not the healthiest. Two thirds of us are overweight or obese and the crisis is accelerating."
Reality: This is decidedly more sly than the Host's other fallacious positions, which makes me think it was probably unintentionally clever. The course of the dialogue in the Host's language appears to link protein consumption with obesity. While overconsumption of protein can have varied and serious health consequences (i.e. Kidney damage), obesity is not listed among the notable threats. The best the Host could have done to more reasonably support her argument would have been to correlate protein consumption with fatty foods.
Host: "Children often naturally shun the taste of meat but are forced by their misguided, although well-meaning, parents into eating it anyway."
Reality: Unsupported anecdote.
Host: "Also, factory farm run-off – yes I’m talking about all that animal waste – is creating a run-off pollution crisis that is threatening our rivers and oceans."
Reality: Much of the run-off "threating our rivers and oceans" includes fertilizers used to grow vegetable crops. If this isn't the pot calling the kettle black, I'm not sure what is.
Host: "I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass. It’s guilt-free eating, which is ultimately more pleasurable."
Reality: The response here (and it will be my last) is segmented. Number one, if the host would much rather devour the squash, then have at it. The Host afforded discretion in that regard, and I recommend it be exercised, rather than proselytizing about some purportedly evolved state. Number two, the "animal's rotting carcass" comment does little more than illustrate the Host's derisive view of meat consumption. Vegetables, and indeed all organic matter, rots. That's called entropy, and it's part of an ecological cycle that seems to work pretty well. So lets not pilfer the "rotting carcass" quip for the benefit of another flimsy argument. Number three, what does the Host mean guilt-free? Because the Host didn't participate in the direct demise of an animal? What about the classic mother's line, "Finish your vegetables, there are people starving in *name your country here*"? It's only guilt-free in the Host's narrow definition of guilt, which seems to apply to pretty much anyone other than herself.
The other logical fumbles and intellectual voids apparent in other portions of the brief article are too numerous to mention. The bottom line is that humans are omnivores, and have been for some time. A better, and decidedly less arrogantly militant, principle to live by would be all things in moderation, eat fewer processed foods and get some exercise.
YOU I like.
Haha, very much appreciated. I expected a death threat first...
Looks like with all the valid arguments back and forth the conclusion, in a nutshell, seems to be... You're damned if you do, damned if you don't.
The lesser of two evils.
Pick your poison.
Nothing goes clean, everything has consequence.
Nothing 100% has reward.
I guess we're all doing something evil to the world no matter how hard we try to do what is right.
Eat a piece of bacon and try not to smile. I dare you.
Try to pee your pants and not enjoy it. THAT is a challenge. And take it a step further and wring it out in a cup and then drink it to recycle it... AND try not to savor that. Trust me it's hard.
I was a vegetarian for 6 years and after a personal tragedy I craved meat again. I really do both now, I try to eat meat once or maybe twice a week mostly just fish and veggies. I never preached to anyone about my personal beliefs and it breaks my heart that animals are mistreated and made to suffer. Having said that, I do understand that most love meat I only wish we humans would find a middle ground where we can eat meat but be respectful the animal to which provides us our food. I know we will never stop the abuse but I do believe we should care and be more aware
Eating meat in moderation is fine in terms of health. It would be dumb to argue against that. The main point or crux of most vegetarians/vegan arguments is the moral issue associated with meat consumption. It is wrong, plain and simple to kill especially when it is not NEEDED for our survival. Most meat today, especially the way it is cooked, is more for luxury. Why else would we have thousands of different kinds of ways to cook and eat met. Also, of course humans were able to evolve and survive in our history because we were omnivores. However, we also evolved our intellectual capacity which includes our ability to reason and have moral thinking. The same arguments used for eating meat are eerily similar to the arguments used in favor of slavery and all forms of discrimination (religion, evolution, biology etc). I am not one here to say that animals and humans are equal. However, the strong must protect the weak. Animals are innocent. Just try to look at this issue from a moral perspective. How is it fair that something that in innocent and has never committed any wrong be punished, yet murderers and rapists are giving second chances at life? Bc of their innocent/childlike status, they deserve similar respect. Just because we can do something and take advantage of something, does not mean we should. Bottom line is that in most cases, as long as something doesnt affect us, we tend not to give a damn. Finally, its ridiculous to say that vegans/vegetarians should just mind their own business about this issue. We are not talking about some personal preference or, we are talking about an actual life and implications on the well being of something.
This articles primary argument against eating meat is the poor conditions of the animals being consumed, if this is the case then wouldnt it be better to actually improve on these conditions instead of just stopping meat consumption? Being an omnivore is survival of the fittest at its best and its not going to change, im quite sure we werent meant to eat tofu the rest of our lives, if that were so my hamburger with bacon and cheese on top wouldnt taste so good..
I have nothing against Jane, and don't want to be mean, but is eating meat any worse than being an alcoholic. Jane was an alcoholic for many years, now she professes to be so self rightious by not eating meat? She probably a is thin as a rail, as a result of all the drinking she has done. Go on google and look at some of her before pictures and current pictures. Make-up and surgery can work wonders when you have lots of money. If she took off some of the makeup, many of you would not recognize her. I respect her for kicking the drinking habit, but don't go overboard by bashing others. She talks about how many animals are killed, How many people have died because of drunk drivers behind the wheel, and died by smoking cigarettes. I would love to speak with some of her family and friends of long ago to see what foods she ate while growing up. I guarantee that there were many BBQ's. We all will die in the end, let it be our choice.
P.S. I liked the quotes from einstein, but probably didn't have the common sense to grill a steak and couldn't tie his shoes. Bad reference to use!
To the guy who states humans are carnivores – we are not; rather, we are omnivores.
I enjoy eating meat and likely too much of it; that said, Valez-Mitchell makes some good points, and I will keep them in inind.
Responding to a joke about preachy vegetarians by preaching more? I dont think she could possibly push her rediculous agenda any more.
Spoken like a physician. Oh wait...
I can name several reasons to eat meat:
steak
bbq brisket
bratwurst
pork ribs, bellies, etc
lamb chops
crab
lobster
shrimp
all kinds of fish
shark
goat
chicken
duck
The only reason I would be vegetarian is if my life completely depended and even then I would not give up meat completely.
You forgot down syndrome babies
Sooo....your argument for supporting slaughtering sentient beings en masse – producing TONS of pollution in the process and using up a ton of plant food that could otherwise go to starving humans – amounts to "I like the way their flesh tastes". Good job man. I'm sure you and chef Tim Love would get along great.
My understanding is that there is not enough arable land on this planet to sustain a vegan diet for all. I guess she is advocating the human race to slowly starve to death.
The fact of the matter is that for us to live, something else has to die. Even the most hardcore of vegans cause animal deaths weather they like it or not.
Where does your food grow? A farm? Animals are killed by pesticides constantly.
But you say you get your food from an organic farm? How is it harvested? Animals are killed during this process.
How does it get to market? Once again, more animals killed during transit.
You grow allof your own food and harvest it by hand? Where do you live...animals were displaced and killed to build your house/condo/apartment building.
How many times do you step on a bug while walking? "But it's only a bug"...now you're assigning a value system to life, some animals mean more than others.
There is a circle of life and no matter how much you may want to think otherwise, we are all responsible for animal deaths and always will be. I agree that the modern food machine is horrid and responsible for many of the diseases we experience now...that's why I harvest as much of my own food as possible. By harvest I mean hunt! Hunting is a despicable act for many to think of but I believe that we as a species have become so removed from the process of obtaining our food that we don't recognize how horrible modern day animal farming has become. I might sound like a barbarian to some of you for hunting but my food lived an 100% free existence.
hunting for you rown food as actually sign of respect for the meat you eat nice job
everyone should be like you
The meat eating article she is critiquing was pretty dumb. Her critique is even more stupid.
Not a word about a vegan diet lacking in proper Vitamin B12 necessary for brain function and to prevent brain damage in newborns. Only animals provide Vitamin B12, to be a vegan is to be not very smart about your diet.
Unfortunately miss velez plays into the exact preachy stereotype that the texan chef derides and which dissuades many people from even trying vegetarianism. Many people dont have a huge, overriding urge to be emotionally invested in the concept of another animal's well-being. Having someone up in your face demanding that you cry over every dead or tortured cow, chicken, pig etc is not conducive to making an effective or convincing argument, and now we have another headline interview with yet another pulpit vegan. She makes several valid points, but by that time I was skimming over them to get to the end of the sermon.
We're omnivores. That doesnt mean going 100% one way or the other. Meat in moderation is very healthy. Lets here more about moderation rather than taking America's favorite pasttime of creating a media frenzy by creating partisanship on an issue that really shouldnt have such a black-and-white argument to it at all, and throwing it to the millions of couch-philosophers who make uninformed and aggravating posts behind their Apple or Dell invisibility cloak and create further rifts between people over nonissues.
I like meat. I'm a very healthy individual. I also like vegetables. Often, I eat them in the same meal. I also don't deride others or get up in their faces when they don't do as I do. Land of the free, home of the brave, my ass.
The problem about most amimal rights people is they place themselves in the anamals position and then ask "would I like this?" likely not because humans elvolved to survive be being explorere. They cover distances and rememebr what they saw there. We like to be free because movement is in out genes. For all we know a pig thinks he must have the best life possable because he does not even have to move and food is dumped right there in front of him. Hampsters actaully like hiding in a hole. They feel safe.
No, I'm not saying anything is right just that they way of looking at it and deciding if it is right must be based on non-human logic. I had chickens once and we'd some times open the pen and let them loose. They did not like to be out for long. Most amamals have an "energy instinct" they act so as to use the least energy but while still finding food and not being themselves eaten.
One more thing. OK pigs have a bad life and yuo do not want to be part of that. But would you eat a pig if it were treated well and allowed to run free?
Wow man...you like totally blew my mind with your smartness
Is she really being serious? She sounds like one of the dumbest yuppie foodies i've ever heard of. Hey lady, you forget that the reason why you're even able to process what I'm reading is because humans starting eating meat two million years ago, vastly improving brain efficiency. And the reason why most Americans are fat is because they are LAZY. Ask Michael Phelps, you can eat whatever you want as long as you're willing to balance it out with exercise. And to CNN please stop giving both of these people a spotlight to display their stupidity. The omnivore guy is just as annoying and stupid as this woman is.
The tend to anthropomorphize everything.
The ONE thing I will always side with a vegetarian on is the potential health risks on a society eating meat enhanced with hormones and steroids.
Consider this: The AIDS virus begin in west-central Africa due to the aboriginal people hunting primates and apes as a source of food (meat). A particular pathogen in the primates was ingested when the people ate contaminated meat, creating one of the most devastatingly painful and horrible diseases (as well as easily spreadable) known to man.
If we eat food pumped full of hormones and steroids, or other genetic modifiers, we run the risk of carrying those hormones, etc. into our bodies, affecting not only our own bodies, but that of our unborn children as well.
No, this is not a call to stop eating meat. This is a call to demand that those farming animals for meat do not use fattening hormones, etc. in the meat you are going to consume. Buy local and buy free range if you can. Consider what you are about to put into your body and make informed, educated decisions.
Like Hitler, you care more about animals than humans! Vegetarians are a disgusting group of people!
hilter was a Christian. does this make all Christians nazis? your logic is invalid. you make meat eaters look bad.
He was not a PRACTICING Christian, he was a PRACTICING vegetarian! My analogy stands! These people DO look down on non-vegetarians, as if their way is sooo superior. &You know it!
Holy Cow Hitler was kinda a Christian – had some weird beliefs (just looked it up) Unfortunately many Christians are Nazis. Got to work on those folks (Oh, I am a Christian, I repent to all of you on behalf some of the disgusting and stupid things being name in the name of Christ.)
sorry jim. you're still an idiot. i'm pro-eating meat but your argument is invalid. have a nice night.
Hitler had blue eyes.
some animals have show shown sign of self awareness as well so eating them takes away their right to life. By the way, people who hunt because they say they are "on top of the food chain" are misleading themselves. What other animal on the food chain hunts with a rifle? It's completely unfair.
HITLER WAS AN AVID VEGETARIAN!
with balls of steal
Thanks Glenn Beck, any other pearls of wisdom for us? Is vegetarianism a conspiracy by Obama and the media elite to oppress the workin' folks. F'n moron...
So my children and I have been vegetarian for about 4 months, and we have no issues with those that choose to eat meat, your body your choice. We went veggie because I developed a health condition that highly recommended no meat and because of all the added hormones and antibiotics in food these days. My childrens' pediatrician actuallly supports our vegetarian lifestyle, says it is healthier and less likely to lead to adult obesity. Bottom line, you live your life and we will live ours, personal attacks and ignorant comments are unnecessary.
Way to force your crunchy granola lifestyle on your kids. I feel sorry for them. Malnutrition sucks.
BLUE ZONE CENTENARIANS eat little to no meat, and they're the longest lived people on earth.
If people want to eat meat (and sure, steak tastes good), go ahead and die (dumb) and early. I don't care, but don't argue that sustained meat eating is 'healthy in light of the data above. Just die early by choice because you like the taste, not because you lived in total denial about it's imaginary health benefits. Jesus.
oh shut up. you could still get hit by a car any day even if you don't eat meat. anyway, there are plenty of vegans who still won't live past 80 because of genetics. i'm sure that's why the blue zone centenarians live so long.
now stick a carrot in your loud mouth so i can eat some meat in peace.
Suzanne,
Thank you for saying so clearly what all the other nasty vegetarians are saying "go ahead and die". You are actually saying you don't care if people die. Hey, they are eating meat; they deserve to die. You cry LOUD about killing animals, but you spitefully talk about meat eaters dieing (even if only early). Hypocrite.
1) The author of this post only manages to confirm some of the statements said by the meat eating post a few weeks ago. ie "I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass. It’s guilt-free eating", or "How can you talk about peace if your plate is swimming in blood?" The orignial article stated that vegatarians are guilt mongers that try to shame other people into agreeing with them. I see nothing in this article that refutes that point... only more dribble about how "inhumane" meat is.
2) The points mande by the meat eating author are ignore by the vegatarian.. ie "when eaten in MODERATION, meat is the best source of protien." That is a fact, like it or not because plants do not contain the correct amino acids for fetal development. been proven, sorry to burst your bubble. The vegatarian goes off about how americans over eat meat. No surprises there, we all know we eat to much of EVERYTHING period. meat is not the source of our obesity by any scientific study, btw.. its the processed sugars and fats from plant oils to preserve sugary food that do...
3) A horse is extremely muscular sure, but lakes higher brain functioning of humans, ditto for pigs, and dogs. there is a new craze to feed dogs strict meat diets why? because they are carnivores by nature that we forced very recently to eat dried kibble. The same rules apply to humans.. the best diet is one with moderation of both meat, fish, and plants...
4) The talk about world hunger is pointless. Simple math shows that production of human only food is sustainable for the whole of human population.. period. world hunger doesn't exist out of a lack of food and never has.. there is enough to go around... but it means we would all have to give up the luxuries of american life and sacrifice for people in africa.. and all the $10 a month feeds a village in africa commericals in the world havent ended world hunger, so why would ending meat production and suddenly going vegan do it? its a silly point and invalid at best
5) The author claims to be more evolved by going vegan, ok sure.. It might be a fair point, who is to say on evolutionary time scales?.. more human ect... but the points she completely fails to address and completes reinforce completely undermine her position... she is entirely preachy about the EVILS of meat and GOODS of vegansism.. which is the WHOLE point of the original article.. even more to the point his last comment about roasting a pumpkin is both funny and true... you couldnt roast a pumpkin at a tailgate party without elisiting a funny look or two... and I am resaonably sure that last one was just meant to be funny..
what i find sad is that just because I eat meat doesnt mean i dont eat plant... vegans want to preach, as the author does that this is some how wrong, and that they are more enlightened and evolved they are, but they miss the point... i like meat. period. you dont have to.. but please shut up to me about how you think my decision to eat meat makes me some kind of neanderthal... that is the problem with PETA.. they are preachy
for the record, i do fill sad for the animals locked in cages.. so i hunt... and yes i am sure that is even more terrible somehow, because it always seems to be... but that is another discussion all together
jane velez, shut your horse-faced mouth. i don't give a crap what you tell me to eat. who died and made you a nutritionist? aren't you ~edgy~ being a vegan.
everytime i see your stupid face on tv i change the channel.
Like all good liberals, it's not enough that they eat veggies, THEY WANT TO FORCE THEIR WAY OF LIFE ON ALL OF US! &They look down on others as if they were superior (just like Hitler, who was a vegetarian and thought everyone else was below him). Keep your foolish, hateful prejudices to yourselves, all you "veggie eaters"! You are both ignorant and stupid!
I'm a liberal and I love meat.
I am also a liberal, and I can't imagine going a week without a good steak. And by the way, anybody that thinks food choice is a Liberal/Conservative issue is a idiot at best.
It's so tiring how meaters in particular always respond to vegetarianism with the same cookie cutter responses and attacks. It's like having to constantly read the slogans on the front of crappy internet T-shirts.
"Blah blah meat is gooder, your DUMB"
"Duuaahh....yous need lots of PROTEIN doctors say!"
"I like eating blood and MEAT cuz its goood!"
"I feed my childs MCdonalds, ha ha you r stupid!"
"We is evolved, you r not! hoomans are carnivores!!!!! we need the protein!"
"LoLs ha ha ha Vegrtaerians are poosies!! they r stupid!"
"I shop at walmarts!"
Don't get me wrong, there is more than enough preaching Veggies to go around, but at least they usually have sound points. Meaters are on the average juvenile and low brow. Someone "proud and loud" to eat meat no matter the health, moral, or environmental impact screams "double-digit" IQ level to me.
But hey, the planets f'd and the clocks ticking so it's a moot point. Hop in your SUV, and go throw another Angus down your gullet!
Another person, apparently less intelligent and less well educated than I, telling me how to live my life. Thank God for that – I was afraid the world was running out of 'em.
She can't be serious and I can't take her seriously. Arguing for a vegan lifestyle by saying that meat is the rotting carcass of an animal is like arguing with an atheist about Christianity by saying that God says they will go to hell if they don't convert.
"O ruler of the citizens, my dear King, please see in the sky those animals which you have sacrificed, without compassion and without mercy, in the sacrificial arena. All these animals are awaiting your death so that they can avenge the injuries you have inflicted upon them. After you die, they will angrily pierce your body with iron horns."
Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.25.7-8
(http://vedabase.net/sb/4/25/7/en)
I don't recall ever meeting a vegan that didn't look like he/she was on the verge of death. There are very few that are not frail, pale or near anemic. The human was to eat meat and vegetables(or just about anything). The longer you deprive your body of meat, the more rediculous you become, eat some meat dammit, and join the human race!
someone call the buzzkill patrol, this lady is harshing my mellow.
Does anyone notice how he gave 5 reasons why not to eat meat, but she only gave 3? Her answer to numbers 1, 2, and 3 were almost exactly the same! He said something about meat, and she said "how can you think that when we're killing animals?" Then she preaches to me that the only reason I like meat is because I've been brainwashed – don't insult my intelligence. I wasn't forced to eat meat when I was a child – I loved it! I also ate a ton of vegetables, because I like those too. So don't tell me that I'm unaware of my dislike for meat. I can do it too, watch: Hey chick! The only reason you like vegetables is because your parents fed you too many of them! See? My argument is just as strong as hers.
Also, meat is AWESOME. So are vegetables and fruit. Why can't we eat them both in moderation like smart, healthy adults? Anyone who just says meat is bad for you outright is just preachy and wrong.
Sorry correction – he gave 5 reasons TO eat meat, and she gave 3 not to. Typo!
I would like to voice my displeasure with extremism. I think that screaming at each other from across the middle of a dichotomy (whether or not it's a real or illusory dichotomy; whether it be liberalism or conservatism in politics, or capitalist vs communist, or conservative religious vs liberal religious, or whatever) is absurd. Both extremist meat-heads and extremist vegans rouse my ire.
Some of the most sickly people I have worked with have been vegetarians. My boss is currently loosing his hair at a frightening rate, he looks sickly, and the Dr says he is very anemic. A friend is also a vegetarian, is horribly anemic, so much so that she has passed out several times at work and had to be rushed to the emergency room. Her doctor has suggested a change in diet that includes meat protein. She is always sick, rarely has her period, constantly sniffling, is pale as milk, but still she won't take her Dr.s advice. My boss has and says he feels better even though he hates eating meat. But he's happy he stopped loosing his hair and it has begun to grow back.
We were designed to be meat eaters.
When you don't drive a car because you're worried about marine life and the environment, say something. Otherwise have a steak, the rarer the better.
this is idiotic. i was a vegetarian for 9 years and when i began eating meat again there was zero difference in my health. humans are genetically hunter/gatherers, that is if you believe in science and evolution. consuming meat is not a forced behavior it is a natural act of survival that is embedded in our genes. does that mean that it should be the only thing you consume, of course not but if balanced properly it is both delicious and a highly valuable source of protein and nutrients (if cage free/grass fed/ organic). vegetables are great and so is meat. people are obese and unhealthy in this country because of fast food, processed food and lack of physical activity. not because they choose to eat animals.
you hit the nail on the head...
Curious how we can't just eat our preference and leave others to eat theirs ! There will always be more than a few perspectives flying around, so if you are arrogant enough, go ahead – proclaim yours is the right one !
I know a couple of vegetarians. Not sure why they are. They smoke cigarettes and pot so I'm assuming it's not for health purposes. They are both underweight and look malnourished are pale as ghosts, their hair is dull and they do not exercise one bit. The girl is now suffering from thyroid problems most likely from all of the soy she eats daily. I think it's important to practice moderation. Sure lots of veggies and some fruit, grains and a little meat here and there is good for you. To take either of the two to an extreme I think leads people to health problems, as we all see happen. Time will give us the answer. Moderation is key.
Hmm, all the reasons are basically reasons not to eat meat, not reasons to be a vegetarian. I could be swayed if I heard enough good things about the benefits of being a vegetarian, but most vegetarians basically just don't want to eat meat for various reasons (less guilt, animal cruelty, etc). Not impressed with this article at all.
Dr. G has a point. Most everyone are simply attacking through one tact or another. Few people are listening and trying to understand. Ain't that just the way it is?
ive been a vegetarian for 1 1/2 yrs and its been hard; especially since i have a culinary arts degree and used to love the taste of meat. Now, i will try some of my old favorite meat dishes and i dont miss it one bit. Its harder to make sure you have a full and balanced meal, but the biggest thing i had to get past was that the meal felt like it was missing the main course, but i know feel like that was only because i grew up with meat as the maiin staple of the diet. I have more energy and feel healthier and actually have gained 5 lbs.
People should be able to eat pretty much what they choose without being preached to. Being informed about your decisions though, any decision – including what you eat, is better than not being informed. Unfortunately, most of you come across as pretty ignorant in your responses. Go educate yourselves and maybe then you won't come across as an ignorant hillbilly with no sense or compassion, because you have zero credibility when you just sound stupid.
My favorite part when when he said:
"Some of my best friends are vegetarians, but even they have a tendency to be a little on the holier-than-thou side."
..and her response was to immediately prove his point:
"I challenge the idea that anyone can eat meat 'in peace.' It’s a contradiction in terms. How can you talk about peace if your plate is swimming in blood?"
Classic!
"Finally, there’s world hunger: the greatest health risk on the planet. There are almost a billion hungry people in this world. About one in seven humans do not get enough food."
People are hungry because of poor distribution, not because we don't grow enough food. There would be plenty of food to go around if we didn't have governments using hunger as a weapon to maintain power.
I prefer the taste of dead meat ... to that of dead plants. God said that all He is made is good and that we can eat from all the choices He created. Therefor, the "morality" of either side is wrong if they say it is bad to eat the other's preferences.
While I would like to eat this vegetarian, I have to side with Tim. Meat may be "murder" but when slow roasted or grilled over a hickory it tastes ssssoooo good.
Boy, are these "veggie heads" ignorant, stupid or both? Um, Ms. Know-it-all, why do humans have canines? Answer: Because humans evolved eating meat! Cavemen didn't have gardens ... they ate plants and roots that they could forage, and meat that they scavenged and hunt. A million years of human evolution, and these veggos want to redefine the human metabolism! You need meat to repair and grow, and no vegitarian diet can replace the carnine and amino acids derived from meat. Everyday, no ... but a few times a week, YES! Give up your psudo-religion, and get on to good, balanced health through sensible nutrition!
I worked on a farm- raised hogs, and still love bacon to this day. Factory farms need to stop- but eating meat is still a choice. Her's isn't even based on taste or nutrition, only on her personal belief that eating animals is wrong and you can read that in the first question she answers. Too bad she is so wrapped up in her cause that she can't argue her point effectively.
one person's statements are founded on the taste of various foods. The other's statements are founded on the belief that eating animals is bad. Therefor listening to them is like comparing apples to oranges.
totally agree!
I understand your position, and I would be the tone of your article was in direct answer to the tone of the previous pro-meat article (though you are buying into the 'holier-than-thou' stereotype a bit) ... either way, I'm an omnivore. I love my veggies, and I love my bloody steak. Thanks, either way, for your concern.
sorry, "... and I would *bet* the tone ... "
With all that said.. HUMANS aka HOMOSAPIANS are OMNIVORES which means we can sustain on both nutrition from animals that we kill and eat as well as vegitation that we KILL and EAT. Whats the difference. The fact of the matter is vegetarians are all high and mighty but they need to step down off their soap box and let people eat and sustain the way they choose to. This argument is stupid. Either side can make up an argument on any comment made, like "guilt free eating" and how can you think of peace when your plate is covered in blood" just remarks that are reaching for some validity. GIVE ME A BREAK!! HUMANS have been sustaining on both kinds of nutrients since cromagnon graced the earth and began the evolutionary process to become the homosapian species that we are today. EAT SOME MEAT and LIKE IT!!!
Wow this lady is scary! I'm actually considering going vegetarian but this lady does no favors for the cause. She has no sense of humor and is over the top intese.
I believe she made his point...esp. the point about being preachy.
Vegetarian, I believe, is an old American Indian word that means "Bad Hunter"
The only reason I skimmed through this was to see if the "response" to the meat idiot. Would he get what was coming to him? Sadly yes and no all we had was the same words but different target. While she has her points, they are as hate ridden as his were. But both writers are due to their own opinion. Again we need to just be happy we have a choice on what and where are next meal is coming from. Too many people, even in the US, don't have that type of luxury.
I am a veggie for 19 years now (I'm in my 50's) and yes, that DOES make me a better person than the flesh-eaters.
Plain and simple.
you are absurd
No reason to post to this user. They are a self proclaimed "Vegie". No thought process at work at all. ;-)
Neither meat nor vegies are bad. Too much meat is bad which is a fact. Vegies by themselves make it very hard to be healthy because we are farming on "dead" soil which only produces because of additives, and there are a few amino acids you can't get from vegies regardless of the soil. What is really killing us is WHITE SUGAR and WHITE FLOUR. Aspartame and a few other additives are just a little on the poisonous side as well. Check out the facts on those. And then there is homogenized milk. The homogenizing process bursts the fat cells in milk open which then happily stick to the insides of our veins and arteries causing blockage. If you want to talk health, take a larger view. If you want to talk morality and animal cruelty, that's a side issue. I am personally way more pissed off about sex trafficking of 12 year old girls than about animal cruelty (which I don't support either). Many of you could use a reality shot. I hope this counts.
Worried about protein? Every plant has protein, and your body can pull it all together quite well. Worried about vitamin B12? It takes over a decade before you deplete the stores in your body. Those precious omega lipids? Nuts! Energy? Complex carbohydrates are the food of choice for the huge majority of endurance sports. Worried about your energy running out too fast? The fiber keeps it locked in just fine. Taste? Learn to cook! Muscle? The biggest guys I know – and the fastest to bulk up – are vegetarians. So sorry all the omnivores find it necessary to get all upset over this whole issue . . . . but it WAS a bad article and didn't present any evidence.
Pixie,
Your brain is too small which is no surprise with your name. You spouted essentially gibberish. Little of what you said made any sense and you didn't address what my main points were. All you wanted to do was argue that meat is wrong. I'm just replying to point out that your pea brain spewed pea soup which is without taste and has nothing to chew on.
My teeth are so yellow. I eat anything that moves or doesn't move. I ate Obama's birthcertificate! Now try to prove he's American! You can't. because the proof is in my colon.
I am a card carrying member of PETA.That stands for "People for Eating Tasty Animals".
You can eat whatever you want. Let me eat meat in peace.
The big thing is that everything can be good in the right portion. Overeating meat causes people to be obese, but if you use portion control. You can get the necessary nutrients from it.
Pretty soon the Vegans will be preaching to the Vegetarians about their poor choices in food.
I find it absolutely horrible how these animals are treated. I AM a meat eater – but I wish I wasn't. The true issue is when are we going to stop allowing this horrible farming practices that allow an animal to be treated so awfully. Ok I get it – we eat meat – the food chain....yada yada yada. But what about treating the animal with respect and letting it have a good life while it is being raised? I don't get why they have to be tortured first? And I hate all these cocky in your face – yeah I will stuff my face with dead meat whenever I want meat eater comments on here. Sad reflection of how uncaring our society really is.
Is this women serious? HELL yes!!!
Do you think because she's trying to give you information to HELP you and prevent further consumption of disease carrying items you call FOOD? Sometimes I think people are simply delusional. But then again, some foods, those particularly high in sugar and well CRAP can cause schizophrenic behavior. So yes, some of your are actually delusional.
The dairy and meat industry wouldn't exist the way it does today if the same people that work for the FDA and the USDA didn't hold Government positions while playing on both sides of the biased fence. It's all about making money and your health NEVER has been considered. Try to take dairy and I mean all dairy out of your diet. It's very difficult because they put ingredients derived from dairy into SOOO many things. I should know, I went vegan for over a year, now just vegetarian.
And meat, your body isn't built to consume as much meat as Americans do. Maybe if you were on the Paleo diet eating lean buffalo meat with an all vegetable, raw grain and fruit diet would you be back at what our bodies are made for. And that lean buffalo meat was not something our ancestors ate every day. It was a luxury, and it was not common.
We eat very rich, high fat, high sugar, filled with cholesterol, sodium and saturated fats all the time. It used to be a special occasion you ate foods like turkey or lamb or sweets and pastries. Now it's available every day, all over this country. The last 30 years we've changed the way we've eaten for thousands of years. Prior to that we had the same diet for billions of years. (For those who think we humans have not been around that long, too bad, it's true)
Humans are the only species to continue to drink milk (from any source and obviously it's not from our mother) after 1 year of birth. It's not meant for us to drink. Visit notmilk dot com and find out where a lot of your diseases originate from.
Why do people who get information that could help their health long term be so resistant to information. Ignorance is not bliss in this case. It's diabetes, cancer, heart disease and obesity. Enjoy your slab of dead, tortured meat. It is a CARCASS because it's been DEAD for who knows how long before you fry it up. It's not preaching, it's teaching people. Get a clue. Dead meat is dead meat. There is no nice way of saying it. It's not juicy because it's good, it's juicy because it's got blood all around the tissue and skin and fat you call food.
Meat is murder. These animals may not have a voice but any species feels thirst, pain and hunger just the same. We should be smarter then all the billions of dollars of advertising and marketing and brainwashing put together, but instead we are loyal consumers. I don't eat meat. It rots in your body before it digests and if consumed with starches (eg.potatoes) it can sit in your body for up to 8 hours, rotting, decaying and allowing bacteria to thrive. Enjoy your double burger and your future heart attacks and disease. The medical industry is counting on it.
So meat and dairy is the leading cause of obesity huh.. It wouldn't have anything to do with us consuming 100s of pounds of high fructose corn syrup every year?
Eating other meat eaters seems wrong. Eating plant eaters seems fine.
Don't worry technology will solve all the issues. From replicating protein into familiar dishes, to protecting our health.
I like a good, fatty, medium rare rib-eye steak every once in a while.
I'm a 62 year old vegetarian for two reasons......my health, and because factory farms are absolutely disgusting. As for meat eaters, who gives a crap. Let them clog up their arteries and triple their chance of colon cancer for a few minutes gratification. Sounds pretty stupid to me...In fact I think you should enjoy a cigarette after that steak dinner. And the best result of all.....more social security for me.
Based on epidemiological and laboratory evidence, the FDA determined that the implicated spinach originated from an organic spinach field grown by Mission Organics and processed by Natural Selection Foods LLC of San Juan Bautista, California. The FDA speculated that the spinach had been tainted by irrigation water contaminated with wild pig feces because feral pigs were seen in the vicinity of the implicated ranch.
I am an omnivore and intend to stay that way. I eat less meat now than I did 40 years ago but it still tastes great. Admiitedly if we had to slaughter and dress our own meat there would be less meat eating going on.
It all comes down to biology: we're omnivores. Look at the length of our digestive tract–it's intermediate between true carnivores and true herbivores. We have canine teeth and incisors for procesing meat, and molars for vegetables. We evolved to eat both. You can argue about the proportion of meat to veggies, but you can't argue the biology.
try feeding a baby meat as soon as its born. humans are not born with the digestive enzymes to process meat, we are gradually introduced to it. But a baby can eat apple sauce right away no problems...
If we were meant to eat meat we wouldn't get diseases such as bowl cancer or any kind of cancer. Besides, when a human is diagnosed with cancer, they are told to eat GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES not MORE MEAT.
Its stupid for people to come and insult this lady. Ive heard many argument here in terms of humans being higher on the food chain and this is all a result of evolution and the survival of the fittest concept. However, modern medicine is virtually eliminating this idea where the so called "weak" are cured and allowed to pass on their genes. Welfare programs are also eliminating this concept where it is not the case that only the strongest survive. At the end of the day, of course we are all just animals, but we have also evolved the ability of moral thinking and a conscience. I personally dont understand how we as people can expect compassion from anyone or God (if you believe in that), if we are not willing to give it to something else such as animals, especially when meat is not necessary. I think that is the biggest issue, we continue to cause all this pain and suffering when it is in fact not necessary to do so. In fact, a vegan diet is shown to be much healthier. Finally, it is obvious that plants are living beings as well, however, it is ridiculous to compare "killing" plants to killing animals for food. Plants are not really sentient creatures. They have no central nervous system or processing center. They are just a conglomeration of individual cells with no central network. To say we killing plants is wrong is like saying that you shouldnt get a tattoo or body piercing because when you do, you are killing your skin cells. Although, I do agree any life being whether plant or animals, deserves to be treated with respect. Finally, for the person here who said that people who think of things like being vegetarian have way too much time on their hands because there are other more important problems in the world is just an idiot. I want to know if the person who said this has ever worried about grades, taxes, or just a finding a girlfriend/boyfriend because there are much more important problems in the world than his/hers personal ones. The strong must protect and stand up for the weak especially when the weak have no voice. I
It was stupid of her to attack omnivores.
I'm pretty sure a cheetah can run faster than a horse and they definitely eat only meat, therefore her horse argument is invalid.
Vegetarians are preachy? I'm vegan and about 70% of people I meet aggressively encourage me to eat meat or make fun of my diet. They act like I'm insulting or assaulting their lifestyle just because I find animal products to be disgusting and irresponsible. I only preach when they become aggressive enough that I become defensive. No one, omnivore or veg, wants to constantly have to defend their choices, but, in a country that is so predominantly meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans get stereotyped and picked-on more. I think most people know in their heart what is right and harbor the slightest twinge of guilt when they think of animal suffering. Imagine your pet being eaten in a culture that considers them a food source. It seems hypocritical that the life of one animal would be ranked above the life of another–a raccoon on the side of the road is a lot less depressing than a dog, but what is really the difference?
Anne, you're absolutely right. I never even mention being a vegetarian and don't preach to anyone about their choices, but if I dine with someone and they find out that I am (and they're not) they get preachy, insulted and actually start to insult your choice (asking you why, challenge your reasoning, etc., – someone once called all vegetarians crazy, etc.). It's like just by the fact that you choose not to eat meat that you're judging/insulting them (even when you're not saying anything about it at all!). Alot of meat eaters are VERY preachy and intolerant.
THE LONGEST LIVED CENTENARIANS ON EARTH (CONCENTRATED IN 'BLUE ZONES') EAT LITTLE TO NO MEAT, AND LOW TO MODERATE DAIRY. ARGUMENT SOLVED.
IT'S IN CAPS SO IT MUST BE RIGHT. I GUESS THERES NOTHING MORE TO TALK ABOUT ON THE SUBJECT EVERYONE, SOMEONE POSTED IN CAPS...
Many of them also have a drink or two a day, so using your logic, alcohol is inherently healthy.
In other words, you argument is specious.
Jane, you made some great points-don't listen to the haters. I think the defensiveness of the meat-eaters goes to show you just how deeply engrained Americans are in the meat-eating culture. Personally, I'm not a vegetarian but I cannot believe just how hateful people turn at the simple suggestion of vegetarianism. I agree that Americans need to put a little more thought into what they eat and where it came from. If most people saw the conditions in factory farms, they'd probably think twice about how much meat they eat.
Useless argument. More important to be concerned with how much toxin is in our food and water supply. Who needs terrorists when we are being poisoned from within the system.
Not to mention the air. Industrialized societies have a far greater instance of disease than any hunter/gatherer society.
Please show your data to back this up, as I believe your assertion is, for want of a better phrase, total BS.
We obviously live longer today than we did a hundred years ago, and I am willing to bet that people 100 years ago lived longer than people 10,000 years ago.
What do you think pigs eat? and deer? and cows? There is less space for them to graze as there used to be, so they will travel to farms and eat all of our fruits and vegetables unless controlled. Its already happening with wild hogs.
I'm helping save the planet....by eating the cows!!!
Im helping save the evolution of the human race by eating defective children. Pigs, cows, Chicken, Fish?....Boring!!!
Interesting article. I will think about it as I grill up some tasty and delicious "murder" for dinner tonight.
Tim Love is clearly an idiot who posted something idiotic... which makes anyone who replies to his post descent to his (lack of) intellectual level...
I am vegetarian and lean towards veganism as I avoid consuming dairy but there is always the occasional slip up...anyways, I am not here to advocate vegetarianism/veganism. You do what you want with you life and I will live my life the way I please.
However, there are certain arguments on here saying that we are hunter/gatherers, omnivores, etc. This is absolutely correct. However, if you look in the past, these people had a reasonable portion size of meat (if a big buffalo was killed, it would be shared by the entire community of women, men, elders and children). There was also a lot more physical activity taking place. Now, it is quarter pounders every meal of the day with constant sitting in from the computer screen. Your body reacts negatively, and that is why there has been an increase in heart disease, diabetes, etc. There could be a genetic component to those things, but eating habits, lifestyle all propogate what could otherwise be prevented.
If you are young your body will get by, but after 20 or 30 years it starts reacting negatively. It is a poison just like alcohol is. The biochemistry of your cells wreaks havoc and you are left in a situation that you do not want to ever face.
I encourage everyone to eat healthier irrespective of whether or not that includes meat.
Some of what she says is hyperbole but some of what she says is absolutely correct, including the obesity thing. But she is far, far less whiney than most of the meat-eating crybabies who are replying – and most of them are far less well-informed regarding nutritional needs (versus 'wants') than she is. Talk about wanting to skew the facts for their own convenience! They sound like Republicans!
sad. not everyone is awash in guilt. i don’t feel guilty about eating meat or veggies.
Here's the thing people. It's easy to eat meat without ever visiting a slaughterhouse. If you saw the fear in the animal's eyes and vicious way they are executed you would give up meat. Your conscious would not allow you to indulge in meat ever again, but instead most people act as if there is nothing wrong with it and refuse to imagine what the animal really goes through.
Yawn.
The reason we have an obesity problem in this country is that people are LAZY
Got that? LAZY
Oh, and the poor animals. Let's feel sorry for the poor pigs and chickens. Yawn. They're animals. Seriously.
Look, I don't whine and complain when I encounter a vegetarian or vegan. I expect the same courtesy when a vegetarian encounters me. Stop being so judgmental!
I eat special needs children...Fuuck it right? What do they know?
It's funny how all this macho meat love vanishes in thin air with one look at cholesterol report from the physician. Then it's either the same tofu/ veggies that you hate or popping Lipitor and helping the pharmaceutical companies.
All of her counterarguments were so stupid and sanctimonious that they just strengthened the original writer's case instead. You can call a steak a "rotting carcass" if you want. It still tastes better than squash.
Not sure but I couldn't bear the thought of eating meat when I was about 2. My parents tried hard to stuff it down me, but I realized early that hunger doesn't kill you in a night. Guess you can thank Disney for that. Been vegetarian since then. Now, I don't give a darn about the animal holocaust. But I still can't bear the thought of eating meat. Its just that thinking about having another animals flesh in my mouth, who was not my gf, makes me want to throw up. I don't preach about that meat shipt. You eat what you feel like, I don't care.. Well, just don't try to portray yourself as being the smarter one for eating what you choose to.
All Mitchells sound like opinions to me and we know what they say about opinions. The chef says meat in moderation isn't bad and gets the response…
If huge amounts of protein were the key to perfect health, America would be the healthiest nation on earth because we eat a lot more meat than people in most other countries'
Isn't that what he just said. I'm sorry but this woman just grates on my nerves. Doesn't she also think that there should be cameras on every street corner as she stated on a commercial for her show.
Honestly people, evolve. Its time to face the facts and stop living in the dark age. Eating other creatures is obviously wrong. Just like genocide, slavery, racism etc have been proven to be inhumane (though it took a ridiculously long time to come to an obvious conclusion) so is a carnivorous diet. Make any excuse you like, at the end of the day carnivores, life was taken away by you. Wouldn't it be nice to nourish your body with something guilt-free?
while were at lets kill off the lions and the tigers who arent evolved enough to not have to kill to survive, if it were wrong it wouldnt have been made like that from the beginning X(, so your saying god created us wrong and we are correcting ourselves?
You said: "Eating other creatures is obviously wrong".
So, by your logic, all carnivores animals should be destroyed-no more lions, tigers, chickens (chickens are primarily carnivores if they run around by themselves-they preferentially eats bugs), most song birds (most are bug eaters), and all raptors are obligate carnivores-goodbye, bald eagle, goodbye owls, ditto condors and flamingos-and most bats are carnivores too. Virtually every fish in the ocean is a carnivore-only the lowest fish on the evolutionary ladder are plant eaters. My kitty cats are obligate carnivores-they must eat meat to be healthy-so who is going to kill them-you?
Face facts, animals evolved with a variety of diets, most of which involve eating the flesh of other animals.
Did this woman ever read 'the vegetarian myth'? Most of what she claims is inaccurate or completely wrong! BTW that's not blood on your plate when you eat a juicy steak, it's food coloring. Children don't have a dislike for meat, they have a dislike for VEGETABLES! Every parent will tell you this! You also can't get all your amino acids from plants that is a fact! I'd hate to be married to her!
The 'red' on your plate from a steak is most assuredly NOT "food coloring". I don't know where you got that, but it's patently false. It's not blood, either. Any slaughter method used for meat to be sold required that the blood be drained out of the animal. Meat is not 'red' because of blood. There will be very small amounts of blood left in the meat (very, very small), but the red color is due to a water-soluble protein called myoglobin. Because it's water-soluble, some of it cooks out with the moisture in the meat.
It is also possible to get 'complete' protein from plant sources. There is not a single plant source I'm familiar with that contains all the necessary amino acids, but a mixture of corn and beans will provide them all.
I'm a meat guy, but I hate disinformation from either side.
Thanks for the education. I had never heard of myoglobin. I'll still call that red on my plate 'blood' just 'cause it's easier, but now I'll know what it really is (kinda like when we pat below our belly buttons and call it our 'stomach'). It's nice to have someone correct misinformation from both sides.
This is the stupidest debate ever.
First off, there is a reason vegetarians and (worse) vegans have to supplement their protein intake. They can’t get it from plants in the levels the body needs.
Secondly, there’s a reason too much meat (and typical fixins on the side) lead to obesity – people aren’t eating enough good vegetables.
Both diets in and of themselves are not healthy.
The true answer is obvious: a BALANCED diet of meats AND vegetables, combines with exercise (even just an after-dinner stroll around the block) , is the answer to a healthy, happy life for those who do not have a genetic predisposition to obesity.
Instead of a fatty ribeye or porterhouse, go for the leaner (and smaller) new york cut. Rather than potatoes and corn (which has NO nutritional value) try steamed broccoli or even brown rice. Indulge yourself once and a while as a reward or treat, but if you stick to a balanced meal of meat and vegetables, even red meat, you’ll be fine.
One important note, however, is watching portion sizes. Just because it can fit on a plate doesn’t mean it’s a single portion. 6 oz of meat, 4-5 oz of vegetables is more than enough for the average person. Try not to drink while you eat or just after, either. Allow 10-15 minutes to pass before taking a drink after a meal and you won’t get that ‘hungry again’ feeling.
Or listen to yahoos like these two…. Your call.
I don't know a single vegetarian or vegan who has to "supplement" their protein intake. Protein is incredibly easy to get through plant sources: whole grain, potatoes, broccoli, soy, nuts, legumes, beans. The only vegans who might need supplemental protein are heavily into fitness or want to "bulk up," just like their omnivorous counterparts.
The only nutrients that are somewhat difficult to get through a vegan diet are B12 and Zinc, but even those are easily managed by eating a well-rounded diet. And, no worries about unhealthy fats or cholesterol.
Hey, how they let someone using logic to post on here? That is a wonderful point. I tried something like it on the other one. Sadly, people are not taught to eat a balanced diet anymore. Or really don't understand how to do so.
Dear leather watch band wearing, vegan 'cause I'm trying to be hip at 45 – writer lady,
Next time you photoshop out all your wrinkles and skin imperfections in your face, try making those same changes to your dried up hands. Meat is Murder. Lying to yourself is suicide.
So, killing poor animals is evil because they are sentient. Okay, stop using any leather. Stop using electronics, because people are enslaved to make them (literally in Africa for raw minerals). And do you know what evil they do to grapes to make wine – stop drinking that. Oh, by the way, do approve of a woman's choice to kill? In the same hospital a doctor can abort a child 30 in the morning and then fight to save the life of a child born at 30 weeks in the afternoon. The first is called abortion, the second is called a premee. Many of you need to think things through a little more before taking the righteous high road...sorry I forgot...morals are relative, so if the majority says killing animals is bad, then it's bad. Someday it will be okay to kill the old and infirm, because the majority say it's okay. I apologize to anyone infirm who might be reading this...it's only natural for the fittest to survive. Not.
sal,
Your father could have lived for 93 by eating meat or without eating meat. Just his attitude is good.
I have seen very cruel vegetarians as well. Hitler was vegetarian. On the other side, lot of nuns and hermits are vegetarians.
With an positive attitude, your father could have lived past 100 .. look at elephants, they are veg and they live longer than lions...
I have not checked the diet of Blue whales ....
BLUE ZONES – look them up. The longest lived people on earth eat little to no meat, and low to moderate dairy. Argument solved. If meat eaters want to die early, who cares??
I believe I will have a rib-eye...on the rare side of medium rare.....ya only live once...and so did the cow!
Talk about brain washed! She lost me from her first ridiculous sentence.( What friend's house or restaurant did you go to, hon? I wouldn't eat there either if they were serving rotting carcass.) After that, her comments got more and more ridiculous. Blaming Americans' obesity on meat and dairy? Try people eating out all the time and not exercising. Try portions getting larger. Try high fructose corn syrup.
Nothing wrong with being vegetarian or vegan, but people like this writer are why many a meat eater don't even consider listening to them. They sound way more radical and preachy than the guy who just wants to relax and enjoy a beer and a burger.
I have been a seafood only "vegetarian" for 20 years and also a 50 yr old athlete. To keep my weight down requires me to limit carbs. There is NO vegetable source that has as favorable protein to carb ratio than fish.
For example, textured vegetable protein, the highest concentrated vegetable protein source is 30% carbohydrate where salmon has nearly zero carbs and less calories by weight, not to mention the omega "good fats". Granted, contamination is an issue so fish should be just ocassional.
There's room for all God's creatures...right next to MY MASHED POTATOES!
This broad is another animal rights lunatic posing as a health expert. And I'd happily eat her, too!
I love how many vegetarians and vegans need to have this elitist aura about them. Like they are the only people who "get it". Also, this womans generalizations are pathetic. I eat meat, mostly chicken, some hamburger, almost every day of the week and I am in phenomenal shape. Not because of just my diet but because I work hard in the gym to stay fit. I'd like to see that wimpy little vegan lift something heavier than a loaf of bread or get down with their significant other for hours at a time. Psh, vegan/vegetarians have no stamina... See, I can generalize too!
Now look who is deluded and 'holier than thou.' Connor, you're a twit. And you are not in fantastic shape, you're probably headed for a well-deserved aneurism. Or, with your reactionary and angry attitude, an apoplexy. I hope we get to watch.
Is CNN serious, this passes as a news article. Who cares if she thinks that Vegetables are better! First of all EVERYONE eats meat and places that serve MEAT make money. The next Vegetable Grill or Vegetable House will be the first.
Everyone knows meat is good, taste great, and no body cares that its animal carcass. Darin, survival of the fittest, the food chain, or whatever you want to call it Humans are top!
No more crappy articles likes this, I can already see the next article. Why a Prius is better then a American Muscle Car.
You are delusional, Chris, if you think "EVERYONE" eats meat. You do, and maybe everyone you surround yourself with does, but you are wrong. Not everyone eats meat. There are a lot of people who don't eat meat. They are called 'vegetarians.' Believe it or not, they exist. There are even 'vegans' who not only eschew meat, but in fact all animal-based food (like egg and dairy). Meat does not taste better if you do not like meat better. Get over yourself. You are not God and your little weewee brain doesn't contain the only 'correct' opinion. Moreover, opinions are not facts. Maybe when you get to junior high you'll learn that.
I think it's okay to eat some free-range meat and dairy, in moderation, and some sustainably sourced seafood. Trouble is, the vast majority of the animal products out there are from animals raised in deplorable conditions, as Velez-Mitchell describes, and sadly, most people just eat whatever meat and dairy they want without a care in the world for the animals that it comes from or the impact on the earth or on anyone else. Eating vegetarian is less expensive than eating free-range (or cage free) meat, and is probably a better way to go health-wise. Though, one could argue that it's good to support suppliers of ethically-raised meat and animal products, to offer a financial incentive to them and others to treat farm animals more humanely.
Middle ground is best. Even vegetable and grain farming is destroying much of the environment. Careless factory farming causes damage, not meat vs. veggies. This does not need to be an argument as it is personal choice and each person has to do what they feel best. What people need to really think through is whether their choices are damaging other people's lives. Some of our choices do hurt others and we as humans can choose wisely or be selfish. Even with food.
Whenever the question of whether or not to eat meat comes up I wonder just what would we do with the 35.7 million head of cattle that are slaughtered every year in this country if eating meat stopped?
It would make one heck of a giant barbecue!
I know there are a lot of people who choose free-range, but the VAST majority of americans don't. There's a reason we have at least a fast food joint every 3-5 blocks, its because fast food sells well. McDonald's has sold over 245 Billion burgers. Thats enough to go around the earth 56 times and then be able to go to the moon and back if you lined them up end to end. Thats a lot of beef, and I don't think McD's chooses free range beef. This isn't only a problem for the animals but also for the people working to convert those animals into food. In 1998 slaughterhouse workers were deemed as having the most non-fatal, dangerous job. Workers suffered injuries such as Carpal tunnel, amputation, pinched nerve, torn muscles and broken bones. Most of these workers don't get health benefits until they've worked a year, but these workers generally never stay that long. Its our responsibility to keep tabs on what we eat and how we treat other animals. Of course a tomato is alive but do we keep tomatoes as pets?
Jane is very pretty but that does not means she knows much about what humans were and are designed to eat. Briefly a Carnivore (meat eater) has relatively short intestines. About 3 to 6 times their body length. They can digest things quickly and convert it into energy and other nutrients.
A Herbivore (plant-eaters) need more length to digest difficult plant cellulose. Their intestines are anywhere from 10 to 12 times their body length.
The Omnivore(eats both plants and meat) has intestines of about 4 to 6 times their body length. They need the extra length to digest whatever plants they consume.
The human intestines averages about 25 feet in length. The average human is about 5 and 1/2 feet tall. Clearly that puts them in the Omnivore category.
While animal rights people and others want to argue we should only eat like a Herbivore. Our bodies have not been designed for that type of restrictive diet. Emotional as the argument might be, facts are facts and a wide spread belief in a falsehood does not change the truth. Humans are designed to eat meat and veggies.
Well said Al...
Hey Jane – that is why we live in a free country. You can eat your veggies, but don't lay the guilt trip nanny-state stuff on us.
Two main reasons this lady says its good to be a vegetarian..1) Health, 2) cruelty to animals
1) The whole "health kick" reason for being a vegetarian is bogus. What about European countries that have a healthier population? They eat meat.
2) grow up, im sorry it makes you sad that we are eating animals, but guess what....Thats what we evolved to be able to do! that's how nature works. Just because we aren't running around in the fields half naked doesn't mean we have to stop eating meat.
I'd love to keep going but I have better things to waste my time on then debunking the vegetarian/vegan myth....what a wash.
"A lactating cow will consume every year almost six tons of forage dry matter, over 100 bushels of corn..."
I'm tired of this argument. Anyone who lives or has lived in a farming community will tell you that people shouldn't be eating what we give farm animals to consume. You really don't want to give feed corn to a human.
You'll often find a similar argument relating to how we're wasting land resources. Idea: not all land is capable of cultivating crops fit for human consumption. Just because I can grow feed corn on my farm, doesn't mean I can also grow corn you'd like to have on your dinner plate.
Please, talk to a farmer before you start assuming these things.
Out of curiosity, what's the difference between corn and feed corn and can't both be grown on the same land. I don't think she's implying we should eat the cattle feed, she's implying that we could stop putting all our time and effort to growing cattle and instead use it to feed the starving.
The unfortunate reality is that we can't feed the starving people of the world. If we started grain shipments to Somalia, for example, that would put any local grain farmers there out of work. If there was a problem in North America where we had to stop the grain shipments, like a recession, that would leave millions of Somalians starving, and because the previously mentioned farmers are out of work, the problem would be a lot worse than if we had done nothing. The best answer to feeding the world's starving is to give them the tools to feed themselves, like desalinization plants or GMO crops that can be grown with saltwater.
The defense of meat eating to such a feverish degree is nothing more than the defense of an inability able to commit to a change. 90% of the people I speak with about being vegetarian actually confess that they would like to switch.. based on the pain and absolute amoral suffering the modern meat industries deal in, but won't for fear it is " too hard" or "meat tases good"
Try this.... take a piece of chicken out of the fridge..... boil it in water until cooked.... try not to wretch as the marrow and oil seep out of the residential roadkill. Try and take a bite of the unseasoned tough flesh... how can you defend that this is good? How can so many food items cause life threatening illnesses if prepared improperly and be defended as a logical food source for us? Pet your dog and realize that only by conditioning and social acceptance you won't be eating it on Sunday with your eggs... Try looking at your behaviors from the outside in... in Asia they eat dogs and we call them barbarians...yet we eat pigs and take ourselves out of the critical eye just in time to eat an animal just as smart and as social as a pig. So when you defend your actions as a carnivore simply say... I am a weak mouth breather that likes Home Country Buffet, and will not change.... rather than sell me on any other excuse...
I was a vegetarian for three and a half years. Why did I stop? because I felt like it. I still don't eat pork or beef, and when I do eat chicken its always free range. As for the whole 'preaching' thing the only time I did that was while eating my spinach and some idiot tried to force me to eat a piece of pork. For some reason the meat eaters always believe that they're going to sway a vegetarian/vegan by waving a piece of bacon and explaining why its so much better than veggies. News flash: no one is going to convince anyone. One more thing–people tend to take it more seriously when you approach it in terms of their health with 100% true facts aside from the populace being 'obese' (logos) instead of facts that involve just animals and the torture they go through (pathos), debate 101.
Yank out the nails and come down from the cross lady. If you're gonna argue about the conditions of the animals, the environmental impact of raising them, and the negative impact on the health of people who overconsume meat (amongst other things) then I get it. But the holier than thou nonsense ("I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass") has got to stop. I was gonna have some pasta tonight but now I'm going to fire the up grill just because of this article.
I love it that this piece drew out so many ogres from under the bridge! It must be true that you are what you eat, because so man you revel yourselves to be true meatheads.
Good on CNN for providing an opinion from the other side. I do disagree with a few of Velez-Mitchell's assertions, though. The reliance on meat and dairy in the US diet is NOT what is responsible for rising obesity rates. What has caused the blimpification of the average American is the consumption of processed food - sugar, salt and fat-laden snacks, fast food, and restaurant food designed to encourage people to eat constantly and beyond the satiation. It's too many calories, day in and day out. There is some form of sugar in almost every prepared food we purchase in the US. Products are heavily salted, and fat is nearly always present in order to provide a good mouth feel. That mouth feel is one of the reasons people have a hard time going vegan. Most vegetarians I know allow some dairy if only for that reason (and so many cheat and allow fish or chicken).
And as for her rant-like reply to Love's "meat tastes better than vegetables," she kind of got off the subject there. Well-prepared vegetarian dishes DO taste BETTER than meat. They just do. And you don't have that congested, meat-and-grease-bloated feeling after having a vegetarian dinner.
I, too, forgo meat for humane and environmental reasons. But I think that all of that talk is water off a duck's back to a "slap it on the rump and run it through a warm room" Texan like Love. And Velez-Mitchell came off her like one of those preachy veggies he whined about. So I think he won that point.
Seriously, I've had enough of this. Every one of this woman's counter-points was an attempt at a guilt trip. Cry me a river. Humans eat meat; while conditions for animals may not seem great for us as humans, it is these conditions that allow us to produce enough food to easily feed everone in this country. This is an incredible thing which this woman cannot recognize. It is the only time in history where you can be both poor and obese at the same time.
Wrong. Those "conditions" are what allow growers to make a huge profit with minimum effort. Countries that are more advance in the area of farm animal welfare (EU countries) than we are in the US do manage to produce enough meat to feed the multitudes. Your attitude that nothing can be done about the way meat is produced in the US is defeatist and selfish - selfish because you like the oversupply of cheap meat now available. Better methods exist. We need to raise our standards.
I 100 percent agree with CSnord... Feel free to be a vegetarian but don't try and force your eating habits on people who enjoy the taste of meat
Great Job, Jane!!! you hit each nail right on each head!! it made me rethink everything i've consumed....and will consume in the future. as a natural animal lover, i will be coming on over to your side, and should have years ago. i'm with ya 100% – Great debate!! let's all loose weight and get healthy together – living along side of our animal friends, protecting them not harming/killing them! come on people!!!
I don't feel guilty when I eat meat, because I have my own values and it's not one that associates guilt with doing something natural like eating meat. Like with everything else, you have your views and I have mine – Don't force yours upon me.
Noticed some comments about eating too much and whatnot – EVERYTHING in high doses is bad for you. Saying red meat is bad for my health is the same as saying kale is bad for my health. In moderation, both are good for me; consuming too much of either is bad. The reason that the nation is in bad health is because of people looking for excuses instead of just facing the facts and going with exercise/moderation. I eat red meat, don't care about HFCS and am fine with fast food. I'm also in excellent health because I exercise and don't overeat.
As for the vegan diet being more nutritious, if you avoid animal products, you're going to suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency. So, in reality, omnivores (You know, what nature meant us to be) have a much easier time getting proper nutrients without supplements.
Eat meat. Enjoy it. For the matter, enjoy anything/everything, including that takeout from McDonald's or what super-sugary snack you picked up at the market. Just remember to respect your own body and balance things out.
Both sides are right, and both sides are wrong. As a diabetic (Type 1) that has thoroughly studied the physiological needs of the body, I well know the importance of good protein (and soy doesn't cut it!). As a healthy person, I know the importance of vegetables and fruits. As an animal lover, I know the importance of not supporting CAFO's (confined animal feeding operations). As a mother to children who have had physical reactions due to pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and preservatives, I know the importance of "knowing the source of our food." Everyone can eat what they please, but the best overall diet for omnivores (like humans) is eating a well-balanced diet of fruit, veggies, and meats. However, all foods are not created equal. I have chosen to avoid all pesticide, processed, and preservative-laden foods. I cook from scratch to ensure the meal is as fresh and healthy as possible. Additionally, I select local ranchers for our meats, eggs, and dairy. I have personally visited the farms, know the care given to the animals, and know they are killed in a quick, humane fashion to eliminate all suffering. That is a BIG difference!
This woman is everything wrong with vegetarians. Instead of pointing out what's right and good about being a vegetarian, she concentrates on what is wrong with eating meat. If people don't feel the same way you do about bacon, they are just going to laugh at you. Instead of a burger, try a fried eggplant sandwich with mint, onion and tomato. It's a classic sandwich and i guarantee you'll love it. If you keep eating meat i don't care, but there are some really good alternatives out there. Lebanese vegetarian food is the stuff of legend. Vegetarianism can also be cheaper than eating meat.
You are quite right Sir.
I became a vegetarian for health reasons and found my daily migraines disappeared – too many hormones in the meat?? I wouldn't preach to anyone else about what they should eat but I find the longer I'm without meat the less I crave it and it actually sounds gross to start eating flesh again.
umm, if we evolved from herbivorous animals, wouldn't it show that omnivorous animals prevailed, thereby making us evolutionarily greater than them? we evolved further, therefore they become our prey. welcome to life, get the hell over your high and mighty self.
I have to ask a question here.
Why are all the meat-eaters here so angry at this woman? People accuse vegetarians of being whiny and preachy, but just read all these angry comments. What's the deal? People don't like being presented with logical arguments? Fine to disagree, but it seems like a lot of people are taking this personally.
I'll give you this - the woman is a bit annoying...
I'll present my own main reason for being a vegetarian:
Because I have the choice, and because I have the ability to survive, to not die, without resorting to eating an animal.
I like animals. I feel healthy. The moral angle, and the overall effects of my decision are real... But that's my business, I'm not going to lay that trip on people - unless of course I'm presenting a rebuttal to Mr. Meat-Guy on CNN - so maybe you gotta give the lady a little bit of a break, because that's the purpose of the article here.
I would say this, though. If you enjoy meat, and wonder if it's the right thing to do, then I encourage you to go to a feed lot, see what's going on there, and yes, witness the animals being slaughtered. Then go have yourself a bacon double-cheeseburger if all that doesn't bother you.
I don't know what psychological problems prevent vegetarians from accepting that they are at the top of the food chain. Nature does not give a damn about your ethics or morailty; it cares "merely" about survival. Vegetarians are basically losers who should get out of the gene pool!
Everything she said is right and based in fact. Unfortunately vegetarian / vegans do have the tendency to come off as preachy (and let's be honest, what men like preachy people, much less women? Men hate nagging, full stop). If we skip issues of morality and the environment, look at the 'Blue Zones' around the world – i.e. Linda Loma, Okinawa, etc. (i.e. locations with the greatest numbers of healthy / centenarians), few of them eat meat or dairy. Low to moderate amounts at best, if at all. Plants, on the other hand, are full of disease-fighting antioxidants and polyphenols that act like preventative chemotherapy, warding off cancer, heart disease and a host of other ailments. It ain't sexy, but it's true.
Spot on about the preachiness...
I really don't particularly care whether or not she's a vegan or vegetarian. What bothers me here is that she's being preachy. I don't care for that. Let me eat what I want and I won't comment on what you eat. But people like her make me angry.
I didn't find five reasons to be a vegetarian in this article, only an indirect statement that I should feel guilty about eating meat (and then a repetition of that several times). I also didn't find that Ms. Velez-Mitchell actually countered any of the original points made. She didn't argue that veggies taste better, she epitomized the preachy vegetarian, she ignored the point that meat 'in moderation' provided protein (and instead said that eating too much meat is the cause of our obesity problem) and she didn't provide a good tailgating pumpkin recipe.
Obviously you've got to take Mr. Love's comments tongue-in-cheek. Half of what he said was more about image than anything else. If your image is so important that you're living your life for the benefits of others, you've got problems other than what your next meal choice will be.
Truth. I don't eat meat and I found this article to be obnoxious.
Excellent article. As a vegetarian for over 35 years I can attest to the fact that it is a healthier lifestyle. I look younger and am healthier than most others my age.
I think it doesn't have to be all or nothing. To be healthier, people can eat less red meat, more vegetables, smaller portions, and be more mindful of what they're doing and eating. It's easy to get so caught up, we do a million things at once and don't pay attention to any of them. Maybe just better awareness of what you eat, and your body, is a good place for most people to start at.
Vegetarians are all p*ssies. Seriously, when's the last time you met a tough vegetarian? If you don't want to eat meat, don't. But don't force your religion down my throat. Yes, we probably eat too much meat. We would be a country of weaklings if there were no meat in our diets. Yes you can live like a scavenger on nuts and berries, or you can live like the top predator on the food chain that we are and eat what you will. Some of the animals at meat farms do live horrible lives, but nature is just as cruel and they could have lived horrible lives in the "wild" as well. Yeah grains feed these animals and you could theoretically feed all the starving people in Africa, but do you really think those farmers are going go just give their goods away? No. They grow those grains for the sole purpose of selling it to pig and cattle farmers.
This chick has a bleeding heart and if she wasn't hot, no body would care one bit about her opinion.
"Vegetarians are all p*ssies. Seriously, when's the last time you met a tough vegetarian? "
Well there's me and my old Shao Lin instructor
Carl Lewis a track star of some note I hear.
Davey Havok , don't like his music but the guys diesel
Billie Jean King. She's show she may have one, but isn't one.
Hank Aaron was a pretty bad@ss baseball player
Jack Dangers
Billy Idol
Ted Danson
Henry Ford (OK I didn't meat him but he was a tough bastard)
Woody Harellson, you see in NBK?
Dr. Henry Heimlich – when you choke on your meat, it's vegetarian who's saved you.
Oh and Adolf Hitler. Jerk, but no P*ssy.
Well there's me and my old Shao Lin instructor – you two and Woody are the only one's I'd want to have my back in a fight. As for the athletes, were they vegetarians when they played? Or after they retired?
Carl Lewis a track star of some note I hear. – This guy used steroids possibly because he wasn't eating enough protein.
Davey Havok , don't like his music but the guys diesel – mascara and his own clothing line?
Billie Jean King. She's show she may have one, but isn't one. Come on. She's butch but she played tennis. Besides she was actually born a man.
Hank Aaron was a pretty bad@ss baseball player – he owns several fried chicken restaurants. Somehow doubt he was a veg in his younger years. The dude is 70 now. He ain't helping me move a fridge.
Jack Dangers – no idea who this guy is...
Billy Idol – maybe in the 80's he was tough, but dude's like 60 now.
Ted Danson – really?
Henry Ford (OK I didn't meat him but he was a tough bastard) Uh he made a lot of cars that now pollute the air.
Woody Harellson, you see in NBK? – ok I'll give you this one. Woody is pretty bad@ss.
Dr. Henry Heimlich – when you choke on your meat, it's vegetarian who's saved you. A meat eater would just punch u in the gut.
Oh and Adolf Hitler. Jerk, but no P*ssy. Yeah, see how low protein can make you irritable?
Why are only extreme views ever published? How about we push for legislation that demands better conditions for our animals and reduce our consumption of meat and dairy? We are not herbivores. We are not carnivores. We are OMNIVORES. The solution is in the middle, guys.
This woman is the perfect example of why I have come to hate most vegetarians. The holier than thou attitude is obnoxious and ignorant. I'm a happy omnivore. I have no problem being completely aware of what I am eating and where it came from. In fact, I know my growers which means I usually know who I'm eating (as in the name of the animal). Anything eaten without moderation will kill you, that's a given. I may be a little more muscled and curvier but at least I know I'm healthy. And if nothing else I think of it much like Bill Hicks thought of non-smokers "Obnoxious , self-righteous, whining little ****s. My biggest fear is that if I quit smoking, I'll become on of you...Don't take that wrong. I have something to tell you non-smokers that I know for a fact that you don't know, and I feel it's my duty to pass on information at all times. Ready?.......Non-smokers die every day...Enjoy your evening. See, I know that you entertain this eternal life fantasy because you've chosen not to smoke, but let me be the first to POP that bubble and bring you hurtling back to reality....You're dead too." Replace non-smokers with vegetarians and that's it exactly.
If you want to eat meat, that's fine, but lets not pretend all that women's points aren't 100% correct because they are. Unfortunately in America it is fashionable to be pigheaded, ignorant and small minded. People wear their ignorance like a badge and are proud to shout over the facts with their dumb assertions which are usually what has been taught to them by people with evil, greedy agendas. Just get up high on a soapbox and shout, I'm a huge jerk, and many Americans will applaud and cheer. Sad.
Most points – agreed, especially re horrible conditions lots of animals are in. Did not eat any red meat or chicken myself for 2 years for that reason. However, it is unacceptable to say that children should not eat meat – they, unlike adults, need animal proteins to grow.
Vegetarian like right wing nuts or religious nuts, they want to push there deals on you and say they are not pushing anything, Also that it is you that have done something wrong by not being like them. Even though you where not puhing anything at them and just wanted to eat in peace. It is really all about closed minded hate filled people pushing their hate at people while saying it is for the better for all.
And that is why people dislike vegetarians.
Why are people so ugly when it comes to these kinds of issue's? No matter which side you stand on.. calm down.. honestly some of you sound like your in grade school- so immature. If you were face to face having this conversation,I doubt you would say such ugly things.
4.2 million yeaers of evolution, if you believe that of course, has led us to be a carnivore, of course berries, fruits, etc are included, but for most of evolution our diets and therefore people have been genetically selected to be carnivore. Dairy is only around 7000 years old, and processed foods less. our digestive system has not yet adapted so there is an argument there. But if you want a nice steak rare or medium rare eat up. And this idiot believes pig conditions are the cause of swine flu! really!!! that holds about as much weight as saying cauliflower ear is caused by genetic engineering of cauliflower.
1) What is the difference between the rotting carcass of an animal and the rotting carcass of a plant? Plants are alive. One way or another eating is destroying life. Is it that animals have eyes? Feet? A central nervous system? So it is Ok to eat amoebas? Jellyfish?
It is apparently Ok for vegans to eat vegetables because they can not hear the vegetable screaming as it gets dropped into pot of boiling water.
2) Same story as 1. Get off your high horse, vegetable killer.
3) Legionaries disease outbreaks come from vegetables. Because vegetables are frequently served raw... and not always properly washed... in other words, poorly handled food is dangerous and does conform to food group restrictions.
4) Nutrition is a matter of a balanced diet. Eating all vegetables is no more of a balanced diet than eating all meat. Yes, some people eat too much meat. And as it turns out some people eat too much candy and get just as fat. So why aren't vegans overweight? Because vegetables don't have nearly as much caloric density. Stuff yourself with vegetables, and you are hungry again in an hour.
5) Eating pizza on Thanksgiving would also be an injection of "new". Or better yet, have a hotdog and donate your turkey to starving Africans. Or even better yet, donate your self-righteous vegans to starving Africans.
You want to eat a steak in peace? Stop wasting food. Moderate your portions. Eat all the food on your plate. Be aware that some life somewhere died so you can live. Stop being a wasteful glutton. This idea also doesn't have food group restrictions.
I don't believe meat is bad for you no matter what anyone or the experts say. My father ate meat every day of his life. He would make a fuss if my mother didn't have meat on the able every night. The word fuss is putting it mildly by the way.In fact everyone in our family of five ate meat growing up. Oh and yeah and he passed away a few years ago at the age of 93 of old age still in good health. I have to have meat every day also for my meal and I am strong as a bull at 73. I don't consider it a health issue at all. Haven't been to a doctor since 1979 and that was only due to an accident. Think the way you want, but that doesn't necessarily make you right and us meat eaters wrong....
he could have lived past 100 by eating meat or without eating meat. Just his attitude is good.
i meant his positive attitude could have given him 10 years more if he was vegetarian.
sal,
Your father could have lived for 93 by eating meat or without eating meat. Just his attitude is good.
With an positive attitude, he could have lived past 100 .. look at elephants, they are veg and they live longer than lions...
I have not checked the diet of Blue whales ....
I don't think Im conditioned to like anything. I spent my summers on a farm near the Ocean where I ate veggies all day and the meat I would eat was fish. If anything, people are more conditioned to eat food prepared in a certain way. Fastfood, or anything with seasoning or a bun is easier to get. In all fairness, there are more Veggie Places to eat and they are getting creative with the menus and flavor so people should try it before the disapprove it. I will admit this, when ever I give up meat and processed foods, I Feel great. I lose weight, I have energy, and I just feel good over all. Even if you don't buy into Eating Meat is evil, at least give up meat to see how a healthy diet can do wonders for your life.
Except the U.S. doesn't consume too much protein. Not by a long shot. We're hopped up on HFCS-sweetened sodas, non-whole-wheat breads and pastas, rice, fried potatoes in corn oil, etc. That's what's making us fat. Note that all of these are almost or entirely vegetable-based. If anything, we'd be better off if we consumed *more* meat and less fruits, sugars, starchy vegetables, and refined grains.
Vegetarian != healthy. Most vegetarians are thin, but that's because they're choosy about what they eat. It's quite possible to construct a purely vegetarian diet that makes McDonald's look like health food. Try a diet of starchy foods like potatoes, all fried in corn oil, and mix in some honey to taste. You'll blow up like a balloon faster than you can say "but vegetables are good for you." The problem is that this isn't far from the vegetable products that Americans consume as part of their daily diets. Cutting down on meats likely means that people will take in more diet soda (which increases hunger) and more french fries. This is anything but healthy.
Reasons to be a vegetarian:
1) Because you like it
2) Because you believe it is healther
3) Because you fell better not eating meat
4) Because you want to
Bad reasons to be a vegetarian:
1) To save the planet - not going to happen
2) So that animals won't be treated cruelly - Also, not going to happen.
3) Because animals are our friends and we should not eat them - the only reason for any organisms existence on this planet is to be food for another organism.
4) Because it is a more moral option - Wrong.
I'm a vegetarian, and I totally disagree with this article. The facts are obviously there, but it sheds a bad light on vegetarians. Not all of us are trying to shove vegetarianism down your throat. People think it's fine to give me a hard time when I tell them I'm vegetarian even when I don't ever preach it to other people unless they specifically ask me for my reasons behind not eating meat.
I don't care if people eat a whole steak and lobster platter in front of me, I just choose not to participate.
The ONLY reason Americans are overweight is because we eat to much, not because we eat the wrong food. Any type of food in moderation is fine, you just can't eat alot of it. Think about it, most chipotle burritos contain over half the daily limit of calories. Eat what you want America, just don't supersize it.
i'm still looking for an unbiased article on eating meat vs vegetarianism. this isnt cutting it. both of these points of view are so biased, they're just annoying. can someone please write an article looking at both ends?
I like healthy debates when in past, vegetarianism was a turf only for certain Asian country.
Have a read –
"
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68T29I20100930
There has to be reason why EU wants to jump ahead of Americas in terms of everything including Food revolution.
That could have allowed the United States to jump in and sign its own free-trade agreement with South Korea first.
Rome was finally cajoled into signing after Brussels and Seoul agreed to delay the start of the pact by six months, saving an accord that is pivotal for European manufacturers.
"
Also, meat eaters, especially heavy meat eaters tend to have more fecal matter stuck in their intestines. For example, John Wayne had 45# of undigested stuff in his intestines upon autopsy accredited to large amounts of meat consumption and low fiber in his diet, which is the case for many Americans (look at your belly). Most vegetarians do not have this problem.
Meat eaters are literally full of shit.
And everything you read on the internet is true!
... really though, you're the one who's full of shit.
Maybe check your 'facts' some time.
Been a vegetarian for over 15 years (I'm 39). I've always weighted under 110 (except for during pregnancy), blood pressure 90/60, ummm let's see, energetic, hardly ever sick etc etc etc etc. Do I think it's BECAUSE I don't eat meat??? Nope. My husband has the same health record and healthy eating habits EXCEPT... he eats meat. Healthy meat, lean and organic meat. Meat W/O the hormones, antibiotics, nitrates and steroids. I know, I buy and cook it for him and my family. I'm a vegetarian for my own personal reasons, I can't speak for others and don't try to force other's to think as I do. But I do wish that meat eaters would stand together and DEMAND their food be well maintained from birth to market so that they don't have to ingest all that crap! I certainly would not want to put that in my body... it's seriously asking for trouble...
Anyway, another point here is that whether you are vegetarian or not you need to incorporate other healthy habits into your daily life. Including exercise (cardio AND resistance training), ample amount of sleep, stress management, healthy relationships.
It's your body, do with it what you want, all I can do is control the healthy of my own and do my part to help the animals and environment.
Well said, Jane Velez-Mitchell. http://www.meat.org/
Veggies are yummy. Meat is yummy. Fruits are yummy.
It's all balance. One balances what one eats. One balances proportions for a healthy diet.
When someone asked me how much meat they should eat as part of their weight control plan, I pulled out a knife with a 3 1/2 inch blade and said "Eat as much meat as you can catch with this."
Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have to finish rolling out the pie crust for some home made pumpkin pie and start the pumpkin soup...
OK, pumpkin and chicken soup...
American's obesity rates aren't because we eat meat. It's because we overeat everything. You can eat vegetables and be just as unhealthy. The other night, I had fried asparagus. It was mighty tastey, but I guarantee it wasn't healthy. What about onion rings? Fries? There are healthy and unhealthy ways to eat meat. The problem is that it's far cheaper to eat unhealthy.
I love to eat! I love vegetables and I unfortunately love meat.But I love animals too and the industrialization of "meat production" is too cruel. Deep down, I believe I will be healthier longer eating vegetables, fruits and grains without meat. I do also agree with Jane that meat production adds to our environmental problems
I don't agree with Jane that eating meat is the cause of our collective obesity. I believe that our obsession with sugar, refined flour products, and processed foods is responsible for chronic obesity. I believe meat is a natural part of diet and that one can be very healty eating meat along with other non-processed, natural foods. However, one can also be healthy not eating meat.
Is peanut butter and jelly ok? I love peanut butter and jelly. :)
Her assertion that horses eating grass and hay is an indicator of anything is laughable, and shows how ridiculous her line of thinking is.
Horses obviously have the ability to break down and absorb necessary nutrition, including protein, from grass and hay. We obviously don't. I'm pretty sure that anyone on a grass and hay diet wouldn't survive. It's well established that people need a range of amino acids from different plants to be healthy.
It's also not scientifically proven that meat and animal products are the cause of American obesity. In fact, right now the main villain being targeted is soft drinks. Has anyone proven that increasing meat consumption in recent years is directly causing these increasing health problems. People ate meat and animal products for thousands of years, and the obesity epidemic in America has increased exponentially only recently, especially in the last 10 years. The traditional ideal of the meat and potatoes diet has also gone out of fashion over the 20th century.
It seems that she is taking her moral beliefs, and looking for ways to justify, which don't reflect real science.
That "VEGAN" wristband may as well have said "PETA". Note to Jane: Our canine teeth weren't designed for tearing into cabbage. What an @$$.
My philosophy is let Vegans be Vegans, let Vegetarians be Vegetarians, and let Carnivores be Carnivores. Just don't be getting up in each others faces about your dietary beliefs with some arrogant holier-than-thou attitude. If someone does get in my face about my meat eating habits, I'll just rub in how the pain and suffering of the animals actually makes a tasty garnish for my rare steak :D *play the nom nom nom song here*
I dated this little cutie for years. She was/is as sweet as can be. We'd still be dating if it weren't for me needing to be in the mountains to ski and she in the city for the culture and diversity. But she was a vegetarian. Me? Nope. Love steak next to my vegitables. Wasn't a big deal though. I realized after a couple years I hadn't eaten meat. We would make dinner together and it would be meat free. After we needed to part ways, I was back to bachelor life, steaks, chicken etc. And I realized how much better I felt. I had more energy. I was more mentally alert and not so lethargic. What I'm saying is this. We all need different fuel to make our machine run optimally. For me it's a killer steak, medium rare with grilled asparagus and home baked bread with fresh beery jam. And big mountains. But thats just me.
It's fun to evolve? How offensive. You've apparently evolved into a moron my dear. Being a vegetarian certainly doesn't make you more "evolved" than anyone else. It's a lifestyle choice. Humans make many of these.
The author's arguments to be a vegetarian are hackneyed at this point.
1. Eating meat is not due to brainwashing. We eat it because it's tasty. I'm getting a little craving for a double pounder just thinking about it. It's fine in moderation.
2. You get sad when you smell bacon? Hm...I get rather happy. And yeah it's sad that those pigs are locked up, but I mean...it's food.
3. I like my steak bloody. Along with some A1 steak sauce, naturally.
And here, you bring up your only valid point: world hunger. We find something that we agree on! It would be great if we could solve world hunger. But...I am a realist.
4. I don't want to eat a meat substitute and I don't want to eat "around the animal." I want to eat the animal.
5. TOFURKEY?!?!?! Oh my gosh...why the heck would I ever want to eat soybean curds shaped like a bird?
All in all, I really do respect the fact that you're a vegan. I do think it's sad that animals are killed for our mouths, but as the *other* author said, we're not forcing you to be a vegan, so don't take your holier than thou stance and try to convert us.
It has been said above that humans evolved from plant eating animals. If so then explain the photos that Jane Goodall took of chimps gnawing on wild boar in Africa.
*sigh* Everything from our teeth to our digestive systems are designed for the intake of a varied diet. "Varied" means just that – meat, vegetables, fruits, grains. Vegetarians – get over it.
This woman seriously has no clue into what causes obesity, what constitutes as unethical behavior and makes herself out to be a fool.
1. Rotting carcass and guilt? Please. Human beings have been eating animals since the time of the hunter-gatherer, and for a purpose: to live healthy and have a balanced diet. They might have not known about germ theory but they sure knew that meat AND bread made them healthier than those that would just eat bread and berries. Meat is the cause of obesity? Another weak point, especially in the light of Dr. Atkins' work on high fructose corn syrup and bad carbs, proving that meats eaten in a balanced diet can offset obesity. And children "shunning meat"? What sort of fantasy do you live in?
2. You really get sad with the smell of bacon? You don't get sad with the other more pressing problems in the world? Like widespread starvation, poverty, and governmental corruption? You'd focus the time and energy you're given on Earth to try to make people feel guilty for wanting to have a well-balanced diet, when we're so blessed to have food in the first place? It's seriously insulting to the people who would give anything for a slice of bacon or a steak because they wouldn't share your elitist scruples against the omnivores in American society.
3. "What people eat is everyone's business"? Really? You act as if people who eat meat are violating civil peace or a conception of natural law. Would you advocate legislation to change our ways? Somehow I don't think your movement has the same moral clout as taxation without representation or slavery. Nice try though. As many people have pointed out, you hear that vegans are preachy and then you proceed to fulfill their expectations. Fail.
4. Protein causes obesity: fail. Disproven. Do your homework then call me in the morning, where there will be slabs of bacon and eggs awaiting you. Did I mention I'm at a healthy weight while eating meat often? Next.
5. Tofu is literally terrible. Tofuturkey? Lord help us. Please give up your mock moral crusade against people who have different diets than you and donate your time to issues that actually matter to HUMAN BEINGS. People are more important than animals. And saying that you shouldn't kill animals because it's immoral is equating animals to people, which is foolhardy and demeaning to the human spirit.
Thanks, but no thanks.
You had me going along all the way until you mentioned tofu.
Tofu is EXCELLENT if prepared properly, such as marinaded and grilled.
Unfortunately, it's all too often improperly prepared and tastes as good as a fine, well toasted slice of cardboard.
Hunters and gatherers tended to eat more plant foods than meat, depending on the season and availability. The image of a caveman always chewing on a leg roast are just cartoons leftover from childhood. It is a lame excuse for meateaters that make claims about our ancestors and millions of years of evolution.
The reason we're fat is actually because of over consumption, too many carbs to be accurate. If you look at the demographics, it's the poorer areas in the USA that are the most overweight. It's not because of eating too much meat, they actually can't afford to buy meat all the time. It's because they eat too much carbs which is a cheap stomach filler. Things like potatoes, rice, beans, pasta, sugar are what's making people fat.
Anyways, the author of this article is just going to be anti-meat regardless of any common sense. Any extreme is bad. The pro-meat guy never said eat only meat. He is just saying that meat is good, he didn't say eat only meat and no veggies. The girl on the other hand is saying to not eat any meat at all and that's an extreme.
Very nicely said.
I AGREE WITH MEAT-EATERS !
I would love to eat a good CAT or a PARROT or HAMSTER but would LOVE to eat a GOOD DOG.
I would eat a DIFFERENT BREED OF DOG every day –
Monday – Maltese
Tuesday – Terrier
Wednesday – Whippet
Thursday – Toy Fox
Friday – Finnish Spitz
Saturday – Shih Tzu
and to round it of with a DE- LICIOUS
Sussex Spaniel on Sunday !!
YUMMMY !!
Come on guys ! Who's with me !!!! Go MEAT !
For those who don't see it – this is sarcasm.
Eating Meat, although well within your rights as an individual, are well outside the moral decency we are equipped to understand. Regrettably, our desires and earthly attachment disallows us from renouncing meat, because we are trained to know it as delicious.
Maybe someday not too long from now we can stop the animal suffering.
Till then, ENJOY YOUR BEAGLE – hopefully on a stick with some tasty barbecue sauce.
@Jay - All of those are perfectly good sources of food. It is only our social mores that dictate we not eat dogs and cats. As a matter of biology, though, cats and dogs are perfectly good food sources and are tasty.
Dog wouldn't be any good. They eat too much weird crap.
Should eat vegans. Free range, grass fed!
Eating people like Dawn wold be perfectly guilt-free, since they had proven themselves devoid of intellect.
meat should be taxed like cigarettes. you can choose to eat it, but pay for the environmental and physical costs.
Only species on the planet capable of having a conscience. Only species to have an emotion of kindness. Yet we take pleasure in killing! Even the 10 commandments say thou shall not kill. Does it say – thou shall not kill humans? No.
Eventually, we will all evolve into vegetarians. Some have already – some are a bit behind.
seriously going to quote the bible??
Leviticus 11:1-47 ESV
And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you
and actually the "thou shalt not kill" has been found to be a wrong translation..basically it should be "Thou shalt not murder" semantically seems the same but in actuality is quite different
YOU ARE COMPLETELY RIGHT!
LOL. I'm sorry but this, to me, is a funny statement. Have you read the part in the Bible that says it is good to eat meat as long as we do it with thanksgiving? There was a point where people didn't eat it because they thought as you did but they were corrected and told what I just said.
Actually, in the original language, it translates as "thou shall not kill thy fellow decendents of Abraham." (in other words, it says that jews shouldn't kill other jews). Hence the reason wars against other nations in the Old Testament were "ok".
So, yes...unless those animals were somehow decended from Abraham, the bible has no problems with killing them.
(with the sole exception of whales and dolphins- the only animals specifically exempted from man's "dominion" since they are not a "bird of the air", a "fish of the sea" or a "creature of the land")
Actually, you have it wrong. It wasn't until humans started eating meat that the human brain expanded enough to develop that conscience that you talk about. The conscience was a direct result of eating meat. We evolved to this level through meat consumption. It is arguable that eliminating meat from our diets would slowly make the human race more stupid, although looking at our current government, one wonders how much more stupid we CAN get.
So all the reasons to become a vegetarian are guilt-related. How very Christian. This article has only made me hungrier for a Fudrucker's burger. or maybe Five Guys.
Wow, what a useless article.
Once again, anytime a vegan starts babbling about "cruelty", all it shows is that they have no clue as to what actually goes on at a vegetable farm.
(hint: what do you think happens to all the rabbits, groundhogs, snakes, moles, & ground nesting birds etc when it's ploughing time? They make good fertilizer!)
It is great to read some common sense on CNN. Meat is meant for carnivores. People are omnivores owing to the ice ages but basically are apes and vegetarian. Anyone who says meat is fun and mocks the seriousness of the issues raised can smile and count themselves alongside the historically ignorant such as those fine Americans during the Civil War who said, it's good to have slaves. I don't try to make them have slaves but they shouldn't preach to me about not using slaves for work and sexual pleasure. Same thing. Oh, but black people are fellow humans, right? They deserve respect, right? Well, 145 years ago many Americans viewed them as they view other animals. All those people who think eating meat is cool, then take a deep breath and picture yourself back in 1864. See how lovely you fit in.
Wherever did you get the absurd notion that apes are vegetarians? They are *not*!
what do slaves have to do with this? You're right on how slaves were viewed them as animals, but now we know different. Those slaves were humans all along.And we definitely know that animals are not humans. If they were, they would have tried to REVOLT like the slaves did. Have you seen any animal revolutions anywhere in the world? If you want to talk about cruelty to slaves, why are you comparing them to animals?
And one more thing: my family butchers a steer every year. And guess where our last one is........in our freezers! His name was Peppermint, and he was friendly and loved to be scratched and rubbed. But eventually he turned into our food. Nobody was sad. Everyone was looking forward to eating our steer.
Butchering one steer for my family is nothing compared to the farmers. They butcher many for a living. If everyone was a veggie, then the farmers would be out of a job, as would everyone else involved in the meat business. Do you really want to take away innocent people's jobs especially in an economy as our current one?
And it's an individual's natural right to eat meat.
No Name,
About "plants and animals."
there is less pain when they cut hair instead of skin, this is a fact.
"Rotting carcass"? Where was she getting her meat from? If it was rotting I'd switch to vegetarian too. However, its not, so I'm going to go ahead and eat up. I can stand vegetarians, and i know quite a few and love them...however, vegans or...whats that 'new' diet...raw food....those people are out of their minds.
In the case of beef it is. The reason for aging beef is to allow the enzymes in the meat to begin breaking it down. It tenderizes it and adds flavor. That enzyme action is actually the meat rotting.
I used to travel with someone who was a raw foodist. Since I'm not picky, I'd just eat what he ate. Raw meat included.
It seemed weird at first... but after a few hours I CRAVED raw meat. I'd only ever eat beef or fish raw though, chicken and pork have a different texture. And I don't think I'd choose that diet for myself. The guy I was traveling with though was very, very healthy.
This woman has her fact really skewed. Those who promote a vegetarian diet tend to cherry-pick the facts and reform them to support their cause. Yes, we can do a better job of raising animals in a little more humane way, but the argument ignores the fact that animals in the wild live a very marginal existence and then die a very violent and painful death under the claws and teeth of a predator.
Oh, and by the bye, far more methane is created every year from decaying plants than from animals. Cows do not produce methane - the bacteria in their guts create it. Similar strains of bacteria responsible for plant decay also produce methane, and there is a lot more biomass in decaying plants than in animals.
She makes a good point that Americans eat too much meat and I have consciously cut back, but to advocate eliminating all meat from a the American diet is stupid. Vegetarianism is the result of the arrogance of wealth. Only in countries that are capable of producing agricultural surpluses can people afford to be vegetarians. In many, many countries around the world, and animals are consumed because humans are incapable of digesting most of the plants that can grow in the area. Animals must be used to convert the inedible plants into edible meat. A good example are the Inuits in Alaska.
This woman needs to get educated before she starts spouting her pseudo-science and nonsense.
Just watch Food Inc and you'll understand what she's talking about. I'll take squash over bacon any day
Mitchel's got pretty eyes...
Vegetarianism or non-vegetarianism does not solve or create the problems, its the gluttony, consuming more than you need, is creating problems with environment and adds to plight of farm animals.
Good point. If people ate just enough to support their health and no more their would be less problems. I also think that vegetarians should ask themselves if they have eaten anything picked by underpaid children lately. This is not uncommon even in organic farms. So it may not be moral to eat meat,but is it any more moral to eat vegetables picked by a kid who's forced to work for pennies?
Thank you, Jane.
I had a feeling you'd get a ton of snarky remarks from defensive carnivores, and I wasn't disappointed. But thanks for presenting a lovely argument on behalf of those of us who do care about our fellow earthlings.
That woman sounds like a lunatic! Humans are biologically omnivorous. Deal.
Tim Love's answers were funny, this woman's are just crazy.
To those suggesting moderation, hasn't CNN taught you *anything*?!?
Moderation is dead! There are only two ways to look at every issue, they're diametrically opposed, and only one can be right!
Communist Socialist Liberal Democrat or Fascist Bigoted Conservative Republican!
Lock teenagers up in chastity belts or give them condoms, porn, a hotel room and a Barry White album!
"God wants us to eat three pounds of meat a day!" or "Dairy farms are worse than Auschewitz!"
These are your options. At least, that's what CNN has taught me.
Maybe She will let me prove her wrong. We can go out to a few locations where these poor poor animals are being mistreated and then we can go to a nice steakhouse. I'll still order mine Medium Rare with a side of mash potatos and brocoli.
I had to stop eating meat because of my heart. Three months better, I am far, far healthier. My blood work is coming back normal. No, I wasn't guilty about killing, cooking and eating animals. Pigs did always bother me just a bit because of their intelligence, but certainly no ruminant like a cow or sheep or anything like a rabbit or a squirrel ever did. But going from steak to spinach will add years to my life and will let me go hunting again. Now I'll just go hunting rattle snakes. They actually make delicious and very healthy eating.
The number one reason? You just plain taste better!
My student's answer to a test question years ago:
Q: What's a carnivore?
A: Someone who eats vegetarians.
I'm 50% vegetarian as only half of my diet is meat. If people stop eating meat all those animals you care about wouldn't be alive anyway.
Jane, Jane, Jane,
Is it possible for you to create an argument that is not emotion based? All you have done is confirm for us all the stereotypes of vegitarians, vegans, eco-vegans, and holistic vegivegans.
Better luck next time,
Will becoming a vegan make me into a lesbian too?
No, Jimmy. You'll still like little boys, as you currently do.
No, but it will make you turn into a big, gaping vagina.
I believe there is no such thing as a guiltless vegetarian, because they should know that for every animal they don't eat I will mercilessly slaughter and eat three.
Been there, tried that... got way too bored & hungry. To each his or her own. But we are at the end of the day ourselves animals that are part of an ecosystem and have been since the beginning of time. Hard to change inborn preferences. One day we may not have an option (too many mouths to feed), so for today, I'll enjoy a T-Bone.
Taste cannot be held as an argument, for it is a matter of preference.
Affecting your weight or health cannot be held as arguments; even if the primary source of obesity is meat, it is not because meat is bad, but because the proportional intake is disordered, having improper effects on the body. However, if consumed in proper portions, and not unhealthy, fast-food processed meat, it is actually very healthy, and the body obtains minerals and fats from it that is needed, especially for active lifestyles. And obviously vegetables are healthy, when consumed in proper amounts. So health and obesity can not be used to support an argument.
Third, animal rights can not be used as an argument against meat. Animals are not humans. They do not have souls. Part of the circle of life is for animals to eat other animals, and for people to eat animals. True, slaughtering extraordinary amounts of fattened, poorly-treated beasts is surely wrong. The animals should be fed properly, cared for, and allowed a healthy, pleasant environment. Not because they are people too, but because it makes the meat taste better, and healthier to boot. Therefore, Animal rights is an invalid argument against meat.
Tim Love's arguments are very weak, and easy to rebuttle. But Jane's retorts are misgrounded, and although more eloquent and pleasing, show an equal amount of ignorance for the other's case.
Conclusion: There is no strong argument for vegetarians. Vegetarians have their reasons, but I submit that every one of those reasons could be answered. Meat is a part of the human diet that has no legitimate reason to change. What could afford to change is some of the ways we make and eat the meat.
Poor Jane has a screw lose. Boy did Tim hit the nail on the head calling vegies preachy and holier-than-thou. You eat what you want and I'll do the same. As long as everyone is happy that's all that matters. Right? No I've got a feeling that sort of thinking is far from fair to a nut job like Jane.
"America’s over-consumption of meat and dairy is largely responsible for our nation’s obesity crisis" – I believe it has more to do with processed foods and sugary sodas but that is just me.
I also believe the author proved the Texan chefs opinion about vegans being preachy and holier-than-now with this article.
I converted from a meat eating overweight 228 pound to now strict vegetarian182 pound person. The biggest lesson learned is that eating vegetarian is healthier. I feel and look so much better. I look at least 5-7 years younger than my age and it is all because I am a vegetarian.
The biggest problem facing this country and others is obesity so shall I say more?
Are you saying that there is no healthy person who eats meat. Your logic makes no sense at all. Its all on ur eating habbits.
and all you did was switch from meat to vegtables. you didnt exercise, lower sugar intake, ......
thats the problem with all the i lost weight bs. you changed more than just meat intake but its all meats fault.
Some seem to think that human-beings have "evolved" so that meat is REQUIRED in the diet. I don't think that these individuals actually know what evolution is... Evolution (in its proper definition) occurs in populations of species, not in individuals. Please learn about basic biology before talking about how having eyes in front of the head and canines makes for a carnivorous existence.
well basic biology...we are primates much along the lines of a Chimpanzee....thus we are omnivores..we have teeth for tearing and chewing both meat and vegetables..however we as humans digest meat where as we have a real hard time with vegetables. by nature we are designed as omnivores..by evolution we have developed a mind that can make conscious choice on whether to eat meat or to be vegan. I myself eat both and suffer no guilt from either..as it should be
I'm not sure where she gets the idea that people eat slices of "rotting carcas" at restaurants. Last I checked, salted and wrapped meat will last a fair bit longer than a vegetable. Regardless, most people I know ended up growing a set of incisors as well as canines. We are animals, just like bears, apes, lions, and eagles. Nature intended us to eat meat AND vegetation- not sure why she would try to convince herself otherwise.
If you want to defy evolution, go right ahead. You should probably start walking on all fours though, too, so you can graze while you walk.
Technically, once you remove a plant from the ground (Where it's being fed and nourished) it begins to decompose or rot. So since we shouldn't eat rotting food, how do you digest rocks?. It's guilt free and full of minerals.
Lol. This chick is lame.
Jane is right. I myself have almost gotten away from meat and Bacon cooking makes me sick. Not only the smell but the fact that it is from a "use to be live animal". My only regret is that getting away from meat didn't start sooner. Amagine living in another country where maybe cows and pigs are not eaten, but rather Fido, and Kitty, or monkey, rat, etc. Not a real pleasant thought is it? Love you Jane!!!!!
she's not promoting vegetarianism. she's promoting veganism. not just no meat. but no animal products at all. no animal testing, ..... these are the whackos that want your dog to be a vegetarian also. despite the fact that thier bodies are clearly designed to be carnivores.
sorry for the animals but it sucks to be lower on the food chain.
JVM is a loud mouth drunk. I'm sure at one point in her life she would scream the praises of alcohol to anyone who would listen. Now she is on a veggie kick, give her time I'm sure she'll find something else to rave about. She is too loud for me, cant stand to hear her sceam at people. Did excessive alcohol abuse make her deaf? I dont get the yelling part.
Yeah I was interested in the article and then saw it was her. Total facepalm.
Plants also have life. If you are feeling guilty eating meat, then you should not eat vegetables also... Live just by breathing air..
As long as we kill plants/animals, that are grown for that purpose, I am OK with that.
you're a moron
Stop feeding the plant and see what happens. Pull it out of the ground, and it will die.
there is less pain when they cut hair, this is a fact.
The reason why we are all fat is because we are eating genetically modified fruits, vegetables and meats loaded with preservatives, antibiotics, hormones and steriods to make everything grow quickly and stay fresh the longest. Remove all these extra chemicals and we would all be a bit leaner!
The argument about factory farms and junk food is facetious and a misdirection from the real reasoning Tim Love used. Family farm raised chickens, cows and pigs taste far better than their horribly treated counterparts and, eaten in moderation, are vital for a healthy mind and body. Supplements are neither healthy nor environmentally friendly, and the soybean is the most overprocessed food in existence. Just eat healthy people! Look once in a while at where your food comes from, try the open range beef, farm raised chickens, talk to the local farmer, enjoy what you eat! Love it, don't shovel it.
My distant ancestors didn't risk their lives hunting for me to be a vegetarian.
Actually the lion's share of your ancestors were vegetarians.
Eating meat makes you so cool don't it Tim Love. I'm not going to sit here and lie. I like a chunk of red meat every now and then (like once every six months) but I stay away from meat as much as I can because heart failure and erectile dysfunction ain't cool. Everyone can argue whether or not red meat contributes to these two but I have yet to meet a vegetarian who is not healthy. As for ED I like my little buddy when he stands up and salutes the girls and I'm not going to put him in any danger. Gonna be 41 and I feel like I am 21. Fruits and vegetables ROCK!
vegetarianism has to evolve with science with it's final produce meeting our taste and dietary (protein, iron, etc ) needs.
There is no need to bring in IQ of pig or to differentiate between cow or pig or turkey when it comes to the butcher knife or some automated slaughter.
Put science to work where you can manufacture food that replaces the dead animal food. It is quite a work which will build an Industry equivalent to pharma industry. Those pioneers will be revered as visionaries.
Vegetarians are like Christians. They both have a "need" to be right. And, if you bring up the subject, they will preach to you why they are right.
I think the opposite is true. Meat eaters are like Christians. They've never thought about what they're doing. That and take great offense when they find out people think something different. ;)
Vegetarians are more like atheist/agnostics. They've actually put thought into their world view.
I have been a vegetarian for over 5 years and a vegan for almost 2 years. I feel healthier, but agree that you can be vegan and still have a bad diet. I just read a book called "Mad Cowboy" by Howard Lyman. In it he details about all of the antibodies and growth hormones used in the animals, which get passed to on the food chain. The book has documented cases of run-off water pollution in the states killing massive quantities of fish. Also talks about how our land (and the Amazon forest) is getting destroyed by all of the animals. I wish somebody would do in depth reporting on these issues.
vegans only arguments for their lifestyle is that the killing and consumption of animals is bad. one day we will get most of our nourishment from pills and there will be a group decrying the consumption of plants. im sorry, but eating a steak or bacon is far more enjoyable than eating squash or tofu. and as a health nut myself i understand how to best prepare asparagus or other vegetables, but it never compares to quality meat. coming from OK, i know a large number of people that make their living in the animal/food industry and would never pretend to stop liking meat because theyve witnessed the death of a cow or pig.
if it was good enough for hunter/gatherer, it's good enough for me!!!
Jane Velez-Mitchell's responses make me want to actually go out and eat a steak. A little meat in moderation is perfectly fine and healthy. I do get concerned with the origination of my food, but that is as important discussing our pesticide-laden produce as it is when considering the slaughterhouse/cattlefarm the meat is coming from. I'd almost bet the beef is better than the imported veggies we eat.
Name one culture, anywhere on the planet, that is completely vegetarian. Less meat and more veggies and fruit is a good choice for a diet. That's been documented. Eating vegetation exclusively is extremism. Our nearest relatives, the apes, indulge in meat. It's called a balanced diet.
FAIL.
Chef Love's article was tongue-in-cheek. Ms. Velez-Mitchell's was just preachy. As a previous commenter noted, she said the same thing five times. She is denying her natural place in the food chain in favor of her conscience. The Native Americans have it right – respect the animal, celebrate the circle of life, kill only what you need to survive and walk lightly on this earth. The way factory farms treat animals is shameful – and meat production is taking a terrible toll on the planet, but eating less meat and insisting upon more humane farming practices makes a hell of a lot more sense then denying our physiology.
Excellent comment. I totally agree.
Amen Jake. I don't like how she tries to manipulate Tims words either (specifically #4). Tim does say with moderation, then she has the nerve to say "If huge amounts of protein were the key to perfect health, America would be the healthiest nation on earth because we eat a lot more meat than people in most other countries." It's like she wasn't even really paying attention to what he said. I think he one-upped her personally on that point.
5 reasons to eat meat:
1. Steak
2. Hamburgers
3. Roast
4. Ham
5. Bacon
enough said :)
ahem..Bacon wrapped steak needs to be number 1...seesh
I foresee obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer in your future. Good times!! It's all worth it, isn't it???
This article is exactly why people hate vegans/vegetarians. It's complete misinformation and guilt-tripping. The guilt felt about eating meat is completely made up. We're omnivores by nature. Personally, I can't digest fruits and vegetables that well. I can only eat so many per day. I couldn't survive on a vegan or vegetarian diet.
There is also a lot of snobbery that surrounds these people. Most people on earth don't get to be picky about their sources of food. Vegans and vegetarians aren't better than anyone else. They've just deluded themselves into thinking they're superior.
This is a terrible, biased, and preachy article which completely ignores the major points of argument that it pretends to address.
She has her views and I respect that. In this case, all of her arguments had to do not with the benefit or lack thereof of eating meat, but on her animal rights views. I think this could have been a better article had it not involved her opinions and went more into facts from both sides.
I normally hate pretentious vegetarian arguments to vegetarianism, but i decided to give this article a chance. I got as far as "I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass. It’s guilt-free eating, which is ultimately more pleasurable." Then i went back to reddit.com and finished eating my Baconator.
Where's the "like" button???
She sounds like shes pulling s*** outta her a**. she should sleep with a knife under her pillow and possibly go play in traffic
It's not meat that is largely responsible for our obesity, it's the heavily processed foods and sugary drinks that are mostly at fault. If they contain meat or not is beside the point. It's easy to be extremely fit on a diet that includes meat if you simply avoid processed foods and focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and meat. Jane is letting her idealism get in the way of the facts.
Most of you don't have the guts or brains to see the truth:
http://www.meat.org/
Mitchell really has some great points here.
Some of the comments on this board make me understand very clearly why the USA is in a death spiral.
I've done both end of the spectrum. I used to be a big meat eater but switched a few years ago to eating only veggies. Now i'm somewhere in the middle and I find I like that the best. I mainly eat veggies but I splurge on the occasional healthy fish and chicken or turkey. I have not eaten red meat in years.
I'm sorry
If humans didn't raise crops for animal feed and then eat those animals but instead raised soybeans, legumes and other protein-rich food crops they could easily feed ALL the people in the world. No hunger or starvation (assuming it would get distributed properly which is another story).
Jane, you are right on.
The standard American diet is killing us. We are the wealthiest nation, but we have the worst diet full of fat, chemicals, hormones, and nutrient-deficient processed foods. We put millions of dollars into research for diseases that are clearly and unequivocally diet-related.
The meat and dairy industries are firmly in our culture and way of life, selling their products to the public and lobbying the government to supposedly promote a healthier you. In truth, the damage they cause to our health and environment, as well as the appalling conditions on factory farms and in slaughterhouses, is about as far from healthy as one can get.
The root of the problem is purely money and greed. Big businesses fund political campaigns, politicians make laws in favor of big businesses, the dangers and consequences of our poisoned and unhealthy food is kept quiet, the big businesses reap as much money as possible, while the pharmaceutical, health, and insurance industries take their cut when we become ill from the food. Meanwhile, patented genetically-modified seed is contaminating natural food sources all over the world, carried by wind, water, or even tossed in by the companies themselves.
Our government is doing everything in its power to protect big business and keep us all ignorant and misinformed about something as personal as what we put into our bodies and need to survive. It’s a vicious cycle, and the deceived American public is paying the price in countless ways.
Ok all this is simple let those who eat meat Eat.Let those who Eat plants eat plants.and that should be the end of it.
why do vegans never consider how many fluffly little animals get killed off in fields of vegetables? plowing destyroys their habitat, threshing machines routinely scoop up all kinds of animals. My neighbourhood Green Giant had to shut down a line of corn processing in the spring due to a baby doe that made it through onto the feeding belt.....well parts of it made through...part of a leg etc. Really unless you only chew grass off your front lawn you are playing part to the deaths of many animals
on a side note..is that Vegan lady wearing a leather watch band?????
I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years. I grew up part time on a large farm in Michigan and never liked the taste of meat and was forced to eat it as a child. I had to have it burned on the grill to eat it. No one understood my feelings about it and my parents took me to a shrink at 8-who told me I was selfish not to eat those animals I considered my pets. When I was an adult, I started doing research and over the course of several years after my own children were born, I deleted all dead animals from my diet. I eat well, I am writing a cookbook, cooking is fun for me now. I serve no dead animal products in my home nor do I wear them. My husband accepts this and if he feels the need for a steak, or burger, he goes elsewhere. My kids have dabbled in vegetarianism and decided it was not for them. I have been called names, labeled a freak, and been brought to tears over the treatment I see for the voiceless creatures who bless my life. I don't preach-when asked I state why I made this choice. I go about my life doing what I believe is the right way for ME to live. Just as I love running (I guess that is a cult, too?) and recycle as much as I can (cult?) and try to scrapbook/rubber stamp every day (OMG! I know that is a cult!) and watch every Star Trek rerun out there (Trekkies are cultists, I just know it) I am me. I don't try to change you by lies. I try to change me to be the best I can be and contribute to whatever I can do to make our world better, healthier and without guilt. It's up to you to decide what works for you.
nothing you do is guilt free...you are more then likely using a computer that has been built with parts produced on the deaths of many an African with parts produced in child labour factories. If you want to live guilt free you can't dig to deep into the production of anything in your life...be it jewelry,cars,technology and yes food......actually eating meat that was produced solely for human consumption might be the least guilty thing you can do.
Your point that eating meat is the "least guilty thing you can do" is moot. Who is to say that the life of a non-human-being worth less than the life of a human-being?
"The voicless creatures that bless your life"? Give me a break...Granted we should treat our live stock better in this nation and 99.9% do, but dont bring some supernatural BS into the picture. Face it, humans eat meat, get over it. Lions eat meat, get over it, bears eat meat, get over it, wolfs eat meat, get over it.
Im an animal lover and have dogs, horses and other animals, but I eat meat, my body needs it to survive. Its a fact that pure vegitarian diet is not good for humans, get over it.
If you feel guilty eating animals you're probably a socialist like Obama.
Please...... What does that have to do with our president. I am so sorry that this country is filled with people like you.
Obama is not a socialist you moron. Even if he was it would be better than being some GOP religious nut like you are.
This argument like most is absolutely stupid, like most of the people who actually argue it. I eat meat, I eat fruits and vegetables. Generally i'll eat one with the other. If you don't want to eat meat fine. If you're idea of a great time is a pig picking, awesome. I'm not going to give you shit over your dietary choices so don't give me shit about mine.
"Guilt free" eating? Well, if the writer needs something to feel guilty about, how about her makeup? Is everything she wears "green" and animal friendly? Lets look at her wardrobe while we are at it, and make sure that not only is it all non-animal, but non third world sweatshop. Now, how does she get to work/home? Is she walking, or riding a bike? Not very nice, contributing to "Global Warming" by burning fossil fuels. I hope the energy in her home and office is strictly solar and wind.
Point being, her vehement anti-meat/animal cruelty rant is hypocritical unless in all areas of her life she takes the least invasive road. Her total inability to attempt to see any other point of view but her own as bad makes her in the end, boring.
LOL, vegetarians!
Save the world. Eat a vegetarian.
"We have been brainwashed into craving a diet that is killing us. What we believe tastes good is generally what we have been socially conditioned to enjoy."
so it has nothing to do with our animal nature and the will to survive? Sugars and fats are the best way for humans to survive when food is scarce. We are attracted to sugar and fat the same way we contain the inate desire to have coitus. It seems that people abandon logic when they follow something like a religion
Is this woman serious? She says eating veggies is better than eating an animals ROTTING carcass? Im a meat eater and I can tell you with great confidence that I do not eat rotting meat. THis woman is an idiot.
Here is a point that all animal rights activists forget when they are talking about farm animals, they forget that those animals are bred specifically for food. Thus, if we don't eat them, they do not exist. In addition, this may sound a little stupid but are plants and vegetables not living things too. Last time I checked they are a living organism which responds to stimulates (sunlight, water, etc.) just like animals, however they are not cute so it is fine to eat them. In addition, the disease argument is pretty weak, studies have shown no difference in broiler chickens that are raised on organic or free range versus conventional farms when it comes to numbers of birds colonized with Salmonella or Campylobacter. Although I will admit that crowding the animals can help in passing disease to the animals it is not the only factor, and I'm stating all this as a person with a Ph.D. in Microbiology and a researcher who works on Campylobacter and Salmonella.
I read the other guys article and he was completely tongue in cheek. This women obviously is deprived of the nutrients that generate humor. Vegetarians can lead very healthy, balanced lifestyles as long as they make sure to supply themselves with enough proteins. I just happen to be one of those who enjoys eating animals!
I have been a vegetaria for a few years but this article just makes me mad. People's bodies are different and require different amounts of nutrients therefore, diets will differ with meat and veggies. On Jane's side, the word protein has turned into a sort of buzz word. Proteins can come from more than just meat because protein is a word describing the combination of amino acids, which make up our entire body. A diet that has some good ground-based facts: eating meat and not eating dairy. There isn't one animal in the world that drinks milk from another animal, but there are plenty of animals that eat meat and don't eat meat. People should just be allowed to do what they want to do, and the people who are concerned with animal rights should actually do something about it instead of preaching on CNN.
Cheers.
I would like a steak now, please. Rare, so I can taste the delicious murder.
Go ahead and eat all the Veggies you want, leaves more delicious animal flesh for me to consume. And dont get me started with BACON, mmmmmm mmmmmmm everything taste better with bacon!
I heard somewhere, that if you don't eat meat you break out with vagina's all over your body until you turn into one big vagina.
Oh great, if Mr. gadzilla gets wind of that, it will be no more cheeseburga for me!
Well, it IS true that you ARE what you eat, Dick.
The ironic part of #3 is that Mr. Love's statements (and the entire premise of his 5@5 piece) are an example that meat eaters can also be preachy and intolerant of other diet/lifestyle choice. Ms. Velez-Mitchell plays into this by showing the flip side and defending the diet/lifestyle choice that had been attacked in the previous 5@5 by being an extremely preachy, intolerant vegetarian. Most of it is probably a matter of perspective with meat eaters noticing the preachy vegetarians more than the typical vegetarian who just wants to eat according to their dietary choices in peace while not noticing offensive or preachy comments (or downright tirades at times) made to promote meat eating or criticize a vegetarians dietary choices and vice versa.
I've chosen to not eat land animals because it is the right thing to do for my personal health (emphasis on personal). The preachiness from both sides makes me want to vomit. Stop giving a crap about what other people are eating AND get your facts straight: FYI, Uruguay consumes the most beef of any nation in the world with an average of 136 pounds per capita annum per person.
Wow, this Jane person's 'arguments' are terrible.
"America’s over-consumption of meat and dairy is largely responsible for our nation’s obesity crisis."
Umm, WHAT? Humans used to be hunter-gatherers (think cavemen), and ate meat every day at almost every meal. These guys had almost zero health problems and diseases. Meat CAN BE one of the healthiest things to eat. Look at steroid-free bodybuilders, these guys eat plenty of meat and are often shredded to the bone, it's obviously not doing them harm. Your argument is pathetic, loads of sugar, EXCESS fat, EXCESS food intake, and a lack of something called MOVEMENT is why America is fat.
"I challenge the idea that anyone can eat meat 'in peace.' It’s a contradiction in terms. How can you talk about peace if your plate is swimming in blood?"
Wow you are annoying. Ever hear of organic, or farmer's markets? If you are not eating meat because of the way it is produced, then I respect that, but how can anyone not eat a piece of meat, that has been cut and served ethically, in peace?
"If huge amounts of protein were the key to perfect health, America would be the healthiest nation on earth because we eat a lot more meat than people in most other countries. But, we’re not the healthiest."
Yes, because everyone knows protein is the sole macro nutrient responsible for fat loss or gain. Please. People's diets are SO much more complex than just how much protein they eat. You are saying this to win arguments. Pathetic. Again, refer to my original comment on how Americans are LAZY. You don't see meat-eating Germans getting fat, do you?
I am saddened that CNN had the audacity to post this.
>Cut peacefully
Gotta love the way it sounds. Can I cut and serve you peacefully? Makes perfect sense, actually.
Go ahead and live your pasty white lives pretending to feel good about not killing anything except yourself as you slowly turn anemic and die.
What is the natural death of a wild animal? Starvation, disease, and being torn open and eaten alive by another wild animal.
Um.. I wouldn't want to eat an "animal’s rotting carcass" either, and I'm not a vegatarian. Steak is not "rotting". Racid meat will get you sick. If you eat a fresh piece of steak, its delicious. Notice how she tries to use very specific words to gear the argument to her side. "Swimming in blood", "rotting carcas". Yeah, that sounds EXACTLY what we're all eating... not.
Four of her five counterarguments are all ethical one. Realize, you have no right to anything you eat; no matter what, you take a life. However, one might not define life as a single cell or even thousands capable of all the requirements to be considered "alive." That is to say, it senses and responds to stimuli, it grows and develops, it has DNA (or some form of it), it reproduces, and it consumes energy.
Jane,
You missed an excellent opportunity here to speak to thousands about the quality of a vegetarian diet and the possibility to transition to a better home cooked meal using similar methods for cooking meat. I love meat, I love fruits and veggies. Truth is I would rather eat fried or steamed tofu and fish with a pile of veggies that just about anything... but that is because it digests better, easier, and with less trouble. Still not beating a fantastic BBQ pulled duck.
But being more of an open minded flexi, I wish you hadn't gotten all preachy because while an amazingly prepared filet is well... amazing, a portobello cap with a wine reduction with that same side of garlic mashed potatoes is just as fantastic. This is the problem. You can't speak to meat eaters and expect them to care about the living conditions of the animals. I love the beasts but I'm not going to look at a PETA add and stop eating meat, I'm going to stop looking at PETA adds.
Next time take the opportunity and speak to people's stomachs, their taste buds, their sense of smell. I converted my parents through delicious cooking not preaching... and while the pharma companies are missing two people from their monthly Zantac and Prilosec quotas, my folks aren't complaining about eating less meat. Chefs are brilliant artisans who can create something that will speak to everyone. Instead of telling everyone they are bad people for eating meat... stop your conversion mindset and be a chef, let your plating do the talking.
Rik P.
Being a vegetarian has worked well for Jane. She turned 55 years old yesterday Sept. 29th.
and THEN! While yes I agree with the inhumane living conditions of many of these animals. There are many that do live humane lives. I choose this option. I choose fitness. I choose meat AND veggies balanced. I choose to exercise my common sense! I also choose to dismiss Politically Correct BS. See ya!
Yes, there have been recalls tied to animal-based products, but what of the spinach (E. coli O157:H7) recalls? What of the alfalfa sprouts, cilantro, jalapenos & tomatoes (Salmonella). No product that has any exposure to humans, animals, or other organisms is safe from potential contamination.
For all her mention of "Factory Farms", there is a reason we have the technology we do. If we went back to "the good old days" of Ma & Pa & a mule of my great-grandparents, we'd all starve to death, not just those that are already hungry. The way to feed the hungry, that "1 in 7" that do not get enough to eat, is NOT by cutting yield-increasing/waste-decreasing technologies, but my IMPROVING them to be more friendly to the environment. Heck, many dairies play music in the milking parlor to provide a more relaxing environment.
Also, there are many studies that show that cage-free chickens and their eggs are actually MORE prone to disease and contamination due to their constant contact with dirt and feces. Chickens are de-beaked (a misnomer, only the tip of the beak is trimmed, and has no effect on their consumption) because they are naturally cannibalistic in the wild, cage-free or in a farm. They will kill eachother at the first scent of blood, or to establish the pecking order (it got its name for a reason).
Agriculture can definitely improve its practices, but so can just about every other industry. Mistreating animals, ANYTHING that causes them stress is detrimental to the business. It produces poor quality meat, a decrease in egg/milk production, death, sickness, you name it. Why on earth would a for-profit business do something intentionally to lose money?
Wow Chelsea, you are seriously far removed from where our food comes from. These diseases are coming from 2 sources. 1) the runoff from the sick animals from these huge corporate "farms", and 2) do you know how they genetically modify plants? Guess what? They need an "activator gene", do you know where that gene comes from? Look it up.
When did our country turn into a bunch of Homer Simpsons? What is so wrong with eating meat that is humanly raised? Technology has only been around for a short time, how can you sit there and argue that technology is better? Than what?!? Is there 200 years of data to support that claim? Because from what I can see, technology has a long way before it catches up with what mother nature can provide. I love meat that comes from a farmer who names their cows! I eat meat sometimes. But I demand to know where my food comes from. I can't, for the life of me, firgure out why most other people don't care. Oh....but break out that hand sanitizer! You may need it, (you don't know where other peoples hand have been!)
Ms. Velez-Mitchell seems to insist that it's not possible to eat meat guilt-free... Yes it is. I do it daily, and I'm about to go do it as soon as I submit this comment.
The fact that she never mentions is that we have evolved biologically to eat both meat and vegetables, just look at your damn teeth. Look at our digestive tract. It's natural. Like sex.
But that kills people too.
You know what else kills people? Time.
Vegitarian or not, the more Fresh Fruit and Veggies you eat, the healthier you are.. Remember you can have lipitor ( and it's side-effects) with that Burger and Fries or a salad with that Burger
She says,
America’s over-consumption of meat and dairy is largely responsible for our nation’s obesity crisis, one of the nation’s leading causes of preventable illness and death.
But then she makes it painfully clear that no eating of meat is acceptable under any circumstances. This is how PETA and militant vegans operate. They act like they just want us not to be cruel to the animals and eat meat in moderation, but their real goal is to have us never eat meat no matter how humanely it is cared for and for the most part they also object to keeping animals as pets.
Be very careful what causes you support, it's easy to be against being cruel to animals, but supprting these organizations and individuals equates to supportin groups who would force you to not eat meat if they could.
Rotting meat, please I've eaten meat most days of my life and have eaten at least 20 different species, but I've never had meat that tasted rotten.
Jane gets so philosophical sometimes. Yes, Jane, we are all dying in the same way that all meat is rotting. Way to be a nihilist Jane.
OK, this woman was quite preachy. So much so that I might want to go out, get a Tri tip and cook it medium rare, just to have the blood on the plate. As bad as our diet is, aren't we living like 30-40 years longer than in the 1900s? And that's WITH eating meat. I eat vegitarian meals at times but I also eat meat and I'm at peace.
Honestly, I don't get why it's unethical to eat meat. Devouring other creatures is a part of nature, it's done by every carnivore on Earth. In fact, some species -must- eat meat to survive. (i.e. all felines are obligate carnivores. If they're fed foods based entirely on vegetable matter, they develop amino-acid deficiency diseases. Their bodies cannot replicate an amino acid that is otherwise only aquirable by digesting flesh.) If it has a place in nature, and our bodies bear evidence that we've been eating meat since the dawn of history (canine teeth, as an example), why is it suddenly wrong to enjoy a natural process?
I tend to equate the vegan and vegetarian push to try and convert people to the reproductive inhibitions that have worked their way into society because of various religious groups and their convictions. People pushing a vegetarian lifestyle on others are simply pushing their personal tastes and ethics onto others. I can respect that you don't have a taste for meat... that's cool, but don't push your beliefs as if they're the only legitimate ones.
I will agree, though, that meat factories produce bad quality meat and likely do cause more stress on the animals raised in them. I'll always take a nice free range, grass-fed steak over a corn-fed one any day.
Then the beginning is to only eat free range. The trouble seems to be, we all agree that it is unfair to eat factory farmed animals because these beings can feel pain and stress as we do, but we were made as carnivores. Americans eat vastly more meat than we are supposed to – and it is because our cheap factory farming is heavily subsidized. Realistically, we only need about 1 serving a day of meat, and in a small portion. So much greater is our need for fruits and vegetables.
For the last month, I have been practicing free-rangetarianism, or "demi" vegetarianism. I'm aware it sounds corny (pardon the pun), but I am actually practicing my beliefs now. I like meat. But unless we, as CONSUMERS, demand free range over factory farmed, then there will be no change in the foreseeable future.
Humans also have intelligence (aka a brain) that is not seen among other animals who are omnivores or carnivores. Do you see those animals creating great inventions? Contributing to math, science, technology, or literature? I choose not to eat meat by choice, but I do not look down at others who wish to. That is your problem. However, when one has intelligence it is also our responsibilty to not turn the other face when it comes to being compassionate, better individuals.
I will compare the notion (to me) of vegetairanism/veganism to being wealthy. The way I see it is if I have a lot of money, I have a social responsibility to help the poor, needy, etc. However, not all people who have lot of money feel it is their responsibility. One is morally superior to the other, but that doesn't make one option better than the other. It is entirely up to the individual and how he or she views the world.
If god didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat.
Or anywhere near as tasty!
I'm not against vegans or vegetarians, but some of her points are just pointless. People are fat because of many other reasons than eating meat. How about overloads of sugars from Soda, Breads, and Desserts. Her first rebuttal says people eat meat loaded with salts and sugars... ummm.. that sounds like a preparation issue not an actual meat issue. You can go overboard with salt and sugar on vegatables.
Vegetarian diets can be very healthy or very unhealthy depending on food choices. Excess simple carbs must be avoided and healthy fats and protein are essential. Supplements with fish oil providing EPA & DHA (flax does not provide these), B-complex, zinc and iron are essential for vegetarians.
Wayne Gorsek
"I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass"
------------
I only made it this far, how is a cooked piece of meat rotting? She is far to biased to make any sort of comparison. She probably believes the crap that PITA puts out.
Pita is a bread. I think you mean PETA. But, not surprising that you don't have a clue.
Look at your mouth. Open up and have gander at your teeth. Now zero in on your canines. See them there, the pointy, flesh ripping ones? They're biological proof that we are designed to eat meat. We're omnivores. If you don't like that, eat your vegetarian/vegan diet all you want, but don't ask me to deny reality with you. It's embarrassing.
OK, smarty-pants....go run in the wild and take down an antelope with those "canine" teeth. Then rip that flesh raw using those buff fingernails you've got. And eat it raw. No cooking allowed to kill off those pathogens, real carnivores don't need no stinking grill. Face it, wimp. You're biologically a vegetarian, no matter what your social conditioning and attitudes have to say about it. Your hands are designed for picking fruit, your teeth are designed for grinding up nuts and fibrous plants, and your long digestive tract is designed for processing all that fiber you'd be better off eating. So you can either get with the program of accepting your own biology and eating accordingly, or suffer the same widespread heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and/or cancers that your fellow "carnivore" meat eaters are all bragging about after decades of unnatural eating.
To all you morons who are self-proclaimed "carnivores" – take it to a science class. We're all primates, and our bodies are designed for either a completely vegetarian or almost-completely vegetarian diet. Gorillas are 100% vegetarian and share 97% of our DNA, and certainly aren't wimpy. Neither is Jack LaLanne, going strong in his 90s as a long-time vegetarian if not vegan.
I have thought this very same thing. Thanks for articulating this point so well. Humans are soooo far removed from nature it's funny. They only way humans can hunt is with tools. Try going against a large animal one on one with nothing but your body. We would lose. Our brains may have evolved, but our ability to survive in the wild without the comforts of society has not.
Most primates are omnivores, chimps will even attack and eat other primates. How this happened that civ made us humans so deluded naïves?
Humans resemble chimpanzee more than gorillas and chimps are omnivores! Furthermore Jack Lalanne was a vegetarian for about six years and that was a long time ago! He eats plenty of meat especially fish! He even drank cow blood for awhile! Get your facts straight or STFU!
Jack LaLanne, recently survived a heart attack. I'm a huge fan, though. Love his old vids. Not exactly vegan (lotsa milk, eggs, cheese, chicken in those original menu plans). Though you may be correct in saying he switched later in life to vegetarianism.
One thing wrong with your argument for concluding humans are not omnivores. We have big brains.
"Smarty-pants" isn't going to try to take down a wild antelope with his teeth, because he, having a big brain, can pay someone else to kill his meat, or go do it himself with a gun, or axe, or something. While humans can eat meat raw (I find tartar delicious), they often prefer to cook it for a variety of reasons. They know how to use fire. What other animal does? Really? It's the brains, I tell ya!
I used to be vegan. Then I went carnivore. Now I've finally embraced my true biology, and eat a hearty omnivorous diet. My brain is much happier.
She does come across as preachy, but that doesn't negate the fact that her points are valid. I read so many comments by folks on this board about how great meat tastes, how guilt-free they are, how meat is the key to the evolution of the human brain (that's a new one on me - I took many anthropolgy classes in college and never once heard that theory), but there is an underlying defensiveness to all of these comments. On some level, you DO feel guilty about eating the flesh of an animal with the intelligence level of a dog. You DO feel guilty about eating something that is responsible for the obesity and heart-disease levels in the American populace. If you didn't, you wouldn't get pissy and take the time to sound off on this board. By the way, Tofurky makes a great sandwich - try it and you'll like it.
revisit the anthro texts. when homonids started using tools they broke bones and ate the marrow from carcasses that carnivorous predators left behind. this new addition of protein to the diet of previously herbivor homonids allowed the braiin to develop and spurred the next steps of evolution.
she makes several valid points in the interview, but many of her facts are exaggerated, made up, or just dumb sounding. tim love still sounds like a moron though.
i support slow food, and favor small farms for both vegetables and livestock. factory farmed vegetables are just as devoid of nutrients and are nearly as damaging to the environment as factory farmed meat.
"Our task must be to free ourselves . . . by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty."
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."
Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel Prize 1921
Einstein said this long before the elucidation of consciousness about "carbon footprints" and "greenhouse gases". Simply put the choice to evolve must include a predominanly plant based diet. The choice not to evolve will most certainly seal the collective fate of the planet. " How many kids would eat a kids burger with a clown on the bag if they had to watch the cow get processed... I wonder...? How many adults are still ignorant to this insanely obsolete component of the food chain? How blissful blind self rightousness must be... Certainly much more fun than having to understand and explain these concepts.
You should watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution in which he demonstrated the process of making Chicken nuggets before regulation was brought down. He boiled a chicken carcass, ground it up in a blender, added varous ingredients, then formed into a patty and fried it. Guess how many kids didn't want to eat them??? Zero... Every kid still wanted to eat it even after seeing the process. So don't be so quick to think that the processing of animals for meat has an affect on everyone's ability to continue to consume meat products. It hasn't affected me.
How many would have eaten it if they saw that chicken be decapitated and eviscerated? ...
I have tried tofu and find it truly disgusting but I have no problem with those who prefer it. Please don't try to put me on a guilt trip because I like an occasional steak. My problem with the vegans is that they are not content to live their own lives; they want to force the rest of us to live their lifestyle too.
There's no proof Einstein ever wrote that. In fact, Einstein was an omnivore until his last year when he tried vegetarianism and died a year later. Vegans are trying to rewrite history by claiming that several famous people were pro vegetarian when they simply were not. Tesla is another example of this. He wasn't a vegetarian either but the vegans will claim that he was by taking a writing of his out of context.
I don't care if you eat meat or not; you are smoking hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jane, will you marry me?
Was vegan for 10 out of 43 years. Much better off as an omnivore with a wide variety of veggies, fruit, grains and meat in moderation. We are not adapted to eating veggies all day long. We don't have 4 stomaches like cows. Moderation people, moderation!
Incorrect. Where do you get your data? Point me to it, please. Humans can live entirely on a plant based diet and do so with great results and less disease. Those are facts and you can look them up. I suggest starting with some of John Robbins' books. Cows eat only grass so they need multipole stomachs. We're not eating only grass.
Read the reviews on his book - no scientifically verifiable evidence. Humans have evolved as omnivores - read any evolutionary biology book. Veganism was practiced by Hinuds for religious reasons. It took generations for them to adapt to veganism. Numerous devotees suffered malnutrition and died. My ancestors were omnivores from the footsteps of the Himalayas. Do you think people survive those conditions on just veggies in the harsh winter? My ancestors lived into their mid-90s on an natural non-toxic omnivorous diet - this is without advanced medical centers, etc to fight disease.
"Read the reviews"? Bravo. Is that how you got through school? John presents widely accepted empirical data regarding the effects of diet on health. Meat consumption is responsible for much more disease (fact). Meat consumption is one of the biggest contributors to colon cancer (fact). Ever heard of the Okinawa study? google it. These people had little or no meat in their diet and have demonstrated themselves to be the healthiest culture on the planet. If you actually read Robbins' book Healthy at 100 you will learn more about the Okinawa study and several other cultures where meat is not a part of their diet. In most cases the incidence of cancers and coronary disease are a fraction of what they are in cultures where meat is consumed. Get your facts straight.
Waste of time reading fanatical books. Have read others like it...and moved on. I have a Masters in Science 3.9 avg, thank you, and prefer facts by ESTABLISHED ACCREDITED SCIENTISTS, not cultish interlopers.
Sorry, Jane Velez-Mitchell is out of her league on this issue. For millions of years Homo Sapiens ate a diet of meat, fish, vegetables, nuts, and fruit. To exclusively extract one or two portions of this mix would wreck havoc with our human digestive system.
Her league is a few steps above yours if you make comments like that. How do you explain millions of vegans who are incredibly healthy? Do you also know that meat consumption is one of the leading causes of colon cancer? Do some research.
there is a reason why we are born with K9's and horses are not!!!!
Yeah, just how many "K9"s do you have? I count four, and they're not that sharp. But I encourage you to test your so-called carnivorism. Go out into the wild and take down a wild boar, or a sheep, or even some medium-sized rodent. You can only use your canine teeth to make the kill, no guns allowed. No knives, either. You have to tear into the flesh with those fangs you imagine that you have, and with those sharp retractable claws. Oh, you don't have those types of claws? But it's so obvious that you are a carnivore, because your parents conditioned you to eat meat that they bought pre-killed and packaged at the grocery store, right??!! You're no more a carnivore just because you've been conditioned to accept meat as part of your diet, any more than I'm an animal of flight just because I can board a plane.
Other primates eat meat and they use tools to take down their prey. Also, we wear our teeth down gnawing on cutlery. My dentist filed mine down after my braces came off because they were "too sharp". You should see my husband's canines. He could easily pull raw flesh from an animal. And you're also limiting meat eating to large game. What about fish, birds, insects, etc...? Vegans don't eat those either, remember?
It always makes me laugh, when vegetarians say there way of eating is more peaceful. I would argue that a plant is also living, and killing it is no less as horrible as killing a cow. Just because we can't hear the screams of a plant doesn't mean it cannot feel pain. Regardless of what you eat, you are undoubtedly going to kill something. So why preach about who's way is better. Until a pill is invented with all the vitamins and minerals we need, I don't see any reason to argue over this. Bottom line is we have to kill to survive, as much as we wish that was not the case we do.
Well, then Chris, why pick on other species? My recommendation is for you to become a cannibal. After all, how could you possibly know that the screams and tears of other humans mean anything at all? Maybe we don't feel any pain and it's all just something we learned in acting class. What makes me laugh is idiots like you who think plants, with no brains or observable exhibitions of pain, must somehow be the moral equivalent of other animals, who are not so biologically different from us humans and do react to pain and suffering. You lump other animals with plants or vice versa but somehow you think humans are in a different category. We humans are animals ourselves. Real carnivores go cannibal and eat their own, don't be a sissy! Me, I'm secure enough in my manhood to eat tofu and broccoli and skip out on all that heart disease and diabetes nonsense; it's just not for me.
What is missing here is that there are meat eating options that DON'T involve these horrid factory farm conditions of which she speaks. Our family eats meat, but the meat and eggs we buy come only from local farms, where the animals live on open pasture in humane conditions as nature intended them to live. God gave us dominion over the animals but not the right to abuse them. You can eat meat (yes, even bacon) that comes from animals who have been treated with the gratitude they deserve. It doesn't have to come from a factory, and eating with a conscience doesn't mean eschewing meat. It means being aware of what you're eating, and how and where it was produced.
Very well put. I'm a vegetarian but I champion this kind of thinking. Yes, eat meat. It is your right to do so. But do so responsibly and with reverence. Thank you for a very wise and intelligent comment.
If all American meat-eaters were to follow your advice, they would have to eat about 5% of the amount of meat they're currently eating. There's no way to produce the amount of meat Americans eat without intensive factory farming. That's how you know it isn't natural. Well, one way to know.
Typical of a vegan to look at the fluffy ouside, but not take into consideration all the factors of reality. Seriously? Take all the grains fed to animals and feed the hungry? We already have so much extra grains, corns, peanuts etc that we destroy every year to keep from over inflation. that's a fact! I've seen it done. Secondly there is no money for farmers to live if they are raising grains primarily to feed the hungry. There IS money and demand for animal feed. Go eat yer veggies. Then Obesity? really? Number 1 cause? We've been eating meat since the beginning of time and are JUST become obese! Common sense gone lady? Perhaps if folks got off their couch and exercised more we woudl be lean people again and not anorexic looking ladies that just wanna save the fluffy animals. eat a steak woman! It'll help with that common sense.
I love how when a vegetarian states "facts" that meat-eaters immediately go into knee-jerk mode and react by saying it is "preachy". She stated facts (google them if you doubt them) to bolster her argument. She is right on all counts. The truth is that no one likes to be told they are wrong and so meat-eaters react and respond with ugly comments that do nothing to support their decisions for eating meat. I'm a vegetarian of 30 years and my doctor says I am extremely healthy for my age (54). I don't preach to anyone about how my diet is better than theirs nor do I insist that people stop eating meat. What I suggest to those who want to continue to be carnivores is to please forgo the meat produced by factory farms (most of what is available in your average grocery store and at fast food joints) and purchase meat that is raised sustainably and done so in a way that treats the animal with respect. Eat less meat and eat "better" meat. But please don't support factory farms and the damage that they do to our world. It is the equivalent of getting into a crowded elevator with a cigarette- your choice harms the rest of us. Feel free to eat meat but please do so responsibly.
Thank you for making this point. There are plenty of choices out there at local farms. A little looking around and you can find healthy, humane meat.
typical touchy-feelie "You're an evil person for eating those poor, sweet, animals" tripe. I eat meat and don't feel badly about it in the least. I guess that does make me evil. MUAHAHAHAHAHA. Someone slap some reality into this broad.
Now that Ms. Velez-Mitchell has, so generously, provided me with my laugh for the day; I shall go back to consuming my NATURAL sources of B12.
I am a vegetarian, and though I agree with the author on many levels, I don't preach one bit or look down upon those who don't share my beliefs. I happen to be fit and full of energy, but that;s because I'm well versed in nutrition. Tofurkey is delicious, FYI, and I loved her word "Thanksliving"!
"I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass. It’s guilt-free eating."
This destroyed the rest of the article for me. Period. I'm a vegetarian too and an animal lover and supporter. But language and context is everything. Too convinced she is right for my tastes.
In the not too distant future – < 10 yrs we will have perfected the process of cultivated steaks, basically meat grown in a bag, no brain, no feet, no beaks, no eyes or ears – nothing but a pure slab of protein grown in a lab for a tenth of the price we pay today. When that happens the vegetarian argument falls apart, when their is no sentience behind the meat.
Many meat eaters will cringe at the idea that it wasn't from a full animal but in time lab grown meat will replace natural animal processing and everyone will have to rethink why they choose their lifestyle.
Jane,
What's with the over the top, preachy point of view? Does it give you more credibility?
I've eaten vegetarian and raw. Now I'm eating meat and fish.
Eating meat and fish protein is the natural expression of our evolution–since the paleolithic era our bodies have been bred to use protein to its max. Our genetics are virtually the same as our ancestors from 120,000 years ago. In the last 10,000 years we've switched to an agricultural bias with mass production.That's not a very long time in the timeline.
Don't get me wrong. Vegetables are not the enemy. What is the enemy in our diet is processed foods and a seemingly blank check for people to eat grains–that's what makes people sick.
A balanced diet of 30% protein, 40% good carbohydrates (certain kind of fruits and vegetables and not pasta and whole wheat bread) and 30% good fat (avocados, almonds, etc.) is what fuels our body best. This approach, called the paleo diet, is what people are using to lose weight, feel better and achieve better athletic results (if that is important to an individual).
Not expecting you to start eating meat but wanted your readers to see a different option.
Rich
The problem is not meat vs veggie – the real problem lies with the production via factory farming.
This is more of the same brainwashing the vegetarian lobby has thrown at us for years. Using examples of factory farming does nothing to convince me not to eat meat. It just reminds me to be careful from where my meat comes. I buy grass-finished pasture-raised beef and pasture-raised chicken. You can even buy pork not raised on factory farms. The trick is being a responsible consumer.
Vegetarian diets are no better for the environment. Soybeans, corn, and wheat (which constitute much of the diet of every vegetarian I know) are constantly subsidized and raised in environmentally irresponsible ways – they, too, are "factory farmed." To think that an entire nation dependent on these crops raised irresponsibly is somehow more socially conscious is a fallacy.
In addition, the human body is not intended to eat only vegetables. Worms are a delicacy in some countries because they are a source of protein, which is what our muscles are made of. The body needs protein and fat. The low-fat diet is a sham, and doesn't work. Calories in-calories-out only works on the level of a starvation diet, and will cause your body to lose far more muscle than it will fat. Studies also show that a lack of fat in your diet will cause depression – small wonder, considering most of your brain tissue is consituted of fat.
Vegetarianism is not natural. If you ethically feel obliged to eat no meat, I will not ridicule or judge you. But telling me that the diet our ancestors lived on is incorrect (meat and veggies – low sugar and grain consumption) simply tells me you have not reasonably reviewed the science.
Being a vegetarian is solely an moral decision. Science does not back it up.
I don't believe you have your facts straight
If God didn't want us to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat?
Guilt will never change my diet. As a matter of fact, doing things out of guilt is like doing them for someone else.
I would still eat meat even if they tortured farm animals to give them a better flavor. (BTW, true Kobe beef is from a cow that is in basically a hammock and is hand massaged and fed rich grain all it's life. Doesn't sound too bad.)
I think people need to stop worrying about animals. Yeah, people will be eating them long from now. Even when they are extinct naturally from this planet and we clone them for food. When we have to skin debone and deorgan all of our food so that we can eat cause the clone people deliver whole animals to your door. I personally can't wait for that filet mignon or that pork tenderloin or venison backstrap. I'll chase it down the block and hunt the animals with my bare hands. Completely and utterly fair. My teeth your raw filet.
We have bigger problems on this planet. Trust me.
And constantly worrying about it will change nothing. Maybe if there are enough vegetarians the price of steak will go down? Just a thought. They should have an inverse relationship IMO.
There is one obvious answer that no one has pointed out yet. Vegetarians aren't human.
You don't deserve to be called Homo Erectus. You all get to be Homo Limpus, for your weak spine and coddeling of the rest of our food animals.
I'm damn proud of the steak I make for my friends and loved ones. And if you asked the cow, and he answered, he would say, "Yes Alex, you've done alright by us heffers. You turned us from a fat wallowing stinky walking turd into a work of delectable art. Who knew my insides would taste so good?"
Plants are living things. We enslave, kill, and eat them. Why does that engender a guilt-free lifestyle for Jane Velez-Mitchell? Is it because plants aren't cute in her mind?
I suppose lions would be vegetarians too if they weren't brainwashed by their parents, the water-buffalo-hating media, and the bloodlusting antics of Seigfried and Roy.
We're omnivores, folks. For good health, we require a balanced diet from many sources, all of which in moderation and always incorporating an active lifestyle and a reasonable exercise regimen. We eat meat. We eat fruits. We eat veggies. We eat nuts. ... Too bad it's illegal to eats nuts like Ms. Velez-Mitchell and Mr. Love.
Actually, we have omnivorous tendencies because meat was an essential part of our diet as humankind was evolving. The only worthwhile source of protein to sustain our quickly growing brains was in meat. Our teeth haven't evolved to a completely herbivorous state due to the fact that throughout history, there has still been times when meat was necessary (Ice age, famines, blights, etc). Now the meat we eat is pumped full of hormones and overeaten. Now that humans can provide a balanced diet without eating meat, it is best for our bodies to cut meat out of our diet altogether.
Jane makes a passionate and thoughtful argument against factory farming, but that's not the topic. Omnivores can eat meat and vegetables grown in sustainable ways. Moreover, farming vegetables can create problems like soil depletion (if not properly rotated) and fertilizer runoff. So, unless you grow something yourself in a completely sustainable and environmentally conscious way, nothing is guilt free (not even tofu). Finally, what does JVM think those teeth at the front of our mouths have evolved to do? We shouldn't support factory farms and corporate mismanagement that endangers our health and threatens the environment, but vegetarianism isn't a panacea.
it is better, according to Einstein and the UNFAO and most environmentalists and most climate change scientists
Hey if it feels good, do it.
That's why my great-great-great grandfather owned slaves, my great-great-great-great grandfather killed indians, and my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather killed all those non-Christians in the Crusades.
Everyone else was doing it, so it must have been fine.
Oh yeah...he said it!
Actually there is an issue with a vegetarian/vegan diet that is often not discussed. Boron, Manganese, and other trace minerals are almost impossible to 'digest' via supplements. The only real way to get these in your diet is to eat the flesh of a herbivore. Several studies have shown vegans/vegetarians (particularly when starting during childhood) have lower bone density and less enamel on their teeth. Face facts... we are genetically built around an omnivorous diet. Too much carnivore OR too much herbivore deprives our bodies of necessary nutrition. Also, how can a vegetarian/vegan claim to have a balanced diet when they MUST take mineral and vitamin supplements to ward off malnutrition? How is that sustainable for that billion poor people she mentions? Are you going to buy them all a daily vitamin/mineral supplement? Now what about other food products made from animals? You do realize of course that the vast bulk of 'fertilizer' is made from animal waste... right? How do you expect farmers to grow all those acres of fruits, vegetables, and grains without fertilizer? Just asking...
Actually Daniel,
i have been a vegetarian all my life and i have never eaten ONE piece of meat, ever. I am as healthy as you can be (according to my doctor) the vegetarian diet is the healthiest died you can have. (over 150,000 doctors say this) . i rarely take vitamin/mineral pills. i have never dyed my hair or anything. the vegetarian diet bring 10 years off your face. it helps you look younger and feel younger
Ok, as a female, I am offended. I eat meat. I also eat(and enjoy): well seasoned veggies, fresh fruits, LOVE salad, etc. And as for the notion that we "force children" to eat meat until they like it. Fooey! CENTURIES, MILLENIA, we have been hunters AND gatherers. I am offended at the notion that we cannot eat both, let's leave it at that. I agree the factory farms are cruel and truely something should be done. However, not eating meat is not going to change that. But it isn't like veggies & fruits are raised on farms where Kumbaya is broadcast to them everyday either. The vegetarian and *roll eyes* vegan movement are less than 100 years old. Whereas we have been carnivores for generations. Sorry, but I am stickin with the MEAT!
I was forced to eat meat. I'll bet plenty of kids were. "Finish your dinner or you can't go outside!"
Actually, the obesity epidemic, to my understanding, is due primarily to the amount of sugar and simple carbohydrates (white sugar, white rice, whiite bread, etc.) that people consume, not meat and dairy. I eat plenty of chicken, pork, yogurt, cheese, eggs, but in moderation, and along with at least 40 minutes of cardio exercise each day, I have managed to stay at healthy size 6 for the past 15 years (I am a 51 year old African American woman, 5'5" tall).
I love me some veggies and legumes, too (I have a killer recipe for vegetarian chili), but I'm sorry, I love me some meat and seafood too. All in moderation is the key. If you choose to be a vegetarian or vegan, more power to you, but stop berating us omnivores (those who eat both plants and meat) for our choice. I find it insulting.
Wow Tims a jerk. He trashes "preachy vegetarians". He should try the flip side because the preachiness of vegetarians is nothing compared to the obnoxiousness of"carnivores. Try politely decline a piece of steak you hammered with "why?" and if you politely say "I'm a vegetarian" you get hammered with insults, talked down to, mooed at or have people spend the rest of the meal talking about how much they, love meat and how great meat is.
Thank you Phillip. I was just discussing this today. Somehow vegetarians are seen as preachy, yet it seems that people who eat meat feel very defensive by our very existence.
It doesn't matter if you like the taste of meat, it is the result of an animal being killed (and very often treated horribly before that). It is truly sad how people have no sense of compassion...if you have no compasison for an animal, how can you have compassion for another human? If you can know that something is suffering and not care because of your own selfishness (I like the taste of meat so that is all that matters) what does that say about you as a human being?
What kind of world do we want to live in, one where we don't care about the suffering of others, or one that treats every creature with compassion?
The reason we evolved to be the dominant and smartest animals on the planet is because of meat eating. Humans were able to kill for meat (massive amount of protein) and thus humans evolved with larger brains.
Ann Coccagnia, if you're so worried about hormones, then you ought to know that plants make their own hormones, and those hormones are found in the seeds and nuts and beans where vegetarians get most of their protein. Soy is extremely high in hormones that are the equivalent of estrogen. So you're not getting away from hormones by eating tofu and edamame. If you really want hormone-free protein, then try organic grass-fed meat.
He was being tongue-in-cheek about it, and people get all up in arms and need to defend their feeding preference. Reading someone's opinion does not mean you have to take up arms and defend your own. Sheesh. Last time I checked, vegetables and fruits tend to rot, too, milady.
I'm a carnivore who also enjoys vegetables. I know all about factory farming and while I think it's sad, it hasn't stopped me from eating meat. Her argument isn't factual or logical. People are not obese because they eat meat. People have become obese because we have moved from an agricultural and industrial society to one where most people sit in chairs all day. We haven't adjusted our eating habits. Most well-known weight-loss plans involve eating meat, vegetables, and FEWER CARBS, not cutting out meat.
I've been a vegetarian for 3 years, and I even think this article is a bit over the top. 'a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass' and a plate 'full of blood', really? There's being factual and then there's being over dramatic and incorrect. A lot of the things she brings up as well as just plain incorrect. The comment about babies not liking the flavor of meat is ludicrous as well. Has no one thought that perhaps the reason babies don't enjoy meat at first is because they don't have teeth / are teething, and meat being a tougher substance to break down aggravates or irritates them at first?
Like I said earlier, I'm a vegetarian, but screaming at people for eating meat, and trying to shock them out of eating meat is not a very good strategy. There's a reason PETA is considered a joke, and that's because they're campaigns are all run on shock value.
Obesity is also brought up, and by the way she states her 'facts', it's all meats fault. You don't think it's odd that obesity is a recent problem, even though people have been eating meat for thousands of years? You don't think it has to do with corporations pumping out hormone filled garbage and junk foods into the mass market?
Like I said, I'm a vegetarian, but this article is terrible.
I met with some indians from Asia who never tasted meat in their life time. And, to my surprise, they did not like the taste of meat at all. After that I believe that our taste is trained by experience, not born with.
To the obesity issue, you need to look into America's meat consumption statistics. Yes, Americans are eating more and more meat. For example, chicken consumption per capita increased from 40.3 pounds in 1970 to 86.6 pounds in 2005.
everything in moderation
Hey stupid chick who should not breed, Americans are obese because of genetically modified, heavily subsided, highly processed, corn products.
Let's also not forget the genetically modified fruits and vegetables to produce larger fruit. When ANYTHING is genetically altered, it has unwanted long term effects. I try to only by free range meats and organic veggies. Do you really want to eat meat that has been feed all kinds of growth hormones to get huge as fast as possible? There is something totally wrong when you are eating a 10lb chicken that is only 2 months old. Animals should not grow that fast.
"Is this broad serious?" / "She can have a piece of my meat" = sexist much? (And btw, PLP a2z, you'e the one "eating meat"....just sayin'!)
"A government study with rats" can't show anything about comparative human IQ. Your post can, though.
"Preachy vegetarians" > this all started with Tim Love preaching about eating meat, not the other way around. Is he trying to prove to himself that he's not gay or what? Just look at him!
"Everything in moderation" > BS. We don't admire folks for driving drunk in moderation, stealing cars in moderation, or molesting children in moderation. If we agree that the industrial meat system in the US is objectionable, simply excusing it on the grounds of "moderation" is silly. If you don't agree that the system is objectionable, that's on you to justify.
They Call Me Big Meat!
Several thoughtless comments.... Sorry people, but Jane is right on target for this one. You can make all the fun you want... But it's not funny at all. This is very serious. Take a trip to a slaughterhouse sometime folks. Or, better yet, why don't you slaughter the animal yourself for your personal consumption? I'll bet most people can't do that. You take the easy way out – nicely packaged from the meat department.
The Bible states: "In the last days, men will say that it is wrong to eat meat, and wrong to get married,
These are doctrines of Devils." enough said...
What was the chapter and verse on that? I'd like to look it up. Personally, I don't think it's wrong to eat meat per se, but we are charged with the responsibility of being good stewards of God's creation, and right now we're not doing that.
Funny how the meat lover gets a small blip, while the veggie person gets twice as much to try and make people feel guilty.
America is fat why, because they sit in chair all day eating sweets, drinking sweets, and if I am not wrong most of those are made with very little animal by products.
Here is a history lesson, early man and woman were hunter and gathers. Mostly hunters and they were lean and stong hunter because of it. The only reason man and woman advanced was because they ate meat for the most part, their alot of science behind that is what jump started our development.
When humans went to just veggies, namely the middle ages, they were weak and controlled. When people started eating more meat, they were stronger and healther.
Get off you high horse and stop trying to make me feel guilty about eating meat, it's what God wanted use to do. If we were supposed to eat just veggies, then we would be like alot of other animals that have more then one stomach or eat rocks to grind up the veggies.
I support vegans all the way, those cows, chickens, and pigs taste pretty good.
Who cares that animals had to die for me to eat them? I dont. Thats why they are there. Meat is awesome.
This b*tch is crazy
i think people who eat meat wouldn't mind eating human flesh if they didn't know what it is in the first place as long as it tastes good.
You are correct sir
I've heard that humans taste like pork. I don't like pork very much. Now if we tasted like chicken...
I am a meat eater and was actually offended by Tim Love puting down vegetarians and vegans. I guess we all now know he is racist! Everyone should be able to chose what they wish to eat without someone telling them it's wrong. There is no "love" in his name!
I love animals and always have, but i also love to eat meat, in moderation. It is gross how much meat people in general eat, but some on the side is always good. Also, I have worked in a farrow barn (where baby pigs are born and grown to a certain weight) and ya, sometimes it was sad to see these pigs in a little tiny cages, but I love bacon and still eat it. Pigs are smart, but mean buggers. oh, and i would love to see a human live on a diet of grass. Horses actually have another part to their stomach which allows them to digest the grass, and cows have four different sections in their stomach to digest grass, humans don't...I wonder why.
Typical vegan answers to some guy making jokes about eating meat.
I'd still hump her.
I did the step to Vegetarian last spring, because I finally had enough with those horror stories how those animals are kept and eventually killed. Aweful, and you want to eat a peice of this unhappy carcasses? Nope. It is not that I didn't like meat. It is that those creatures suffer. I feel good now and I'm for sutre not lacking any energy. I can just encourage everybody to try it out and next time you see a cow you can look it in the eyes. It is so much more fun and vegetables taste so good. Learn to cook! It is much easier to cook a steak than a vegi dinner. Be creative, so many good soups wan to be tasted or combine it with potatoes.
"There are plenty of plant-based protein sources. Ditto for iron and other essential vitamins."
Correct, Jane... there are. However, there are NOT any replacements for amino acids, and many of your "essential" vitamins in plant material needs to be offset or supplemented. Also, the iron from vegetables is not an easily soluble iron. As for your quip about horses... well, it's easy to digest cellulose when you have a large cecum full of bacterial assistance.
You enjoy your forced, nutrient-poor diet. I'm going to eat healthy, lean meat that is naturally raised (think elk, bison, boar, and kangaroo) in moderation and never have to take iron pills, additional vitamins, have to fear about food choices in other countries, starve in a survival situation, etc.
You do of course realize that amino acids are protein..
@Dwight you realize amino acids aren't proteins at all. They're the building blocks of proteins. It's a difference. A brick is not a house.
I have been a vegetarian for over 34 years–not even eating chicken or fish. I made this life choice at age 19 because I hated the idea of some other living creature having to die just for me to eat. There are plenty of delicious, healthy things for me to eat without any living, breathing creature dying as a result. But after reading Jane's intelligent, thought-provoking, and extremely compelling comments, I feel ashamed that I fed meat to my children and cook it for my husband. I don't know how any person with a modicum of intelligence and compassion could eat any meat after reading her words.
Phahaha. Wow. I could not stop chuckling to myself the entire time I was reading this article. Really? Eliminate world hunger? That sounds fantastic, don't get me wrong, but that is so incredibly oversimplified. And your implied logic that the reason Americans are so fat is because they eat too much meat is also ridiculously flawed. So many things contribute to being overweight, not the least of which is our flat out addiction to eating. Period.
Also, just for fun, I would love to watch your reaction when you're invited over to a friends house for dinner and they served you meat. They'd better have a little box ready for you so you can stand up and just let loose on those people trying to be generous by inviting you to their home and feeding you.
Dating A Vegatarian & being Married to her for 16 months was enough for me, Sorry but I'm the Burger King, Give me a Tripple Bacon Cheeseburger, Mayo only a side of fries & a lemon lime soda .
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Isn't this that chick who screams on CNN?
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You can look at a beings teeth and determine the type of food God intended for them to consume. Humans have teeth designed to eat MEAT and vegatables. Most vegetarians I have ever seen look pale, have poor muscle mass, skinny necks and act very passive. In the life cycle, there is a food chain and humans are at the top. Animals will get sacrificed for food and most people dont worry about. Nothing worse than being the poor vegan getting sand kicked in his face...
Jane is intense. Everything is good in moderation. Just this year, a woman ate too much bok choy and went into a coma: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/21/bok-choy-coma-enzyme-puts_n_584784.html.
People get so emotionally tied to food/lifestyles. Eat what you want and be merry folks.
I guess that these kinds of "debates" never strive for any balance.... My personal opinion is that in most things, you cannot ever get a decent solution to any problem by going to extremes, unfortunately the two people in this debate do not seem to see any room in the middle.....
I eat meat, in moderation. Since I started eating less meat and more veggies, and eating tofu and textured vegitable protein, I do feel better and think my health has improved.
But I think that is because I am eating a more balanced diet now, still some meat, but not as much as before.
I eat meat and I think it tases fine, and I don't necessarily feel "guilty" about eating meat. I do NOT like the factory farming practices and I do agree that such practices are not so good for the environment.
So, I think the "solution" is quite simple: Education, so people will recognize the health benfits of eating a balanced diet, and laws doing away with the most outrageous of the "factory farming" practices. The free market will then take over, the prices of meat will rise, education will indicate to people they should eat less meat, but still eat some meat, and since the prices of meat will be higher, they will choose more veggies anyway.
But I do think pure vegans are deluding themselves, just as much as people who eat far too much red meat.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Jane. Mahatma Gandhi, who once said "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated" would smile at you, knowing that you understand.
lets end the wars and show a little care for humans as well .. mahatma gandhi will be more happy :- )
It isn't meat that is making people obese it is the processed sugars and grains that we eat...paleo diet is the ideal...
I am a vegetarian and this shite is just depressing. I agree with most of her points but honestly, it's a cultural tradition to eat meat, us vegetarians can't change everyone's minds and we shouldn't try to. I agree that it's inhumane to eat meat but that's a personal decision that everyone needs to make for themselves. Teach compassion for all beings but don't shove it in everyone's face that they are bad for eating animals.
Jane Velez-Mitchell, that is the weakest argument I've ever read. First off, "Sows" do not scratch themselves. Secondly, our heritage relies on eating meat. Since the beginning of time, eating meat has been a primary source of food and energy. Men did not hunt vegetables. The circle of life calls for humans to eat meat. If you feel guilty enough to stop eating meat for sake of your own ethics, then by rule of choice that is completely fine. However, you cannot assume guilt upon everyone else because meat is "an animal's carcass." Do not try to put your push your choices on other people and attempt changing the way animals species instinctually behave. Whales eat fish, Lions eat zebras and Americans eat cows. I'm sure if you could sympathize with vegetables than you would stop eating that as well.
this will lower the meat price / lb ? ... i can eat her share too at less $$ :- )
http://www.lowcarb.ca/articles/narticle132.html
Jane Velez is a waist of air.
that's right waist... EAT MEAT and your waist will look great!
that's a joke, right? sarcasm. Americans eat the most meat and are the fattest nation on earth
Choosing compassion 3 times a day, makes me feel better in every way!
Being vegetarian is much, much more effective way to be 'Green' than buying a Hybrid, putting solar panels on the roof, etc.
http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/environment.html
Are you kidding me? You're honestly trying to turn this into a morality issue? It's about food and flavor, not whether or not every time I take a bite of pork I hear baby pigs squealing (which I don't, because I'm reasonable).
Also, a steak isn't a "rotting animal carcass." That's extreme sensationalism, and a low blow. Every organism begins to decompose when slain (in the case of animals) or separated from its vine/tree/bush (in the case of fruits and vegetables). But restaurants aren't serving "rotting" steak any more than they're serving rotten tomatoes. Please, stick to the facts.
Given the amount of cultures around the world–and civilizations throughout history–that have consumed copious amounts of meat and fish without widespread obesity problems, it's laughable to point to meat and say that's why America (or any country) is obese. Americans are obese because they're sedentary, and because they consume lots of processed foods.
It is not only easy, but normal and inexpensive, to eat a balanced diet of meats, fish, vegetables and grains and be in exceptionally good health. Anyone who says otherwise is either off their rocker, or selling something.
And this moral issue is funny because when we close human and pig in one room without food then if human does not eat pig cause his/her naive morality standards then we know that pig WILL eat human without tears in eyes.
DO YOU REALLY THINK IT IS NECESSARY CREATE A FORCED SCENARIO WHERE HUMANS ARE PUT AT SAME LEVEL THEN ANIMALS? WE ARE THE LIFE'S CROW AND CAN CONSCIOUSLY CHOOSE NOT TO BE VIOLENT AND CAUSE PAIN TO OUR INFERIOR BROTHERS IN LIFE'S LATHER, IT IS WHAT MAKE US HUMANS. WE DO WHAT WE WANT AFTER ALL BEING VEGETARIAN IS ULTIMATELY A CONSCIOUS MATTER. BE SURE A COW IS NOT GOING TO EAT YOU UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
Yes Luis, we ARE animals after all.
MODERATION!!!!!!!!!!!! I eat meat, but when I serve my husband...he get the big piece and little veggies, and I get the little piece and lots of veggies!! Pretty simple. If you like it, eat it and if you don't like it...don't eat it. Smoking kills, but millions still do it. it's about choices and we as people were created to make choices for ourselves, period.
I am in the same boat, my husband loves meat, but i eat a 1/4 what he eats in meat. it is about moderation. America is so fat because we are told take what you want and don't let anyone tell you no, and then eat some more because people are greedy. i got rid of this attitude and lost weight right away! and still eat meat.
There are actually more reasons to be a vegetarian than the animal rights angle, although that speaks to me, some people believe that we were given "dominion" over the animals on the planet and therefore have the right to eat them..I would encourage those folks to read Genisis 1:29. Additionally vegetable are indeed delicious! I have never enjoyed the taste of flesh and knowing what it does to my arteries is just a reinforcement! So all you meat eating haters go ahead please say stupid stuff like meat eaters have higher IQ's I bet you are wrong, seriously.
Hmmm, that's a rather flattering image of JVM...she wasn't all that good looking when she was on KCAL 9.
Maybe we should just kill all the pigs and chickens. That way no one will ever eat one again. That way we'll have all the vegetables to ourselves! Seriously, what can you do with a hogs and chickens besides feed them or eat them?
Social conditioning my ass, meat is delicious.
who does she think she is to tell people what eat. She can eat anything she wants and has no business giving out orders to other. I can't stand her anyway. She thinks she's better than is. On the contrary her personality is very in your face aggrevating and annoying. I don't know anyone in my circles who likes her.
Plant protein usually comes with plant estrogen attached, especially soy and nuts and seeds. It's fine to be a vegetarian if your body can tolerate a lot of estrogen. But a diet high in plant estrogen is not good for everyone. Plant estrogen can make cancer cells grow more quickly, and it can trigger estrogen-sensitive autoimmune conditions. I wish vegans and vegetarians would start showing some empathy towards people who cannot tolerate plant estrogen and have to get the majority of their protein from animals.
care to back that up with some scientific literature? I have NEVER heard that a plant based diet caused more cancer. I have heard many times that an animal based diet contributes to cancer, that info you can find everywhere
I am omnivore, we are omnivores. Even vegans are omnivores who unnaturally prefer herbs. Period.
Sorry, but pretty much every one of Jane's responses falls squarely into Tim's #3.
Jane, if you are really interested in promoting the vegetarian lifestyle, you may want to work on your tone. By telling people they are brainwashed (then why are you the one that sounds like a member of a cult?), they can't eat meat in peace (I do every day, thank you very much), their taste buds have been tricked into not liking fruits & veggies (I like fruits & veggies too), etc, you are coming off as a wacko.
In other words, there are lots of great reasons to be a vegetarian, but you are not making a good argument at all. Instead you sound like the girls that lived in my dorm 15 years ago who bashed us for not being vegan while they wore their leather shoes.
Fail. Try again.
I can't wait to shoot a wild turkey and a few grouse this weekend. It's going to be great!
So we have 28 teeth so we can eat veggies?
I eat meat. Every year during Lent I become a vegetarian. I don't mind meat eaters, and I don't mind vegetarians. Just don't preach at me from either side of the issue. I think that we can have an intelligent discussion about the ethical implications of current animal husbandry practices without demanding that everyone become a vegetarian and demonizing those that don't. And I think that those who wish to be vegetarians for whatever reason ought to be able to do so without snarky or patronizing comments from meat eaters. Come on, people, and grow up. There are real problems out there to be dealt with.
Well said Papa Jim. Thank you.
It's difficult to escape being a meat eater once you've been raised that way. I think that there has to be some sort of moderation taken into consideration here and that if people cannot completely cut out their meat intake that at least cutting back could start to help the situation.
Tim also manages to do himself a disservice by actually sounding like an idiot by not addressing what the fundamental facts are, that eating meat is indeed wrong on many levels. Kudos to Jane on posting valid reasons behind why vegetarianism is a valid alternative...and that's coming from a meat eater, albeit one with a social conscious and a balanced diet.
What a load...eat organic, naturally raised products and you won't have guilt for eating them. The evolution of humans didn't make us above eating other animals for necessary protein and fat. I might be mistaken though...corrupt soybean farming and rat infested tofu factories dropping hair and fecal matter is pretty much the same thing.
Wow, it doesn't get any preachier than this. I tried to stick it out and read the entire thing, but the first sentence of #3 was just too much. I'm perfectly fine with people choosing to be vegan, and I have my own concerns about the way meat is raised, but does the author think she's really gonna convince anyone like this? This article does nothing but reinforce the stereotype that vegans and vegetarians are judgemental douchebags. I've gotta say, I'll take some perverse pride while eating a double cheeseburger with extra bacon tonight.
Vegetarians are "judgemental douchebags"? So, Mr. Meat Eater...what would you call yourself? My guess is something along the lines of hypocrite. But...maybe I am wrong (doubtful).
She needs to get her science straight. We do not have flu outbreaks because of factory farming. Our obesity crisis has to do with processed foods, not meat and dairy. Much of what people ate in North America for the last 10,000 years are meat and dairy. They didn't, on the other hand, eat processed food and high-fructose corn syrup (from plants). There actually is cholesterol in plants. Look it up.
It's a fact....when "people" started eating meat is when their brain started to develop in leaps and bounds. I, however, do not believe keeping ANY creature in a crate, that's so small they can't scratch themselves, is humane. There's an inbetween and the government should make it so.
Yes, the conditions they keep these living creatures in needs to improve. There's no good excuse. Look at small farmers. They treat their livestock with respect.
Her entire argument is based on feeling bad about eating an animal. Those same animals get eaten by other animals so what's the problem? Fruits and Veggies are living things also, I fell really bad for them that killers like Jane devour them for their own pleasure...just sick! Turkey and other lean meats are not making the country fat, it's fast food and plenty of REALLY fattening pasta dishes. I know lots of overweight vegetarians...
Velez seems unreasonably strident. I don't know of ANYBODY who has said they feel guilty when eating any kind of meat. We are, after all, omnivores, not herbivores. Our systems, from our teeth and digestive juices to our intestines, are designed for meat and vegetables. Even our sense of smell is instinctively drawn to meat. Try smelling a raw squash or turnip some time. Our specie's increased consumption of meat over the last 2 million years has contributed to our increased brain size and enhanced our ability to survive in numerous ways. OK. Too much meat isn't a good thing and Americans are eating too much. But these kinds of strident views won't convince anyone to change their eating habits.
Oh my goodness she is the reason people dislike vegetarians... Humans are omnivores... we are animals... and we are in the food chain. If you choose to be a vegan more power to you but I have no guilt in eating another animal.
its ok .. she can go vegan ... it will lower the meat price ..we can eat her share too at less $$ :- )
You probably dislike this lady on a personal level because you don't like the information that she is giving you. Would you have the same reaction If she was asking you to do what you like?
BTW, even if you believe that humans must inherently eat meat to be healthy (obviously not true, but whatever), why not pay a few cents more to consume animals that were raised humanely and responsibly?
Because it "costs a few cents more", and that adds up over time. And also because I don't care about the feelings of my food.
I'd like to 'meat' her.
We'll harness the power of meat technology and synthesize all of our cuts long before humans realize how unethical carnivorism is.
I became vegetarian not because of health but out of consideration for the creatures.What if we come back as animals? I mean we have plenty of meat substitutes like soy products or even fish. I just PERSONALLY won't buy into a plate of death as a means to life.But to each his own. I like to think we are smart enough not to harm creatures for a meal we can make without violence, but then man's taste for blood-for food or in harming each other is endless.People wonder why God does not talk to people( those that question God's existence), my response would be-WHY would God WANT to talk to humans? I think your(humans) egos & sense of self importance are way out of sync.
Why do you think sharks, crocodiles and bears eat people? Is it because they're evil or misguided? Should every shark, crocodile or bear who eats a human being be killed? We are part of nature, not separate from it, and we evolved as omnivores. If you're get upset about eating the flesh of animals, you may as well scream at the Universe because that's the lot in life that has been handed to us. Whether we have to chase down a Mammoth and kill it with spears or order fresh cuts of beef from the local butcher, the result is the same.
What if we come back as animals? Oh man. Your thought process is all over the map. No wonder you are in your current state of mind.
Rabbi David, it's great that you abstain from most meat, however, fish is NOT a meat substitue. It is meat. This seems to be a big misconception. I made the same mistake, but I blame regular society for its indoctrinations and its beliefs. Many societies can make you belive that a rock has feelings, but we know that's not true either.
If you eat fish you are still a meat eater. Make that extra step and stop eating fish and you will become a vegetarian, like I did. Now I'm a vegan.
Peace.
ease
"Fish, Lobsters, Shrimp, and other sea beings are not plants nor do they grow on trees. They are sentient beings, like us."
i like meat. i like veggies. i am an omnivore, the way we were born to be. anyone who days other wise is an idiot. we can eat just about anything we want. so go to the store or farm, choose what you want and be healthy.
This chick is totally clueless. Glad I didn't waste my time reading the entire piece of rubbish.
Travel across india? No thanks. I have this thing about cleanliness and breathing.
How about cooking some authentic Indian recipes at home then?
Speaking of evolving...would we be where we are today without having become meat eaters? Maybe we do get too much...but isn't it ok to have it maybe once a week?
Jane, you are amazing! Yours are very eloquent arguments. Usually I'm a live-and-let-live person, but with the hormones, antibiotics, waste-run off pollution, you-need-tons-of-protein lies, animal cruelty, and declining health of Americans, somebody has got to speak up. I'm glad a public figure like you is on board. Nothing, NOTHING, could solve as many problems in the this world as going vegan. And you're right. It feels great. I challenge any carnivore to go vegan (the right way, not just jelly sandwiches all day) and see if she/he don't feel a million times better and stronger. Keep talking Jane. So many of us are behind you. And thanks.
Ann, if you're so worried about hormones, then you ought to know that plants make their own hormones, and those hormones are found in the seeds and nuts and beans where vegetarians get most of their protein. Soy is extremely high in hormones that are the equivalent of estrogen. So you're not getting away from hormones by eating tofu and edamame. If you really want hormone-free protein, then try organic grass-fed meat.
This was supposed to reply to Ann, but it hit Patricia instead.
Antibiotics are a GOOD thing. Try preaching vegetarianism when you're dying of smallpox or polio.
Kudos to you if you want to eat vegetables and avoid fueling the American slaughterhouses, but don't lump all the medical and agricultural advances of recent human history into one target.
Also, the hormones and run-off pollution are coming from farms. Agricultural farms, not livestock pens. Those are the natural result of Industrial Revolution + Growing Population. Try telling the people of the early 1900's to stop having kids and accept starvation if you want to keep the land pristine.
Someone please pull her off of the air and web!
You can eat whatever you want. The problem isn't as much about what you're eating as it is about how much you are. Cut back and everything will be fine. Get a mix of everything so you get a good balance.
And please, someone, get her off the air!
This kind of heavy handed, off the wall preaching is why no one takes vegetarians seriously. Jane, I beg you to keep your mouth shut on behalf of all rational vegetarians. You are an embarrassment.
He mentions a holier-than-thou attitude, and then she proceeds to prove him correct. I hate to say it, but when I sit down to a nice steak, I RELISH in the blood on my plate, feeling sorry for the cow has NEVER been a problem. She doesn't think the same as I do, so I wish she'd quit preaching to try to convert me.
Isn't this the selfish attitude she is talking about? Prime example of someone who lacks empathy.
Thank you, Jane. I am gradually removing meat from my diet; and yes, some of my favorite beings have been really bright pigs. There is no argument for sustainably eating meat other than our ingrained habits. It will take time, but the planet is evolving, and meat is hardly an option in the long term. Bravo!
LOL! She is wrong in just about everything she wrote. She just typed the same old, tired animal rights propaganda. Most completely untrue.
I like the "rotting animal carcas" part... you think that veggie you're eating is doing better? Guess what... its decaying too
Her points have fair points about animal welfare and obesity, but she's fighting a joking article with anger, which is more than a little bit annoying.
This is offensive. The only reason human brains became larger is because we started eating more meat, particularly fish. I'm sorry if that makes you "feel bad". But don't try and tell me I am doing something immoral when eating meat is perfectly natural, not to mention absolutely necessary for a healthy body and mind.
i have never read such biased and agressive writing for the responses to questions which are worded in a very non confrontational way
Let's just say I appreciate her opinion and leave it at that. Beef, pork, lamb, chicken, duck, rabbit... I love them all.
#6 If you are a vegetarian you can act like a pretentious prick.
Yeah, because none of the meat eaters here are acting like pretentious pricks.
To be fair, the meat eaters here are acting more like "ignorant pricks" than "pretentious pricks." Whether carnivorous or vegetarian, at least we can all agree that we should act like some kind of prick.
This article would be a lot more effective if she emphasized the more healthy aspects of being a vegetarian as opposed to just saying eating meat is cruel. Vegetarians are experts in making things taste great, and she does them a disservice by not arguing that fruit, vegetables, legumes, and grains, can taste just as good as meat. Tofurkey really doesn't help her case much either... I've thought about going veggie, but there's no way I could give up a classic cheeseburger or pork ribs...
I grew up eating a lot of meat; beef, pork and chicken. A little over a year ago I went mostly vegetarian only eating some chisken from time to time. Now that has dropped to none at all. In that time I have lost a lot of weight, look 30 instead of 40 (which I will be in October) and have a much better attitude on life in general. My memory has improved and I feel amazing. While I am not vegan, I do agree that it is the way to go and will to make that transition soon. It is great to look and feel good! Jane you have a great point and it is wonderful to see how well you stood up to the attack!
I call bullshit on your story.
Global warming – blood soaked plates – Sadness "when I smell bacon"....Jane! You make ne want to throw up my hamburger!
I eat meat, lots of it, and I'm hardly obese. I woudn't consider myself a workout warrior or a conciencious eater either.
Obesity comes from the sugars and carbohydrates and processed foods that our country consumes more than any other country...
Animals eat other animals...why can't we? If lions lived by your theories, they'd be extinct.
I eat mostly chicken and Fish, but i do sneak in some bacon and burgers sometimes. Vegetables and meat are important to all diets. The real evil is processed foods, additives, and preservatives. Her argument is invalid as several mammals/animals on this planet eat meat with no issues. Humans get bad hearts and arteries with all the additions to food processing. animals do not have bad cholesterol, but we do!
I think she should go tofurk herself.
this woman is plain cray cray- i love my veggies, but there is nothing better than a big, grass-fed, steak!!!!! Meat and dairy doesn't have to be loaded with fat, salt and other preservatives- just look at all the canned veggies, its no better than a McDonald's hamburger....
you can enjoy meat and dairy as well as veggies and fruits, without taking an extreme hatred to either! I hate it when people force their views on others- just how Jane Velez-Mitchell is doing here. i think she's just grumpy because she craving a bacon-burger.
This chick is why I hate vegetarians. They're too preachy. Yes, meat comes from dead animals. And you know what? It's delicious.
agreed
Is there a chance that either one of these people could stop passing off opinion as fact? And of course, you can either be a vegan, or eat nothing but meat. No middle ground here at all! I hate this stuff... (I know, I still took the time to comment though. I'm such a contradiction!)
A contradiction. But I completely agree with your sentiment.
Well I've always been leaning to vegetarianism for the longest time. Sure I still eat meat but not that often. The thing is, whatever diet suits you is best. Not all vegetarians are weak or stupid or anything, it mostly depends on who you meet and what kind of person they are.
Right away Jane proves Tim's point about Vegans/vegetarians being PREACHY or HOLIER THAN THOU when he said that we don't FORCE you to eat meat or even tell you with all SERIOUSNESS OF BEING MORE INTELLIGENT that you are missing out and need to eat beef! All carnivorous folk say is "man, you're missing out" the same way someone may tease another person when they get the last piece of cake OR even the last bit of vegetable! Obesity is caused not by eating meat, it's caused by EATING TOO MUCH OF EVERYTHING. Believe me, I have friends who are vegans/vegetarians and they could go for losing some weight! How they get fat by eating a VEGETABLE based diet is beyond me, but they are.
Doughnuts, cakes, and candy and plenty of them.
Maybe Tim thinks vegetarians are preachy because he's an insulting, condescending, jerk to them. I rarely talk about being a vegetarian but after reading his comments I really wanted to punch him in the face.
Look at the comments in the thread. About 80% of the time people find out someones a vegetarian their response is to go on and on about how great meat is. I was almost in a bar fight because some football player found out I'm a vegetarian.
As a vegetarian for over six years, I try everything in my power to avoid telling people I'm vegetarian. When I decline the hot dog someone is offering me, it always seems to somehow develop into a crowd of people a) asking me how I survive without meat and b) mocking me and my choices in food. My husband is as carnivorous as they come... I find that many meat-eaters who, immediately upon finding out that I am vegetarian, enter on the defensive and I have to actively say, "No, my husband eats meat, my family eats meat, everyone I know and love eats meat. I don't care what you eat– please just don't tell me I have to eat it!" I'm not going to make any insinuations on the consciences of these people (or have I already? ;D) but I definitely find it to my social advantage to keep my vegetarianism under wraps simply because the idea is so offensive to so many. Of course that is not every meat-eater, just the most vocal and obnoxious ones.
Additionally, I've had a lot of blood tests done, and I am not lacking in any vital nutrients as far as my doctor can tell. I always have to chuckle when people ask me, "but where do you get your protein?!" Protein is the least of your worries as a vegetarian. You have to consider B-12 and Omega 3s, among other thing, which most people obtain through meat but can also be found in plant-based sources as well.
I am vegetarian because I don't believe in killing; it's something that has been naturally ingrained in me ever since childhood. I cried for a smashed spider in the fourth grade. I met a cow that gave me kisses in sixth grade and didn't eat steak/beef for years. It's just who I am. My husband, the carnivore, feels that the human race will eventually evolve into veg*nism, and while I'd like to think that it will, I don't feel like it's my personal calling to ensure it does.
If that's true Bill why are we having to hire Indians to due all our high tech jobs???? Americans are stupid when it comes to math and the sciences. I dare all 3 of you to go to a factory farm and see the comditions and to try to go vegan for a week.
The largest slaughter house in Asia is in India. Not all of them are vegetarians. Mostly the poor. You don't know what you're talking about.
We don't have to. However, we are a capitalistic society who'll do anything to make a buck. India has cheap labor and less stringent government oversight, therefore our corporations outsource work to keep profits and gross margin high. It has nothing to do with them being more intelligent or because they eat more vegetables. You are, in fact, demonstrating that there are plenty of people with low IQ residing in America who are susceptible to stereotypical notions that Indians are smarter than average. This is not the case, there are plenty of Indians of middling or low intelligence. The ones you come into contact with moved here to have and to provide better opportunities for their children than they could in overcrowded Asia. They work very hard for what they have and study constantly to make something of themselves because they have this great opportunity. If you had grown up oppressed and/or poverty stricken and were afforded the opportunity to move to a country where you could make something of yourself if you only worked hard and applied yourself, I guarantee you’d do it; it’s human nature. In that scenario, some other back-country bumpkin would think you were from a country of geniuses too. As it stands, I assure you, no one thinks that way of you now.
Every animal you dont eat. I'll eat 2.
"Or whip up a meal using Tofurky?" if meat doesn't taste so good, then why try to mimic it?
lmao
I don't eat meat, but this lady annoys me. A lot. Who cares what other people eat? Do your own thing and respect the choices of others.
This lady went way over the top on this one. Not convincing at all. If anything I think this article will make people eat more meat instead of less. That's a shame. I know if people like this lady can convince more people to stop eating meat, the quality of meat I eat will improve and there will be less global warming.
Kids cannot do vegan or vegetarian diet. They're such picky eaters, they'll probably be malnutrition if they try that. Most people I know that are vegetarian need to take vitamin pills to make up the lack of iron in their diet. I, for one, ended up with protein deficiency when I tried to eat more vegetables than meat. So her comment that Americans have too much protein is simply not true.
If you did any sort of sound research on your own about the protein debate, you'd see she is right. Start thinking for yourself.... PS If you truly were protein deficient, you were following a poor vegetarian diet.
sure it is possible to get a balanced vegetarian diet, but it is much much easier to get a well balanced diet with meat/fish + vegetable, than it is to get a well balanced vegetarian diet.
My five-year-old daughter has never had a single bite of meat in her life...and I seriously doubt she ever will. She is as healthy as a horse (which, of course, is a vegetarian). Nobody in my family takes any supplements and our doctors all agree that we are quite healthy. I find it strange that my years of experience have shown that I am far less likely to ridicule someone for eating meat than others are of me for not doing so. Yet, over and over on this post I see people complaining about this woman being too "preachy". Really??? Think about how you treat the vegetarians you know.
Children, adolescents, adults and the elderly all benefit from a vegetarian diet and it can help anyone to become vegetarian at any time.
We have raised three healthy people as vegetarians from birth. Now teenagers, they enjoy healthy, varied diets and a good understanding of where their food comes from and the important choices facing us all.
Many people from different cultures live their lives entirely as vegetarians, without lacking nutrients or pleasure. Try it!
Can't stand this "woman".
Just another pushy broad, who happens to ALWAYS have a frown on her show. Never smiles, always on a crusade.
Probably made because of that ewok hair-do.
Well, I hate to be another kind of oinker, lol, but she's hot enough that I'd go vegetarian if I was dating her... then again, I'd probably sneak off and have an "affair" with some BBQ ribs from time to time...
straight up truth, but i'd probably hit up some carnitas.
She makes excellent points, other than that last one.
Although I don't agree with the way animals are raised and treated (ie small cages), I do believe that animals are meant to be eaten.
Just look at the animal kingdom. Animals are meant to eat other animals. It's the natural order of things.
Don't get me wrong though, I LOVE vegetables and crave them daily...but wow meat is delicious and does provide an easy source of protein and whatever.
I agree with Tim Love and how Vegans have a "holier than thou" attitude to those who eat meat. Just read the tone of Jane's responses. Meat isn't evil, so please stop making meat eaters into horrible people.
vegetarianism?? dude....travel across India and you will come to know the real varieties and tastes of vegetarian food. please don't conclude 'SALAD' and potato chips are the only vegetarian options...
I agree! Indian food has a wide variety of food that you can eat that is veggie.....and you would never miss the taste of meat again...................
Its hard to come by vegetarian food american style because non-veg is so common here!
I so Agree. Unfortunately very few restaurants outside India serve the kind of vegetarian fare eaten by majority of Indian populace. So unless they are willing to travel thousands of miles and explore Indian cuisine, the opinion of majority of folks commenting here will be sadly the same i.e. vegetables suck.
Her only argument has to do with the guild of eating meat. I feel no guilt and meat tastes great. Her arguments are null and void.
Thank you Jane for having the guts to speak the truth!
wow, oh unusual – a preachy, holier-than-thou vegan- oh wait, no, that would just be a typical vegan. You go have your tofurky and enjoy yourself – this all put me in the mood for a steak !
When animals stop eating each other thats when I will stop eating meat altogether.
Well its your own choice …but I say .. we got gifted with both herbivores and carnivores
Teeth .. so its ok to eat both .. cos a sheep cant eat meet and a tiger can never eat grass..
So cut the crap and eat both .. the one who designed you installed both teeth why act smart and think over all this.
the term in omnivore.
I've just gone vegetarian for the second time in my life, and reading this article re-enforces my decision. After just 4 days with no meat, I feel lighter, healthier...just better. We'll see how long it lasts, but even deciding to be meat free during the week each week would be a good way to start. Try it people!
Kuddos to you. Thats how I started. Little by little; going cold turkey would have been difficult. Good luck on your journey! I haven't looked back, and it's been 7 years.
An animals rotting corpse, or a plants rotting genitalia or other parts. Either way no matter what the arguement is, we are meant to eat both. I will continue to do so. The only really valid arguement for vegetarians is whether or not we have evolved passed the necessity to eat meat or not. Even that is a rediculas arguement, its just the least rediculas.
What's ridiculous is not knowing how to spell ridiculous.
What's ridiculous is that you're trying to support your argument by criticizing a normal spelling mistake.
There's a reason we have incisors.
You mean canines... which is not a good argument. Look at hippos and gorillas. They have huge canines and only eat plants. Find a new argument...
Gorrilla's are NOT vegitarians....how many times is that fallacy going to be repeated here.
@Maguila http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100305-first-proof-gorillas-eat-monkeys-mammals-feces-dna
Owned.
Ms. Velez-Mitchell, 3 of your 5 answers are or refer to animal cruelty. For those of us who don't have an issue with that your message is weakened by sounding holier than thou and preachy. You're helping make Tim's argument is some ways. You make some good points about health and over consumption, but they're downed out a bit my your emotional response. You had an opportunity here to speak clearly to your audience and you've clouded it up while missing some great points like greater energy use and water demands a meat-based diet. Too bad.
I have been a vegetarian for over 20 years now and counting! Save the animals, long live PETA! You will bear all those poor animal souls on your conscience! One day, they will get you! Maybe they are sending you some high cholesterol levels and fat around your big stomach right now?
Being a vegatarian means caring, being kind, and show compassion toward those weaker than us. You still have to get that.
Umm... yeah. I think Tim refers directly to you in this article and he's a hick. Don't make the hick right – please learn more than one note on that little violin.
I will buy that line when my PETA friends who are such staunch advocates for animals become equally staunch advocates for the rights of humans, namely the unborn humans.
If we aren't suppose to eat animals, then why do they taste so good?
This woman is everything that I hate about vegetarians. Overly preachy. Unable to see the other side of the argument. You do realize the poor conditions that HUMANS who pick vegetables are subjected to? Come to their defense too hippy!
i can venture a guess that people who are vegetarians are also against abusive farm labor tactics. generally, compassionate people are compassionate to all. sheesh.
I'm guessing that you attack the author's credibility because you can't refute her argument. Even if you "hate her" as you claim, does that automatically make her points invalid, or unworthy of consideration?
I am 78 and have been a vegetarian for over 30 years. Jane has it right!
crc
I'm 137 years old and I ate a pig for breakfast!
People for the Ethical Treatment of Vegetables. Save the Veggies! Eat steak!
this lady is a freak
why? Because you don't like what she has to say?
Thanks for a much needed response to Tim's story.
Tofu is poison in large doses and can even harm an unborn fetus.
Way to misguide the masses. Please cite some sort of evidence to this laughable claim...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/7490202.stm
High consumption of tofu lead to an increase in dementia in case studies
Paulie, you're an idiot. Please read a book or something because you don't know what you're talking about. ANYTHING IN LARGE DOSES IS UNHEALTHY. And vegetarians (and non-vegetarians) do not eat their weight in tofu on a regular basis. And if your REALLY going to point the unhealthiness finger at tofu... you can turn it right back around and point at your fastfood hamburger. Tofu wins at healthiness HANDS DOWN over a hamburger. Any attempt you make to dispute that is just sad and baseless.
Okay, seriously, don't be so rude, you're making vegetarians look bad. Now, comparing a 'fast food' hamburger to tofu is just silly. Have you ever seen 'fast food' tofu? Doubtful...and in that case, you have chosen an unfair comparison.
Prove it.
That article just hypothesizes a lot. Also mentions theories that it's not the tofu that causes dementia, it's the preservative Indonesia uses when they manufacture their tofu. Also, this is not a broad based study. They only looked into elderly Indonesians. You need to look into more races to see if their is a true link. They could all be breathing in some toxic chemicals in Indonesia that is causing this, for all we know...
Why does one have to be "Better" than another. I hate these types of articles because it seems like people cannot promote their view without dogging the others not like them.
Vegetarians just don't get it. I don't care about farm animals. They are animals. Humans have eaten them since the beginning of time. Cavemen ate animals and I eat animals. So if I'm a caveman then so be it. We're all animals and humans happen to be at the top of the food chain. So I will continue eating the other lowly inhabitants of this wonderful planet.
You're an animal. Can we butcher you and eat you? Just because you are capable of higher cognitions (which may be debatable) and can articulate yourself using language (also debatable) does not make your life more important than an animal's life. You have no basis for suggesting such. You can talk. That's your only reason for believing your better than any other species. Every species has a preference to protect its own species. We are not any different.
Jenna, the point of your argument that all species are created equal is simply not true. There is a reason that humans have the capacity of invention and have build complex civilizations, whereas simple critters like rats have not. It essentially comes down to mental and physical aptitude. Humans have higher level intelligence and the physical ability to build. There are some species that do possess high levels of intelligence, e.g., dolphins, but do not have the physical ability to really act on it. I am speculating here but I bet more people would be outraged about the inhumane conditions of our farms and turn towards vegetarianism/veganism if they were raising and harvesting a smarter breed of animal, instead of simply chickens and cows.
Your post makes meat eaters look bad. Just like her's makes vegans look bad. Farms animals should be treated humanely. If you're selfish enough not to care about them then care about yourself. She's right – animals raised this way are less healthy to eat than free range healthy animals. I eat meat. I enjoy meat. I also take a moment to be mindful of the sacrifice the animal made so that I may do so. Her article was terrible – His was tongue in cheek and her's was preachy, just like he said it would be. But your comment was worse.
its not the eating of farm animals that brings into play the major ethical side of things, its the eating of FACTORY farm animals. we're not talking about a pig laying in the mud all day on acres of farm land. we're talking about a pig in a 2 foot cage with a tube up its ass, being injecting hormones and antibiotics, constantly being impregnated until its deemed useless then sent to slaughter. the pigs are supposed to be stunned before being hung upside down and slit across the neck to bleed out. often this fails and the pig kicks and struggles resulting in plan 2: the scalding tank where it will be boiled alive fully conscious.
Yep, sounds just like how the caveman used to do it.
Yes, humans are omnivors, designed to eat meat, and have done so since the beginning. But until recently, ( in historical terms) meat was something special, filled out the grains, fruits and other things the gatherers collected. Often meat was a rare treat, except for the very wealthy, may only have appeared at meals of common folks a few times a year. The animals our ancestors ate lived free, roamed the fields and forests. They were alive and happily browsing one minute, and dead the next. The animals you buy in the supermarket have spend their lives in conditions that would have us arrested if we imposed the same conditions on dogs and cats. In our family we do eat meat, a couple of times a week, likely about a pound in total between the 2 of us. We have lots of energy to live our very full lifestyle. The meat we eat is free range, has never been shipped to a feed lot, goes from the field to the butchers counter in less than a day. It is dead before it is cut up, something that the large meat packers cannot guarantee, and there have been numerous reports of conscious animals hung on hooks kicking and screaming as their bellies are slit. We never worry about anitbiotics in our food, salmonella, ecoli or any of the other food problems that go with what has become in the last few decades the common North American diet. You, by saying you don't care about animals, are clearly one of these totally selfish people who care only about themselves. One of the reasons the world is in the disastrous state it is in. On the other hand, people following this modern, high meat and sugar diet generally die younger than previous generations who ate healthier, so the population and related pollution problem might just look after itself.
She doesn't really answer his points, he says "meat, in moderation" then she replies with how eating large amounts of meat is unhealthy, isn't that what Tim said? Vegetarians always look tired and green.
I thought the same thing. What she talks about is the factory farms with horrible conditions (valid concerns, IMO). BUT, there are other sources to get your meat from if that bothers you. A lot of emotional sensationalism, not much thought.
The link to this story said "5 Reasons to become Vegetarian" so I was interested to read them. But Jane Valez-Mitchel just gave one reason, animal cruelty, and said it five times. Not that what she said wasn't true, but I already know those reports. I was hoping to learn something new. Disappointing.
It's pretty much the only card they have so expect it to be used alot
You don't think that's a good enough reason to be a vegetarian???? Do you like when animals suffer????
Didn't say it wasnt a good reason, just said thats the only card they have
If you read the article you would see that she uses a lot more than animal cruelty as her reasoning.
She talks about animal cuelty, the impact of the environment and how its proven (reports from the UN) that factory farming is the biggest contributer to globa warming, she talks about the health impact and how being a vegetarian is much healthier for your body, and she talks about ending world hunger and how it takes up much less space to grow veges than it does to grow meat.
So no... thats not really the only card vegetarians use.
What about the fact she mentioned about animal husbandry being the biggest producer of methane (and climate change)? Or the fact about run-off pollution is contaminating our drinking supplies.
Another thing she failed to mention was that the antibiotics we pump into these animals is producing multi-drug resistant strains of deadly infectious bacteria. We trust in antibiotics being able to save us from the next pandemic but the deadliest pathogens are already immune to even the "hardest" drugs we have out there. Zombie apocalypse anyone?
Sounds like a case against the mega meat industry, not against including meat in a diet
As far as run-off pollution contaminating our watershed, that comes from all farming that uses excessive amounts of synthetic fertilizers. Not just farms that grow animal feed. Look at the dead zone in the gulf for proof of that. As to the animal manure leading to crop contamination , properly compost that crap before using it as fertilizer. The temperatures that are reached by composting are high enough to kill off any viruses and bacteria. The compost will be better for the soil and the environment anyway.
Yeah, I thought she used the same point over again too. i eat meat but I agree with veggies on a few points. I'm surprised she didn't go the cancer and heart disease route. Americans typically don't care about animals...besides dogs, but they do love themselves, so that would have been a more effective argument.
I agree – I wish they would have pulled in someone more educated.
I happened to watch a presentation on this today and there is so much more data out there beyond the cruelty thing....aka health!
I think all she did was rant on the way most people expect – preachy.
FIRST POST PREDICTIONS FOR FORTHCOMING COMMENTS
- Very little pertaining to the article
- Loads of political BS no one will bother reading, in spit of how poignant your point may/may not be
- Some crap about Obama
- Some other crap about how this is a liberal/conservative/whatever-the-hell you want to call it
- Some additional crap about vegetables
- Some further crap about meat
...and finally, me crapping on this crap
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
You seem to care enough to comment.
I have been a vegetarian for years, and am happy with it. I was annoyed by the meat-eating article...because it seemed rather closed minded. I was excited to see a counter argument. But, now i am just embarrassed. That was awful. She missed the most basic and effective argument – what does HE care what we eat? Uuugh.
100% in agreement with the above statements. Wonderful writer, impeccable morals, well-put reasoning. This was a very much needed article!
you lost all credibility once I read your name.
Look up the band The Smiths, smart@ss
Killing an animal would be murdering the animal...hence meat is murder. and eating rotting flesh is disgusting.
Only a human can be murdered, and it's not 'rotting flesh' moron.
You are wrong. It is moral to eat meat. We are supposed to... that's why we have teeth like we do... that's why our eyes are in front of our heads... that's why protein is essential to our diet... you see, my arguments are FACTS, you only argue with opinions...
You fools are so full of feces it is a joke. NONE of you kill your own animals, so who are you to say that " it doesn't matter" . COWARDS. Try buying an animal raising it to " eat " weight , and lets see you take a knife and end the animals life, instead of ALWAYS relying on someone else to do your dirty work. You are probably fat and lazy
I've heard the canine- tooth argument before, but I have a Morgan stallion has really sharp – long canines. He doesn't eat meat. This is a common trait in male horses.
Homo sapiens are also built to walk vast distances. So why not try walking to work?
Wrong again. Homind teeth developed to eat a variety of foods, especially fruits, nuts, and seeds. Since humankind became a carnivorous and cooking species, our teeth are actually maladapted to our behavior. We are now evolving from a strong-jawed, large-toothed creature to a week jawed, crooked-toothed one. So next time you see a chinless, obese moron with rotten teeth, you'll know why.
PR,
I've grown up raising animals and then killing them for meat. There is nothing wrong about it. I do not feel bad about it. It's a part of the food chain and should be considered as such. Since now I live in a place where raising your own meat is not possible, I trust farmed animals, even though there are outbreaks of disease from time to time (same goes for veggie growers).
I completely disagree with the author. She has a point which she fails to make, though: being a vegetarian is actually more of a luxury than what she shows – I have tried eating fruits/veggies only and my groceries bill went up more than twice. if she wants people to be healthier and live better (as seems to be the point in all 5 arguments above), then she needs to lobby for low income families to get more subsidies or whatever, not for not consuming meat.
To me, this is more of a 'religious' argument – no matter what, neither side would cave in. However, I do not see how one must become a vegetarian/vegan to live better and healthier life. I agree with all the posts about moderation, but that is just plain common sense period. Use your brains, people, and you will be healthy and happy, full of energy, happiness, etc etc etc, and stop paying attention to these preachy messages.
Haha, this argument is so absurd, why do people keep repeating it? Ignoring the obvious folly of comparing different unrelated animal species, just off the top of my head, gorillas have eyes in the front of their head, share >95% of our DNA, and are vegetarians.
Our teeth are made to eat meat ? Ok... I'd like to see you take down a deer and eat it raw in front of me. If we are "carnivores" in evolution, we should have the teeth and digestive system similar to a lion or a REAL carnivore.
A good example : If meat is SO good try eating ONLY meat for a few months. See how you survive, carnivore. Try that with veggies and hey, you will survive !
The simple formula I used (considering you actually care about humanity that is) is that you have a set amount of land. Our population keeps going up (not just here in America but everywhere). More population needs more meat. More fields are needed to grow stuff to feed the cattle, then even more fields are needed to put the cattle in (altough if you have seen Food Inc. or Earthlings, you can see they are raised in inhuman conditions). And we still have a set amount of land. What happens when the whole ecosystem cannot support our irresponsible way of life ? No clue, I might not be able live until the effects can be felt, but it is a FACT we are going towards that.
I'm not a vegetarian, tought i really slowed down on meat. I have something most people don't tho. I desserve to eat meat, as I have once killed an animal and emptied it, then made sausage and steaks from it's flesh. I was never given the choice by my parents to not eat meat, but I would have known what I know now, I would have chosen veggies.
TV will never show how the animals are killed, and schools in all North America, should show 2nd graders or something a video about how they are killed. If their parents are not able to explain them correctly the things of life (steak comes from the grocery... and that's that...) schools should do it.
10-4
hey RR, i personally have killed ducks/geese/pheasants/etc. with my bare hands and i tell you i would kill a cow or pig with no remorse if it means me having some pork belly to smoke into delicious bacon or have some steak, however i always honor the kill and take pride in the spirit of the animal who gave its life for me to enjoy....so be careful when you say "nobody has killed what they eat" or whatever your exact words were. Also, the woman who wrote this article will never understand or experience these things because of her extremist believes that she tries to push onto everyone else. I dont go to vegetarians/vegans houses and kill animals in front of them because i respect their opinion, but when these people act like they are better than everyone and always make it known that "im a vegetarian, i dont eat meat....its wrong...blah blah blah" instead of saying "no thanks i dont like that".
All a reasonable person has to do to see that people were meant to eat meat, is open their mouth and look at their teeth. Those cutting teeth in the front(incisors) were meant for meat–like it or not. All meat eating creatures, human and animal have those teeth. Unlike purely vegetable eating animals who don't–and that's straight from the horses mouth!
Many herbivores have incisors. Gorillas, have you ever seen larger canines. How much meat do gorillas eat? Zero! Loser!
Umm... Gorillas are omnivores. You should probably Google it next time. You'll look like less of an idiot when you call someone a loser, if you are actually right.
I absolutely concur with MiM and the author. I come from a farming family who raised Black Angus cattle and various crops for generations, but as soon as I was old enough to understand the consequences of meat/chicken/fish consumption I gave it up. Most who've had a pet are aware that animals are sentient beings who feel pain just like humans – I genuinely can't understand how anyone could sleep at night knowing that they're participating in torturing a living creature to death. It's the definition of depravity.
There's no question but that meat production is disastrous to the environment, and as for health, I can guarantee that I'm in far better shape now than I was as a carnivore. I know more than a little about science, and meat is unequivocally not normal, natural or required for humans. There are many non-meat sources of protein, which have sustained me for decades in greath health. I've raised my own family vegetarian too, and we've completely circumvented all the "normal" American afflictions like colds, flu, acne, obesity, etc. We're amazingly healthy, and it's not good genes or good luck; it's a direct result of our lifestyle.
Humans are meant to eat meat. It has been this way since Moses put all those animals on the ark and wrote about how he ate all of them in the Quran.
I think you got it wrong. It was Mohammed who ate all the animals and then wrote about it in the Quran cook book while fighting Goliath.
If eating veggies is so amazing, why does the industry try so hard to mimick meat. Tofurky? Give me break...
Exactly... and if it so good for you, then why do all vegetarians have to take protein supplements to survive??
I don't think Vegetarians need to take suppliments because of dairy products/eggs but vegans do
Out of all of the vegetarians that i know, none of them need to take vitamins to stay healthy or alive.
Out of all of the vegetarians that i know(13 or so), none of them need to take vitamins to stay healthy or alive.
You don't have to take protein supplements. No idea where that thought came from. I eat meat but often find myself eating mostly non-meat dishes for extended periods of time because I feel a whole lot better health wise. Whole grains, veggies, nuts, soy products, etc all provide enough protein. Since changing my diet, I lost 40 lbs, dropped my cholesterol to 153, have great blood pressure, and tons of energy. Plus, I no longer have seasonal allergies and don't get sick nearly as often. Still, I enjoy meat on rare occasions and treat it as what it should be, a treat. Proof is in the pudding. I'm more for global health issues, environmental concerns, etc than preaching about how wrong it is to kill but with that said, a whole lot of positive arguments can be made for grass-fed beef, free range birds, and the locavore movement.
I am not sure where you get your information. We don't consume protein compliments!
I have not eaten any meat for 10+ years and have had no ill effects. In fact I had a colleague ask me just yesterday how I stay so fit despite not going to the gym or watching every calorie. I think it all comes down to my diet choice and common sense; both of which are lacking at the dinner table of the vast majority of North Americans.
Vegetarians and vegans DO NOT need protein supplements to survive if they eat plant derived foods that contain appropriate amounts of protein. Furthermore, many meat-eaters consume more protein than their bodies need. A similarly ignorant argument from the other side would be "Why do meat-eaters need fiber supplements to survive?" and "why do meat-eaters have heart attacks all the time?".
Sheer ignorance. Even strict vegans need no supplements, though some chose to take vitamin B12. Overall health of vegetarians and vegans has been proven repeatedly to be higher than that of meat eaters.
Think before you type. Read before you think.
To say that one can easily get the required proteins from vegetables as opposed to meat is an ignorant statement with respect to practicality as well as lifestyle. Although true, the quantity of veggies you must eat is significantly large, as is as the variety. Also for active weightlifters who want to become stronger, eating purely vegetarian is extremely unpractical. Her statement about how meat isn't healthy because America is unhealthy is silly. Everyone knows its because people here eat fatty,greasy burgers/other similar fast food and too much red meat. Meats like lean chicken breast, turkey or fish is very healthy. Everything her opponent said was dumb, but from her statements she seems to be one of those PETA type people that wants us to see a cow mooing in horror everytime we eat a steak. When trying to prove why one should be a vegetarian, that is the worst way to go. Everything in moderation is the key, at least most of the time.
The vegetarian industry is imitating meat mainly to cater to those people transitioning into vegetarianism.
What is the first thing your doctor says when you've had a heart attack? Give up red meat. Some might even say give up meat all together, depending on other factors. Significantly decreasing your meat intake can reverse heart disease. Plus I can't really see the difference between eating a cat, dog, pig, calf, parrot or chicken.
Daniel your post as well as the authors answer misses the point – it is not meat that is bad for you. We as humans are omnivores which means we are meant to eat both meat and ruffage. It is the over consumption of meat that causes the problem not meat itself. I am all for maybe cutting down on the consumption of meat but to say that we need to completly remove it is a little insane. And yes there is a difference in eating a cat, dog, chicken, parrot – it is in the wuality of meat. some is much gamier and stringly than others. Though in a pinch one could eat any of the animals you listed.
Sean, I agree with you that it does not have to be an all or nothing decision. I think the absoluteness of veganism and vegetarianism turns people off from it. But reducing the amount of meat eaten, for both health and environmental reasons is completely legitimate. Even removing meat from one meal a week is helpful. The way meat is raised is wasteful of water and crops, and also of our antibiotic supply. Some of our strongest antibiotics no longer work because they've been fed to animals with every meal for their entire lives.
You do know that there are parts of this planet where eating dogs, cats, and even horses is quite normal. Not sure about the eating of parrots though.
I've actually ate dog meat- a few times, actually. At first you might be sad that the dog had to die- but hey, it's still meat. Red meat. Don't let it go to waste. Besides, human curiosity will make people eat "unnatural" foods. Not everyone, but some. And all there is to worry about is the moral issues (at first, anyway.) Meat = tasty.
And yes, parrots are a bit unnatural.
Give me a break. We're bringing in a CNN reporter and author as some sort of expert on healthy & dietary issues? Pass. She's entitled to her opinion, but she's certainly no expert or authority on any of the subjects she cites.
Right on!
I'm a vageterian and i'm fat....
That's funny even if true! The notion that simply eat a vegetarian diet makes you healthy is hooey!
Actually, it's quite scientific. In fact 80% of the world eats a plant based diet. Note that America is not one of them – and we have excessively high obesity rates. They are also showing links between animal based proteins and their ability to bind better to carcinogen (which also helps explain the high rates of cancer in our society)...while plant proteins don't have the same binding abilities.
However – you are right – just going vegetarian doesn't make you lose weight – you have to still consume the appropriate amount of calories for your activity level.
There is nothing wrong with including meat in one's diet. We are omnivores! We are products of millions of years of evolution. The simple fact is that if someone eats a balanced diet of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit in appropriate portions and complements that with proper exercise, sleep, eliminating harmful stress, excluding tobacco products and recreational drugs, and alcohol in moderation, that is the true key to a healthy life.
Stephanie, your argument is based on correlation, not causation. Any basic science class teaches that definitive conclusions cannot be based on correlation. It could be a fact that 70% of criminals drink Gatorade, but it would be ridiculous to conclude that because of this, Gatorade causes people to become criminals.
I think you misread what what he said.
I've always lived by "everything in moderation". Jane's argument can be transposed to any cult. Sorry Jane Too over the top for me.
Sounds like "common sense" wisdom, but it requires you to define what a moderate amount of any particular item is. You may think you are consuming a "moderate" amount of meat - but how do you define that? What's a moderate amount of antifreeze to include in your diet?
Comparing food to poison, the classical fallacies of vegetarians.
Nice job. You completely missed #3. And this is why when people talk about vegetarianism I just laugh... Because I don't want to be preached to. I want to eat what I want to eat in peace and be left alone. I know what happens in the factory farms, and I don't really care. If you harass me for my choices, you're a sad person. And that's the kinda person that wrote this.
you completely miss the whole point. You are the selfish one. You don't like being told how your actions are hurtful to others. The amount of resources: crops, water, land, etc. that go to raising meat is astronomical. A tiny fraction of those resources are needed for raising vegetables and grains. You eat meat because you do not care that you have a negative effect on the rest of the world. There is no way around that fact.
No we eat meat because we are products of millions of years of evolution.
My guess is that we don't even have the time to talk to people about the myriad things that, under her criteria, could be considered "everyone's business. I wonder if she supports continually scolding people for:
wearing clothes (cotton being one of the most pesticide heavy, water consuming plants in the world)
buying roses (highly exploitative industry)
eating Cocoa and sugar (ditto above)
using a cell phone (coltan, used in all cell phones, being an extremely toxic, polluting substance mined under horrible conditions in Africa)
And many many many more regular things that most people consume, including many of her like-minded acquaintances.
You apparently have never driven through places like North or South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas or parts of California where farms are much larger than dairies or ranches. I know some to much of the product from these farms goes to feed animals, but a lot of it used in human consumption and now as a fuel alternative. So maybe we should be looking at becoming plants ourselves so we can live on sunlight and not need to eat, it'll come around in a few million years until then let's bar-b-que some steaks.
FINALLY.!!!!!! SOMEONE GETS IT!!!!!!!ABOUT FRIGGIN' TIME!!!!!!!
As you are not raising any food yourself you have no high ground in your argument. Offside, two paragraph penalty and loss of one thought.
I know this comment reflects the sentiments of many ... and it's just sickening. I don't know how we can survive as a people if we allow ourselves to believe its ok to just wantonly indulge ourselves without any form of self reflection. Its like an animal that growls when you move it's food bowl ... I'd like to believe we are capable of more than that.
If you want to eat meat fine, but do you not also have the capacity to reflect on your reasons – 'I do whut I want – and I don't want to be questioned' isn't a meaningful ethical standard by which to live life. Since as a society most people have killed off God as a source of direction for moral action – can't we at least permit a sense of humanity to govern us?
So you think moral direction can only come from your "God" eh? You sir, are a moron...
Hey Conrad.........you misspelled what.
Killed God? ROFcopter! Nah, we just killed the sacrificial lamb and drank his blood and ate his flesh. And do so every Sunday. How could there possibly be a vegetarian sacrament?
I agree. I'm a cannibal, and I think people should just let me eat what I want to eat and leave me alone. None of their damn business.
Cannibal means that you eat humans....
Yes, BL, it was a joke.
I get a much harder time from people about not eating meat than I've EVER given to someone who does. Granted, I eat meat occasionally, it's good and in moderation is fine for you (though I try to avoid beef because of all the hormones and different fat content of corn-fed cows). But if you try to show up to a barbecue with tofurky brats (which are really delicious) or bean burgers, a slew of joking comments are sure to follow. If vegetarians are prone to being "high and mighty" about things, it's probably usually because they've taken enough crap to be fed up and get defensive about something that is their CHOICE.
If one were convicted to be a vegetarian, why make make-believe meat? Eat your non-meat diet proudly and unashamed. I can only think that those who eat soy meat look a-likes actually miss the meat. I am a meat eater. I buy meat that is organic or where I know the source, I live in ranching country and know where cattle are raised on grass without drugs of any kind. I raise chickens and we eat their eggs which are not fertile. I buy organic non meat items and organic dairy. I do not agree with Factory farming. It is a recent addition to our food supply and we would be much better off going back to local grown food. Put the factory food industry out of business. Watch "Food, Inc" The key is moderation and balance.
By the way, I think everyone can decide their own diet but, #1 new research shows the on average vegetarians have a shorter life span. #2 I find vegetarians are much more sensitive and defensive of their choice.
We should all be working together to gain control over our food and where it comes from and how it grows no mater what you choose to eat.
the vegetarians I know are a lot like life long smokers that quit and then stand on their soap box and criticize other smokers for their choice to light up. People like that deserve to be knocked off their soap box every once in a while. Don't push your life style on me and I won't push back.
A government study with rats showed that vegetarians have much lower IQ's than ordinary people.
No, what that showed was that vegetarian RATS had "slower" IQ's.
a british study with humans showed that people who became vegetarian later in life had a higher average iq
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6180753.stm
wouldn't the choise to be Vegan or vegetarian automatically be proof of a lower IQ
bah... the majority of Brits are so ....um...lets be nice and call it "purebred"- that the results of British studies vary drastically from the American norm. This has been documented throughly back in the '70s.
well, spelling choice "choise" would cdertainly indicate I.Q...
Ya i notice my error too late to correct it. Just for you real world "choice"
Eva, you should eat some more meat. The article says intelligent children become vegetarians than non intelligent children.
And I did a study that said Potato chips were great, I got a pat on the back, a diploma, and I'm on my way to being a rocket scientist.
Bill if the study was on rats, how did it decide that vegetarians have much lower IQs than ordinary people? Wouldn't you mean ordinary rats? So which have you been eating, meat or vegetables?
That's funny, because vegetarianism has actually been associated, in more than one study, with higher IQs.
So Einstein was a vegetarian?? And Stephen Hawking too??? Geeee, I didn't know that.
Actually, Einstein was a vegetarian. Moron.
What you said doesn't make any sense. Were the meat-eaters fed the rats? If you're saying vegetarian rats were matched against meat-eating rats for intelligence, then how does that prove meat eating people are smarter than vegetarian people. Rats aren't people.
To make your point more intelligently, humans with higher muscular creatine levels (half of all the body's store creatine is from ingested meat, eggs, and dairy) tend to have higher IQs and better working memory than humans who have low muscular creatine levels. Because there is no creatine in vegetables, vegetarians and vegans (on average) tend to have lower IQs and worse working memory than omnivores. See here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1691485/?tool=pmcentrez
However, vegans can supplement creatine (it can be synthesized without using animal byproducts) and fix the problem. So if you're going to be vegan, just be smart about it.
Thank you for the helpful link Reid
And meat-eaters only develop muscle between their ears. :o)
Funny how Einstein, Ben Franklin, and the rest of the SMARTEST people in the history of the world ate meat. So I guess you are wrong.
actually, einstein was a vegetarian.
Bet you think they were Christian too. What else is new. Judging from your name it starts to make sense. Who ever heard of an Army of one anyway? ah, what are we gonna do with these kids. Eat meat people, its good for you.
Einstein became a vegetarian about one year before he died. He was NOT a vegetarian all his life.
lmfao!!! i just lost an additional 5 pounds! The first 5 was from barfing after reasing this article.
reading. sorry i'm still laughing at Bill's post and how deeply you guys are reading into it!
Paid for by the meat industry dumbo. Do you know how much lobby $$$ go to our politicians from the meat and dairy industries. They then slip their nice little studies in for all of America to bite. Funny how when that started happening, obesity skyrocketed. Think with your own brain and not with the government's.
Bill it is really funny that you can't figure out if the study is about rats or people. lol I have an idea, why not just test vegan and meat eating PEOPLE. The only reason they test on rats is to not cause humans harm. However, testing YOUR IQ might just be painful. Most of the vegans I know are well educated if not intelligent. I am a Vegan and a member of MENSA.
Being a member of MENSA just shows that you are pretentious, not intelligent. I am surprised that a member of Mensa doesn't know that rats don't have IQs. IQs are the results from a test that animals can't take, and, to my knowledge, there isn't any sort of equivalence test for animals.
Well, I eat the occasional piece of meat (see my earlier post), my IQ is 150+ (I won't brag :)) AND (Thank God) I am NOT a Mensa member.
Is this broad serious?
I eat meat daily, she can have a piece of my meat.
One free Internet to you for reading my mind!
She is an out lesbian and doesn't want any of what you're selling.
Youre a jerk. All animals are created equal, including us. Get a life, and stop taking others lives. Im a 15 year old boy who happens to love everything about life and the animals and scenes it allows me to see. You are the people that take that opportunity away from billions of animals.
Mookie: shut up and grow up. We're not animals. Are you going to hate sharks for eating fish? It's called the food chain. Learn about it.
Trust me I would. I moron like you does not belong in the civilized society to start with. If you dont see the pain and suffering you are causing those poor animals, I say it is time you suffer it yourself to realize what you are doing.. You are a killer....hunt the hunter...
I certainly get and understand the food chain, but I chose to stop eating meat because of the factory farm situations. There is nothing normal or evolving about that. Those animals are tortured for your food. It's an industry of greed.
I hate to break it to everyone, but yes we are animals. In every sense of the word. The food chain is a product of evolution. It's a messed up place. We, however, are the only animals on the planet that actually have a choice in what we eat. We have a choice in how we evolve. She's right. I felt this article was much needed and spot on.
There is a reason i get my meat,eggs,etc organic so with respect i'm going to eat my prime rib and bacon and if you have a problem with it, go fuck a cow (as you seem to equate them with humans).
Matt: you're either an animal, a vegetable or a mineral. If you're claiming not to be an animal, that means you’re either a rock or a plant. (Mmmm, maybe you’re right.) As for your "food chain" remark, that's just an excuse to satisfy your taste buds for what is a selfish, uncompassionate choice you make. As humans, we KNOW BETTER and have the FREEDOM TO CHOOSE what we consume. Many top-of-the-food-chain humans stay there but don’t have to harm, torture or kill another living entity. It’s time to evolve yourself, my friend.
All you damn preachy vegietarians need to get a life. People have eaten meat since the beginning of time and just because you think you are better then everyone because you don't, it's not going to stop anyone. People who eat meat don't push it on vegetarians, so shut up and leave us alone. Meat rocks and there is not a better feeling then getting an animal when you are hunting and knowing you are responsible for putting food on your family's table!!
AND SHAME ON YOU FOR DOING SO. NOT CARING ABOUT ANIMAL SUFFERING REALLY SUCKS.
SB
To those who love their meat, did you kill it yourselves? I suggest people who love to eat meat go out and hunt for it, skin it and butcher it themselves. I'd respect you more and you'd respect the life you've just taken to satisfy a 'craving'. My issue isn't eating meat, but the fact that there are people who don't even know what animal they're eating. We as a culture have become too far removed from the food chain we are apart of. So either we start creating laws requiring humane animal farming OR people start hunting. I like this idea but I know there are going to be a lot of lazy meat eaters out there who'd rather walk up to a freeze box and dig out something grey.
I have killed and butchered my own meat, on a small family farm. We are not a "factory farm" and plenty of meat can come from small family run farms, or hunting. I don't condone or approve of mistreating or torturing animals, but I love a good steak (or burger), and there are ways to get meat in a mostly humane manner.
This is MADNESS. What is wrong with you "progressives"? These animals are bred for food. PLEASE... The reason that humans have always eaten meat is because in the winter time when we couldn't just go down to whole foods we derived our nutrients from the meat that was slaughtered after the harvest season was over. The livestock ate the nutritious grasses that supplied us with nutrients throughout the off season. It is not a natural thing to be a vegan. That only came about from modern food processing. "'Ol betsy on the farm can't go to china for her soy beans this year, guess she'll starve to death poor dear" Ridiculous! Absolutely insanely ridiculous that this is even a topic.
she eats tacos????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seek help, cro-magnon. You're the problem.
"I challenge the idea that anyone can eat meat 'in peace.' It’s a contradiction in terms. How can you talk about peace if your plate is swimming in blood? America raises and kills about 10 billion animals for food every year.
What I don't understand is that this animal advocate talks about killing animals and the only thing that comes to my mind is that we are killing HUMANS__BABIES every day.... dumping them into trash cans or using them as some sort of pigs for testing.. can someone make a big deal about that and not about animal rights...
You are a sick pervert!
Why does the chef get a couple sentences but Ms. Mitchell gets to rebut in several long paragraph's? This isn't a conversation, its another long winded rhetorical speech by the holier than thou Ms. Mitchell. I live in Nebraska and can say unequivocally that she is wrong about the " cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, lambs" that "are raised in hideous, overcrowded factory conditions." Of the millions of animal farms in this country how many has she visited or investigated to be able to make such an outrageous claim as this? Then she goes on to say "chickens packed in cages so tiny they have to be de-beaked to prevent them from pecking each other to death might be more prone to illness than chickens that have room to stretch their wings", so then it is okay to eat chickens as long as they are given room to stretch? Which one is it? She is the queen of outrageous claims just like the alcoholics will drink turpentine crap she spews on her commercials. Funny how she says nothing about the chemicals it takes to dye her fake colored hair that are eventually thrown into our landfills or dumped down the drain to poison our future water supplies. The lipstick that she wears is made from the blood of those animals and she doesn't say anything about that. She is a soap-box hippo-crate that probably has a closet full of leather jackets and suede shoes and that's just fine, but according to her if you eat them instead of wearing or sitting on skins of these animals there is something malevolent about you. Puke!
I am a vegitarian and want to tell whoever that thinks I'm wrong to go FUCK THEMSELVES... if 10 billion animal dying a year to feed 300 million ppl isnt a fucking alarming number what the fuck is? u morons who say "oh we are not animals" and then compare your selves to sharks etc on the food chain are why USA is going down the toilet, first fucking understand what you are saying then put it up here... so now to the first douche bag that offered meat: listen pal she is vegan so am I, but since u like it so much come have this sausage..
A little something for you preachy vegetarians: By being a vegetarian you are killing animals; you kill animals just like the omnivores you so despise. http://web.archive.org/web/20041107084521/http://eesc.orst.edu/agcomwebfile/news/food/vegan.html
You see, a variety of studies have found that you actually KILL MORE ANIMALS by eating vegetarian or vegan. Ominvores eat fewer plants that require vigorous threshing and mowing of fields, and each pass of those machines kills hundreds if not thousands of animals. There is no such thing as a guiltless meal, even if you don't want to kill an animal, unless you grow and pick your own food you are most likely contributing to the deaths of millions if not billions of animals a year. In fact, you are likely to kill fewer animals by eating beef and chicken, ironic isn't it? Hope you self-righteous leaf-munchers can sleep tonight.
Monk,
I think this was a response to a "preachy" carnivore/omnivore, Tim Love, who made it clear that he believes meat eaters are better than vegetarians. It is always good to hear BOTH sides of an issue.
I agree with Talgrath. You vegetarians are just as bad as the meat eaters. Deforestation happens for both meat and vegetable products which kills tons of animals a day and dont say "I get organic food", unless it is hand picked then the farmer uses a machine to pick the product and the unless you are willing to eat just apples and oranges you are killing animals just as much as we are. Also plastic glass and metal has some paper product on it as a label or something. Also go to the museum of natuarl history in DC and look at the dinosaurs. The vegetarians dinosaurs have flat teeth this is for eating just plants, while the carnivores have sharp teeth this is for eating meat. Our teeth are 50/50 so we are designed for both. We also have an appendix which we do not use anymore because we cook our food now but it was designed to process raw "meat". I agree with the don't kill animals at a mass quanity and eating more vegetable based meals but i like to eat meat. I get my meat from a local market where they get their meat from local farmers and I know they don't miss treat them because I drive by it everyday on my way to workl.
yeah.. i can't live without meat.. especially "love you long time pork ribs" google them.
LOL!
I was a meat eater from the time I came on earth ,was bulky and slow. from the time turned vegi ,all is well and better . more enery /glow in skin , slow aging . Those who are meat eater and are serious to know the difference , try for a month and see what you get . You will love to share your your experience with the whole world. By not eating for one month you are not going to miss any thing in life for sure.
Try it have any and every thing in moderation and enjoy your life to the best .
It is thought to share not a meat to share .
Thanks
And think of all the innocent plants you killed for your vegan diet. :) Just cause it doesn't scream when you cut it in pieces doesn't mean it wasn't alive! =D
The best comment so far! :)
Yeah, wasn't there a new study suggesting that plants can "think"? Since they can regrow lost limbs and parts, doesn't that mean when you sit down and have a fresh salad, you're actually eating an alive, thinking being!?!? That's the truly horrendous crime to me. haha
I totally agree with you on this one !!!
I'm sure that plants don't have nervous systems. The point is that vegetarians/vegans are trying to reduce the amount of suffering that is a result of meat-eating and dairy farming. Please troll elsewhere.
Ok einstien apparently you didn't pay attention in school. Name one plant that has a Nervous system? Do you know what a nervous system is? Why does anyone give a crap about vegetarians not eating meat? If you don't care about your health, animals, or the environment you live in, why do you give such a big $hit about some women you dont know NOT eating something? You can all shove your meat up your @sse$ for all i care. Just dont be alarmed when you find lumps in your breast and a useless limp d!ck at 40.
Plants do not have nervous system to feel the pain. Or didn't you know that?
Yeah, didn't you watch Avatar? Plants communicate. It was in a movie, so you know it must be true.
It's comments like "you kill vegetables" that keep most vegetarians from even telling other people about their lifestyle. Most people I know who are vegetarians are so because they are worried about the enviroment, global hunger and their own health. We feel like we have evolved as a culture and are trying to do the same. Unfortunately the world is still populated with neanderthals, who not only can't look beyond their own bellies to notice how raising and slaughtering a billion animals a year is polluting our communities and killing our populace with waste, disease and obseity. Instead, they'd rather belittle people who are trying to not only protect our planet, but help raise our collective empathy. We're tripping over McDonalds and starbucks, but our children are ruder and more selfish than ever. I'd love it if the world went vegetarian, but to the selfish and childish population unable to get over their own ignorance; fear not. I won't waste my breathe on you. Stuff another Big Mac in your mouth, and thankfully I won't have to worry about you for long.
This is actually the dumbest comment ever. Totally ignorant, as are the responses to it so far.
I'm pretty sure this comment was said in jest...Not only that, but I know few preachy omnivores...but plenty of preachy vegetarians.
Jodi: What does parents spoiling their kids and filling their heads with holier-than-thou environmentalism have anything to do with eating meat. It doesn't, they are totally unrelated issues that annoy you and therefore you feel the need to say because the kids eat some meat there is a link. Which there isn't....kind of like global warming...but i digress.
Eating meat is natural...otherwise lions, tigers, wolves, and chimpanzees wouldn't do it. Yes even chimpanzees, our closest genetic relative eats meat. INfact they eat each other. I don't see you preaching to a hungry bear not to eat a deer.
Wow way to rip apart your own argument there. So should we all be eating each other? Cause the chimps do it?
I suggest you open your eyes. Do you have the slightest clue what goes on inside factory farms? The American food industry has engineered the food we eat to deliver the most at the lowest price. Everything has been altered so drastically over the past 50 years, that farms have become dominant monopolies, wiping out small family farms who once fed this country. What does low-cost food mean for the animals? Hell. Think about it. If you were to produce the most product at the lowest price because that's where the demand was, yet you had no voice to use to defend yourself, do you think your basic needs would be met? Not only are animals not having their basic needs met, they're being tortured. Countless cases of sadistic animal cruelty flood this industry, because these farms are not being properly regulated. There's a REASON that many Americans don't know about these things. Because the people that are running this industry are the same people who wrote the laws to protect the industry. There's a large curtain veil between the consumer and the food, and that's the way they're trying to keep it.
PS eating vegetables is not cruel. Plants breathe, but they are not live souls. Come on, you know this. Don't be a moron.
That is ridiculous. Every time someone says "what about the poor plants?", you have to wonder about these people.
What is the difference between a plant and an animal that is important? Plants cannot suffer, animals do.
If you question that, punch yourself in the face as an experiment.
You argument fails because animals raised for food eat hundreds of pounds of plants for every pound of meat you get from them. So if you want to save the plants, eat VEGAN!!!
I love the self-righteous assuredness of the vegetarian crowd. Plants want to live, too. It's why so many evolved things like thorns, height, toxins, and other defenses against being eaten. There are even some species that send out chemical communications to neighboring plants when they are damaged, ostensibly warning them of danger. But, hey, so long as the form of life is so different than empathy with it is hard, then it must not mind it's fate, right?
Your
Meat: it's what's rotting in your colon and giving you cancer! And Karma will take care of all you animal killers out there, I've seen it for myself.
So true about the plants – they are living things too. They kill them to eat them. And the water they drink, it belongs to the fishes of the sea, what right do we have to take it and drink it. Without water, all the fish would die.
I also find it hypocritical when I hear vegans share their concern for the "killing" of animals by humans because the animals have a right to live, and yet the majority of them are okay if women choose to kill unborn little humans, who apparently do not have the right to live, but the animals have a right to live. Guess the only population they really want to control is the human one.
Eat what you want and leave the rest of us alone. It's still a free country – consumerism is still king.
I completely agree with your statement. Even though the animals that are slaughtered for our food at these factories DO suffer from living conditions and absolute death, they don't have souls which means that technically they don't truly exist. They're more like robots in animal bodies. They were put here to eat, just like plants, vegetables, and fruits, so vegans....eat your veggies and shut up with your criticizing. It's a very bigoted way of thinking: "Killing animals is wrong and therefore if you eat meat you're not eating in peace because your meat is drowning in blood." Get a life and move on. Accept the fact that not everybody will have the same opinion and belief system as you and move on.
oh, if you mention pain of veggies, you must be aware of real pain that animals go through. What a damn comparison – the pain of a cow that can cry and scream and "poor" carrot that obviously does not have such emotions, as you may notice.....Jeeees, people tell all kind of nonsense arguments just to justify themselves ...
"Listen up brothers and sisters, come hear my desperate tale
I speak of our friends of nature, trapped in the dirt like a jail
Vegetables live in oppression, served on our tables each night
The killing of veggies is madness, I say we take up the fight
Salads are only for murderers, cole slaw's a fascist regime
Don't think that they don't have feelings, just 'cause a radish can't screeeaaammm"...
(Carrot Juice is Murder, The Arrogant Worms)
All we are saying, is give peas a chance...
Yeesh. That preachy veggie just proves the other guy's point.
Any idiot a little smarter than you would know that your comment is totally childish and unrealistic. Face it! Plants are not animate objects they cannot feel pain,etc. You are just trying to make yourself feel better about eating killed beings. I try to think of the day when people will not delight in something that comes from suffering and death of an innocent being. If you give up eating meat you will avoid a lot of health problems and mental guilt (if you even have a conscience) because suffering animals are torn to pieces while they are still alive,kicking and screaming for the last seconds of life they will ever have. Everyone should have the right to live. Do Your Research before you post retarded comments!
Eddie, animals do have a soul – they do most of the things that humans do – eat, sleep, have children....they love, they remember, they can serve you ( dogs or horses), they nourish you (mother cow) they sing beautiful songs sometimes (birds), :-) Please check out video on youtube called "Lion reunion Christian", how can you say after that that animals do not have a soul . They do not speak our language, but they talk to each other, and just because they are not smart as humans, we are exploiting them so much....Many species of animals have even better morals than humans- they have one partner throughout their whole life. Smart as we are, we can always win the debate and continue eat animals, but it is not about who is smarter – it is about condition of individual human heart – is there is enough compassion towards animals and enough strength to give up eating tasty meat for the life of chickens and cows.
Yeah!
Actually there has been significant scientific evidence that plants do feel pain and shows signs of thought.
I will stop eating animals the day one of them gets smart enough to effectively communicate to humans that they are against us raising them to be slaughtered and eaten.
Sorry, Vegans: Brussels Sprouts Like to Live, Too
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/science/22angi.html?_r=1
I wonder if she's in favor of hunting? Those animals are not subjected to cramped conditions anyways. And btw I don't think meat is solely responsible for America's obesity epidemic. I would pin it on the massive amount of grains and sugars consumed compared to the amounts of healthy carbs from fruits and vegetables (i.e. it seems many of the vegetarians I know live off of mac and cheese, grilled cheese, oily pastas, etc... not exactly balanced diets). Go grok!
I disagree with people saying that killing a plant is different from killing and animal because animals feel pain. If your standard of right/wrong for killing and eatting is if they feel pain, then can I go kill a person with the disease or condition where they cannot feel pain and be guilt free? Feeling pain is not the basis of life. If you make something dead that was alive it is killing it.
plant cell has extra "celuloise cell wall" which is missing in animal cell ..... So with plant cell less chances of mutation and hence you can have less chances of having cancer and other health issues. Yes plant has life and sensitive people don't waste their food.
what a stupid comment. If I had a dollar for every moron who made that comment to me, I'd be a rich woman. Of course plants don't have nervous systems and don't feel pain. It's a proven point. Grow up and learn your facts before posting inane comments;
Listen up brothers and sisters,
come hear my desperate tale.
I speak of our friends of nature,
trapped in the dirt like a jail.
Vegetables live in oppression,
served on our tables each night.
This killing of veggies is madness,
I say we take up the fight.
Salads are only for murderers,
coleslaw's a fascist regime.
Don't think that they don't have feelings,
just cause a radish can't scream.
I've heard the screams of the vegetables (scream, scream, scream)
Watching their skins being peeled (having their insides revealed)
Grated and steamed with no mercy (burning off calories)
How do you think that feels (bet it hurts really bad)
Carrot juice constitutes murder (and that's a real crime)
Greenhouses prisons for slaves (let my vegetables go)
It's time to stop all this gardening (it's dirty as hell)
Let's call a spade a spade (is a spade is a spade is a spade)
I saw a man eating celery,
so I beat him black and blue.
If he ever touches a sprout again,
I'll bite him clean in two.
I'm a political prisoner,
trapped in a windowless cage.
Cause I stopped the slaughter of turnips
by killing five men in a rage
I told the judge when he sentenced me,
This is my finest hour,
I'd kill those farmers again
just to save one more cauliflower
I've heard the screams of the vegetables (scream, scream, scream)
Watching their skins being peeled (having their insides revealed)
Grated and steamed with no mercy (burning off calories)
How do you think that feels (bet it hurts really bad)
Carrot juice constitutes murder (and that's a real crime)
Greenhouses prisons for slaves (let my vegetables go)
It's time to stop all this gardening (it's dirty as hell)
Let's call a spade a spade (is a spade is a spade is a spade)
How low as people do we dare to stoop,
Making young broccolis bleed in the soup?
Untie your beans, uncage your tomatoes
Let potted plants free, don't mash that potato!
I've heard the screams of the vegetables (scream, scream, scream)
Watching their skins being peeled (fates in the stirfry are sealed)
Grated and steamed with no mercy (you fat gormet slob)
How do you think that feels? (leave them out in the field)
Carrot juice constitutes murder (V8's genocide)
Greenhouses prisons for slaves (yes, your composts are graves)
It's time to stop all this gardening (take up macrame)
Let's call a spade a spade (is a spade, is a spade, is a spade, is a spade.....
Is the strap on her wristwatch in that photo leather?
And the angel of the lord came unto me, snatching me up from my place of slumber. And took me on high, and higher still until we moved to the spaces betwixt the air itself. And he brought me into a vast farmlands of our own midwest. And as we descended, cries of impending doom rose from the soil. One thousand, nay a million voices full of fear. And terror possesed me then.
And I begged, "Angel of the Lord, what are these tortured screams?" And the angel said unto me, "These are the cries of the carrots, the cries of the carrots! You see, Reverend Maynard, tomorrow is harvest day and to them it is the holocaust." And I sprang from my slumber drenched in sweat like the tears of one million terrified brothers and roared, "Hear me now, I have seen the light! They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! Damn you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers!" Can I get an amen? Can I get a hallelujah? Thank you Jesus.
well....you don't kill plants..you eat the fruits/vegetables given by the plants...you keep growing the plants with sunshine and water which helps the environment...and in turn it produces more fruits and vegetables....plants don't have death as long as it gets sunshine and water and nobody razes it and there are no natural disasters.....anything that has a heart and bleeds when hurt and cannot reproduce after 'death' are essentially killed....plants can reproduce even after fruits/vegetables are 'killed' and produces even more fruits and vegetables with water and sunshine...
OMG! You are so ignorant! How can you manage to function with your knuckles scraped raw from dragging on the ground?!
If my eyes were located on the sides of my head, I'd be a vegetarian. They're located on the front/face of my head. I am a carnivore by design.
Good point but we humans are not carnivores we are omnivores just like bears are.
Where your eyes are located is not the issue. It is where your heart is located. Sixth grade kids know how humans evolved from vegetarian animals such as other primates and rodents. Think before you type.
We are not just like bears. We are just like apes. Bears are related to dogs. Somebody get these people a biology text book, please.
Ignorance is BLISSSSSSSS
primates and rodents are vegetarian? wow. i have a masters in biology, and my understanding is that most primates are omnivores, as well as many rodents. Well, i only have 8 years of edumacation on this, i'm sure you trump that...fuzzylift
And if they were on the back of your head you would be my mom.
I'm afraid that vegans will eventually be the majority. Not now, not tomorrow, but centuries from now they will be. And by the way, humans are designed to be herbivores; from the way our skulls and teeth are shaped to our intestinal tract, we're supposed to be eating plants. It's okay, it was hard for me to accept it as well.
Explain the hammer-head shark then.
Squiggy
Explain the hammer-head shark then.
Okay well that one is easy we are talking about mammals not fish. The eyes of fish don't count since it is their other sensory organs that are doing the majority of there hunting for them. ie. smell and feel
And apes eat monkey from time to time, they go in a pack and tear the monkey limb from limb. There is absolutly nothing wrong with killing an animal for food. However, knowing what we know, we should do it as humanely as possible. As for those vegans that like to say your eating a rotting corpse, what do you think a ripened fruit is? Ripened fruit is decaying fruit, it is the fruit decaying that gives it its' sweet taste. Factory farming is horrible, and when I shop, I trye to find products that are organicly raised, open range and so on, though I don't always find those. The real poin here is that a lot of vegans love animals, so think it is wrong to eat them. Life is harsh though, life feeds on life, and has no place for kindness. The homosapien is the only species (that I know of) that is consistanly kind to other animals, and actually helps out other animals consistantly. True vagans cannot survive on vegetables alone, they have to tak supplements to get enough protein in their body and for certain vitamins. That alone shows that we are not supposed to be vegans, but are truly omnivore. Last point, it is true though that we eat to much meat.
For the record, most apes and monkeys are omnivores too. Apes will kill and eat smaller monkeys from time to time. The idea that we should be compassionate and cut out an entire segment of our diet because we have evolved is laughable at best. I have never heard a "meat-eating neanderthaal" have to justify why they need to eat meat, but every time I meet a new vegetarian I have to hear about how I'm killing the planet and how irresponsible I am.
Spare me. The day I quit eating meat will be because I hate the taste, not to save a cow.
It's the eating of meat protein that inlarged our brains, expanding our intelligence thereby saving us from extinction.
I am amazed that "real world" the fancy biologist with 8 years of education, cant spell. I guess your masters degree did not include spelling "edumacation". Congratulations genius...
Hey Fizzy...chimps eat meat plenty of the time. We didn't evolve from purely vegetarian animals...get yourself a biology textbook. Yours truly, a Paleoanthropologist.
Hey "baconluvr," "real world's" sarcasm went wayyyyy over your head. better cut back on that bacon. check your grammar, too. Sincerely, vegan Speech Pathologist
Ok, what are you people going to do when there is an over population of animals and they have to be put down any way. This is what happened out in the mid west several years ago, thousands of deer had to be put down because of an over population disease( can't remember what it is called, just do a search on it). Who do you think started most of the game preserves out there, Hunters that's who.
And to all you who say we came from monkey's. I did NOT come from no MONKEY!! Read the Holy Bible, that is where man came from, if you do not wish to believe that and believe the lies of the devil then go ahead.
Hey Baconluvr, speaking of "Genius" the "fancy Biologist" you were running into the ground over spelling education as "edumacation"... He was simply being sarcastic....Geez.
"Where your eyes are located is not the issue. It is where your heart is located. Sixth grade kids know how humans evolved from vegetarian animals such as other primates and rodents. Think before you type."
What does the location of one's heart have anything to do with this discussion? For a person who claims other people should use a biology book you seem like an individual who is not aware that the heart is merely an organ that ensures the circulation of blood throughout the body.
wow man! You should change your name to "I am the dumbest person on earth" from Jesus... I wish you could suffer the pain and neglect those animals have to go thru to feed your fat belly.. I wish you could be in those cages for 1 day.. you will know what you are doing to those innocent animals,. imagine your loved ones in the place of those animals.. would you like to see them suffer so a cannibal can eat??
I'm sorry, did you say design?
IceT – so with your logic, cats, which ONLY eat meat should have larger brains than us, and deer, which only eat vegetables/plants, are extinct. Geeze, go back to school . . .or maybe you haven't yet graduated out of preschool yet.
Amen, brother.
Carnivores stalk their prey, jump on it's back and tear it's flesh with their teeth. Oh yeah – and they don't cook it! Do that and I'll believe human beings are carnivores.
If you were a carnivore you could eat your meat raw, straight off the bone, no cooking, no bbq sauce. Animals that are carnivores do that. Humans can't eat raw meat because it isn't a natural food.
Fizzylift..... I don't know where you went to school but Humans did not evolve from vegetarians in any way shape or form. Humans did evolve from apes, which are omnivores, and do eat meat. That being said, the human stomach is very poorly designed to digest vegetation. You my friend should do your homework before you speak!
Meat eating is one of the reasons our species ever came down from the trees. The added protien from meat in our diet is what allowed our brains to grow big and capable of so much. However, I also think that commercial farming is a shame to us all.,but there are alternatives to buying factory fam meat. I buy everything from a small local farm co-op, keeping them in business and my belly full of steak whenever I feel the need. As a side note, we are very capable of eating raw meat. It's called sushi and steak tartar. If we were ment to be herbavores then we would have teeth like cows, horses, or even rinos. How about this... I don't tell you what to do with your body and you don't tell me what to do with mine.
hahaha!!! icet – eating meat was what "inlarged" your brain? you sure about that?
"edumacation" is a joke, fuzzylift, you dolt. Do you really need to have a joke that was used on "Bugs Bunny" 60 years ago explained to you?
oops, that reply was for baconluvr...
Fuzzylift: Apes eat meat! They're even cannibalistic during times of warfare with competing troops. They eat any baboon that offends their offspring. The alpha males even go on hunting parties. They eat the male young of defeated enemies. They're not very nice, as role models.
I'm not a vetetarian, but it astounds me how defensive and anxious our meat eaters are. Who is it that is REALLY lacking in intelligence? Seems to me that this mirrors the differences between conservatives and progressives!!!
I'm not defensive, I just like meat and think she's pathetic.
The problem is that we are products of millions of years of evolution. You cannot extract one food source from a diet and expect no consequences.
I agree with you Ted. As a vegetarian for many years I always found the meat-eaters around me far more offended by my food choices then I was by theirs. Vegetarianism is a life choice just like eating meat is. I won't come down on you if you don't come down on me.
Okay, first of all. We evolved from primates and yes they were vegitarians, but because they adapted to eat meat, it created an increase in fats in the brain thus allowing us to become smarter and eventually be able to choose to eat meat or not. The ignorance in which people make decisions is ridiculous. I understand that some people can not eat meat because it does not agree with their body and vice versa. I do eat meat and I am an avid hunter as well and there is not a pang of guilt when I bite into the meat or take the shot. I am higher on the food chain, it's nature's order.
No kidding. The professed carnivores here are generating such incredibly knee-jerk, defensive, preachy and jacka$$ reactions to this article. We are indeed omnivores. Meaning that occasional meat consumption might even be good for us, but she is absolutely correct about the stupidity of the duma$$es who are clinging to their three dead animals a day nonsense. She also makes excellent points about agribusiness and the overconsumption leading to most of our health problems (both due to overconsumption directly and also the unsanitary conditions that large agribusiness maintains to meet the demand of the meatheads). I am the first to admit that once in a while I like a steak or burger – say, once every 2 or 3 months I'll have a meal with meat. This is about the appropriate amount in terms of what our bodies need. I see no particular reason to 'go vegan,' as I like dairy and if I buy it from a small, local farm then I'm not encouraging the abusive practices she talks about (which she's correct about). But you meatheads should stop sneering and badmouthing those of us who actually understand the fact that we don't need (and YOU don't need) nearly as much meat as you seem to think you do. OK, so you like it. Admit it and quit trying to pretend that your body needs it. It doesn't. It just makes you look really stupid to claim that it does.
Really? Looks to me like it's the vegetarians getting whiny and defensive (not to mention preachy), starting with the author of the original article. Takes a special type of person to play the victim while simultaneously telling other people how to live their lives.
@Moira
/Handshake
Its a deal.
Like she said, its a lifestyle choice that people can now practice in our modern society. As long as someone isn't getting in my face about eating a burger, I won't get in someone's face for choosing not to. Welcome to freedom of choice in America.
To suggest that a sample of "Liberals" from the general population would score higher than a group of "Conservatives" on an I.Q. test is simply not true. The stats show that less than 10% of Mensa members are Liberals.
Meat tastes amazing and I personally love it, but I still feel guilty about the amount of death that occurs to satiate my hunger. However, scientists have proven that the reason why omnivores and carnivores are intelligent compared to their vegetarian counterparts is because the protein gained from meat has allowed them to evolve in intelligence. It is very easy to tell that humans are more intelligent then a cow. So please stop trying to convert because personally I find it easier to convert vegetarians into non-vegetarians and many former non-vegetarians end up eating meat again. Personally I believe you non-meat eaters are ruining the future for your descendants by making them lose a great source of protein.
@ Watnen
Have you been to a MENSA mixer? I have. It's like being damned to a room of the socialy inept. Longest couple of hours of my life.
I think thats interesting too, Tim. Yet, ironically, it always seems to be the meat-eater calling the vegetarian/vegan "holier-than-thou" or "preachy." I never preach to people about what they eat – I truly don't care what you put in your body. Why should I, it's YOUR body. But, on the flip side, I literally cannot count how many times I've gotten flack from meat-eaters for being vegan. What's up with that? At this point I just usually just lie and say I have an allergy to eggs and dairy, which is easier than the alternative.
I love to eat meat. I don’t mind vegans and vegetarians. One thing that bothers me though, they want to stop all of the livestock industry. Raising cattle is my job, it’s how I get paid, I grew up doing it, and I love it. It’s not only my job, but millions of other people’s job. We’re already in a bad economy, so why waste time and money on something not as important. If PETA and HSUS leave the livestock industry alone, we’ll leave you alone. We just need to compromise, simple as that. And make sure you have your facts straight on the livestock industry before you make up false rumors, that’s all I ask. Don’t mean to offend anyone if I do.
Shes been eating too many veggies...her brain has not developed right. 'Ever wonder why we’re experiencing all those salmonella and swine flu outbreaks?" Hey you idiot.....didnt spinach have a bad problem a few years ago? What about that? An as far as farm factory poo poo run off destroying the Planet...well, if we go the tree huger route, we could actually say that all Human Beings on the Planet are an infestation to Earth and should be stopped and wiped out to save the Earth. By the way, I could eat a few pounds of BACON while watching the piggy give birth in the pen. Wouldnt bother me a bit. I love the smell of BACON in the morning!!!!!
The salmonella outbreaks are due to factory farm waste dumped on the growing plants for fertilizer. The animals aren't fed the proper diet in the factory farms (they are fed processed waste products from the corn industry as opposed to grass and other natural greens they would usually eat.) This improper diet leads to greatly increased amounts of salmonella in the animal's gut, which is transferred to their waste and then put on the ground where we grow our crops.
salmonella does not naturally occur in spinach, or any vegetable. it's zoonotic, and cultured in and by animals. the salmonella outbreak of years ago was probably caused by fecal contamination by either animals or farm workers.
Salmonella lives in the intestinal tracts of animals (including people). That means that if it was on your spinach, or your tomatoes, or your green onions, those vegetables have been in direct contact with feces. It was probably runoff from a nearby factory farm. What was your point again?
The number of food born illnesses created by animal products far exceed the numbercreated by plant products.
Owned
Hey, man. You do know that animal runoff is what caused the disease on that spinach, don't you?
so...where would the spinach business be without the animal waste as fertilizer? there would not be enough spinach to go around without it. Its a never ending circle of arguments the vegans will never win
It would be fantastic if we were wiped off the earth as we really are this worlds biggest sickness. We have ruined it and will continue to do so until this planet can no longer provide for us. So good call jack a$$
I am willing to bet your IQ is not more than 80 by reading your comments.. read them yourself.. and realize how stupid and pathetic you sound.. Need I say more? Eating dead maggot infested meat must be doing wonders to your body and brain.. it shows!!!
Lex:
What is a tree huger? Sequoias evolved that way – hugers are a myth.
Examine your argument.
Me
I'll say it plainly enough. If you have so little going on in your life to complain about people eating meat then you are pretty blessed and should count those blessings. There are far fewer people on this Earth that have time to even contemplate such trivial matters. The vast majority of people in the world are worrying about where they are going to get their next meal, where they are going to sleep or even the security of their family. Those are the real things to worry about.
At least one of those issues you mention was discussed, and potentially solved by a vegetarian diet, in the article above. Did you read it?
Actually, the vast majority of people on this earth are vegetarians: most people can't afford to eat meat! Look it up! It is those of us in developed countries and particularly the US that are overconsuming meat and wreaking havoc on agricultural supply and the environment. I am not a vegetarian (yet) , but after reading this article and the idiotic responses from the Texan meat chef, I am considering becoming one!
Please read my post better it was not in response of what a persons diet is. What it did have to do with is the fact that we as a species should be more worried about the things that are truly important in life and caring for the other people in the world not our personal pet projects. Again I will say it, if this is all you have to complain about your doing pretty well in life.
Jacob your ignorance is astounding. It is my family's security about which I worry. Your factory farmed animals are killing our environment and your corn fed cows are creating strains of ecoli that are killing people. Please try to educate yourself before posting your opinion. I really could care less if you eat cows or pigs but raise them in your backyard and let them eat grass. Stop f-ing up my environment.
So? Because we can afford the luxury of such a diet, why would we not partake in it? Not to mention choosing a global diet is exactly doing what you suggest: worrying about the things that are most important. It is meateaters who are truly blessed. You think meat is available for every meal in the third-world?
Apparently I my post stated that I eat meat, let me re-read it to see if I did...good after reviewing it I am sure I did not. I will say it again if you are worried about this your doing pretty well in this world to have no other care then this. I would think that it would make a bit more sense to worry about people killing other people but that just does not seem to be the case.
Her proposed notion that converting the world to a vegan lifestyle would solve world hunger and save the planet is ridiculous. Only 1/32 of the world's land is considered suitable to use as farmland. In order to maximize that land to sustain the world's 6.7+ billion person population on an entirely vegan diet would require, among other things, mass diversion of water supplies to irrigate fields, huge amounts of pesticides, a decimation of soil quality, and an inconceivable amount of machinery and labor. On top of that the fencing off of the land to ensure that grazing animals didn't eat the crop would disrupt the habitats of millions, possibly billions, of animals and wreck local and global ecosystems. Therefore, it's entirely possible that her solution would cause more environmental damage than our current system.
Instead of demanding worldwide veganism she should consider demanding stricter quality standards and regulations regarding the disposal and use of animal waste, more humane slaughter techniques, more widespread promotion of locally grown produce and meat, a change in the current cultural mindset that encourages gluttonous food consumption, and updated transport methods that are more environmentally sound. These improvements or any number of others would help to prevent the currently estimated loss of nearly 50% of the annual produce yield worldwide.
I also think that with some patience the author and many of the commenters defending her would find that a large portion of meat eaters are just as concerned as, if not more than, them as to methods with which our food is handled both before and after slaughter. This is because a lot of us like to hunt, raise our own meat, seek out locally raised animals, or in one way or another be fairly closely associated with the origins of the meat we eat and in order to do that we have to ensure that the base of the supply of meat, the animals and their habitats, are taken care of. Simply look at Ted Nugent for proof. While you may not agree with the man's political or social views I can guarantee that he's done more for to ensure the well being of the animals in and around the areas he lives and hunts in than any person commenting on this thread, myself included.
It's my opinion that humans have evolved as Omnivores and I intend to continue eating meat, both store bought and that which I've caught/raised myself. But there's also no harm in choosing to indulge in a different diet other than my own. Each menu has its merits and its drawbacks but it's undeniable that we would all benefit from a revision of modern food producing practices.
That was meant as a reply to the opinion piece itself and not just your post. My bad.
Not a problem at all. I think it was very well articulated and hit the points you were trying to address very well, good post!
The fact that she says that swine flu outbreaks can be linked to eating meat is disappointing and shows how uneducated she is about disease and this subject. While I applaud her for having convictions about what she eats I also think she's a complete idiot. Swine flu has nothing to do with eating pork.
you're right. catching swine flu has nothing to do with eating pork.
the cultivation of swine flu, and the rapid spread of it, DOES have to do with how pigs are raised. viruses mutate rapidly when confronted with large populations of animals inoculated against previous mutations.
if the virus evolves rapidly enough, it can "beat" science and spread rapidly through populations, infecting millions of livestock and humans. and the only reason why large inoculated pig populations exist is because of factory farming.
Siverene – You think she is an idiot because YOU are an idiot. The swine flu came from Smithfield Farms, the world's largest hog producer and pork packer. They own a FACTORY PIG FARM in Vera Cruz, Mexico. They raise over 950,000 pigs there every year. This is where the swine flu originated. It amazes me how ignorant people can be and try to prove their ignorant point.
Wow I am truly amazed at all the people that bash this woman (Jane) who clearly knows her facts and knows what she is talking about with your uneducated responses, get your facts straight before you open your mouths because it makes you look really dumb. What she has said is all true facts!! I guess what you eat is what you are, makes you dumber since all you eat are grain fed meats and don't know what nutritional values greens offer! In case you didn't know the meats that are consumed in the US weren't designed to eat just grains instead they are supposed to be eating grass but fed grains to fatten them up with less nutrition so you meat lovers can consume more and become odese. ;)
I know Vegans. They are always cold, they leave office temps at 75-80 deg. So much for saving energy. They always complain about being sick, and they always fade before the day is over. Vegan protein SUCKS. There is nothing that can replace good animal protein and its benefits. Liberal guilt aside, veganism is stupid.
This is actually a valid point. One of the larger contributors to greenhouse gases and energy consumption is your standard, climate-controlled office building but you never here about that...
I've been vegan for 5 years. I live in Michigan and play hockey. I'm never cold. The only people I know who are chronically cold (vegan or otherwise) are relatively thin women. Thin people have more surface area (where body heat is lost) compared to volume. Maybe this is a more rational explanation for your observations.
Richard you make a great point and my point is it's called FREEDOM. We should be all more educated and then WE make up our own mind !!. The Liberals always think they know what is best for us. Hope they don't treat us like the smokers because then we will have to eat our meat outside in a little shack. I don't eat red meat but I eat fish and chicken but Fish should be O.K. because Doctors tell me to eat fish. The bottom line is stop telling us what to do, just inform us and let us make the decision.
Richard, your statement is ridiculous. My husband and I and our two little boys have been vegetarians for years, and are among the healthiest people we know. None of us lack energy, none of us are abnormally cold, and more importantly none of us are overweight or suffer any chronic health problems. In my opinion non-vegetarians will make up any rationalization they can think of to justify why they shouldn't stop eating meat, but the "vegetarians are always cold" excuse is a new one to me. I guess you at least get an "A" for creativity.
I'm vegan. Never Cold. In fact even in the winter I sleep with a fan on. (I live in Mi.) As far as health, I've gotten sick much MUCH less since switching over 3 years ago.
I know many who are the same.
I'm a vegetarian/vegan (slightly lactose intolerant, hence try to be vegan) and a triathlete/endurance athlete. I have plenty of energy, as do all the other vegan or vegetarian athletes I know. In fact, I have waaay more energy than when I used to eat meat.
soy is a "perfect protein" and its vegan, you do know what a perfect protein is... right?
I don't doubt the good side of vegetarianism in terms of health and ethical treatment of animals.
However as someone who has a life-threatening allergy to nuts, legumes, soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, green peas, I have yet to find a combination of vegetables that will give me anywhere near a reasonably adequate amount of plant-based protein for my daily needs.
I've had women tell me they can't date me because I can't be a vegetarian. If vegetarians are so ethically and compassionately enlightened, I think they should look at their own views and some of the realities of others before passing judgement.
Let's remember that many Tibetan Buddhist Monks in the foothills of the Himalayas sometimes must eat meat due to the lack of plant-based food available in the alpine environment. They pray for the souls of the animals that give their lives so that they may live. Perhaps that's an ethical path we should emulate?
I see your point. My issue as a vegetarian, though, is not so much with eating meat (I have no moral issue with the Buddhist monk occasionally eating meat, or the hunter who kills a deer in the woods to feed his family) but with the disgusting state of agribusiness in this country. There is NO reason why the animals that are eaten need to endure the torture that Velez-Mitchell describes above. If the animals were allowed to live with dignity before being humanely killed I believe vegetarians/vegans would be much less judgmental.
Surprisingly, a human can do just fine without all those foods you are allergic to. I developed a serious allergies to all "usual" protein sources (meat, dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes – you name it). If I touched even ONE SINGLE BEAN, my lips swelled up and my eyes became puffy for days (I later discovered I did not have enough stomach acid to digest protein). To make a long story short, I avoided traditional protein sources for two years. I anticipated that I could only avoid protein for a few weeks or maybe a few months, but I did just fine. Talley up how much protein we get in 1 slice of bread, a potato, whole wheat pasta, a yam – I was getting about 35 grams of protein a day from various vegetables and grains. My point: I now think our "protein source" is an area of medicine that needs to be researched more thoroughly. I believe we are still basing our medical beliefs on science that is 100-200 years old. If you don't believe me, test this yourself. I was also an avid runner and didn't notice any health difference so I believe we still have a lot to learn about medicine!!!
niiiice
Sadly she is. I stopped reading at "Brainwashed and rotting corpse"
That's what I am saying. Talk about a total snob. Guild-free eating? When I am scarfing down a delicious hamburger or steak I am not thinking about the animal it came from... I am thinking about the taste nirvana that is overwhelming my senses... and then maybe a little guilt... About how I am going to have to run an extra mile the next day to run it off...
This piece is a total joke!
Your lack of understanding is quite hilarious as well.
so guilt free you obviously didn't feel the need to defend your meat eating with a comment on this article... the lady doth protest too much!
As serious as a fat person's clogged arteries from too much fat consumption.
Hey Jimmy, it's a good thing you don't eat meat, you are already so mean and aggressive, very un-vegan like – LOL
And speaking of clogged arteries, my grandfather lived to be 95 and ate meat each and every day.
I personally don't eat a lot
think of all the methane gas we would produce along side of the cows,pigs,etc. from the veggies everyone ate if we all went vegan! talk about world destruction! dont light a match! And i enjoy my meat in "peace", chunks, slices, cubes.....
I am a veggie from my birth. i never tasted meat of course rarely i eat boiled eggs.like twice or thrice a year.Basically you will get good protein from cereals.so no point in eating dead carcasses for the sake of protein.It is inhumane to raise animals in a factory conditions and killing them like life doesn't exist in them is so pathetic.so please people become vegans and intern become healthy and live long.
There is nothing wrong with eating meat in moderation. Besides, you vegans say we are cutting down trees to graze animals, and again you say they have little space!!!! Honestly, I've seen how caged chickens live and it's disgusting. But it still doesn't change that meat eaters eat somemthing we could live without. If everybody ate vegetables we would be eating up the gifts of nature that provide oxegen for us. And instead of roughly a billion people starving, it would be everybody!!! and our bodies would not be able to process meat, without thousands of years of adaptation. Also, how do you think your little pills for protein are made? So Vegans, stop hating and SHUT UP!!!!
Both the article on meat and this "response" are truly disappointing. Sarcasm, contempt, and extreme rhetoric are not the ways to convince those people who are truly interested in making responsible choices, and it reflects poorly on CNN that this is presented as a legitimate debate. Yes, meat is tasty. The meat and dairy industry also happens to be a large contributor to water pollution, soil erosion, and deforestation, and is a huge consumer of fossil fuels. Its environmental impacts are substantial. The corn that goes into feeding one cow could feed ten times as many people as the cow will. Seafood isn't much better, either: 90% of ocean life is gone compared to what stocks were 100 years ago (and yes I can provide the scientific citation for that). The truth is that the world simply cannot support the meat and dairy-rich diet preferred by Western culture, yet more people globally are demanding this diet every day. Reducing meat consumption is simply the ecologically responsible choice, as much as turning off the lights and recycling. In the future I would ask CNN to do an unbiased report on this rather than relying on two fringe elements preaching to the choir. It doesn't serve anyone; least of all people who are actually looking for the truth.
Okay, I'm intrigued. I'd be very much interested in seeing this citation (in the future, it might be best to just provide it rather than offering to). I'd also prefer it to be from a peer-reviewed journal, not the website of an organization with an agenda. These types of things often end up in the "Philip Morris study indicates no link between smoking and cancer!" vein.
Did cavemen eat nothing but veggies? Or was the hunting just for the bones to make bowls, hammers, weapons, etc.
I work with a woman who is raising her baby as a Vegan (however it is spelled) He is so much smaller and looks months younger than her really is. And if you touch him, he is all mushy and soft. He does not look like the rest of the children his age. But I guess if you do not get the vitamins, nutrients, calcium, etc it does stunt your growth.
MEAT to me is the best sources of vitamins, minerals, etc.
You have no idea what you're talking about. My boys, ages 7 and 4, have been mostly vegan since birth (occasionally eating dairy, but not often). They just had their yearly check-ups yesterday, and are completely healthy and of normal size. Both of my children are extremely active, do not lack energy, and are very bright. My oldest was reading at 3 years old and is in the gifted program at school and my 4 year old is nearly reading. I was vegan during both pregnancies (and am currently pregnant with my third), and NONE of my OBs have had ANY issue with my diet. Furthermore, every pediatrician my children have ever had has known about their diet and been completely supportive. I think the medical professionals probably know more about the subject than you do, even with your VAST experience of vegan children.
Sounds like the child might have Celiac Disease. Afterall, Celiac Disease is the most common hereditary disease in the US and 90% of Celiacs have not been diagnosed yet. It prevents nutrients from being absorbed and children usually look sickly and small. 95% do not have any other symptoms other than stunted growth. Meanwhile, the FDA has stated that a well-planned vegan diet provides all nutrients for all stages of life, including infants, pregnancy and lactation. So if you care about the well-being of that child, you might suggest that the mother order a stool test from EnteroLab (do NOT get the Celiac Blood Test because it is only accurate 60% of the time - Get a STOOL test). Good luck!
Whoa. I'm a vagetarian if Miss Jane wants to serve up a dish.
When people keep telling themselves that being a vegitarian is somehow better than eating meat once in a while, they actually start to beleive it. Crazy Lady......
It's hard to beIEve that my 7 year old "vegitarian" can spell better than you.
If People are meant to be vegens then our teeth would look like cows. Humans are omnivores which eat meat and plants deal with it. If you plant so much why not have a major oral surgery to make your teeth look like a cow or horses teeth
Jane, you ignorant schmuck............
Hahahahahaha I cracked up while reading this article. Now I want a steak! But seriously, I pity da vegan!
Yeah guys! I always feel guilty eating my steak! I think I am going to be a vegtarian! thanks I'll never eat meat again. but I swear I wont stop eating human babies. I just love the rush I get eating human baby bones!!! ARFF AFF GARF babies its whats for dinner
I really enjoy both veggies and meat. For some of the authors points; there are many options for buying meat products that are not the result of horrible animal 'rights' abuses. For instance my extended family has a farm and raises some cattle, buying 'free range' chicken available at most supermarkets, or catching your own fish! This issue is not meant to be an all or none topic, as diets not consisting of a balance are unhealthy.
The meat plants the cause for global warming? Are this ciomments due to the cheap acid? . As long as I am alive neither Texas Roadhouse or Outback will be going out of business. I love veggies with my steak. Respect other people's choices.
you chastise vegans for citing evidence that the meat industry contributes to global warming and then ask them to respect your choice in the same breath? i tell you what, i'll your respect choice when you respect our opinion.
Seriously, if people want to eat meat, then let them. If people want to become a vegan, let them. I just pray that the prices of seafood drop so I can purchase more seafood at cheaper prices. Unfortunately the hottie is serious. I just don't want her in my business if I choose to eat meat. If she thinks my diet habits are her business, because I purchase something slaughtered from the grocery meat counter. Then I say her personal life is my business. She'll like that as much as I would like her dictating what I consume. Here's a thought, "bite me" and tell me how I taste.
It's not necessary to be vegan to have a guilt-free lifestyle. Veganism is an extreme form of vegetarianism that very few people can maintain. Cultures that have sustained vegetarianism for thousands of years all inlude dairy (milk) products as well as honey, etc.. I think everyone wants to look and feel better, avoid disease, overweight, etc.
Becoming a vegetarian is really the best way to accomplish all these things. The hundreds of vegetarians I know generally look at least 10 years younger than their age and are in excellent physical condition. Not a single one of them suffers from diseases like Type II diabetes. It's easy to go veggie - just start adapting your favorite recipes - for eg., cheese lasagna never goes uneaten when I'm feeding a meat-eating crowd. Going veggie doesn't mean eating kale and brown rice! It's fun and easy - give it a try!
I used to struggle with my weight for years; those extra 10 or 15 pounds just melted away when I became a vegetarian - I weigh less now than I did in high school, even though I used to exercise 1 or 2 hours a day and know I'm lucky to do 30 min. a few times a week.
Please read the 'Vegeterian Myth" for a good summation of the other side of the argument. I have full respect for the vegetarian diet as a commitment to try and change the world and your health, but you should find out the long term effects on your health and the planet. Vegetarianism kill animals and destroys ecosystems without fail. There are extensive health and ecological issues and consequences with the vegetarian diet. ie. did you know that vegetarians are 7 times as likely to suffer from panic attacks and 4 times as likely to take prescription drugs like zoloft? Why, because there are chemicals in animal fats that we need to produce dopamine. There are many essential nutrients that cannot be found in a vegetarian diet. Please please please look at the other side and don't just read up on what you already believe.
A lot of the meat eaters here are extremely defensive and I cannot understand why. I was a meat eater for 24 years until about a year ago because I am just offended at the conditions stock animals live in. It's cruel and filthy.The vast majority of you have not acknowledged that there is a huge health issue when your live stock is stuffed into small pens, pumped with growth hormones and sitting in its own crap and disease day in and day out. Eat what you want, but try to read the article with less bias. If you are a hunter and you can catch wild game that is approved region by region because of overpopulation, then more power to you. That is 100% healthy meat, especially when consumed in moderation. But on average, those of you who do not hunt or purchase meats that are fed vegetarian feed, are eating meats that are 50% meat, 50% toxic/pharmacy. I've seen a lot of comments about being the "superior species" and "natural selection", but survival of the fittest means doing exactly that. Making yourself prone to heart disease, diabetes and obesity won't make you capable of surviving anything, especially if you can't even climb a flight of stairs without needing oxygen.
I can't believe american people are so ignorant. Making fun of people that are trying to tell you the truth about our sadistic fucking ways. Maybe you guys should keep eating meat and die faster.
I agree with you. I am an American and I often find myself embarrassed by fellow Americans. We love America, but we can't stand each other. ... And so life goes on.
X Kay, How do we know these people are American? I'm from Ireland and i eat meat and vegetables. Choose what you want and be happy. I, and i'm sure many more, find your comments extremely ignorant.
Jane Velez-Mitchell is a liberal head-case, on a liberal news station. Just goes to show what kind of mentals are feeding us the news.
In my days after college I spent time around several young, worldly, pretentious wanna be vegetarians always preaching the virtues of eating vegetables. During a night of excessive alcohol consumption I broke out a bag of venison jerky and the whole group gobbled it down like a hobo on a ham sandwich. Since then I have met but one or two friends that can maintain a consistent meat free diet. Sooner or later they all succumb to the temptation of the flesh.
Heh, Jane…Your make-up is lovely…Do you know just how many animals are tortured by ‘Cosmetic’ companies so you can look your best! Why don’t you give up your make-up that is tested on animals?
You can choose to buy cosmetics as well as many products not tested on anumals. I get my makeup from urbandecay.com.
She only uses products that are not tested on animals and are also VEGAN makeup products.
Oh....and Mookie you are correct, we are all animals. One would have leaned that in the 4th grade.
I leaned a lot in the 4th grade.
Do vegetarians realize they're killing living beings in the form of plants? Whether you're eating meat or vegetables, you're killing something in the process of consuming it later on.
Do vegetarians realize that not everyone eats the excessive amounts of meat like this ditzy broad is accusing us of doing? Many of us eat 4oz of meat per sitting and we're not obese. Stop lumping the minority with the majority. Quit worrying about what everyone else is doing and worry about yourselves.
i am worried about myself....
but i think we ALL have an obligation to worry about our planet...SINCE WE LIVE HERE.
Spot on man.. .I have been saying that for years. Vegans just don't get it, in order to survive on this planet you MUST take the life of another. Be it plant or animal that is the cold hard facts folks.
If you vegans have some moral issue with taking any life then maybe you shouldn't be here because life is just too hard for you. I take no joy in taking the life of a plant or animal to live. I do it because I WANT TO LIVE.
you dont have to kill plants to eat them. apples, oranges, squash, tomatoes, corn, soybeans, eggplant, cherries, shall i continue?
The problem with becoming a Vegetarian or especially a Vegan, is that apparently it causes a person to become extremely self-righteous, obnoxious, preachy, and very arrogant..i.e. Jane "Buy my book, I'm a recovering addict" Velez-Mitchell. I believe in a balanced diet... as an omnivore I eat vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, fruit and yes...dairy. Moderation is always the key, extremism never works. Should you eat a steak 3 times a day? Of course not. The obesity isn't from the meat as much as from the way it's being prepared. Fried everything... I can get nice and fat if I fry up my veggies.
I agree that there need to be changes made in the livestock 'factories'. And changes are being made as the bad ones come to light. I tried the vegetarian life for a year because of a girlfriend's demands, she was happy – I was miserable. When she decided to go vegan, I decided to just go. Figured it wasn't very smart to limit myself to such a restrictive diet as I like to travel too much. People like Velez-Mitchell are actually so disconnected from the real natural world, they don't understand the circle of life. Everything and everybody kills something to survive...whether it's plant, animal, or bacteria. The only time I've really gotten sick from food was when I ate at an 'organic' restaurant... contaminated lettuce. Pesticide-Free... but bacterial laden.
And just because a) plants don't have nervous systems as we know it, doesn't mean they don't experience pain...we just don't have a way to detect it, yet. b) as for 'rotting' carcass... a plant starts rotting the moment you pick it. I would rather live a shorter, more enjoyable life with the meat-eaters than a longer hungrier life with the vegan whiners. Worse than Mac-heads. In this case, I believe in "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"... :D
my ancestors didn't fight for 3 million year to reach the top of the food chain for me to eat like a cow, they taught me to eat cow.
Wow. How disappointing that CNN was host to either of those articles. Both were clearly designed to inflame rather than educate. The first was condescending to vegetarians, and the response was just as inflammatory. The comments that followed have largely been disgusting. I am a meat-eater who has given up factory-farmed meat. The article in support of vegetarianism does point out some of the more disgusting practices that are used by the meat industry to bring us the cheap meat that we crave. While most of us would call the police to report a neighbor that kept their dog locked in a closet for a year, we don't bat an eye at the gestation crates mentioned in the veggie-friendly article because we love our bacon (it is tasty!). But there is a middle ground....a healthy one in which we don't have to crap on each other......how about eating meat that hasn't been abused. It will cost more, which might mean that we eat less of it, but it will actually serve the greater good in terms of environmental and food safety. It's been a year since I stopped eating factory farmed meat (what you get at the average supermarket and when you eat out at the average restaurant), and this last thanksgiving was the first in my life in which i didn't eat the turkey. I can honestly say that I've done well. I still eat meat, but it costs more to eat a chicken or bacon that hasn't been literally or figuratively raped, so I eat less now. Meat is delicious, but so are vegetables.....both are often over or undercooked, but when done right, they are both fantastic. All this extra hostility is boring.
She's not only serious, she's right.
She's right about the extreme cruelty of intensive factory farms. The mere fact that we need these intensive factory farms to grow enough animals tells you that it isn't natural.
She's right that Americans eat too much protein. Protein is in almost every food that we eat. A vegan diet with good variety provides the RDA of protein, which tells you that adding meat takes you over the RDA for protein.
She's right that animal production for food is destroying the environment. She's right that the environment and animal cruelty are everyone's business.
What kind of person can hear that pigs go psychotic in the hideous environment they must live in can still eat them?
Tim Love's "arguments" are pathetic. They are grotesquely pathetic next to her long list of proven facts. Rotting carcasses taste better? Really??? Because you can call it steak, pork, babyback ribs, whatever, it's ALL ROTTING CARCASSES!!! You'd get "funny looks" roasting a pumpkin? That's a reason that rebuts extreme animal cruelty? Grotesque isn't a strong enough word for this.
The vegetables you eat are dead. They are also rotting carcasses.
Frank,
No, these animal farms aren't natural. Neither are farms that grow vegetables, fruits, etc. They're man-made. Believe it or not, wheat does not naturally grow in neat little rows in the fields of Nebraska. The ability to cultivate our own food is not natural – but it's very necessary to maintain both our population and our lifestyles. Your argument that the conditions are cruel is valid. Your argument that is not natural and the implication that other forms of farming are is not.
Also, the "rebuttal" from the Texan chef wasn't actually a rebuttal. It was a tongue-in-cheek article that was published on here a week or two ago. This article was a response to that one. Lighten up a bit. If you stop taking yourself so seriously you might see a sliver of humor here or there.
1. Is it "murder" when a big cat kills and eats a springbok?
(no, because the big cat has very little choice in the matter. The big cat cant drive down to a giant warehouse full of a variety of foods)
2. Eating meat is natural; we have meat cutting teeth called CANINES.
(Canines are great at eating vegetables)
3. You are unrealistic and preachy, just like every other crazy, elitist vegan I have ever met.
(sorry about that, I wouldn't want someone to tell me what to eat or not to eat. What was unrealistic? )
4. Why is a bunny's life more important than mine? A bunny can't do math, or drive a car.
(Monkeys can do sign language...can we eat them? Should we? Birds create and use tools and routinely out think humans. The point, though, is that your question doesn't matter. Your life won't end if you decide not to eat a bunny)
5. I have honestly never met a sane vegan.
(I was vegan for 12 sane years.)
6. If you don't want the blood on your plate, I'll gladly enjoy it. Thanks.
(You and pretty much everybody else will enjoy it, and not think about it, and that is your choice or path and that is ok, but vegetarians choice, or path is to think about it, and question it...think to themselves "just because everybody does this and has always done this, does this mean I should do this?" Unfortunately some vegetarians/vegans then take it upon themselves to try and convince others to do the same thing, and generally humans who are very habit driven and have an uncanny attachment to their cultures and traditions resist change, especially to their diet which I understand and empathize with.
7. PETA is an eco-terrorist organization.
(PETA generally doesn't help promote vegetarianism as much as it would like to think...they are one of the huge reasons that people don't like vegetarians. It is not a terrorist organization though, unless you find their stupid ads and magazines terrorizing (which I sort of do). You might be confusing them with ALF and some other crazy extreme animal liberation movements)
eating meat is natural??
do your research smartypants.
human beings dont even have the proper digestive enzymes for consuming meat. Our intestines are more then twice the size of a carnivores so meat literally rots inside you. Long digestive tracks are for processing plants.
also, id like to see you try to get your meant the "natural" way. Hunt it down with you teeth and claws and speed.
id bet youd look pretty silly. and pretty UNNATURAL. whats unnatural is the way we actually get out meat....from a factory.
actually, it is americans over consumption of sugar(high-fructose corn syrup) and the abundant carbohydrates in processed foods which makes people fat. Unlike carbohydrates and sugar, surplus calories from protein will not store in the body as fat; all unused calories from protein will simply get flushed out of the body. So continue to eat your T-bone steaks.
But i guess the animal farming shit could be true. I am not a farmer so i do not know
I shall sponsor her. For every piece of meat she should be eating everyday I will eat 10 until she converts.
After all your good-old-boy gender bashing dumbness, take a breath of air and stop drinking the kool-aid about the goodness of eating meat. I"m a guy and have been a vegetarian for 40 years with enough martial arts experience to bounce most of you off the wall – or through it.
The facts are simple: Raising cattle is BAD for the environment, eating meat in excess contributes to a host of diseases. I had knee surgery recently with a full medical exam. The doctors could not believe my overall heath quality, the condition of my joints and the fact that I take NO medicines.
So go on boys, keep eating meat laced with antibiotics and hormones to give you man-titties and a impaired immune system. And remember this posting when you are sitting across from your doctor 'getting the bad news' of your life.
I eat meat. However, after reading this article I believe the best way to handle this situation is simple.
I propose we regulate the production of meat completely. All meat will be grass-fed and roam free on smaller farms (farming in the old days, essentially). This will benefit the economy because local farmers will be increasing their profit margins that otherwise would go to these now huge corporations with only a select few reaping the profits. OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE MANY LOGISTICS TO FIGURE OUT BEFORE EVER THINKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTING SOMETHING THIS HUGE. HOWEVER, ROLL WITH IT...
Yep, she's serious. Not right or wrong, just serious about how she feels (Gorgeous too!).
I have been to India many times (I'm a native Californian) and if I could cook the same
kind of veg' food that I get there, I would consider being a vegetarian. I am just not that
clever and I do like to eat meat occasionally.
Yes, here in San Jose we have a plethora of Indian/Vietnamese/Cambodian/etc.. restaurants that offer
awesome veg cuisine, but I like to eat out seldom, and cook at home often. I just can't replicate that
awesome veg food from India. If I could, I could turn veg. But I know I will always want a real burger,
or a steak once in a while.
IF RAPE FEELS BETTER THAN TENDER SEX, IS IT OK? ON TIM'S VIEW APPARENTLY SO. EATING MEAT IS OK BECAUSE OF IT BRINGS US PLEASURE, WHY WORRY ABOUT THE SUFFERING IT CAUSES?
VERY SAD MORAL STATE WE'RE IN.
Rape is never okay. Never. But sex does not always have to be tender either.
Some people like a little bit of excitement in the bedroom and some people also
like a bit of animal protein once in a while.
Jackass
I am a vegetarian except eating egg and milk products. I grew up like that in India. However, I still believe that one should eat, drink whatever one like. People should think about quality of life not quantity. Life is celebration. Even vegetables are alive and we still eat them. Living things are dependent on each other. So if you like vegetarian then eat veg food or eat non-veg food. Eat pork or beef (I am Hindu). Nothing is wrong.
I cannot think of anything witty to say. Obama, Beck, Bush's fault, turd blossom?
Ugh.
If man can survive without eating non-animal source for food and be healthy, we should. Its not worth causing so much suffering to other living beings just to fill your stomach with a tasty morsel..that is actually unhealthy for you too.
lol... seriously! If she was to be a vegetarian, whatever; but don't be preachy about it. I find it funny that some vegetarians preach not eating meat as a way to combat obesity. Well, I happen to be a healthy, skinny meat eater while two of my vegetarian friends are overweight from overeating carbs and their bodies are basically falling apart at age 30. It's not WHAT you eat, but HOW you eat it. Everything in moderation and exercise! If god didn't want us to eat animals he wouldn't have made them so nutritious :-)
I agree that CAFO's (Confined Animal Feeding Operations) are cruel and are responsible for many issues including the obesity crisis, food related illnesses, and possibly bacterial antibiotic resistance. I also agree Americans eat entirely too much meat, before industrialized food the average American ate meat maybe a few times a week, now it is eaten at almost every meal. However, the answer does not lie in the entire world becoming vegetarians. In fact, that would be more detrimental to our environment than our current situation. The amount of land that would be required to grow vegetables for the world would take away all habitat for wild animals, not to mention their food sources. The answer lies in responsible agriculture and farming, pasture-raised, cage free animals who get to live their lives as they normally would and are killed humanely. Homo-sapiens are omnivores which mean that we have evolved to require meat as part of our diet, just like tigers are carnivores- I'm sure vegans would never make a tiger become a vegetarian (well, maybe the super crazy ones would) so why would you try and make humans deny what is in their nature?
Factory farms pollute the landscape, manure laced water (milions of gallons daily) drian into the water supply we need to drink. It takes 5,000 gallons of CLEAN water to produce ONE pound of steak. It takes 46 gallons to produce a pound of apples. The world is already in a water crisis – continuing to give it to livestock is criminal. There wouldn't be millions of children going to bed hungry every night if all the grain we feed animals was used to feed people.
Meat eating is unsustainable (even with factory farming methods) – there will never be enough farmland to produce enough grain crops to feed enough animals to feed the human population.
Think about eating flesh foods just a little less – cut down just one meal a week. Your arteries will thank you, the planet will thank you, and you'll be able to look your grandchildren in the eyes and tell them you worked to give them a sustainable future.
Did u pull those numbers out of your polluted behind?
i keep eating both plant and animal and live to a nice healthy age and see my grandchildren while you die of malnutrition. Vegans are the most unhealthy people on the planet.
Ummm I think you meant brawd,,, not BROAD (as in WIDE)...
She is serious and the info is fact~ Even if the majority chose to eat meat once or twice a week the environmental impact would be significantly decreased. We are selfish society and forget to look at what is best for the whole even when the facts are staring us in the face. Sad really :( Check out thekindlife.com for more info
It's very simple, if you believe in god and an after life you cannot possibly be a vegetarian. End of story. God created this world to survive and decided how humans would evolve. Cut the touchy feely crap, we eat meat it is what we are designed for and what we must do to survive. Not to mention this whole lesbian thing, where to start, don't even whant to go there.
Your story ended 2000 years ago. This story is just beginning.
Can you please supply us with proof that god created the earth?
Meat production is an industry. Industry is about money. The only reason humans aren't raised as food is because it would not be cost effective. But if that ever came to pass, I'd like to see you (PLP Irukandji) crammed into a pen with a prod up your wazoo.
For those of you who say humans have eaten meat since the beginning of time remember this .... Once we said humans have had slaves since the beginning of time, or women have never owned property since the beginning of time. We used that excuse to continue all sorts of abuse. Thank God people like Jane Velez-Mitchell can see new possibility and inspire change in the world. Her work inspired me to open my eyes and get real about what is going on behind doors on the farms. When you see the truth you have complete clarity. Are you too scared to look? Ashamed? Face up. Watch a documentary called "Earthlings". Get real about what humans are up to these days.
Well said. Two more good movies are Fast Food Nation and Food, Inc.
I think she is, which is what makes this diatribe even more disturbing. If she has any knowledge of or believes at all in creation, beasts were created for man to eat. Veggies are nice, and my steak tastes great with a nice side of asparagus!
And that's exactly how serial killers think.
Women got the right to vote 90 years ago. When will animals get the right to vote.
There is plenty of room for all Gods creatures, right next to the mashed potato's.
Hey Jane,
what are you going to do about it besides talk?
1,500 comments LOL wait a little while, MEAT EATERS UNITE YOUVE BROUGHT ON THE RAGE OF "MEAT"!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seek help, cro-magnon. You're the problem, among others. Makes me sad to know how long the road ahead of is still is.
She seems more against the way meat is raised than eating it. Her reply is always keys in on the ways animals are raised and not the flavors of meat. In fact the few vegans I know prefer processed vegetables designed to taste like meat. Veggie burgers, veggie bacon and yes, veggie steaks.
As for plates swimming in blood, that's just the way I like my steaks severed. My favorite wine is a deep color of blood. Even my favorite vegetable, the beet is blood red. Red Red Meat. And ruby's are the color of pigeon blood. Love the color of blood.
To Kolfang: "As for plates swimming in blood, that's just the way I like my steaks *severed*." LOL, good typo. Yep, your steaks are severed, all right. Enjoy that slab of cow.
The Food Chain works by the predator eating prey within their element or environment. This is also known as survival of the fittest. The prey gets to spend their life as it was intended to be, not cooped up in cage under foul conditions that possibly in the near future will raise some flags and change how we massively handle meat. In all fairness, if we eat meat, the animal should be in their environment and trapped in a cage. This was the way the food chain was meant to work. Our great ancestors rapidly evolved into what we are today just by doing it the way the rest of the animal kingdom does it. Our species requires us to eat meat because we have yet to find a syndicated replacement that provides us with all the benefits meat gives us. I fear the worst if we continue treating animals this way and eating garbage meat from mass production. For now I eat vegetables and meat that is 100% from it's element (hunting).
Say, wouldn't it be a good idea to have a little respect for the other educated person? Eat what you want, but it IS healthier not to consume saturated fats. NOW, WHILE CONTINUING TO EAT SATURATED FATS, WHEN YOU ARE IN YOUR THIRTIES or forties, or even before that time, HAVE AN ECHOGRAM OF YOUR HEART. YOU WILL BE SHOCKED THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. SO have a little respect for vegetarians and vegans. Think before you make such a mean exclamation!! It seems to me that some people will never learn the facts.
That would have been GREAT! if the author would have included "Reducing saturated fats" as a reason instead of all that moral agenda.
Good point. Still, they look sick to me. People are eating much healthier today anyway without having to go vegetarian. Which is great in my opinion, just a little overboard to not eat meat at all.
I am vegetarian. The reasons I do so are personal. I grew up eating meat. I became vegetarian by chose. I do not preach to folks(nor do I really car). Normally it is folks that eat meat that are bothered by me being vegetarian.
Meat is a big business here in America.
I think we can still enjoy animal protein without subjecting animals to such harsh living conditions.
The price and quality will go up,though..
the vegan has it backwards – instead of feeding starving people with the food used to raise cows, etc. we should feed the starving people to the cows – this would also end world hunger...
I have nothing against vegetarians. However I felt this article was a little misleading.
5 reasons to be a vegetarian?
The first three reasons were all basically meat is murder. Number four was because you can get protein from plants too, which isn't a reason, simply it refutes the value of meat in a diet. Number five was good it until the compassion comment, "Adding new flare to holiday traditions" can stand on it's own. Instead it reads a little more like, "Adding new flare to holiday traditions... that aren't murder"
What I would have liked to see from the author was maybe some concrete statics citing things like incidence of meat contamination, health benefits of an all plant diet, Energy levels etc.. Instead this simply comes across as a moral rant, which only serves to make those who either agree or disagree polarize. VERY disappointed.
I don't see one of the largest CONS for NOT going VEGAN...Farm land is destroying rain forests far faster than anything else, but more importantly PESTICIDES used in farming are the single largest environmental problem we have. They taint our drinking water and produce cancer.
Look people, all set, thanks anyway. If I wanted to look sickly and albino, then yeah, Ill start vegg'n. Ever notice that? these so called healthy people look like they are on their death bed. Enjoy that hun! I'll pass. As long as you know how to cook and what is fresh and what isn't, eating meat isn't a problem. Protein? ever here of it? probably not because all the vegetarians look like they will fall over in a stiff breeze, no thanks, way to liberal for me. Sure save the planet, save the oceans, the air, save me!!! but seriously? don't save the cows. Between the white skin, no muscle tone, no skin tone, weird skin marks which I notice these people tend to have unless they are French and I'm missing something....seriously, YOU ARE NOT HEALTHY.
Watch " Food Inc.", and then decide where you are at on this thing.
Oh more propaganda to scare me into thinking the whole world is out to get me, awesome. Let me jump right on that.
I believe there is plenty of room in this world for all cows, pigs, etc.......on my plate right next to the BBQ sauce and fries.
This is not 5 reasons to be a vegetarian. I love it to. Vegetarians thing all the other people eat is meat. Like "Oh lets have a good bowl of meat with a tall glass of meat for breakfast. Lets have a meat sandwich with meat for lunch and lets meat for dinner with meat for desert." Vegetarians are wrong we he vegetables too.
i agree humans are designed to be omnivorous, we require both plant and veggie to maintain a healthy diet. vegans and vegitarians don't get it they are not healthy people.
I stopped reading at: "I would much rather devour a piece of well-seasoned squash than a slice of an animal’s rotting carcass."
Vegetarians should know by now that if they want to reach meat-eaters, you don't guilt trip us into hearing your argument.
I love all God's creatures .... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy! She is an idiot ... seems to me she already stated the vegan point of view in this interview!
If you think we're animals I have a question for you. Who would you save first if drowning in a pool–your favorite dog, or your neighbor you despise? Your answer reveals whether you're truly an animal or not.
Wow, that is food for thought.
All I can picture is this woman screaming, just like she does on he show, I literally got a headache just reading her responses because of this.....maybe if someone else was in the argument I might have taken it a bit more seriously.
Honestly though, there is nothing wrong with eating meat, yes it is pretty screwed up when you look at the meat industry. But a nice, local, organic hunk of juicy meat from free range animals will trump a squash any day (the squash would be great on the side though!).
....Uh oh... here comes the price argument with free range....No, just like with energy, people need to understand that this is the real cost, and we have only been taking the cheap way out.
I don't understand what the point of this was. It had nothing to do with the taste of food. This lady single handed makes me want to slaughter a thousand cows. Fanatics like these need to go back into the hole where they came from.
The lady is completely wrong. Eating meat doesn't make you fat, eating all the carbs is what does that. We are all constructed as omnivoires and if you fight that, you won't be healthy. If the lady really likes that moral superiority, she should eat a steak and get a Prius. She'll be a lot happier then.
I think that she is, and I think that she's insane! There is no thing in this world that is better than eatting meat (especially a good steak). When I smell bacon... I WANT IT! Cooking bacon is one of those smells that just lights up a room and everyone around, it's just that good.
If you've got a problem eatting animals, then I pray you don't pro-create and push your psychotic ideals onto the next generation. Killing animals (that are reasonable to eat, we're not Chinese) and eatting them in a past time of humanity. I mean, are you going to slap a steak out of a lion's paw and tell him that what he's doing is wrong? There is nothing to feel ashamed about when eatting meat, it's part of our biological system... IT'S HARD ENCODED!
Heck, if it were up to me, I'd kill every animal I eat myself and take joy in the fact that I got to kill AND eat it. I don't know where this looney toon gets off saying she's sad when she eats me and that eatting a vegetable gives her pleasure for saving a life. Animals are meat, we should enjoy the fact they're so delicious and gave their life to fill my stomach.
MEAT, IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER!
The 6 reasons not to become a vegetarian
1) higher cost to be veg
2) need to take chemicals aka Supplements
3) feeling of weakness, less energy
4) meat helps to feed lesser income people
5) meat tastes a hell of alot better than any veggie dish created.
6) and number 6 we have canine teeth to rip into the flesh of animals, nature intends for us to eat meat and veg.
As you go up the evolution, u are a vegetarian, more intelligent and muscular. Yes, PLP lrukandji, the broad is serious! I know and can tell u r a dummy! why would you call someone a broad if not!
Most people have never had to kill thier own meal. You all talk a real big game strolling through the supermarket.. You respect your ancestors so much, pick up a stick and go eat something with a pluse.
I have given up dairy since Feb, never thought I could, I do not miss it.
working on plant based diet
Is she serious...??? Well, that depends. First of all she over hypes EVERYTHING. That is why she screams at the camera every evening; why she claims to be a lesbian, hispanic, black, a vegan, etc, etc so she is always in the middle of stuff. It had me laughing at how melodramatic she is in her writing. First of all the animal flesh isnt rotting unless you didnt refrigerate it. As far as no such thing as guilt free eating of meat, I disagree. I eat and enjoy meat all the time. hell bacon is my favorite. Meat as well as many things are okay in moderation. Obesity is due to over eating, period, regardless of what you eat. If you cant control yourself, then it doesnt matter what you eat. Drew Cary just lost over 150 lbs by cutting out carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes, etc) he didnt cut out meat. Icould go on and on, but there is no point. She as well as many other vegans, vegetarians, etc are preachy pains in the a$$ and always will be.
Its has been the meat eaters who have been the preachy ones. Meat for survival was its original purpose but that need is long gone and out bodies and technology have evolved away from the need for it. You preachy carny's should have dinner with a good vegan chef and then make your opinion.
Good going Mooky
So what is the exit strategy? Do we just release all of the livestock and let them overun people's farms? I'm all for living a healthy lifestyle and going vegetarian but we need an exit strategy. P.S. We could potentially try regulation on big factory farms, or try supporting small family farms which generally take much better care of their livestock.
Wow... this lady is off her rocker!! Rotting carcass... classic. And what are vegetables? Rotting plants, you stupid woman.
I agree. I was under the impression that fast food, frozen meals, soda, sugar, and bleached flower products all combined with good ole American un-moderation was to blame for obesity. I can respect any vegan/vegetarian that respects my Omnivore way of life. T-Bone Please!
A lot of fake science in this article. People like meat and sugar because of the calories. Our bodies have evolved for survival and we like what made us survive. Animals are storage of calories for winter. Much of the food they eat is not edible by humans. Animals are animals, humans are humans. We rely on animals for survival, we should not abuse them or make them extinct. Humans come first. Meat and fur are renewable.
Is this chick for real? How is she better then us? Does she see the factory farms? How the little spinach plants are ripped from their home and torn apart to make her salad? How can she excuse the murder of innocent carrots? The wholesale slaughter of potatoes? This lady is the epitome of hypocrisy.
Hippies will be hippies.
Meat is dead, bad for you, ecologically disastrous, and unless cooked & seasoned tastes like...dead flesh. Vegetables are sweet, fresh, savory, healthy, & ecologically sustainable. End of subject.
Her intelligent, rational, and compassionate comments blew away his juvenille, mean-spirited arguements. He showed that he's never been anywhere like Candle 79, Sublime, or Lovin' Spoonful where theyoffer so much more than squash. Until people understand that vegans eat delicious foods, many of which taste similar to meat and dairy products, but are humane and healthier, they will put forward uninformed arguments. Try something other than a salad or an apple before you argue about vegan food.
I heard only two reasons, three reasons tops. I'm not killing animals and protein from meat isn't necessary. The rest is rhetoric; "brainwashed", etc.
Here's my response to this article. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKTsWjbjQ8E
I for one am a plant lover. Where does she get off eating all those helpless plants?
I am an avid bird hunter in North Dakota, and I personally do not care for vegetarians. With saying this, I have several friends that chose to be vegetarians and I don't pressure them into eating meat. I think it is great people don't want to eat animals but most vegetarians are hipocrites, I always notice a person will say "I am a vegetarian, but i eat fish sometimes." I find this disheartening because saying things like that is like saying one animal is more important that another, I eat all animals equally and do not rank thier self-worth just how tasty they are to me. Also, as a hunter I respect nature and the spirit of the wild, something that I would never be able to experience being a vegetarian. As for this article, this woman is obviouly out of her mind whether you are a vegetarian or not. First, she claims that "Finally, there’s world hunger: the greatest health risk on the planet. There are almost a billion hungry people in this world. About one in seven humans do not get enough food. A lactating cow will consume every year almost six tons of forage dry matter, over 100 bushels of corn, 1,400 pounds of protein supplement, and 225 pounds of mineral/salt. You do the math.
We could eliminate world hunger if, instead of concentrating all that food into meat, we fed it directly to starving people," to me what she is saying is to kill all livestock and let people eat grass, that apparently will stop world hunger. As for the "livestock creates global warming", people emit carbon dioxide when we breathe, adding up all the people in the world that breath I think we are the greenhouse gas problem source (did you catch the sarcasm?). Onto the healthiness of eating meat, vegetables do contains many of the same vitamins and minerals that are in meat, however there are certain fruits also have high percentages of saturated fats like meat as well. The suggested portion size for consuming meat is around 3-4 oz., but who orders a 3 oz. steak? The problem with our obese society is not because we eat meat, but because most people over eat. Also, if people didn't eat meat there would be cows and pigs all over and they would destroy their ecosystem and die from starvation or disease (it currently happens to deer, elk, etc. when they are over populated in an area) because all cows do is eat, shit, and baby cows. I ask you this vegetarian, "how would you feel if you saw several animals on the side of the road and you could see all thier ribs due to a lack of food? would that make you sad?" If your answer is no, then you are the true monster, not the person who feeds on the flesh of these animals for nutrition. People should eat what they want without persecution from vegetarians, vegans, meat-eaters, or anywhere in between. Extremists who try to force thier beliefs onto other people (I'm not going to lie, vegetarians and vegans are usually the most guilty of this) need to keep their mouths shut. Finally, if you think I don't know what I am talking about; I have worked in the food industry for almost a decade, and now I am a research engineer for an environmental research institution and I have lived in a place where wildlife and livestock are abundant and where the grain you eat in your bread and the sugar and the corn syrup that sweetens your soda are made and grow.
I respected her viewpoint until she said "evolve." That is condescending. Right or wrong, meat eaters are NOT a lower life form. Someone can disagree with you (vegetarians) without being a lesser person. There are valid dietary reasons for eating meat, and it can be done humanely.
This article is hardly a debate. I don't think the meat eater's side was represented adequately, however I also don't believe there is much more of an argument to make. Eating meat has been a part of being human since our creation. There are no accidents, we have the tools (teeth) to eat meat for a reason. Of course as humans we also have the advantage of being conscious (or at least we have the ability to become conscious) and able to decide what we eat. I believe there is nothing wrong with eating meat, but I also believe going vegetarian is a part of human evolvement in a way. Not that doing so is necessary for us to evolve, but it CAN BE a lifestyle choice of a person whom is in tune with their environment and therefore more in tune with themselves. Of course that is dependent on why a person becomes vegetarian. This particular argument is not really about should we eat meat or not, it's about morality and how we go about getting that meat. Look at the arguments, the arguments for eating meat are flavor (taste) which breaks down to experience, and peer pressure (no one ever says" doesn't that creamed spinach smell great"/"let me eat...my meat... in peace"), which also breaks down to experience. Not exactly compelling reasons TO eat meat. No mention of how that meal is achieved. How about the arguments not to eat meat...terms like "rotting carcass" and envisioning scenes of pigs "stacked by thousands", comments about how eating meat is attributable to obesity and questioning how healthy our system of producing meat is...these are all compelling, but they are also based more on experience than real reasons NOT TO eat meat. The closest thing to a real reason not to eat meat in this article is when Jane writes "I challenge the idea that anyone can eat meat 'in peace.' It’s a contradiction in terms. How can you talk about peace if your plate is swimming in blood?” Well, This is where the argument gets tricky(although, once again, it's not the REAL argument). We have to take a step back and take a look at what we are. We are still physically omnivores...it is natural for us to eat meat. The problem is not really about eating meat it's about the balance we have with our environment. The want for an omnivore to stop eating meat stems from the persons realization, that is to say awareness of its affect on its environment. Jane's want not to eat meat stems from her want not to kill another animal, a part of her deep down understands her connectedness with those beings. Her consciousness recognizes her connectedness to animals...without getting too much into spirituality, I'll would just say, that's essentially a good thing. Back to the other side of the argument, the meat eater's arguments are essentially unconcerned with (his) affect on his environment. Essentially the meat eater here is unconscious, eating whatever because everyone else is doing it. This article is not an argument for eating or not eating meat, if anything it is an argument between understanding our affect on our environment and not caring much about the affect we have on it. It's an example of being conscious versus unconscious. It's not so much what we do, it's how we do it. There is no doubt that the way we get our meat in this country is out of balance. It causes disease and misery to untold numbers of animals (yes this includes humans emotionally affected by their treatment) and it's also affecting the environment in ways we probably don't even exactly understand yet. That is the tragedy of this article/argument, but let's not confuse that with simply eating meat. Eating meat is simply what it is, a part of our natural make up. Individually, we can be more conscious of where we get our meat and insist that it be raised humanely....or we can become vegetarian.
Hey Sonny, this is the most balance and intelligent critique to this article that I have read so far.
I can't lie to you, throughout this short time that I've been vegan (about 8 months) I have slowly become sort of an animal's right advocate, not because I think we should not eat meat, but because how animals are treated before that meat gets to peoples stomachs (which is exactly the main point in your argument). I believe that eating responsible amounts of lean, organic, free range meat is the way to go for meat eaters that are concern about their health.
In my personal case I chose to become vegan based mainly on health concerns more than animal rights. I believe that industrialized meat is one of the main reasons why there's a huge health crisis in this country. Hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, preservatives, and who knows what else is going into our food chain. With the scientific research that I've seen so far, I am convinced that I can live healthier, improve my quality of life, and add 12-15 years to my lifespan by eating a solely plant-based diet. I also believe that I can even reverse diseases and chronic illnesses by maintaining this vegan lifestyle. Currently I am off cholesterol medication, my blood pressure is stable, sleep better at night, and my energy levels have increased.
Maybe people should debate the following: Maybe our ancestors where omnivores for specific evolutionary reasons, like historical times, geographical area and weather, available food resources, etc..., but not necessarily that they chose to be omnivores because they consciously knew it was more or less healthy. And that now that we have advance science that is telling us that cholesterol, triglycerides, saturated fats, simple sugars, etc..., are the cause of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and heart diseases, cancer, etc..., then we may be able to evolve to a healthier human race in the future by improving the way with eat (i.e. plant-based diet).
Jane is serious! She is as serious as a heart attack which is where you are headed by eating the vast amounts of cholesterol, antibiotics and poisons held in your factory farmed animals. What idiot said we are not animals? What a dumb-dumb. Go take a biology class, you fool. What idiot spent all that time with his ridiculous vegetable poem?
Do you fools not read the statistics of overfed Americans? Do you care about your own bodies? How about those of your kids? Do you want them to look and feel like you? Fat. Lethargic, on medication for your unnecessary diseases. Want to contract diabetes- which is about epidemic proportion ?
You believe your dull tastebuds are more important than the life of a living breathing, thinking animal. How selfish. How brainwashed you are. Would you eat your dog? Your cat? Your pony? Why not? Your dog is an animal, is it not?
If slaughterhouses had glass walls, you wouldn't allow your kids to see what you are shoving done their throats.
ENLIGHTEN YOURSELVE!!
She makes a lot of sense - Animals in factory farms feel pain just like the dogs and cats we share our homes with, but they are abused in ways that would be illegal if dogs or cats were the victims (such as birds having their sensitive beaks seared off or pigs having their their balls cut off, both without any painkiller).
This video helps explain what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4YX_iVWIe0
Jane -please get off your high horse. This debate has been going on forever and your stance is just plain silly. Humans will eat what they want, and just because you have an issue with animals that have been bred to feed us, using your media position to further this idiocy should stop. All you're really doing is making a fool of yourself.
Have a nice day.
I believe in want you want , my daughter is a vegan goind back and forth to a vegetairian but i understand what is being said but meat is meat and we are carniour's in perspective so to each there own don't fight except it !
She is also an animal rights activist, hence the propaganda with a flourish. To each, their own. Time to fire up the grill for my thick red rotting carcass porterhouse.
ARE YOU SERIOUS?? im all for open debates about food but seriously saying the Swine flu is related to factory farming? you cannot get swine flu from eating any pork products period. Its the FLU, meaning it resides in the body cavity within the lungs- and guess what-in order for the virus to work/infect the lungs they have to function otherwise the virus dies as well.
What a lot of vegans, etc do not take into consideration is that most of the animals that are eaten (I say most, not all) by Americans were domesticated for that purpose. They have been bred for a specific role, which is to serve as food or dairy producing beings. If the country was suddenly declared vegan and no one ate meat any longer, just what would happen to the millions of animals raised for their meat? Would you like to have a cow as a pet in your New York apartment? How bout a pig? Ridiculous, isn't it? I do believe they should be treated humanely, but they are still here to be part of the food chain. In the wild, the wolves would eat them. It's just that simple.
I try not to eat the food my food eats
Stupid trendy hippies. What about the poor lettuce that you slaughtered and shredded for your dinner? Just because you can't quantify a carrot's pain, doesn't mean that it's not suffering. KILLERS!!
She avoided point 1 because seriously who thinks squash taste better then a steak/friend chicken/.../. Then for the remaining points she keep coming back to her mantra "eating meet is evil". Thus proving Mr Love's point. Vegan don't care about you. They only care about their agenda. Well I am sorry. I don't buy into your Vegan religion Ms. Velez-Mitchel. Apparently you are smarter and more righteous then the rest of us hedonistic meat eaters because the halo encrusted cow has shown you the "true" way but somehow skipped the rest of us. However, until I "see the light" I am going to keep on enjoying my burgers (meat or soy depending upon which I feel like).
To each his/her own I say and if you want to be a vegetarian that's fine with me. We've only been omnivores for a relatively short period in our history. Once we got tired of roaming around chasing animals to eat, we figured about that vegetables were a good addition. Just look at our teeth and see how they're designed – to eat both meat and veggies. What I have a problem with is the groups like PETA trying to shove their narrow-minded views on every one. It's their way or the highway, but ask one of them (I have) about religion and they immediately bow up and give you that "How dare you tell me how to think!" Precisely.
If one eat animals' flesh, it's the same as eat friends/relative flesh. How can one do that! If you are touched by your lovely dog, cats, etc., what's the difference between the pig or your dog? Nothing much, except your choice.
If one can see how loving and noble our animal friends are, no one dare eat a tiny piece, except the vicious person.
As for food chain, the efficiency of energy transfer from lower chain to the next upper chain is at most 5-10%. So a meat-eater consumes at least 10-20 vegetarian people's food. In other words, our 1 billion hunger people should have enough food if 1 billion meat-eaters change to vegetarian. Apparently meat eating is responsible for world hunger. How can one be proud of meat-eater? What a shame!