In regards to eating meat

[Monica]

it's unnecessarily divisive, in my opinion, to lump the people who seek out humanely-raised meat as part of a healthy life with those who don't care.

In terms of environmental issues as well as recognizing their efforts to reduce cruelty, I don't lump them in together, as proven by my multiple acknowledgements directed at Austin's commendable efforts.

My responses to your comments were in the context of whether animals should be eaten at all. And that is, by the way, the main topic of this discussion.

I can't possibly know what you or anyone else chooses on a daily basis, and it isn't my place to judge that. I don't have you in any category in my mind. The only person among the meat-eaters who's in a category in my mind is Austin, because he has shared a great deal about his everyday choices. So the very idea that I'm lumping anyone in with anyone else, is taking impersonal information, and making it personal. I'm just offering information, and each person can decide for themselves what to do with it.

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Tactically speaking, if animal-rights activists stuck to these areas they'd have brought support, I think.

The bulk of their message is about factory farms, and most people still don't care. If they changed their message from "don't eat animals at all" to "eat only 'humanely' raised animals" they would be dishonest, manipulative, and setting aside their own integrity.

From the point of view of an animal-rights activist, telling people to treat animals well before killing them, would be like telling a murderer to treat his victim well before killing her. They can't do that. In order to have integrity, they have to be honest, and hope their message reaches those who are ready to hear it.

Of course, most of the people who shop at 'humanely raised' farms like Austin's, probably got awakened by PETA.