Why I am not a vegan

[Monica]

How do you know that? What if meat-eaters also want to stop cruel practices and shut down farms?

Many meat-eaters (including some here at B4) claim to be against the cruel practices, and defend their meat eating by saying that they support 'humanely raised' meat; ie. meat from animals who were allowed to live relatively natural lives up until the moment of slaughter.

While that is obviously an improvement over the most abominably produced meat - factory farms - there are 2 things wrong with that:

1. Murdering a human is still considered wrong when the victim wasn't tortured first. It's just considered more heinous if the victim is tortured first. By that same logic, unnecessarily killing animals for meat is still wrong, though just not as heinous as torturing them before killing them. (Remember: In our modern society, virtually ALL eating of meat is unnecessary, since the human body doesn't need meat. There are always alternatives, even for unusual health conditions.)

2. Those who claim to buy 'humanely produced' meat often eat out at restaurants, or even fast-food joints. The meat at those places was most likely produced at an abominable factory farm.

Why is the single, only possible way through people going vegan?

Simple supply and demand. When the demand for a product drops, the response in supply also drops.

The reason that cows grazing peacefully in pastures are being replaced by abominable factory farms is that corporations are buying up many of the family-owned farms, and must institute factory-farm practices to keep up with the demand and stay profitable. Many small-time farmers have lamented that they can no longer stay competitive with the corporate-owned meat machines.

Some small-time farmers are now catering to the 'humane' market which is growing, due to increased awareness (thanks to the vegans!) which is certainly a step in the right direction. There really is no such thing as 'humane' killing; that is an oxymoron. But it is an improvement.

Still, as I said, even those who proudly buy 'humane' meat still eat at restaurants, surely. The fast-food places are the worst of the worst.

Also, on the topic of "animals living naturally", how about domestic animals then? Is domestication part of their "natural" life style now?

Apparently it is now. Domesticated animals are no longer capable of surviving in the wild, and their natural habitats are gone (largely due to the meat industry!) so they are now our responsibility. We can't undo domestication of dogs, cats, cows, pigs, sheep, horses, chickens, etc. We're stuck trying to find a solution that is harmonious for all.

The first step is eradicating the meat industry. It always goes back to that. The artificially bloated cow, chicken, and pig populations would dramatically shrink, if they were no longer being fed growth hormones, artificially inseminated, and grown so intensively.

Cats and dogs...that's a whole 'nother issue.