My previous post brought up some further thoughts and questions about vegetarianism and veganism that seemed important to dive further into. I don’t doubt that it is a fulfilling and important way of life for many people, but it leaves me with many questions about the growing culture that this life choice has been creating.
First of all, as omnivores, is it wrong to consume meat? Many farms worldwide are run in rather cruel ways, would it be a matter of irradicating this issue or the farming of meat overall?
What is the difference between that and farming/consuming vegetables on a large scale?
Is it about the sustainability issue? If so, how can we justify utilizing pesticides and eliminating biodiversity as is commonly done in the US in order to produce a necessary quantity of vegetables and fruit for the entire human population?
If we were to commit to veganism as a society and eliminate or significantly reduce animal agriculture, what would happen to the pigs and cows and chickens that are being raised for the purpose of farming? Do we wait for them to die off? They’re so rarely used for utilitarian purposes in farming nowadays because many more efficient farming machines and techniques have been invented that In that case, would these animals become “obsolete” in a sense?
Is it about the water usage? If so, are there alternative, effective ways we can use/filter water in order to justify animal agriculture?
Where does one draw the line between what is “humanely” or “sustainably” produced and what is not? It’s incredibly important to keep sustainability and humane treatment in mind and in practice, but it’s unrealistic to believe that all of the people in the world could agree on what kind of agricultural treatment is acceptable.
Must we stop consuming all animal products (milk, cheese, honey, etc), or would eliminating the consumption of meat be enough?
Where is the line drawn between what can be eaten? Do bugs count as animals? Many cultures consume insects for nutrition. I’ve even met vegans in the US who eat cricket products in order to maintain a healthy level of protein in their diet.
What about in context to cultural importance? Some cultures find the idea of veganism to be offensive (or vice versa, the consumption of meat of certain types, or at all, is offensive), would it become more important to protect the animals or the culture? Is there some way that this could be synonymous?
I’ve considered converting to vegetarianism for quite some time and I’ve also begun to cut back on the quantity of meat that I consume, replacing it with other proteins in order to maintain muscle, blood sugar levels, etc. The biggest problem I’ve confronted is the intolerance and bullying projected by vegetarians that I attempt to reach out to for help (I will also note that I know many kind, civil vegetarians/vegans who are making a positive impact on myself and others as well). There’s no need to name anyone, but I had a consistent issue with one student in the greenery during my freshman/sophomore year who made a point to criticize my food choices daily in front of all of my friends. I was in a state of depression at the time that was causing me to eat significant quantities of unhealthy food in an attempt to “comfort” myself, and this cruel treatment only forced me to regress further into a negative and self-harmful state of mind. You cannot force someone to see the world and its’ many problems the way you do, especially not with spite and criticism. It’s taken me a year to open back up and begin trying a larger assortment of vegetables more regularly while moderating my consumption of meat, as I had to truly realize the importance of it in context to my own life and health as opposed to the negativity and forcefulness that was being reflected by another person. The attempt by this student, as important as her purpose may have been, was ultimately futile as it took away the opportunity for me to decide for myself what I was capable of and willing to commit to. I also admit that a lot of this stems from a stubborn nature exhibited by myself and many other humans. I didn’t want to think that this person could be right, no matter how important the cause, because I didn’t want to side with someone who was trying so immensely and publicly to prove I was wrong in such a cruel way. As I’ve grown older and had further experience with the subject I’ve developed a hunger for education that makes it possible for me to embrace and fully think through the idea of becoming a vegetarian (or not), and what that may imply to the health and presence of animals not just in the short term, but also in the long term as well as in our ever-evolving modern society.