Thursday, November 15, 2007

"ANIMALS ARE PEOPLE, TOO!"

I work with a bunch of vegetarians and vegans. I am not one to judge anyone's eating habits, but it really, really annoys me when vegetarians or vegans justify their vegetarianism on the basis that . . .

"ANIMALS ARE PEOPLE, TOO! HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF SOMEONE ATE YOUR MOM?"

Well, there are so many things wrong with this argument, with the most obvious one being that animals are not "people." I don't disagree that animals have souls, but they are not living, breathing, thinking, homeowning, people. According to dictionary.com, people is defined as "human beings, as distinguished from animals or other beings."

Therefore, the hypothetical question of someone eating my mother is irrelevant to the hyperbole of the first statement. Duh, I'd be sad if someone ate my mom, but my mom is a PERSON. I might be sad if someone ate my dog, too, but I don't have a dog . . .and said dog would not be a PERSON.

I also hate when people say:

"MEAT IS GROSS!"

I don't like all meat, but I wouldn't just make a broad statement about all meat being gross. Meat tastes different depending on the animal. I like chicken, but I don't think I'd enjoy rat the same.

The way in which meat is "mass produced" and the highly unethical treatment of the animals producing the meat we eat is gross.

If you raise the animal on your own farm and then slaughter it, naturally and organically, what's wrong with that? Frankly, it's none of their business if you're a vegetarian, so why do you care if they eat meat?

Biblically, God gave humans domain over all animals. Now, I'm not even religious, but it doesn't seem outrageous to assume we rule over animals?

Another thing I hate are the fake vegetarians. The ones who secretly eat meat, but will tell anyone who listens about how they're a vegetarian. The times they do eat meat are always excused because they're "low on iron" or "craving pepperoni" or "drunk." Honey, you're not a vegetarian only from 9am-5pm . . .it's a full-time job.

And there's always the vegetarian who not only stays away from meat, but they also stay away from VEGetables. They just eat processed shit, because they're so enlightened and progressive.

Vegans are admirable, but not eating any product or byproduct of an animal cannot be healthy, easy or normal.

I've tried to be a vegetarian and the longest I lasted was probably around two weeks. I was a "pollo vegetarian" (aka fake vegetarian who only ate birds but no cow or pig) from the ages of 12-19, but eventually a girl needs to eat a hamburger. (Actually, I tried the South Beach diet when I was 19 and was basically forced to eat red meat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but that's another blog post altogether.) I just feel like shit when I don't have enough protein and I'm NOT big fan of tofu . . .and I like chicken. I still go days without eating any meat, but eventually I realize that something is a little off and I eat some meat.

I, by no means, think vegetarianism is any better or worse than eating meat, but I think the hardcore people who do it for the wrong reasons and justify it with moronic "evidence" and/or hyperbolic statements are annoying.

Animals are not people.