For the most part I keep vegetarian at home, but more importantly (in my opinion, and in my case) I try to keep organic and sustainable. It's the conditions, the practices and the chemicals involved with farming that turns me right off meat. And it scares me how tvp and other substitutes are made, but they do taste pretty close to the real thing!

Amen brother...er...actually, I wish I could say I follow that... I beleive the reason so many people have allergies now is the ammount of chemicals we're around and injest these days, it's unbeleivable. Of course meats are the worst of this, you fertalize and spray chemicals on the plants, feed it to animals, inject them with traquilizers and all other kinds of growth hormones and then the end of the food chain gets a double dose. It's pretty disgusting the ammount of preservatives we eat too.

I know I don't do enough for the environment, but I walk/bike everywhere, don't use much power while home, recycle some (should more), and as a personal flaw, use items FAR past the time they should be thrown out, lol! I just threw out a face cloth that had a hole the size of my hand...because I could still use a corner, hehe. I don't feel too bad for my effect on the environment, but I know it could be better.

^^^ Our plants are equally contaminated as the meat. Our vegetables are genetically modified, sprayed with an insane amount of pesticides, and preservatives to keep them fresh. It is so hard to live without consuming tons of toxic chemicals. My dinner tonight was some natural organic fish. It was good, and I really hope they dont just lie to me and make it the same way they do all the other fish sticks.

[Tracy]

I do find it strange that when someone says they are vegetarian people automatically get defensive and argumentative.

I never said anyone else was wrong for their choice but there was still an immediate backlash and implication that my choice was somehow wrong.

Curious.

Maybe a subconscious sense of guilt? Hmm??

That last line was a joke, I'm gonna lock this topic I think.

I do find it strange that when someone says they are vegetarian people automatically get defensive and argumentative.

I agree

I think sometimes people automatically feel the need to justify and defend their eating of meat because they think the vegetarian looks down on them.

I do find it strange that when someone says they are vegetarian people automatically get defensive and argumentative.


Maybe a subconscious sense of guilt? Hmm??

It's both strange and a sense of guilt. The writing is on the wall, some cases literally, it must be hard to be completly oblivious to the destruction of our bodies and the earth by the way we (as a people) lead our lives.

Its there to see if you watch tv, read newspapers and look at graffiti in the cities. Most people seem to try block it all out, its easier, of course it is, imagine how nice it would be to just disregard whats going on and not feel any way responsible.

But when faced with someone who can't let it all slide, that wont take part in whats "normal" people get their back up, and I think feel guilty, inspiring a bit of defensiveness and hostility.

It's both strange and a sense of guilt. The writing is on the wall, some cases literally, it must be hard to be completly oblivious to the destruction of our bodies and the earth by the way we (as a people) lead our lives.

Its there to see if you watch tv, read newspapers and look at graffiti in the cities. Most people seem to try block it all out, its easier, of course it is, imagine how nice it would be to just disregard whats going on and not feel any way responsible.

But when faced with someone who can't let it all slide, that wont take part in whats "normal" people get their back up, and I think feel guilty, inspiring a bit of defensiveness and hostility.

People don't always have the same beliefs, morals or ideologies. You may feel we as a people are ruining the earth, while others may have an equally strong belief that we are not.
It's not that they block it out or are in denial...it's that some believe otherwise. Some may be ignorant to whats going on, or believe nothing is going on and have no opinion.

Not everyone has the knowledge in your head that you or I do, so we have to respect that.

All some people have to go on is what they hear, read or see on TV. Some think of vegetarians as being hippy, health nut, PETA meat=murder activists.
These people's root reaction is to defend why they chose to eat meat because they feel threatened. They are immediately on the defensive.
All people want is to be accepted by others, but humans are too prideful and would rather argue and change someone, rather than change themselves.

They believe that the vegetarian thinks of them as savage, unhealthy slobs and they feel about an inch high.

I'm with you 100%. Although I still think some people with the information at hand block it out, and choose the easy road, why bother with finding organics when I can drive thru?, or go the processed route? And fair enough too, we work too much, have too little spare time, and are conditioned to be tempted by the convienience of our modern world.

The association between vegetarianism and being a "hippy" is still so strong, it would be a shock for people to realise that you can embrace similar ideals and not stink like petuli, or god forbid even wear some shoes!

i skimmed through the thread... so dont know which way this discussion is weighted.

Vegetarianism is great on the moral basis of it...
but i fell that nutritionally it isnt as healthy as having a balanced diet of both meat, veg, fruit, dairy, bread, and the lot.

I grew up in wheatbelt western australia, we shot animals, and yep they got eatin as wierd as it felt.
(some of those roosters tazte as cool as they look)

I'm not into killing, but I am into meat... give me a t-bone anyday, with chips and salad on the side ofcourse.

I'm with you 100%. Although I still think some people with the information at hand block it out, and choose the easy road, why bother with finding organics when I can drive thru?, or go the processed route? And fair enough too, we work too much, have too little spare time, and are conditioned to be tempted by the convienience of our modern world.

I agree 1000%

The association between vegetarianism and being a "hippy" is still so strong, it would be a shock for people to realise that you can embrace similar ideals and not stink like petuli, or god forbid even wear some shoes!

Old stereotypes die very hard!

Side note....I'm not a vegetarian, and I love a good steak...but I try to eat healthy if I can afford to. In the US, it almost always costs more to eat healthy than it does to succumb to garbage food.
Drug companies want you sick and dependant so they can rake in money off you! <----that's for another thread! )

The way I view fast/processed food is....I treat it like heavy alcohol. Once in awhile is OK as a treat, but just don't do it all the time or you'll kill your liver.
The chemicals that go into fast food are dangerous and shouldnt be consumed in excessive ammounts.

[EphelDuath666]

I DO always recognize that too. Not matter who I tell that I'm vegetarian, it's always like "Well, I couldn't do that. And that can't be healthy. Blah. Bleh. Blah. It's the food chain. Bleh. Blah." without me saying anything but "I'm vegetarian." I mean, I don't CARE if it's healthy, that's not why I do it. And "it's the food chain" is no argument either because you always have a choice. I so far have never tried to change anyone but it seems like non-vegetarians always wanna tell me how wrong it is what I'm doing If necessary I will state my opinion when I'm asked although I usually say that such a discussion doesn't go anywhere simply because it is a personal decision.

i think it's pretty simple to me. It's somewhat like religion, you pick yours and there you go, no one can say a thing, cause hey, it's your choice and you're the one who weights everything.

It's as pointless trying to convince some person who believes that self-injuring is the way to salvation as it is to try to convince some ferocious meat eater/veggie that their habits have cons and they should stop it.
I mean, unless the person reaches that conclusion by itself, they wont change. So why discuss too much?
Meat eaters, eat meat, and visit a slaughterhouse once in a while to reconsider. Veggies, eat your vegetables, but taste some well cooked barbecue once in a while to check if you still hate meat.
it's zen, can't go wrong with that.

edit: GAH double post
clicked "quote" instead of "edit" on the previous one

[EphelDuath666]

that's the point...you sound like my grandma. She also says I should try meat once in a while to see if I like it again. It's simply not going to happen ever again.

:lol: that's the point...you sound like my grandma. She also says I should try meat once in a while to see if I like it again. It's simply not going to happen ever again.

then don't!
it's just because i wanted to do an as-zen-as-possible reply, so i added that just to go with the "meat eaters, visit a slaughterhouse and reconsider once in a while"

back in April, when SYL were first getting out to support Alien, we tail gated the show with a bunch of food. Right before the show, their was a lot of hot dogs left over so I cooked them up and we made a plate for the band. Unfortunately, the band wasn't answering the door on the bus so we left them on the edge of this dumpster so they would see it when they walked out of the bus. When I met Devin that night, I asked him about it and he thanked us but didn't see it initially.