7 Reasons to Go Vegetarian
In reading “Diet For A New America”, the scientific, hard and true facts against eating meat are infinitely hard to ignore. However, it doesn’t need to be that complicated an argument. I originally got this list here
http://www.veganise.me/7-reasons
but I added some things myself.
1. UNESSENTIAL: WE DON’T NEED MEAT TO SURVIVE
Humans don’t need meat to survive and live a healthy life. They eat it because it tastes good, and it’s convenient for us as consumers. That alone is not a good enough reason to put animals through suffering. We can get more than enough of our protein from veggies, grains, legumes, etc.
2. HYPOCRISY: YOU COULDN’T KILL, GUT AND CHOP IT YOURSELF
Most people don’t like the sight of an animal being killed, let alone could they do it themselves. Eating them is therefore hypocrisy.
3. COMPASSION: ANIMALS FEEL PAIN AND FEAR TOO
Farm animals feel pain just like us and just like your pets. Electrocuting/cutting their throats is barbaric and inhumane. Farm animals are treated like a product and not like sentient beings that they are. They are fed hormones, are beaten and thrown about and live in confined spaces with complete disregard for their well-being.“Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to yourself”.
4. COWARDICE: LIKE BABIES, ANIMALS DON’T HAVE A VOICE TO FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS
Slavery was once legal. Women once didn’t have right to vote. Gays don’t have the right to marry in some places. But they all have a voice to fight for their rights. Animals can’t beg for their lives or freedom but that is not enough reason that they should be stripped from those rights. In the same way that killing an innocent and voiceless baby is the most horrific act of violence, so is killing and mistreating an animal.
5. HEALTH: VEGETARIANS ARE HEALTHIER
Vegetarians live longer and have 40% to 70% less chance of getting cancer and other diseases than meat eaters. Too much protein can cause heart problems and osteoporosis.
6. ENVIRONMENT: ANIMAL FARMING IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Half the rainforests in the world have been cleared for grazing; methane from livestock causes global warming; soil is eroded by cattle; slurry poisons waterways; and the seas are laid to waste by overfishing. The global appetite for meat and the industrial techniques of the meat industry are destroying the Earth. Farming contributes to 18% of all greenhouse gases produced by humans. That’s more than all forms of transport put together.
7. HUNGER: GRAIN THAT’S BEING FED TO ANIMALS COULD GO TO STARVING PEOPLE
While 750 million people go to bed hungry every night, one-third of the world’s grain is fed to farmed animals. A typical Western meat-based diet can only feed 2.5 billion people: a plant-based diet will feed every one of us.
If you want more reasons follow these links:
http://philipngcc.homestead.com
http://www.watchearthlings.com
http://www.goveg.com/theissues.asp
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As I’ve said before, I do not want, nor do I intend to preach. However, I think there is much information that peope do not know. More than anything, I would love to see my friends, family and loved ones be healthier.
allison's eclectic expatiation 
Thank you for the repost Allison!
I like the tweaks you made to it. 😉
thank you!
You should, like, stop eating fish. Because, actually – their pain receptors are even more sensitive than mammals. Not to mention, dolphins and other wild life often get caught up in traps. We’re also not taking into account the pollution or overfishing that is happening.
Saying “I don’t care about fish” or “it hasn’t really hit me yet” is like someone saying, “I don’t eat meat, but it’s ok to eat veal.”
And, if one eats fish, one isn’t even a vegetarian.
Just sayin’!
Basically, to only care about land animals is essentially speciesism. I’ll lend you Animal Liberation when you’re done with Diet for a New America.
Also, you shouldn’t DO anything, but I do want to make the argument that it is hard to promote freedom for one class of animals, but disregard other animals’ right to live.
I never said I was never going to give up fish, I just haven’t yet. Considering 3 months ago I was eating meat, dairy, etc. without a thought… and now the ONLY thing I eat is fish (rarely)and honey, I’d say be patient, huh?
Would you rather I NOT endorse cruelty free diet at all?
No, I think it’s great that you are putting it out there, but I just also want to put out there the speciesism argument.
One thing that you said to me was “Fish hasn’t hit me yet.”
I just want you to know that the repercussions of the fishing industry are very large.
😀
And, you know, I fully support you on your journey!
Plus, I know how hard it is to give up fish. Fish was my first word. I grew up on it. It was fairly difficult to give it up.
uh oh…
this looks quite preachy…
I’m just being honest.
its not though. and no point do i judge people who arent…i just want the people i care about to be well informed and healthy.
It’s not preachy at all. She is just setting the facts out there. It’s not a bad thing for people to be aware of exactly what they’re consuming! Usually people don’t want to know, because the truth is pretty disgusting. But, who wants to be ignorant?
ok, so I guess I won’t comment on posts like this anymore…
I don’t mean to be preachy either, but it’s also…you know…people should be knowledgeable about their diet especially if it is unhealthy.
But see…what bothers me about that, is who are you to say that my diet is unhealthy, just because I eat meat? I eat meat, and am a very healthy person and I know lots of people who eat meat who are also very healthy people. Being vegetarian doesn’t automatically make a person healthy or unhealthy. I know of some who are vegetarians and weigh 200 lbs because they eat french fries. “Well, I’m vegetarian…” Like that solves everything. So for you to say that people who eat mean are “unhealthy” is a little juvenile.
Meat is unhealthy. Chicken has been linked to breast cancer. Feces have been known to be found in many pieces of beef. Fish is incredibly high in cholesterol. A vegan diet has been known to stop diabetes.
And thinness or fatness is no indicator of health. But, yes, when you go vegan or vegetarian and you eat french fries every day you are going to be unhealthy. But, that is not much of an argument because if a meat eater goes and eats McDonalds every day is also unhealthy.
When you do research, you’ll also discover that vegans have THE LOWEST incidences of cancer and other types of diseases. Eating meat is unhealthy – the pesticides and hormones they shove into it cause children to go through puberty at an earlier age. Meat and milk also cause osteoporosis.
Chicken & red meat have THE SAME level of cholesterol.
I mean, I can go on and on. The evidence is there. Read “The China Diet” and then get back to me about the health risks or benefits.
I mean, I don’t know. The scientific evidence IS THERE. I’m a biology major, I’ve read this stuff. I’ve STUDIED this stuff.
Now, whether or not you chose to believe it doesn’t make it any less true. And, how you take the information is not the point. If you’re talking facts…those are the facts. Now, what anyone decides to do with the facts is completely and utterly up to them.
Ooops, I mean not the CHina Diet.
The China Study
It is THE MOST comprehensive study on nutrition EVER done and … it shows…vegetarians and vegans are healthier than those who eat meat IF you eat a healthy, well rounded diet. Once again, the facts are right there.