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Argument for vegetarianism


Sknydpr
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A body piercing-related message board that I've been on for some time has the vegetarian question come up on occasion. This my most recent reply:

 

It's wrong to kill. It's that simple. There are more gradual ways to come to that conclusion, but that's the bottom line. It is absolutely wrong to kill when you don't have to, and no one on this board has to.

 

There's really no defense for eating animals. Any animals.

 

Flesh is not a nutrional necessity, in fact you'd likely be healthier without it. 300,000 years of history is not a defense; rape and slavery were accepted acts at some points in history. "Animals taste good" is certainly not a defense.

 

I can add reasons for being vegetarian to my premise, but you cannot take that simple fact away. It's wrong to kill.

 

"I don't care" is not a defense.

 

My one conciliatory statement would be that I was 28 when I became a vegetarian, few people are born into it.

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That is a good reply.

 

I would add that animals are created equal in that a pig is no less sentient than a dog (the pig is actually a smarter animal too, not that intelligence should matter, only sentience should matter). So, it is just as wrong to eat a pig as it is to eat your own pet.

 

People usually respond to this by saying that "Ya, but food animals are bred for that reason."

 

I say, as an intelligent person, I find that to hardly be an acceptable, let alone compelling, explanation.

 

YOur points are all good points skinny!!

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I don't want to bring intelligence into it, it's irrelevant. I only bring up the issue when someone starts whining about how certain Asian cultures eat dogs and cats. (And that's actually a different argument, in that animals' values are placed on them by society, instead of being intrinsic.)

 

The silly person who started that particular thread is still insisting that she'll happily give up eggs and dairy and red meat, but there's no way she could give up seafood and sushi. *sigh* Is anyone familiar with the Cassandra Complex? I get that one all the time.

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I hope that comment on the intelligence issue^ didn't sound insulting, Nat. It wasn't intended to.

 

Incidentally, a little later in that thread, someone asked why vegans give up dairy since the cow isn't being killed. I started out vegan, but have been lacto- the last several years. But I responded to that question, then realized 'dammit...you're still lying to yourself'. So as of an hour or so ago, I'm a vegan again.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Is anyone familiar with the Cassandra Complex?

 

No. What is it?

 

Well, in a nutshell:

 

Cassandra was a person in Greek mythology who had been given the power of prophecy by one of the gods. However, another god was angry with her, so while they couldn't take the power away, they cursed her so that no one would believe her.

 

Cas·san·dra (kə-săn'drə) pronunciation

n.

 

1. Greek Mythology. A daughter of Priam, the king of Troy, endowed with the gift of prophecy but fated by Apollo never to be believed.

 

Someone with a Cassandra complex is someone who feels that they have something important to say, but can't get anyone to listen to them. I strongly believe that eating animals is completely unjustifiable in this age and society, but when I tell people why, they essentially just shrug their shoulders and turn away.

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