Vegetarianism is good

Thank you, 'newspapers_are_cool', your round has been, as ever, most interesting. 1) I agree that I may have overlooked your 'meat benefits' somewhat, but only because meat has significant, and very real risks. If I was able to buy an asbestos hair-dryer, I would choose not to, as though it might be practical withstanding heat, it is easily possible that I would contract lung problems. In the same way, while meat may make my immune system a little stronger, or be cheaper, it must be avoided if I should wish to remain healthy. Ultimately, it is up to the individual, but the safer option is to abstain from eating such products. 2) Also, I never claimed that "meat should be banned" as you just implied. 3) You have admitted that meat is often an unhealthy option "...the cheaper and probably more unhealthy option is going to appear more attractive." 4) Something easy to prepare does not mean something preferable. Sometimes preparation is necessary, unless you would rather junk food. 5) What you are saying seems to contradict yourself - you want children to have a wide range of foods for their balanced diet, but now you are saying that they should eat junk food, simply because they'll gladly eat it? 6) When lives of people and animals are at stake, I do not believe you can reduce the costs to money. This is the most shallow point of all, as you have not noticed that dairy products and eggs are rich in protein, and even baked beans, a common, cheap food is high in iron (apologies, I have already said this, but I felt it was forgotten). 7) Thank you for bringing up McDonalds, the symbol of processed, unhealthy meat, terrible conditions for the animals that they slaughtered, and the epitome of western mass production that deforested vast areas of rainforest for grazing. You have not taken on my point about the environment, which I hope you can fit into your conclusion, despite your guideline. McDonalds is also one of the greatest symbols of how meat in the "modern western child's diet" is to blame for generations of obesity and heart disease [1]. Just take a look at Spurlock's documentary, "Super Size Me" or perhaps read Schlosser's "Fast Food nation", both of which reveal how this diet of the modern western child or even adult is an exploitative and deeply unhealthy lifestyle. In fact, it is a similar craving for fast food that costs you, and me, and those desperately poor people you were describing in the UK ï¿½4 billion (over $6 billion) every year on the NHS in the form of obesity [2]. The meaty fast food industry is solely to blame for this. I don't know about you, but I'd rather spend a little on a risotto for my tea than our nation spending ï¿½4 billion every year on people who prefer nuggets and cheeseburgers. 8) They are small changes. Lentils is one example that you have taken a shine to, but like I say, there are thousands of dishes that are vegetarian from all over the world. These can be simple and cost effective, or lavish and complex. The point is one could replace meat with tofu. It is just that easy, and if it is for a good reason, then it is worth such effort. 9) You tried to "address the morality of the debate", but settled on one weak point, that if there was no pain, effectively murder was justified, a ridiculous idea when put into use. Animals may not feel pain as they are slaughtered and butchered, but the branding, force feeding or battery farming in which they are kept certainly can. Battery farming alone would be a whole point in itself, damaging and drugging the animals for the sole purpose of them gaining weight by the time they need to process their corpses. And even if they are free range, this is highly costly, as the same land could be used for more cost effective and sustainable farming of crops. You still have not tackled the key argument that I left for you: 1. Killing animals without reason is wrong. 2. There is no reason to kill animals for meat (humans can live healthy lives without killing them to eat them). 3. Killing animals for meat is wrong. If you can topple this, you have surely tackled the issue of morality, but it remains untouched. To conclude my case, eating meat is ethically wrong, it is risky to eat for heart disease, cancer, obesity and food poisoning, and it is environmentally damaging. Huge industries have been based around the trading and producing of meat, which cut costs by putting the animals in bad conditions and feeding them chemicals, which can also be unhealthy. The alternative is clean, cheap and simple, and the sooner people accept a better diet, the better. The philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras sums up my case most brilliantly: "As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other." Thank you, newspapers_are_cool, for a very enjoyable debate. Please vote Pro. [1] http://www.mcdonaldscruelty.com... [2]http://fullfact.org...