Vegetarianism

"Animals have the right to life." On the other hand, plants are sentient beings too. Research has shown that plants respond electrochemically to perceived threats and may feel fear, so vegetarians too are causing harm in order to eat. "Derrick Jensen, "The Plants Respond: An Interview with Cleve Backster," The Sun, July 1997" "We have no utilitarian or moral reason to deny organisms of that desire." Every organism on earth eventually dies, and is consumed into the circle of life, either through consumption or decomposition. Meat provides more iron then a vegetable diet as well. The body absorbs 15% to 35% of the heme iron in meat, but only absorbs 2% to 20% of the non-heme iron found in vegetarian sources. There is nothing wrong with this cycle, but if we are going to pull morals and ethics into this debate, it is more ethical to save the vegetables instead of the animals. (Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Instututes of Health) "As evolved human beings it is our moral duty to inflict as little pain as possible for our survival." As the BoP rests on you, the instigator, to prove that it is not ethical that humans eat other animals. You offer no explanation of how this works, simply refer that it is our duty since we are "more evolved" Vegetarian diets cause animal deaths as well. According to a 2003 study by Steven Davis at Oregon State University, about 6 animals per acre, or 52-77% of the animals (such as birds, mice, and rabbits) that live in agricultural crop fields are killed during harvest. (Steven L. Davis, "The Least Harm Principle May Require That Humans Consume a Diet Containing Large Herbivores, Not a Vegan Diet," Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 2003 ) "Farm animals such as chickens, pigs, sheep, and cows are sentient living beings like us - they are our evolutionary cousins and like us they can feel pleasure and pain." Monkeys are the closest things to evolutionary cousins to us; Plants can feel pleasure and pain as well. Finally, refer to the above statistic "The utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham even believed that animal suffering was just as serious as human suffering and likened the idea of human superiority to racism." That's good for him. The main, large, huge difference is that there is almost no difference between whites and blacks (aside from skin pigmentation and vulnerability to the sun) while humans and plants are entirely different species that are unable to communicate. "Now, obviously whites aren"t superior but if we use the criteria of measuring human superiority to other animals (intelligence) then it would be hypocritical for humans to claim superiority over other species but not over the some people with inferior intelligence such as the mentally ill." First of all, like I stated above, we cannot compare plants to humans. They are simply not of the same species. This is not anti-plant-ism, it is simply a scientific and widely believed fact. Also, we have nothing to gain in any way by killing the mentally ill. "It is wrong to farm and kill these animals for food when we do not need to do so." Simply because we don't need to do it doesn't make it wrong...just because I don't need to chew gum doesn't mean it is wrong to chew gum. Also, as I stated, animals are killed during plant harvests...while they need not do so. "Modern farming is one of the main sources of pollution in our rivers. Beef farming is one of the main causes of deforestation, because trees are being cut down to make room for cattle bred to kill." Vegetarian diets are not necessarily better for the environment. Please refer to these statistics: About 90% of US cropland suffers from top soil loss at 13 times the sustainable rate. (US Department of Agriculture (USDA)) US meat consumption does not significantly contribute to loss of US or global forest land. In 2001, about 95% of animal products consumed in the US were produced in the US. Despite the US consumption of about 27 billion pounds of beef per year, the percentage of forested US land has remained steady at around 33% since 1907. (US Department of Agriculture (USDA)) "Studies comparing vegetarians and meat eaters have found that eating less or no meat lowered the risks of certain health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, strokes and cancer. " Cite your studies. Eating meat provides healthy saturated fats which can strengthen immune and nervous systems. They also contain vitamins A, D, E and K. Saturated fats are also essential for building and maintaining cell health, and help the body absorb calcium. Cholesterol from animal fat is needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain. Low cholesterol levels have been linked to depression. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2002) Saturated fats from meat are not to blame for modern diseases like heart disease, cancer, and obesity. Chemically processed and hydrogenated vegetable oils like corn and canola cause these conditions because they contain harmful free radicals and trans fats formed during chemical processing. (Stephen Byrnes, "The Myths of Vegetarianism) and (Sally Fallon Morell, "Know Your Fats Introduction) "Vegetarians often come out on top in health studies" Vegetarians do not live longer. This myth stems from the fact that vegetarians tend to be more health conscious than the general population, eating a balanced diet, exercising more, and smoking less. If Person 1 is A(vegetarian) and B(health conscious) while person 2 is -A(Not a vegetarian) and B(not conscious of their own body), you cannot directly link one or the other to benefits; You need conclusive research, which I have. (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers) "The ill-treatment and eating of animals is based on selfishness." The ill-treatment is, but the eating is not. The choice to choose what we want to eat is based off our ability to choose the better choice for humanity. It is a basic human liberty to pick what we eat. Yes, you may say that our desire to eat meat outweighs the animals "right" to live. However, no matter what we do, animals inadvertently are hurt. Whether you harvest crops, or make linen, or drill for oil, plants or animals are hurt. "The majority of these animals are confined to cages and crates or packed by the thousands into dark, filthy sheds." Modern slaughter techniques minimize the suffering of animals. US slaughterhouses must conform to the Humane Slaughter Act (HMSA) which mandates that livestock be stunned unconscious before slaughter. (Ingrid Newkirk, "Temple Grandin: Helping the Animals We Can't Save," prime.peta.org, Feb. 14, 2010) Now to my own points: First and foremost, humans have been eating meat for 2.3 million years, and it has been an essential part of our evolution. The inclusion of meat in the ancestral diet provided a dense form of nutrients and protein that, when combined with high-calorie low-nutrient carbohydrates such as roots, allowed us to develop our large brains and intelligence. Evidence shows our taste buds evolved to crave meat's savory flavor. (Christopher Joyce, "Food for Thought: Meat-Based Diet Made Us Smarter In many areas of the US, raising beef is the most efficient way to produce food for humans because about 85% of US grazing land is not suitable for raising crops humans can eat directly. Also, 98% of the American prairie is gone. So which is more efficient/better for the environment? (National Cattlemen's Beef Association) and (State Environmental Resource Center, "Biodiversity Policy Issues Package). Finally, there is nothing inherently cruel about raising animals for food. There is a growing movement in the US to raise "cruelty free" organic meat. In the US, animals raised for certified organic meat must be given access to the outdoors, clean air, and water. They cannot be given growth hormones or antibiotics and must be fed organically-grown feed free of animal byproducts. They live pleasant and short lives.