For those of you who may not know, the food chain is a sort of hierarchy of edible beings, where those higher up in the hierarchy get to munch on those further down. Human beings are rather fortunate in this regard since we happen to be at the top of the food chain which means that, as a species, we can munch on anything below us, from goldfish to weeds and everything else. It’s a pretty sweet deal overall – for us, not the goldfish.
Which is why certain types of vegetarians make no sense to me. I once knew a girl who chose to be vegetarian because she simply didn’t care for the taste of meat. That makes sense to me. Other vegetarians do so because they abhor the cruel conditions animals may need to endure before being slaughtered and ending up on our plates – another reason I’ll accept. The bit that really gets to me though, are those who choose to be vegetarian (or possibly vegan) because they consider it wrong to destroy or harm life.
Well geez, last I checked, carrot sticks and lettuce were alive too. Interestingly, so are mushrooms, apricots, beans and broccoli and virtually everything that not just humans, but most animals eat as well. I stand corrected, but I think mountain goats suck minerals out of rocks, so they’re on my list of exceptions, unless of course they get together on the weekends and cook little bunnies.
The typical response I receive when I mention this sort of thing goes something along the lines of “but plants can regrow”. Sure. So why not slice off a portion of a cow’s rump, marinate that with a few spices and grill it all just enough so that it’s still juicy when you eat it? After all, if you cut off just a bit, the cow is likely to regrow its flesh anyways. It’s what we do to plants after all.
For some odd reason, I recently visited PETA’s website and saw an invitation for everyone to join up and become proudly vegetarian and this, combined with the various other articles I’ve read and stories I’ve heard of how guilty I should feel when applying the BBQ sauce to my steaks have prompted this little retort. I’m all for the ethical treatment of animals. It’s not like I spend my free time squirting mustard on live cows to make them wonder how long they have before they face the chop. Nor do I support the idiotic killing of animals just for their fur. But geez, we’re top of the damn food chain so if I’m cold and starving and see a cute little furry bunny, I’m gonna score me some steaks and a new pair of gloves dammit!
The point of this little rant, very simply is that you’re at the top, so enjoy it. And if you’re so loving and caring that you cannot find it in yourself to harm even a single living thing, then stop being hypocritical and stop eating fruit and vegetables as well. And before too long this rant won’t be needed anymore.
Filed under: bunnies, lifestyles, ramblings | Tagged: bunny, delicious, food, PETA, PETV
Love the pic! I am in full agreement with you. If you stop eating meat to stop suffering, you should also stop breathing air and drinking water. Think of all the micro-organisms people are killing with their incredibly selfish wish to breathe and rehydrate.
Only reason we think we’re not hurting plants is because we can’t hear them. Doesn’t mean they don’t feel anything. Stick some electrodes on them, then we’ll talk again.
I think Buddhists should feel the worst – they won’t kill a fly coz it’s alive, but they slaughter poor, defenceless cabbages and tomatoes willy-nilly. Inhumane, I say!!
Alternatively, we should eat each other. Then we won’t be hurting any animals or plants and we can tell each other EXACTLY how much wer’e suffering.