A few days ago, I was watching Iron Chef America and the challenger was a chef from New Zealand. In his introduction, they mentioned that he's served things like grilled kangaroo in his restaurants and I found myself being totally disgusted with that. So I starting thinking about why. I mean, what's the difference between eating a kangaroo or a dog vs. a cow or a pig? There really isn't one except that we have emotional reactions to animals we're socialized to like. We're taught to see certain animals as food and others as cute and cuddly. Have you ever noticed that commonly eaten (mammal) meat products aren't referred to by the animal name? We don't say we're going to eat some cow or pig - we call it steak, pork, bacon, ham, burger, beef... Why? I think it's to try and make it more palatable. Fried pig doesn't sound nearly as yummy as bacon. What we call something changes the perceptions of what it is. It's interesting that with fish and poultry, we do use the animal name. I wonder why that is?
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those moralizers who thinks that the mere idea of eating animals is wrong. I have no problem with the concept of animals as food for other animals. However, in our industrialized society, the only viable way to make meat available to so many people is to treat the animals like objects on an assembly line. THAT is what I have a problem with. The conditions that the animals are kept in, in order to maximize production and profits, are completely wretched and disgusting. I try not to think about it, but I find myself thinking about it more and more lately.
So I've finally decided that I am going to try to completely cut red meat (including pork) out of my diet. Any animal with enough grey matter to be able to comprehend the pain and suffering inflicted upon them by agribusiness will no longer be in my diet.
Yes, yes, I know - the only way to completely remove myself from the cycle of agribusiness is to be completely vegan and/or have my own personal farm where I can ensure the proper treatment of animals. But that is unrealistic for me. I cannot live without cheese and milk and I dislike most dairy substitute products. I admit that tofu has grown on me since I've been dating a vegetarian and have been exposed to more dishes that use it. However, I still think that it simply tastes like whatever you cook it with. If that happens to be something without a whole lot of flavor, then all it tastes like is congealed wallpaper paste to me.
I will have to have the occasional burger or steak or bacon- but only if I can get it from a butcher that uses small farm, free-range suppliers. For one, I know I will just sometimes crave a burger or bacon. Secondly, I don't want lose the enzymes necessary for digesting red meat, just in case I go back to eating it either by choice or necessity.
So from now on, I'll only be eating things that fly or swim.
27 August 2009
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5 people give a shit:
http://www.oberweis.com/web/pledge.asp
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/meat.php
there's a reason it's more expensive. more difficult for the Chicago crowd then for us hippies.
Word of the day: "bladr"
I wonder, though, what the definition of "humanely" is. Sounds nice - but from what I know, the conditions that are legally able to pass for "humane" in statements like this wouldn't be considered humane by most people. At least Whole Foods offers some specific guidelines for conditions for animals. Most places don't do that.
And yes, it's very expensive.
I personally love to disturb the people around me at the zoo and call the warthog "bacon", the cows at the farm exhibit "steak", and the cute fuzzy lambs "chops". I fully understand where you're coming from on the agribusiness topic; it's pretty disgusting to think about. I know I'm kinda spoiled living in "hippieland" where well raised food is right in my backyard (figuratively) from all the food groups.
We watch No Reservations; this weeks episode was Montana. I thought "Whoo. Montana. Tony is gonna have fun with these cow folk." It was a surprisingly good episode. The ranch family he spent the day with showed him (us) how they struggle to sell well raised food in this country. It's one of the best episodes I've ever seen and the people were, well, good humans, a rare breed indeed.
The production of meat is a lot worse on the planet too: "According to Environmental Defense, if every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetarian foods instead, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off of U.S. roads."
More stats here: http://www.alternet.org/environment/134650/the_startling_effects_of_going_vegetarian_for_just_one_day/
I'm a big meat eater and, like you, don't have a problem with animals being raised as food. But as an environmentalist, I'm having a much harder time justifying eating meat.
Having grown up on a farm, I've always identified the "meat" with the original animal (as well as eggs, dairy products, etc.). And vegetables and fruits come from plants which you pick from the stems (or, like potatoes and onions, dig up from the ground).
I like the traditional Native American perspective, that the plant/animal gives up its life to feed us, so we should be respectful and thankful for its gift. My understanding keeps me out of a vegetarian camp, as I think the plants need the same respect.
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