Friday, January 18, 2008
The ethics of eating
Vegetarians and vegans who eschew meat 'cause they can't bear the thought of innocent cows, chickens, fish, lobsters, etc. dying on their behalf would do well to consider the following, penned by Mr. Rich Latimer of Falmough, Mass., which was published in the January 7, 2008, New Yorker magazine:
"Bill Buford writes that nobody has a persuasive rejoinder to the vegan belief that sentient, warm-blooded creatures shouldn't be sacrificed for our sustenance ('Books,' Dec. 3rd). But if that's your ethic you should seriously consider fasting. Countless millions of wee furry beasties, mice, moles, and voles, as well as ground-nesting birds, are killed outright or die off from habitat destruction annually, when vast acreages are tilled by huge, mindless machines to grow 'ethical' grains and vegetables. More are killed during the growing season by rodenticide grain baits, including zinc phosphate. Small mammals and birds are killed by machinery again at harvest time, and even more are killed by pest-control practices in granaries and processing plants before the vegetables go to market. There's no such thing as a guilt-free lunch." [Emphasis mine]
"Bill Buford writes that nobody has a persuasive rejoinder to the vegan belief that sentient, warm-blooded creatures shouldn't be sacrificed for our sustenance ('Books,' Dec. 3rd). But if that's your ethic you should seriously consider fasting. Countless millions of wee furry beasties, mice, moles, and voles, as well as ground-nesting birds, are killed outright or die off from habitat destruction annually, when vast acreages are tilled by huge, mindless machines to grow 'ethical' grains and vegetables. More are killed during the growing season by rodenticide grain baits, including zinc phosphate. Small mammals and birds are killed by machinery again at harvest time, and even more are killed by pest-control practices in granaries and processing plants before the vegetables go to market. There's no such thing as a guilt-free lunch." [Emphasis mine]
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Friday, January 18, 2008 
