This article is part of a series by Sarah Rodeo ’13 called “Musings on the Meat Industry.” To view more posts, browse here.
In my opinion, no matter how passionately you believe in something, it’s important to understand the views, reasons, and opinions of the opposing side. In order to gain insight and understanding from a meat-eater’s point of view, I interviewed a group of teenage girls and asked them several important questions. And here, I will respond to their arguments.
When I asked these girls why they eat meat, their main reason was actually health-related – it was in order to obtain protein and iron.
However, every whole plant food contains some protein; those that are particularly loaded with protein include soybeans (which make up tofu, vegetarian “meat”, soy milk, and soy yogurt), lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, pumpkins, seaweed, peas, wasabi, tempeh and whole grains. As for iron, plant sources include soybeans, molasses, lentils, spinach, tofu, tempeh, beans, Swiss chard, potatoes, dark green leafy vegetables and certain whole grains.
One girl asserted that meat satisfies hunger, a result of meat’s high protein and fat content. These can both be obtained easily from plant foods, which contain satiating fiber and healthy, unsaturated fats unlike animal products.
Yet another girl mentioned that a doctor had told her that meat was healthy in moderation. That doctor should know that this, according to research about extremely high toxin levels in animal products, may not be true.
When asked if they found animal slaughter to be disturbing, the girls all responded that they did. One claimed she was bothered by animal slaughter, but that “humans are selfish.” Although humans intrinsically possess traits, such as gluttony and selfishness, does that mean we have to accept that generalization? Another girl responded that she finds animal slaughter to be horrific, but is able to justify it by reasoing that it has been happening for centuries. Does tradition automatically justify something? Women have been abused and people have been enslaved since the beginning of time; does that make it right?
When the girls were asked if they were alarmed by the devastating effects of factory farming on the environment, their responses were mixed. Several girls responded that they were unaware any existed. Another girl genuinely said she wished that meat processors could find ways to produce meat with less taxing effects on the environment. However, at the rate that we’re producing meat and dairy, there really is no way to raise billions of livestock in a “green” way. Another responded that there were many other ways to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions, but I wonder if that girl would also agree, for example, a young child shouldn’t receive formal schooling because there are many “other ways” to gain knowledge. Lastly, this girl stated that she is not too concerned about the environmental effects of the meat industry because she believes that these effects won’t change for a long time. (She’s right). Contrarily, though, shouldn’t this galvanize her desire for action and make her more, rather than less, concerned?
When the girls were asked if they believed that vegetarians have the ethical upper hand, responses were even more mixed. One girl responded that vegetarians are ethically correct in saving animals’ lives, but she also stated that it is important to recognize that some people need the protein obtained from eating meat. Though everyone has different perspectives on what is “right” and “wrong,” highlighting certain “necessities” of meat-eating doesn’t change the moral values of an action. Drawing attention to a need for meat has flaws in itself, for as I’ve mentioned, people can get most if not all of their protein from certain plants. Another girl responded by touching upon the range of personal decisions and beliefs that play into making something “ethically correct.” Yet, I wonder, why should I respect a practice that causes widespread pain and suffering? Anther response was that refusing to eat meat doesn’t actually stop the process of animal slaughter. However, facts say that vegetarianism hugely decrease the consumer demand for meat, with each vegetarian or vegan saving around 100 animals a year.
When the girls were asked their main reasons for not becoming vegetarians, one girl said that if she had the chance to not eat meat, she would seize the opportunity. To which I say, there is always a chance to turn down a piece of steak and ask for something else, and the time to take this is now! One of the main answers of all the girls gave was that they lacked the discipline. Think about the positive effects of vegetariansim, though! I would ask these girls why the simple discipline of making one basic change in their diets wouldn’t be worth easing the suffering that burdens so many living beings and the ever-increasing strain on Mother Earth.