Vegetarian Criticism

I kind of hate that this is my third post about this, and my second in the past few days, but I feel the need to address it.

For a few reasons, I've been pretty adamant about not pushing my new-found vegetarian views onto my friends and others. One reason is because it's such a recent thing, and although I definitely plan on doing this for the rest of my life, at this point I understand that it would be hard for most to believe this given the number of people that try vegetarianism or veganism for a short period of time and then decide to go back to eating meat. The second reason I've been relatively quiet about this recent lifestyle-choice-change is because I know there are some vegetarians that are very pretentious, elitist, forceful, and just plain mean to meat-eaters about their diet and such. I don't want to be one of those people. What I choose to consume is my own choice, and what someone else chooses to consume is theirs.

The third reason I don't like talking about becoming/being a vegetarian has become more apparent since becoming one. People will criticize me for it every chance they get. Often time, they will criticize me based on common misconceptions, assumptions, stereotypes, and misunderstandings. I've been accused of being a vegetarian simply because Elie did, and I'm just following her because I want her to like me more or something. As a matter of fact, if you read my last posts, you'll find this is false; Elie decided to follow my choice (although it was probably less hard for her, as she already ate far less meat than me). I became a vegetarian by my own accord, although it was largely influenced by arguments presented in videos by YouTube's popular vegetarian/other-stuff guy Onision, as well as by things I've learned in environmental studies and environmental science. Even in those classes, though, I tried to play devil's advocate and imagine that they were presenting the extremest side of things. This was a hard position to defend. All things considered, vegetarianism is the most rational choice to make from what I can see.

People tell me that humans evolved to eat meat, that the reason our brains became such enhanced specimens is because of the nutrients we got from eating meats, and the reason we were able to eat it is the incisors in our teeth. This may be true, but it's also true that we can now obtain these nutrients without eating meat. We now have the choice to eat meat or not to. Most people choose to eat meat because it is socially accepted and because it's traditionally what is available to those that need the nutrients found in them. Because alternatives are available, I'd rather not directly create demand for the killing of animals, simply because I cherish their lives too much.

I watched videos of animals being brutally and cruelly killed (although the videos were assembled by PETA, who I admit has rather questionable tactics; regardless, animals are slaughtered, and I can barely watch), and I told myself that if I wanted to keep eating meat, I should be able to watch it without feeling remorse. I failed my own test. Honestly, I thought I would pass. At the time, I enjoyed a nice, juicy double bacon cheeseburger as much as the next guy. Now, after watching a cow's or a pig's throat get slit while it's still conscious and screaming in agony, that cheeseburger doesn't seem so appealing.

When considering all environmental factors and everything, vegetarianism does less total harm to the planet, too. This is a very important factor. I've been trying to be environmentally conscious for the past several years, and this is the next step in that growth process for me. Helping keep this miracle of a planet as habitable as possible for future generations of all living things is important to me.

If you're reading this and you're a meat-eater who would criticize me, I challenge you to test yourself the same way that I did. Watch some videos of farm animals being slaughtered. Then cook yourself a cheeseburger or your meat of choice while watching it. Do you still feel like you're making the right choice?

In short, stop criticizing me. I'm not judging you, so stop judging me. I'm not going to force my beliefs on you. If you don't bring it up, I won't. If you offer me meat, I'll simply say, "No thanks, I don't eat meat," and it can end there if you want it. I'd like it to. Just leave me and my choices alone, because even after only a couple of these kinds of conversations, I'm already sick of answering the same aggressive questioning and rebutting the same inane accusations.

--Jon