1st Installment: What does one perceive to be unethical?
Do you believe the life of an animal is equal to the life of a human? This question arises with the strong notion that animals have just as much of a right to live and breathe on the same land as we humans do. Though this is true, we kill thousands of various types of livestock to feed our population. Why is this still happening if it poses as unethical? The pros and cons are simple: pro- we have food to eat and nourish our body, con- many animals lose their lives due to the selfishness of humans and their hunger. There are two sides to this growing concern people love meat and will do anything for it, or people are severely against killing animals and want the slaughtering to stop. In this post, we will discuss the more than half of the American population that believe meat is an essential part of our diet and without it we would no longer be “alive” on this Earth or those deemed “unethical”.
Let’s begin with the meaning of unethical behavior: “the lack of moral principles” meaning those who slaughter animals are immoral? Wrong. Going back to when the cavemen were on Earth meat has been an essential part of the human diet. Have you ever thought about why beef cattle exist? Yes, dairy cows are for milk, horses for riding/ farm work, but beef cattle? Genetically they are made to be muscular and produce large amounts of meat. This being the case, what other reason are these cattle in existence? They were made to be eaten, it’s the sad truth but in order for the human body to function correctly, we need meat. Yes, there are other alternatives, however you either have to go completely vegan and take dietary supplements to receive the proper amount of iron. Even better, consumers can eat vitro meat (scientifically grown meat) or tofu, which no matter how you season it, it never tastes good. Plus, these alternatives are unnatural and take the body a while to adapt. Our bodies are biologically designed to eat meat. The human digestive tracts are similar to those found in other carnivores with long small intestines and short colons. High concentrations of hydrochloric acid found in our stomachs, is there to break down protein found in meat products. Other reasons: beef in more nutrient dense than vegan protein, its economically beneficial to our country, it doesn’t raise your risk for cardiovascular disease, in fact lowers it. There are so many reason why we should eat meat, so why is it deemed unethical? Animals kill each other for food so why is it so wrong for humans to kill for ours? Yes, slaughter is not fun to talk about however these animals were put on this Earth for a reason. Its just how the ecosystem works.
With this being stated, the argument referring to meat eaters is very strong. However, there is always a rebuttal to any kind of argument, but that will be discussed later on.
"They were made to be eaten, it’s the sad truth but in order for the human body to function correctly, we need meat." No and no. They co-evolved over thousands of years with us, and our habit of eating them gave them a pre-slaughter niche of coexistence, but we did not invent them ex nihilo as a food source. And, it's perfectly possible-though possibly not convenient-to be adequately nourished and healthy on a meatless diet without supplements.
ReplyDelete"these alternatives are unnatural" - only in the same sense in which living in houses instead of caves is unnatural
"There are so many reason why we should eat meat, so why is it deemed unethical?" If a carnivorous alien civilization ever invades Earth and finds us appetizing, maybe we'll know.
"Animals kill each other for food so why is it so wrong for humans to kill for ours?" Because we want our ethics to reflect a human standard.
"Its just how the ecosystem works" - arguably, our ecosystem works better when some animals eat others. But the question of human ethical propriety is about whether our actions accord with our values, not just whether they are compatible with our survival in a sustainable environment - important though that is.
"there is always a rebuttal to any kind of argument" - but there is not always an effective refutation.
Interesting topic...personally I have been a vegetarian for seven years and my body still functions correctly. Ive never had a problem with nutrients and actually quite enjoy the taste of tofu. Just like any other meal it requires proper cooking because even pizza can taste bad if poorly topped and cooked. While I do respect your point of view, I don't believe that animals were put here strictly for our consumption. Do we eat our dogs and cats? No. So why do we have ethics when it comes to certain animals but with others our predatory ways take priority? Now days we don't have to hunt to survive and our diets are completely different. So why should our ethics remain so barbaric? Just something to think about.
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