I finally gathered courage to read the thread and of course, I'm disturbed and pissed off and want to drop the dude in the Costa Rican rainforest, and let a giant ass Anaconda eat him alive.
I also agree with [MENTION=2450]Obsolete[/MENTION] (I think) that if you're going to eat one goddamn animal, you might as well eat them all. It's stupid to put your pet in a sweater and goddamn family portrait, then turn around and eat a lambchop, steak, turtle soup, or whatever the hell it is you want to eat.
I have been a vegetarian off and on, sometimes for years at a time, for most of my adult life. When I had my son, I was confused and unsure on how to raise him. I didn't want him left out of things at school, like when they have a birthday party and buy all the kids happy meals (damn you and your lack of veggie burgers, McDonald's). I also didn't want him mistakenly served or given meat by and unsuspecting teacher or classmate when he's four or five and become violently ill, like I was when my Step-Mother In-Law served me veggie soup with a goddamn beef broth. I went back and forth for a few years.
In response to [MENTION=4916]bluewr[/MENTION] (I think is the name?) and the lack of empathy...Around six weeks ago, I was having lunch at work, eating my leftover meatloaf and reading the article about the mama bear that killed her cub and then herself. Halfway through my lunch, I read that shit, threw my meatloaf away, and I haven't touched meat since. To me, I felt for that mama bear and her need to protect her baby. For an animal to have that kind of cognizant reasoning, I finally figured it was a fucking disgrace to eat them.
Animals have completely different personalities, and this comes from someone who has first hand helped raised pigs, chickens, and cows for slaughter at the evil in-laws. The cow knew her name, and would respond to me, and play beach ball with me using her head. One pig always danced when I sprayed her with water. We have two husky pups, brother and sister, and their personalities are entirely different from each other. My friend had a pet python that would curl around his neck and put its tail around his ear, put his head next to his face and watch TV with him. Will all snakes do that? Of course not. So why are they all different? Same way we are.
I have always believed, in my silly, little, (GOD I LOVE MARY POPPINS!) idealist mind, that as the current top of the food chain, and the big boys on the planet (right now), it is our responsibility to treat all living things with respect and compassion. I believe that our universe is completely entwined with everything else like a giant web, and to fuck up one part of it, fucks up the entire thing.
*gets off soapbox*
