Should we eat meat? The arguments for vegetarianism include cruelty, health matters and taste. But there are almost as many good arguments against it for the same type of reasons.

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Why should we not eat meat.

The moral argument of animal rights has been discussed for decades. There are many types of cruelty to animals, including vivisection and animal testing, eating meat, hunting and farming. Campaigners risk their lives to protect animals, but some people are totally opposed to the idea of rights for them. Although more than 25% of the British population does not think eating meat is safe or healthy, only 4.5% actually avoid it. The arguments for vegetarianism include cruelty, health matters and taste. But there are almost as many good arguments against it for the same type of reasons.

What is vegetarianism? The dictionary definition is someone who does not eat meat. However, millions of people would claim that they are vegetarians or “veggies” but still eat poultry, seafood and use animal based or tested products. Tere are a handful (4%) of vegetarians that do abide by all the “rules”. These are generally called vegans, and do not use any animals related products. This includes leather, milk and obviously meat.

Avoiding meat is a lot harder than one may think. Many types of pasta, for instance, contain egg, which is from a chicken. All dairy produce derives from animal milk; meaning they cannot, or will not, eat yoghurt, cheese or butter. But doesn’t this just inconvenience themselves as well as others? Apparently not.

 

“Most people become vegetarian because they believe it is wrong to slaughter animals.” - The Vegetarian Society. This is a true point, most people believe it is not at all acceptable to kill an animal for food. But they believe it is right to slaughter an animal to find a cure for disease, or to kill an animal for its skin. What I am trying to say is, if you are going to not eat meat for one reason then you might as well at least think of another reason. Animals used in laboratories are worse kept than any farm animal, so why do they believe this is right? Because it is not directly affecting the people. They see meat in shops, and think of the animals being slaughtered. But when they see a cured person walk out of a hospital, or they find their headache has stopped after taking aspirin, they do not see a mouse with growths on its legs dead in a bin. I am trying to say that there is no point in just not eating meat, this is not going to help stop cruelty to animals. In fact, vegetarians alone are not doing any good at all. As Carla Lane, a writer and animal welfare campaigner, said,“It’s no good crying out against the [calf export] trade if you are going to have milk.”She is a vegetarian.

 

 

Many communities live on meat. The Massai tribe of Africa is a good example of this, as in drought seasons they thrive on every part of the cow. After milking, the cow is slaughtered, then the tribe eat the meat and use the milk and blood together as a beverage. The bones are used to build structures and houses. They seem to find nothing wrong with this; the word “barbaric” does not enter their minds as this is their only means of food, especially if the crops are not growing well. The cow is considered sacred in these parts of Africa, but still eaten.

82% of the British population eat meat more than five times a week, according to a 1998 poll. This means that although some people will refuse to eat meat, the traditional approach to “Meat and two veg” is still kept up in most households. In the same poll, 86% of people still have the custom Sunday dinner with chicken, lamb or beef.

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If vegetarian campaigners were to have their own way and stop the world from eating meat, not only would many people starve, but a considerable amount of workers would go out of business:

Butchers shops are found on many a high street. This traditional method of buying meat is preferred by lots of people who believe that the best cuts of meat available are from an independent business. This is probably true, as many supermarkets have now branched out and include meat counters. The meat is generally mass produced from abattoirs, and each piece is not always taken so ...

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