Vegetarian
ProCon.org is an independent, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity
Video introduction to ProCon.org and the pros and cons of controversial topics
Last updated on: 5/19/2011 8:42:37 AM PST

Should people become vegetarian?

What do you think? Share your pro or con views and help us foster civil, intelligent discussion on important social issues. If you're looking to attack, harass, demean, or impersonate others, please go elsewhere. Read the rules on submitting comments at ProCon.org. Please note that the pro and con comments and thumbs up/down votes reflect the views of ProCon.org readers and not necessarily of ProCon.org or society in general. Remember to enter your email address so we can notify you if your comment gets posted. Thank you!

PRO (yes) Comments (67)

1,250 characters left

Notify me by email when someone replies to my comments
Also sign up for our free e-newsletters

Sort by: Best | Newest | Oldest

  • +29 +77 -48 Andrew May. 24, 2011
    "As human beings, we have the rare gift of being able to consider the ethical implications of our actions. Given that ability (and the fact we can survive perfectly well without consuming meat), it appalls me that so many of us take an action that causes so much needless suffering to so many sentient creatures."
    Write a Reply Replies (6)
    1250 characters left
    • +3 +6 -3 Kat Nov. 3, 2011
      "I totally agree with andrew (except for the 'rare gift' part as i believe all animals are just like us in that way) In response to valence, God has told humankind that 'though shalt not kill' what do you think this means? that we should continue killing animals for food, or that we should stop torturing God's creation? actually, if we want better health for future generations, we should stop eating meat so we get a healthier, more balanced diet with none of the cholesterol, fats, sodium, etc. that comes with meat, eggs, and milk. vegetables are actually a more complete source of proteins, and other nutrients then meat are - and vegetables don't have all the bad stuff, either! therefore, going vegetarian is a great choice. again, i agree with Andrew, causing other living creatures needless suffering is inhumane and immoral, especially when better options are available. and when i say better, i mean better in every way!"
    • 0 +1 -1 Fishtree Apr. 17, 2013
      "Did you know that eating plants KILLS them? Some studies say that they can feel pain, too. It's an eat or be eaten world, and we need to eat something. Also, the definition of sentient that fits here means to be able to be conscious. Unconscious means asleep (sort of). So you are saying anything that is not a zombie suffers when it dies. Being omnivores, we need meat, it is half of our diet, eating just plants is unnatural."
    • 0 +2 -2 Andrea May. 31, 2012
      "To Anonymous Hunter,
      most of the time, cows aren't knocked unconscious properly. Most of the time, they are fully conscious while they are being slaughtered. Pigs, poultry, and fish are also killed while they are conscious."
    • -1 0 -1 hannah Apr. 15, 2013
      "people are allowed their own opinion but if everyone became a vegetarian then there would be no food for the "sentient creatures" soo think on that"
    • -2 +6 -8 valence Jun. 24, 2011
      "hi,eating meat is part and parcel of human life that's God himself created man kind and animals together.he meant to make living symmbiotically.For the better health of our generation it is important to drink milk and eat meat so as to make our bodies strong and fight against diseases.Vegetables have got less potentiality as compaired to the animals in terms of nutrients example proteins,it also builds the body with energy fat resoluces."
    • -3 +3 -6 Anonymous Hunter Apr. 17, 2012
      "Sorry to disagree (I find it makes people angry), but what creatures suffer? I am an avid hunter and all the deer I've shot have died quickly. Cows are knocked unconsious before they are killed. PS This is actually a question, not an "Oh you're wrong" type of thing."
  • +14 +49 -35 Vicki Van Linden Jun. 16, 2011
    "I agree completely with Paul Watson's comments that:
    "There is not enough fish in the world's oceans to feed 6.6 billion human beings and another 10 billion domestic animals. That is why all the world's commercial fisheries are collapsing" and "The meat industry is one of the most destructive ecological industries on the planet." For the sake of the earth alone, we can eat a plant-based diet in order to sustain resources for all who live on our planet, of all species, including human. Some of the healthiest people on earth do not eat dairy, and the nations with highest levels of obesity are highly meat-eating nations."
    Write a Reply Replies (3)
    1250 characters left
    • +2 +2 0 Environment Helper Apr. 28, 2013
      "I agree but is their enough plants to feed all of those humans and animal. Plus us humans have abused animals and we should stop but that doesn't mean we should stop eating meat we just have to minimize our portions and give animals the right care. People who follow Islam and Judaism do and believe this. And people who are vegetarians should not discourage and harass meat-eaters. Well harass the meat industry for being heartless."
    • +1 +1 0 Fishtree Apr. 17, 2013
      "Some of the healthiest people do eat dairy. So? Also, obesity is people's choices. You can eat a healthier diet as an omnivore than as a vegetarian. What is the meat industry destroying? This calls for a reformation, not a complete obliteration."
    • +1 +3 -2 Aaron Oct. 11, 2011
      "Not everybody needs to eat only fish or seafood. There are plenty of cattle that people can eat instead of fish. So if you combine all of the fish and cattle you wont get enough meat to feed 6.6 billion people, but you will get enough to feed about half of them."
  • +11 +41 -30 Lascatzz May. 31, 2011
    "Anyone who eats meat should never waste any, even if it doesn't taste good. After all, it is a life that was given up.
    I'd probably eat meat if I didn't think about what I was doing. But since I do think about it, I can't bring myself to eat animal flesh. It would make me vomit if I ate it.
    Meat eaters should eat much less meat. Then there wouldn't be factory farms. There are only the factory farms due to the high meat consumption (for humans and pets) and bad animal management. Some animals are fed their own species in their food. Sickening. That is how mad cow disease is spread.
    Eat in moderation, be thankful to God for everything, don't be wasteful. Always think about what you are eating. Don't have your head in the sand box.
    Thank you for listening."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • 0 +1 -1 Kat Nov. 3, 2011
      "Bravo! I totally agree."
  • +9 +37 -28 Anonymous May. 24, 2011
    "Some say that we're animals and we are part of the food chain therefore designed to eat animals, yet, at the same time, feel superior to animals.

    Take one side, people. Are we or are we not animals? If we are animals and part of the food chain, then we should hunt like animals and play under the rules of the food chain. The way cattle are raised and killed these days is NOT how the food chain works...

    Animal slaughterhouses don't give animals a chance of survival or evolution. If you choose to consider yourself more than an animal, it's also wrong to eat meat. If you're more than an animal, you don't eat an animal... and this is shown by your ability to survive without murdering. You are a HUMAN and you can reason. You can ask yourself, 'is what I'm doing alright?' and, the moment you do, is the moment you know that it's not alright."
    Write a Reply Replies (2)
    1250 characters left
    • -1 0 -1 Sam Mar. 19, 2013
      "Suppose we are animals (which we technically are). That means why always play by the rules of the food chain. We don't have a choice in the matter. However, we were created/evolved to have higher thought processes and not taste good. That means that in the past, our ancestors caught and domesticated animals because they were smarter/faster/stronger/created better/more highly evolved than them. Therefore, it is our right as the top of the food chain to eat whatever we want."
    • -1 +1 -2 marcos Feb. 29, 2012
      "Thats how works when your at the top. because nothing can tell us other wise. We are the only animal on this planet that can consume any and every animal thats why we are at the top because we are better. thats why we eat meat AND vegatables."
  • +7 +22 -15 Samantha Jan. 16, 2012
    "Vegetarianism is actually a very healthy lifestyle. As someone who has both high blood pressure and high cholesterol in my family I find it to be a healthy decision for me. As well I am an avid animal lover and after discovering PETA and learning of the cruelties inflicted on these animals during their short lives, I simply cannot imagine eating meat. We live in a society where technology has given us alternatives to eating meat and senseless killing of animals no longer is required."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • -1 0 -1 Ruacha Jun. 8, 2013
      "Unfortunatly PETA is not a great company either though. It is up to each individual to treat animals and other species including humans with kindness."
  • +5 +10 -5 Veronika Adrain Nov. 2, 2012
    "yes, its so unethical to be a meat-eater. its wrong, if you look at it through the animals eyes your getting raised to be slaughtered. id rather be never born, than be raised for my meat."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +4 +4 0 Nuetral...esqu May. 30, 2013
    "I believe that if a person is able to live with how these creatures are slaughtered or taken care of, done the research, and has intellectually CHOSEN to go Vegan or Vegetarian, then he or she has every right. However, bashing either side without all knowledge of any events or even keeping up with events is what makes the actions of human beings wrong. Personally, I am pro animal rights, that is why I am on the left side of the column."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +4 +4 0 Mackenzie May. 2, 2013
    "Many of significant people in our history have been vegetarian (Many of those of the Enlightenment Period) and they were able to do it. But Back then the meat industry wasn't so large and so sickening so I believe that it is very necessary for us to stop eating at least one particular animal. Animal meat is a resource, not an absolute need."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +4 +6 -2 Lev Bernstein Jan. 31, 2013
    "Animals can still suffer. By killing animals to eat them, we are causing them to suffer. There is a 5% error rate on the animal killing floor, so in some slaughterhouses, 20 cows an hour have large holes in their heads because the slaughtering machine didn't kill them. The animals suffer as a result."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +1 +1 0 Ruacha Jun. 8, 2013
      "Yes. This is horrible and true! The percentage is probably higher even yet and we are not told about it. Just like the bacteria testing. The FDA is SUPPOSE to close a facility after MULTIPLE times of FAILING the bacteria tests. Even with this 'LAW' Tyson, Cargill, and others that have FAILED MANY times in court they are stilled ruled in favor for serving their dis-eased filled product. All filled with bacteria. ALL filled with hormones of FEAR, PAIN, ANGER...and much more. Upon digesting these products you too are filled with these same hormones."
  • +3 +21 -18 4evrVegetarian Jan. 10, 2012
    "Humans have lives; Cows (should) have lives; Chickens, turkeys, fish, and pigs (should) have lives. Are we much different? Eating meat is killing living things. It's not right to kill a living thing. Vegetarians are healthier, and strong, and always are helping by saying, "No, thanks, I'll have a salad." and that will help, a lot!"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +2 +2 0 Ruacha May. 12, 2013
    "I have studied the impact of a vegetarian an vegan diet for 3 years or more now. The environmental aspects ALONE are a worthy cause to investigate. We have to be making better decisions for our planet! Then there is the health aspects! Vegetation is alkaline Meat is acidic. Dis-ease TRIVES in an acidic body! I could list thousands of reasons to at least incorporate veganism into your life. Even if it's not every day. I hope that ALL will do research and find what FEELs real and true for them selves :) Blessings of LOVE and Gratitude."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +2 +7 -5 Alley-Cat Nov. 28, 2012
    "it is cruel to kill animals so that you can eat them i don't think we would like it if animals did that to us!?!? thanks to hurts and other people that kill animals there are 171 endanger species!! Also a fun fact is that vegetarians live longer n are less likely to get colon cancer!!"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +2 +6 -4 Anonymous Oct. 18, 2012
    "As far as the thought that vegetarianism will help with global food production-
    With each energy level in a food chain their is only 10% of energy and nutrients transferred between each level as heat is lost and the organism uses nutrients to stay alive. Therefore if photosynthetic algae is eaten by plankton which is eaten by fish which is eaten by us- that makes us the tertiary consumer (3rd level). Therefore 1000 lbs. of algae could only supply 1 lb. of a person. Of course these are rough terms- however, this transfer of energy occurs in real life. Therefore, if we are to agriculturally figure out the most efficient way to feed the growing human population- planting and consuming just plants would be much more efficient, agriculturally, and biologically."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +2 +10 -8 NW Aug. 3, 2012
    "Think about what the animal went through to land on your plate, and you won't be able to take a bite of the meat. Think of the lifelong torture, the pain and suffering, the fear and dread and horror at the time of the slaughter. Do you want to be a part of this, when its so easy to choose something else to eat instead?"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • -1 0 -1 Sam Mar. 19, 2013
      "Animal nerve endings are much less developed than human nerve endings, so they don't feel "pain and suffering" like humans do, they just feel some moderate discomfort. Also, animals do not have emotions. They will occasionally feel fleeting fear or stress, but not "dread and horror". Furthermore, most animals have little to no long-term memory, so even if they experienced "lifelong torture (which they don't)", they wouldn't remember it. Lastly, if any of the farm-raised animals were released into the wild, they would die within days. Think of what happens when a fox gets in a chicken yard, or when a wolf gets in a sheep pasture. Either way, the animals are going to die; we just let them live longer and give them better food in exchange for eating them later. What is inhumane about that?"
  • +2 +17 -15 Mary Sitz Feb. 21, 2012
    "I think being a vegetarian is a great life style. It allows for a balanced intake of food and reds a person of the harms too much meat can cause. Many studies have been done and have clearly shown nothing is wrong, it's actually a better eating habit than those who chose to eat meat, as long as the diet is balanced and protein is received through things such as nuts or peanut butter. As a general observation of mine the average person likes fast food and eats what tastes good, many are obese. but vegetarians and vegans, because of their lifestyle, are conscious of what they put into their mouths and therefore are lead healthier lives and can educate others with a better understanding of the food in the world."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • -2 +1 -3 TheMeatWhisperer Mar. 14, 2012
      "Actually, the vegetarian diet is far from ideal. It lacks protein and the B12 vitamin. In a recent study, 2 out of 3 vegetarians are deficient in the B12 vitamin. But only 1 out of 20 non-vegetarians are lacking that vitamin. And it is offending to me to see that you think that people like fast food. That is an assumption, and not a very accurate one. And although obesity is a problem in the U.S., not very many people are obese. Many are overweight, though. But, in fact, meat has nothing to do with being overweight, when you eat the right amount, which most people do. In fact, a serving of lean meat has the exact same amount of protein as a serving of beans, but the MEAT has less calories. So it's you vegetarian people who should be worrying about being overweight."
  • +2 +21 -19 Katherine Oct. 31, 2011
    "I am pro vegetarian because meat is healthy and natural for human beings, it is definitely a more ethical and humane diet than eating meat, and it is also much better for the environment. Facts don't lie: take a look at the way we are built, our teeth and our jaw, and our digestive system. It is more similar to an herbivore than a carnivore. Plus, we lack a carnivore's instincts (we don't dream of killing terrified animals and eating them raw, for instance.) Farmed animals are not all treated well, and 95% of them are 'factory farmed', basically, raised and killed in an entirely gruesome manner. Plus, meat is incredibly unhealthy for the environment. It contributes to pollution, deforestation, erosion, etc. How can you argue against these facts? Do your research, and you will find that we all should be vegetarian."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +2 +24 -22 Compassionovrkilling Jul. 8, 2011
    "I have been a vegetarian for four years and I am for others consuming meat, under one condition; free range. Free range animals are not abused in factory farms and slaughter houses and not to mention safer for consumption. Think about all of the harsh chemicals going into your body, and eating 1,000 cows at one time with each burger you consume. God did not put animals on this earth to abuse them, torture them by injecting harsh chemicals just to fatten them up and grow faster and then killing them. God put animals on this earth to roam freely, eat what they're meant to eat, and then killed. Next time you're craving meat, think about what that animal had to go through. Consuming meat isn't a necessity, it's selfish."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +1 +1 0 Andrea May. 31, 2012
      "That's awesome, but just make sure those free range products are actually ethical. Many manufacturers are able to slap that "free range" label on their products while still their animals to suffer because of loopholes!"
  • +2 +23 -21 Patrice Keating Jun. 22, 2011
    "Proponents of a vegan diet/lifestyle cite scientific studies and not just a belief system....Not ingesting animal products erradicates heart disease and can protect against environmental toxins...Plenty of literature out there...read the CHINA STUDY....read John McDougall,M.D...We as a people are suffering/dying from our Standard American Diet..now is the time to make changes...simple."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +1 +3 -2 sam Mar. 12, 2013
    "i think if more people became vegetarian the world would be less fat and unhealthy. when humans lived out in nature it was more common to eat fruits and veggies. it was very rare to eat meat. there for our bodies are not ment to process all that gmo covered meat."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +1 +3 -2 sam Mar. 11, 2013
    "i have been a hard core vegetarian for 5 years and and i am perfectly healthy. although for some people vegetarianism is not there thing because they either are picky eaters and do not try new things or they are glued to meat and their eyes shut to renovation of their diet."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +1 +3 -2 unknown Jan. 22, 2013
    "I myself am not a vegetarian, but i fully support vegetarianism.no one should be opt to having to eat meat. its their choice..let them be happy"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +1 +4 -3 rachel Nov. 21, 2012
    "i'm not going to say that either side is right or wrong. i feel it's an individual choice. we each have the responsibility to ourselves and to each other to collect the facts, analyze, decide and put those decisions into action. we have free will to choose what goes into our bodies.
    however, i will say that after a careful consideration of the facts and personal beliefs, i decided to be veg. for me it was a decision that led to better health. but i do know others for whom a veg lifestyle did not work. and let's face it there are those who live in areas where a veg lifestyle would not only be impractical but nearly impossible. in the arctic it's hard to grow veggies and expensive to ship them. the expense would create a burden on the population. however this is not a free pass to everyone else who lives in climates where vegetation flourishes to go ahead and eat wanton amounts of meat because our brothers in the arctic region have to in order to survive. we all need to live in accord with our own regional climate and environment. when we do this, we will be healthier and happier. stop trying to mold the earth to do things it shouldn't. if you can grow you own garden and harvest you own food. be one with the earth."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +1 +6 -5 Stephanie Oct. 14, 2012
    "I am a pro. People can get all of the nutrients they need from plants! I'm not saying everyone needs to jump on the vegetarian wagon, I just think that meat needs to move from the center of our plates to the sides. Make way for the veggies!"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • -1 0 -1 Fishtree Apr. 18, 2013
      "So? Meat tastes good! If you could cause pain to yourself without causing damage would you do it for the reason that it doesn't do any damage? No!"
  • +1 +12 -11 Ivan Jul. 31, 2012
    "It is inhuman to kill a living animal. This is sufficient a reason to be vegetarian. Do you know anyone who is prepared to kill an animal himself/herself for eating? I can only think of anyone doing this for self-defense."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +1 +15 -14 SR Feb. 10, 2012
    "I have been Vegetarian since i was 11, i dont have a problem with people eating meat, but you should never waste, i believe if we have to kill animals it should be human as possible, i do have a problem with people genetically engineering animals such as chicken to be bigger, by pumping them full of hormones so they can make an extra dollar, or putting ports ( a rubber hole) on the sides of cows connecting to there stomachs to make sure there stomach contents are just right and they are getting the right amount of hormones. Its truly sickening the things company's do to make sure they spend less and make more money. You dont even want to know how Chicken nuggets are made.

    The thing people dont realize is being a vegetarian doesnt mean your diet consists of veggies, it means a diet with out meat, Personally i hate veggies, i am what you call a Lacto Ovo Vegetarian, Which means my diet consists of mostly dairy, there are other ways to get protein, But as i said to begin with there is nothing wrong with eating meat, people just need to cut back on it, Red meat may be good to others but it is horrible in big amounts to the body, it causes many health problems such as heart disease and colon cancer, and other things. just be smart."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +1 +21 -20 Ashley Jan. 10, 2012
    "I, personally , am not a vegetarian. However, I am not against it. I can see how eating meat , for some people , might be disturbing. One minute they are a living, breathing creature, the next they are a hamburger. I sometimes squirm when I see dead animals. I can not go hunting because it is too sad. Also, if you do eat meat, you need to watch your cholesteral , ( I am not sure I spelt that right.). So do not look down on vegetarians. Just because they are different , does not mean they are not human, or whatever you want to call it. They just do not eat meat. Some people do not like mustard, ketchup, chocolate, etc. Is there truly anything wrong with that?"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +3 +3 0 Madeline Jan. 30, 2012
      "I completely agree and it is good that you are not judging people and you r speaking fromt the other side.u r also a great writer and u should continue your work!"
  • +1 +19 -18 Doug Hernandez Dec. 8, 2011
    "i use to eat meat all the time i love chesseburgers but now im a vegetarian and have been for 6 months now and i reliezed that you dont really need to eat meat, im doing just fine without it and i feel great. i think that if ur not a vegetarian you should at least try to eat less meat i mean its not going to kill you"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • 0 0 0 Ashley Jan. 10, 2012
      "I think that you are absolutely right. I am not a vegetarian, but I have chosen to lay off some. I am still very young, so I have to eat what is put on the table. But, I choose to eat more veggies ,fruits, etc., and cut down the meat . It is a healthier lifestyle and it can help you in the long run. Btw, congrats on 6 months ! Keep it up and I will too!"
  • +1 +19 -18 Rebecca Nov. 4, 2011
    "I am pro because vegeterians help protect the earth. By planting and making the soil fertile it is helping the enviroment and the organisims on the enviroment. People always are asking me how do you get your protein? Then i say some grains have protein and since I am not a vegan dairy such as eggs have as much protein as a slice od steak. It has been scientificly proven that vegeterians have a better digestive and imune system then a carnivore does. My last reason is our human body. If you are a scientists and you compare a carnivores and a herbivorea body system we as humans have more in common with herbivores. That explains how we dont have a natural instinct to eat animals raw. Vegeterians are scientificly correct!!!!"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • -1 0 -1 A knowledge seeker Feb. 18, 2013
      "ummm not really, over farming is a serious issue as well. forests are cleared, fertile soil depleted or eroded, and pesticides used to kill pests. both mass farming and mass livestock grazing are dangerous to the enviroment and both are safe and fine in small scale. Secondly, we do have a lot in common with herbivores but not significantly more than carnivores. Humans are classified as omnivores afterall, we eat a combination of the two to complete and meat(hehe) our dietary values. I think the issue more lies in acting responsibly as a species"
  • +1 +24 -23 St. Mortiz Nov. 3, 2011
    "Because if you are a vegetarian female, your date will love you for it. Much, much less expensive to date a vegetarian woman."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • 0 +1 -1 Meat Lover Apr. 20, 2012
      "Um, I'm PRETTY sure that vegetarian restaurants are waaaaaay more expensive that delicious places such as In'n'Out and McDonalds."
  • +1 +21 -20 Isaiah Adams Oct. 20, 2011
    "The Earth is well endowed with all necessary nutrients for Life. Animals and their products for consumption is scarce, especially now because the majority of American pop- culture consumes more meat(products) than plants. The trees are getting chopped for graze land, "What food will they eat that was naturally available?"... Honestly, farming and/or gardening is a much more sustainable way of life for the body and the environment."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +1 +3 -2 ali Nov. 13, 2011
      "A lot more trees are getting chopped off for framing land. And then much more harmful chemicals are introduced to the environment to forcefully grow plants that do not naturally occur in them."
  • +1 +30 -29 Tim May. 24, 2011
    "Avoiding meat is better for health, the environment, and of course, animals. If we lived in more primitive cultures and did not have the many food options that exist in our country, then by all means eat what you can. However, in our modern US where store shelves are full of meatless choices, eating meat just seems lazy, stubborn, and unhealthy. Eating meat is just a bad habit."
    Write a Reply Replies (2)
    1250 characters left
    • +1 +5 -4 Tim Jun. 1, 2011
      "@ Sheila. Yes, eating meat is the lazy and usually unhealthy option for people of privilege. That is not hysterical but a sober observation based on what our local grocery stores have to offer. With as many privileges as we have living in our society, it would be nice for people to exercise some good moral judgment and a little creative cookery to make healthy decisions that don't involve killing animals and harming our environment. We have choices but too often we make the same bad ones. That's why I believe eating meat is just a bad habit that needs to be broken for the sake of public health and the environment."
    • 0 +5 -5 Sheila Wilson Jun. 1, 2011
      "So the "benefit" of living in what we call developed countries is to have our freedom of choice removed? It's OK if you live in Africa (say), but in the US meat-eaters are automatically lazy, stubborn, full of bad habits, and must be stopped? Is that what we mean by being "privileged" here?"
  • 0 +6 -6 Aubree L. C. Pugh Aug. 23, 2012
    "Its healthy and it doesn't harm the earth. I don't believe in violence so eating animals tends to harm them, everything deserves to live."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • 0 +8 -8 Mallory B. Aug. 18, 2012
    "I am pro vegetarian because:
    1) The abuse and neglect that occurs in slaughter houses is almost completely legal, and where regulations exist, they are not regularly inspected so there is no guarantee of the animals' welfare.
    2) It's not good for the environment. Two thirds of the Amazon rain forest have been clear cut so that corporations and other farmers can raise cattle, only for them to be shipped off to a slaughter house. Also, all the animal waste has to go somewhere, usually in rivers, oceans, in our water supply. Doesn't sound all that appetizing to me.
    3) It's not good for you. Meat has been linked to heart disease, obesity, stroke, diabetes, and even cancer, along with the antibiotics and pesticides that come along with it.
    Basically, it was really easy to kick meat."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • 0 +8 -8 gf May. 14, 2012
    "i am pro for vegetarinism. it is wrong to kill animals and people that eat meat, how will u feel if u were killed for ur body?"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • 0 +12 -12 Kaley Feb. 28, 2012
    "I'm a vegetarian for alll the reasons listed. it's sad to say though that at the end of the day no one cares. They just want their stupid steak. Oh well........"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • 0 +11 -11 Meghan Feb. 12, 2012
    "There are a lot of reasons to become a vegetarian. Of course there are the ethical and moral reasons. There are also a lot of health benefits (assuming you plan your diet correctly). There has been research that shows how inefficient manufacturing meat is too. It has been said that the amount of food we waste feeding livestock to create meat could end world hunger! There is no good excuse for eating meat. People are too lazy to plan their diets or too selfish to give up "tasty" animal flesh to end some suffering."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • 0 +14 -14 Emily B. Jan. 9, 2012
    "Eating meat is cruel, and basically it's murder. No, you wouldn't eat your dog, so, would you go kill a cow or turkey, without reason?!?!? No. Eating meat is wrong, and that's all I have to say."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • 0 +14 -14 Lydia Dec. 21, 2011
    "I think people should be vegetarians because animals get put in cages in the dark and get fed food that is not good for their digestive system. Also animals have the right to live and it is not okay to kill a living thing."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • 0 +15 -15 VeggieTales Dec. 13, 2011
    "I do think vegetarianism is a good thing. If you can read, you will see that it can stop certain dieseases and have some major world benefits. I'm not trying to say that everyone should be a vegetarian, nor am I trying to force my beleifs on everybody. I am just trying to say that we should think about our actions and take the blame for them....You've made the bed but I hope you've cleaned the sheets!"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • 0 +18 -18 Deirdre Nov. 4, 2011
    "as humans we are the most advanced species in the world
    because we have choices if we want to or don't want to be vegiterians. Animals don't get that choice but they can be carnivores herbivores or ombivores. we as humans are ombivores. ia m a pro vegitarian"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • -1 0 -1 dirty d Feb. 17, 2012
      "b12 is essential for human survival, and therefore humans DO NEED MEAT! if you didnt know(which im guessing you dont, since you say "ombivore") an OMNIVORE is a species that eats both PLANTS and MEAT. the only reason the word vegetarian exists is because the mass population of humans lives in an urban environment, where grocery stores are abundant."
  • 0 +27 -27 morgan Sep. 25, 2011
    "im a vegeterian becaus the slaughter of animals in inhumane and cruel they are tortured until death and it is so wrong!"
    Write a Reply Replies (2)
    1250 characters left
    • +1 +2 -1 william Jun. 25, 2012
      "They are not "tortured until death" that is animal cruelty and illegal therefore not possible in the USA. If too many people stop eating meat or at least eat less, then people would lose jobs because there is less demand for meat leading to less production. Millions of people going homeless is worse than the painless death of millions of farm animals that are not even self-aware. However, i do respect the fact that you have your own beliefs on animals and how they are treated"
    • 0 +3 -3 Katherine Oct. 31, 2011
      "I agree! Well put!"
  • 0 +30 -30 alex May. 30, 2011
    "animals can get hurt because of our needs. also people can get protiens from another substance"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +2 -3 Grace Dec. 7, 2012
    "I believe that those people who want to, and who choose to should be come vegetarians. You can live a very healthy and good lifestyle being either vegetarian or not."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +4 -5 Dushi Dec. 6, 2012
    "I am a 12 year old VEGETARIAN and I am a animal LOVER that does not mean I like their taste but I feel sorry for them. There r other options not only MEAT!!!! I DON'T WANT COWS AND CHICKENS AND OTHER ANIMALS SLAUGHTERED JUST FOR A HAMBURGER!!!!"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • 0 0 0 Kid power! Jun. 17, 2013
      "I am also a 12 year old vegetarian and animal lover, and it is good to see that there are other people my age who share my beliefs. Rock on, Dushi! Kid power!!"
  • -1 +7 -8 Jim Jun. 18, 2012
    "George Bernard Shaw said: "Custom will reconcile people to any atrocity." Just because humans have eaten meat for a long long time doesn't mean that we shouldn't evolve. A lot of evidence says we should."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +6 -7 Fernando May. 24, 2012
    "The main issue with "meat-eaters" becomes apparent in their on arguments. Meat is a "convenient" source of protein and saturated fats.
    Sure, we ate it for 2.3 million years, but who is "we"? the hunters and gatherers, up until we found a way to establish ourselves in the land, its a means to survive until we can re-establish ourselves and then agriculture takes over.

    I went vegetarian for the health benefits alone, I will let someone else argue for the animal rights.
    A large problem with meat is the high fat and cholesterol content. According to a study 75% of heart attack patients were under the recommended cholesterol levels. These are the people who "eat meat but are active and healthy", no matter how much exercise and activity is added, your body cannot make up for consuming such a concentrated amount of toxins.
    The only downside to vegetarianism is if it comes as a "fad" for some people, which WILL lead to malnutrition, as well as trying to "replace" meat with processed equivalents such as the veggie patties, textured soy, tofu, etc, those products will throw your balance out the window just as fast as meat."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +11 -12 vi Mar. 18, 2012
    "No animal need die for me to live"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +13 -14 vegetarian^_^ Feb. 25, 2012
    "Humans eat too many animals each year!!! Yes, I guess you could eat meat sometimes but think about what they do to the animals. Animals in the wild don't torture their prey because its 'cheaper' they just eat it to survive. Companies only sell the animals for money, not to eat. So please think about thins and hopefully realise what we humans are doing, not just to the animals around us but also all the plants and living things on planet Earth."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +12 -13 Maria Feb. 22, 2012
    "because i can walk a step in their shoes and want to run back a mile!"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +15 -16 Hannah Dec. 16, 2011
    "It is true that our evolutionary ancestors ate meat. And it is true that their meat consumption helped them thrive. But this is not ancient times. When we are hungry, we do not go out and kill, skin, and prepare an animal before eating it. Our ancestors did not have ways of pumping out massive amounts of meat from animals that have never seen the outside world. Meat today is not the meat that was eaten 100 years ago. It is pumped full of synthetic materials and the animals are fed an unnatural diet that, due to generations of artificial selection, they now cannot live without. If a person was to go out and hunt every piece of meat they ate and eat the entirety of the animal, not wasting any part, then I would support that. Since I can think of no one that is willing to do this, I'll stick to vegetarianism."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +21 -22 Katherine Oct. 11, 2011
    "I'm pro vegetarian because I believe it is unethical and inhumane to cruelly torture an animal, then take their life for food when it is not even necessary to do so. After all, vegetarians can and do get all their nutrients from plant-based foods! Being vegetarian is good for your own health, the environment, and the animals, and is simple. Therefore, I am pro-vegetarian!"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -2 +4 -6 Raline Waterson Jul. 24, 2012
    "I have a question for the con people. Why do you care what other people eat?"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -2 +5 -7 Bryana Jun. 5, 2012
    "I believe it is good to be a Vegetarian, not only because I am one but because after watching the production Food Inc. on Netflix it is clear that there is too much meat production in my eyes."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -2 +9 -11 Tomash Apr. 8, 2012
    "if you feel that you are in animal kingdom chain- carry on eat animals and (maybe) be eaten..
    for me as a human it is cruel to kill any living being.. how you understand LIFE ? its not about eating it is about choices.. You are not puppet.. not some Nature or someone else , invisible is making choices for You.. you are not alone with Your taste buds.. it is one planet ,one system we live in interdependent .. animals don't have so much choices and possibilities . Life means freedom.. freedom means compassion..compassion means wise action..wise action means doing right choices..right choices means love to everything.. not only yours taste buds. This planet is not forever... You are not alone with Your cravings.. There is no need to give suffering to any animals : cats,dogs,pigs,cows........... Plant based diet is healthy and enjoyable.. Be human stay healthy"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -2 +10 -12 Anonymous Feb. 16, 2012
    "I think that people should consider it.
    The cost and the pollution of producing meat is very high and the animals that are used for the food are sometimes(mostly now...) are killed/slaughtered inhumanly.
    While people argue that meat has many pollution and costly setbacks, growing vegetables are just as difficult. Vegetables require constant care and they require constant attention. Although it dosen't create as much waste as meat, it does cause enough run-off and things of the like.
    I believe that pele should consider becoming vegetarian, but remember that eating a healthy sized portion of beef can give you a sufficient amount of protein."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -2 +21 -23 Mike Jul. 26, 2011
    "I'm pro because producing meat is inefficient compared plant-based diets, because killing animals creates greater suffering in sentient creatures than killing plants. I'm pro because industry farming animals is far worse than industry farming plants (which is bad, but not nearly as much) though organic in all areas are better. I'm pro because I can make a conscious choice to leave as peacefully as possible with as small as footprint in order to make as much room for other beings as I can. No meat eater can make these claims."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -3 +7 -10 Presley Apr. 21, 2012
    "I am vegetarian and I have been for years... I don't necessarily think EVERYONE should become vegetarian (because, of course, that's not going to happen). People are free to each whatever they want to eat, whether it is a chunk of an animal's leg or a carrot. There are several health benefits of vegetarianism, as well as benefits for the environment. I chose to be a vegetarian because I love animals, and hate the fact they had to be killed for me to eat dinner."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -3 +8 -11 hippiehater23 Mar. 19, 2012
    "Human beings even though we do not realize it sometimes are animals so if we are higher in the food chain than a cow or chicken then what makes us different than any other predator in the animal kingdom."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -3 +14 -17 VegGirl Feb. 14, 2012
    "I don't see a difference between eating my pet dog, and eating a random cow in a field."
    Write a Reply Replies (2)
    1250 characters left
    • +2 +2 0 Farm Girl May. 13, 2012
      "I love my dogs and my birds, but the chickens are raised very nicely in order for me to bake my brownies with their eggs. I have cleaned the bottoms of several birds despite knowing they will provide for me in eggs and meat. There is a difference between eating a family pet and a farm grown bird. The bird is raised more nicely than my dogs. We protect the birds, feed them good food, replenish their water, find them fat worms, and put them in a bullet proof coop that is more well made than my house."
    • +1 +1 0 A knowledge seeker Feb. 18, 2013
      "well, to put it scientifically your dog has a very high metabolism which means that the energy it consumes is very quickly transferred and used up so the dog can perform its daily functions. Cows on the other hand have a very low metabolism which means that their bodies store much more of the energy that they consume for later. this low metabolism causes their bodies to be rich in unused energy , that if consumed has a high efficiency rate of transferring said energy to the consumer."
  • -3 +13 -16 Ally Hildebrand Dec. 9, 2011
    "Vegetarianism is just healthy all together. Not to mention how CRUEL meat eating is and how harsh it is on the enviroment."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -3 +18 -21 new vegeterian Nov. 9, 2011
    "vegeterians rule meat eaters r cavemann"
    Write a Reply Replies (2)
    1250 characters left
    • -1 +2 -3 cheesecake woman Mar. 14, 2012
      "Well, I don't exactly appreciate you calling me a caveman. And not all vegetarians rule, actually. And most "meat eaters" are not full carnivores. I believe the word you are looking for is omnivore. Humans are made to be omnivores, not herbivores."
    • -1 +1 -2 Malola Nov. 16, 2011
      "Wow! Holy cow! How is that a valid argument??
      Many carnivores are not cavepeople... In fact some research seem to point towards the fact that we evolved (our brains) thanks to meat consumption. That an the "survival of the fittest" thing... anyways, how much are we going to evolve anytime soon?
      Oh, well... People can survive without meat... in most cases. Enuit people (among other groups) should keep eating fish and other animals..."
  • -4 +5 -9 Lydia Rose Jun. 4, 2012
    "I think that vegetarianism is healthy, and it's better for animals. The treatment of animals is unacceptable with forcing animals to eat meat of their own kind, and forcing them to eat foods that they aren't supposed to eat. For example, cows eating corn. I am not a vegetarian but I am persuing this way of life. I strongly encourage the meat eaters in the world to at least consider this beautiful diet, and way of life."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -5 +8 -13 Gia Apr. 22, 2012
    "Recognize meat for what it really is: the antibiotic- and pesticide-laden corpse of a tortured animal"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -5 +23 -28 Kandy Easterling Jul. 9, 2011
    "We are here to protect and care, not to inflict pain and eat everything within our eyesight. We have no reason to kill and eat ourselves into extinction with rotting flesh in our guts. Just because we can does not mean we should. Stop being weak-natured! Be strong and resist!"
    Write a Reply Replies (2)
    1250 characters left
    • 0 0 0 Fishtree Apr. 18, 2013
      "Wait, so I should be eating the computer that I see right in front of me? And you just called me a cannibal that cannot digest food. I am not a cannibal and my food does not rot in my stomach."
    • 0 0 0 NO BIAS Feb. 29, 2012
      "well WE DONT DO THAT."
  • -7 +21 -28 Sami Oct. 11, 2011
    "There is nothing wrong and it is healther but i think that its cruel to hurt an animal they are like humans but have different language"
    Write a Reply Replies (2)
    1250 characters left
    • +4 +4 0 NO BIAS Feb. 29, 2012
      "No animals are not like humans."
    • 0 0 0 Fishtree Apr. 18, 2013
      "What language? Some animals are intelligent enough to produce a simple language- this includes prairie dogs and dolphins. I don't eat those. Almost all animals have an alarm call, but I think that isn't complex enough to be called language."
  • -10 +16 -26 Logan Nov. 16, 2011
    "Yes Because people will be healther and more smarter. so if we continue to eat met we will get obessisdy and weak. There is not enough fish in the world's oceans to feed 6.6 billion human beings and another 10 billion domestic animals.Anyone who eats meat should never waste any, even if it doesn't taste good. So Yeah STOP EATTING MEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +2 +2 0 NO BIAS Feb. 29, 2012
      "Not EVRYBODY is going to eat just fish. SO KNOCK OF THE BIAS AND OPINIONS."
  • -17 +26 -43 VeganFor9Years Jun. 21, 2011
    "Eating meat/poultry/fish is cruel and detrimental to health. There IS no debate"
    Write a Reply Replies (6)
    1250 characters left
    • +6 +8 -2 Aaron Oct. 12, 2011
      "Eating meat or fish is not cruel it is essental to eat meat to get the essential B12 vitamin we need to keep our bodies healthy and stong."
    • +2 +3 -1 NO BIAS Feb. 29, 2012
      "Hey guess what. WE DONT WANT YOUR BIAS BECAUSE YOUR WRONG!"
    • +2 +3 -1 e Feb. 9, 2012
      "Some would argue that fish is actually very healthy. by some i mean many, many people."
    • 0 0 0 Fishtree Apr. 17, 2013
      "What do you mean by detrimental to health? hamburgers are detrimental to your health. Meat isn't. I have my own chickens as pets, they are very happy chickens and produce very nice eggs. We almost never by store bought, some of the ways they hold chickens are evil. However, we still need meat, as omnivores. So we vote for laws that force people to have more civil chicken farms."
    • 0 0 0 Sam Mar. 19, 2013
      "Did you skip the actual information and just jump right here to post your little sound byte? Because if you had read the article, you would realize that there is a lot of debate..."
    • -3 +2 -5 Katherine Oct. 31, 2011
      "I agree with VeganFor9Years. Aaron, there are plenty of other sources of B12. B12 comes in 'dirty' foods (that's why it's in meat, all the dirt and feces on it) but you can get it from fortified cereal, soy milk, and multi vitamins. Enough said!"

CON (no) Comments (51)


1,250 characters left

Notify me by email when someone replies to my comments
Also sign up for our free e-newsletters

Sort by: Best | Newest | Oldest

  • +34 +80 -46 Davidos Jun. 1, 2011
    "It is not necessary to become vegetarian if we can ensure that animals are slaughtered properly. Animals should be slaughtered in a way that minimizes pain as best as possible. Animal cruelty is unacceptable. Kosher meat is arguably best because the process ensures that the animal does not suffer (or suffers very little) when it is slaughtered. Note also that people shouldn't be eating meat on a daily basis. Meat is supposed to be a luxury item consumed for special occasions. Minimizing our meat consumption would reduce the amount of animals that are slaughtered every year."
    Write a Reply Replies (7)
    1250 characters left
    • +4 +6 -2 kitty Mar. 17, 2013
      "OK, so it would be all right to kill humans for food as long as they "suffer very little"?"
    • +1 +9 -8 Vicki Van Linden Oct. 12, 2011
      "I urge you to watch the movie called 'Earthlings' where you can see undercover video of cows being slaughtered in a kosher slaughter house. I think that you will change your mind about kosher kill methods being kinder than regular. The transporting, as well as the harsh life in factory farms before the slaughter are also a factor. Meat eating certainly has a long history with our species, but perhaps we could at least acknowledge that there is a very great amount of suffering behind that meat on our plate. Cows, pigs and chickens are very sensitive creatures. We do them a great amount of harm because of tradition and habit. Maybe being kinder would be good for us as a species."
    • 0 0 0 Annabel Jun. 16, 2013
      "In reply to "kitty"

      Finally someone else who recognizes that simply killing animals in a less painfull way is not enough. We must stop killing animals PERIOD."
    • -1 +1 -2 Ruacha May. 12, 2013
      "I agree with what Davidos is saying in that proper slaughter is important and should be necessary. However, it is not. In fact FACTORY farms like Tyson, Cargill, Butterball, and ALL the others are cramming animals into stalls and feeding them a diet that is totally unnatural. This causes many die-eases that carry over to those that try to digest it. Not to mention that the factories are destroying our worlds recourses of water, soil, and REAL food. These are ALL essentials folks. Oh and for the kill...it is absolutely horrifying! Here are some links you can find videos on CFO's http://buffaloriveralliance.org/
      and on youtube you can search. I would also like to add that meat consumption according to COX and St.John's doctors... .Should only be 3-5oz servings up to 3 times a WEEK! That's it! Let us think about every chose we make. Who it is that you are contributing to and what that choice ends with."
    • -1 +8 -9 Mike Jul. 26, 2011
      "There is no reason to kill a sentient creature to eat, generally. We do it for reasons of pleasure which is a pretty whimsical reason to kill another living being."
    • -2 +4 -6 Hampus Apr. 21, 2012
      "I think you're right, unfortunately, if meat is to be consumed at the large quantity it is now, and to maintain it cost feasible, factory farming is necessary. There's not enough funds for a global, humane, meat industry. Animal cruelty is therefore inevitable"
    • -3 +5 -8 me Jan. 13, 2012
      "there r still places that will treat animals badly so u should a vegatarian.unless ur a animal hater!!!!!!!!!"
  • +28 +51 -23 derek Nov. 19, 2011
    "Humans were created/evolved (whatever your beliefs are, this is not the place for that argument) to consume meat. Vitamin B12 is proof that humans are not supposed to completely eliminate meat from their diets. B12 is absolutely necessary for survival. If our bodies were not designed to consume meat, then why is B12 a necessary vitamin? Synthetic B12 did not even exist until the 20th century.

    Call me crazy, but if our ancestors were vegetarian, I do not think we would be here today, since they would have all contracted anemia from the lack of Vitamin B12 in their diets and died."
    Write a Reply Replies (3)
    1250 characters left
    • +3 +3 0 Ruach May. 12, 2013
      "The B12 is very important and can be contained through a healthy balanced vegetarian diet. The FDA does a lot of their analysis based on the common diet. Like formula fed babies to a breast fed baby. Or the B12 count of someone that is consuming meat (even if it is in hazardous amounts) to one that eats only vegetation. It is not an adequate study. The FDA has reported that a vegetarian diet CAN meet all dietary standards. It is up to the individual to make healthy conscious decisions as it is for all of us."
    • +2 +5 -3 Andrea May. 31, 2012
      "b-12 is also found in dairy and eggs, not just meat.
      if you're going to argue that eating meat is tradition, then you should know that vegetarianism existed 1000s of years ago, and has been pretty common in India.
      Anyway, we have changed as a species, and have become more technologically advanced. We can take synthetic B-12 if necessary the same way we take medicine when we're sick."
    • -4 0 -4 pawel Mar. 23, 2012
      "If american ancestors weren't genocides, it wouldn't exist bilions cow's instead of milions bisons in US today."
  • +23 +59 -36 Smart Meat Eater May. 27, 2011
    "After reading the pros and the cons in this debate, I buy the arguments that humans are biologically designed to consume animal protein. We don't need to eat so damn much of it, and we need to stop our disgusting factory farms and CAFOs. That said, eating organic, local, humanely-raised and slaughtered animals is perfectly fine and often better than eating GMO agriculture and processed fake meat."
    Write a Reply Replies (2)
    1250 characters left
    • +3 +3 0 Tempest Jun. 13, 2013
      "Ugh, I'm so sick of people using the "humans were designed to eat meat" argument. Though this argument is true, why not go against design to build a better world?"
    • -5 +6 -11 Mike Jul. 26, 2011
      "We are not designed to eat meat - we are designed to eat many things. We can (and many do) live without meat and very healthfully. Your argument does not address the fact that you choose (when you don't need to) to kill a sentient feeling creature out of a base desire (pleasure) however mercifully you do it."
  • +14 +39 -25 ElizaBeth Aug. 31, 2011
    "I am not concered as much with If I should eat a certian diet , as whether I should be REQUIRED to eat it. I think education is the key, NOT regulation. Or don't we believe that most people will do the right thing with enough information?"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +1 +3 -2 adamas Feb. 22, 2012
      "With enough information most people will do the right thing. Smoking rates in the US have dropped from 50% to 20%, starting with the 1964 Surgeon General's declaration that cigarettes cause lung cancer. At this point the US government has no plans to ever make a similarly bold and committed statement that animal foods are unhealthy and not life necessary. In the interim, food subsidies for corn and GMO soybeans artificially lower the price of meat, milk, and other unhealthy processed foods that are over-consumed, predominantly by the poor who cannot afford to seek out alternatives, or have access to better information. In an ideal world, regulation would be unnecessary... We don't live in such a world, and regulations are the most effective and efficient way to better ensure the safety and health of the population."
  • +10 +21 -11 Farm Girl May. 13, 2012
    "I live on my family's farm and worry plenty when one of our birds get sick. I have fed, watered, cleaned, and cared for each of them since they were chicks. Animals are treated very well before they are killed. And most butchers kill the animals in a way that involves very little stress and pain because that ruins the flavor of the product. I am a very healthy farm girl due to a balance of meat and produce. I think raising your food lets you know where it has been much better than buying from a store. We have plenty of birds to keep my family full for as long as we are raising them. I will eat as I please and will just tolerate the views because I am very good natured. Regardless how anybody thinks, I will enjoy eating my beloved birds cause that is why we raise them."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • +9 +31 -22 Ali Nov. 13, 2011
    "The natural cycle of life requires animals and plants to be consumed by others. It is not an ethical dilemma unless animal cruelty (during life) is brought into play, which SHOULD be a punishable crime for the food industries. Harm to animals is also caused due to vegetarian diets
    - large areas of land need to be cleared for farming to produce enough vegetables to full fill the current requirements. This means eradicating ecosystems that are home to insects, mammals and birds.
    - fertilizers washed into the seas and oceans create large dead zones where hundreds of thousands of marine life parish if not more, and others are forced to flee to deeper waters or rise to the surface exposing them to dangers they have not faced before."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +3 +4 -1 Tom Mar. 4, 2012
      "in brazil they are now clearing millions of acres of the amazon so people can have their brazillian beef. so meat eaters are actually clearing more land for cows than we are for veggies."
  • +5 +22 -17 Jackie Nov. 28, 2011
    "people should not have to to become vegetarians if they choose not to be. the animals should feel little pain when slaughtered. as long as the animals aren't viewed as breeding machines and not abused, it's not a bad thing. I'm only against veal. it's HORRIBLE how people make veal!"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +1 +3 -2 Andrea May. 31, 2012
      "If your against veal, you should be against dairy products too. Dairy cows have to be kept pregnant to make milk, and it is their male offspring that are doomed to become veal."
  • +3 +19 -16 Dubya22 Jan. 16, 2012
    "I was brought up to believe that you should have a rounded diet, of all the food groups, becoming a vegitarian is not all perfect, and neither is eating all meat, and while those of us who do eat meat, don't eat as many vegitables, which is not right either. Now while you are a Vegitarian not Vegan as it might be, you would still be able to eat fish, but fish has toxins in it that if eaten too much would cause you to get very sick just because of the amount of iron and such in them. So I think a rounded diet is better, not just all meat or veggies and fish."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +1 +1 0 Andrea May. 31, 2012
      "Yes, meals should be balanced, but you should know that the USDA has had a history in favoring producers over public health. Because the USDA's food recommendations have been warped and skewed over the past decades, many people have grown up believing that they need to eat more meat and dairy than they really do. Also, I think most vegetarians abstain from seafood, seeing as though fish are animals fully capable of feeling pain."
  • +1 +36 -35 boos Jun. 1, 2011
    "For God's sake, do you WANT to be told what to eat? I am a pescetarian -- a veggie who eats seafood, and a bit of a contradiction in terms, which I find somewhat amusing. The best thing about it is that no one got to tell me whether or not it was "okay." I decided to "become" one, and I decide where, when, and what I eat. Don't allow any more of your choices to be taken from you. For God's sake, eat whatever the hell you want, and enjoy it!"
    Write a Reply Replies (7)
    1250 characters left
    • +4 +6 -2 Bip Sep. 7, 2011
      "I don't like my decisions taken away from me. Not by government or by anyone else. That's part of my right as an American. I'm free to choose what I want to choose. My body is my business, not anyone else's."
    • +3 +6 -3 boos Sep. 6, 2011
      "In response to "Cultural Relativism":

      You want to eat a cat? I hear feline is good for a cranky disposition, so go ahead. There's one next door that keeps sh*tting in my back yard (which my dog finds, eats, becomes violently ill, and ends up at the vet for $450.), so I volunteer him first. Long pig? Found out it was illegal, so you'll have to do it on the down-low. Start with one of your relatives. If this is distasteful (as I'm sure it will be), try a pesky neighbor instead. Or, for that matter, try dining on an annoying responder. Clearly, the herd won't miss a few.

      Why should anything that I say push your buttons? Come on. Do I give off the air of the uneducated? Come on. Could I be so sarcastic if it didn't come from somewhere? Vonnegut? Ginsberg? Take it for what I said, or don't take it at all. Sorry to inform ya, but I won't give it much thought either way. And I'll still be a pescetarian, chowing down on organic produce and drinking wine. I'm just not going to judge you or assume you need a lecture if you don't... which was my point all along. Peace, bro."
    • +3 +9 -6 Tom Jun. 2, 2011
      "No one on this site anywhere is arguing anyones choice should be taken away from them. The arguments in favor of vegetarianism are based on logic, health, and compassion.

      Are you against information that informs the public about the health dangers of smoking or the health dangers of STD infections? People can still smoke and have unprotected sex if they want to - the point is to be educated with the facts so you can make an informed decision."
    • +2 +4 -2 Sundee Sep. 8, 2011
      "I know what you mean. Some nitwit is always suggesting that his or her point of view be thrust upon others. That's the purpose here, I guess. I'm a vegan but it's my CHOICE. No one else's!"
    • +2 +5 -3 J Joyce Sep. 6, 2011
      "It seems to me that those who have issue with this are probably the ones who cause problems for everyone -- nosing into your personal business, those who assume you can't make a decision on your own, and you need their special brand of intervention/interference. I'm educated, for God's sake! Leave me alone, and worry about your own dinner!"
    • 0 +1 -1 Jordan F Feb. 22, 2012
      "my sentiments exactly, though this is merely a discussion :) but mere discussions become annoying sometimes, and people sometimes take them to extremes, don't they? I also am a pescetarian. Let's do sushi sometime and talk about it! haha"
    • -2 +6 -8 Cultural Relativism Aug. 25, 2011
      "boos: "For God's sake, eat whatever the hell you want, and enjoy it!"

      Ok... I think I'll eat some long pork (human) tonight with a side of fillet of kitty cat. Would that still be ok with you boos?

      If not, then why is ok to eat pigs, chickens, and cows?"
  • 0 +8 -8 vlad Jan. 11, 2013
    "Animals such as pigs and deer provide no use other than food. animals such as cows and chickens, they give us valuable foods, so that is understandable. animals are on this earth. they should not be wasted. if something can sustain human life by its clean and quick death, why should that be stopped."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +1 +1 0 Child of Vision Jun. 13, 2013
      "Define "use". If a mentally retarded person is sitting around doing nothing but using resources, does that make it okay to eat, kill, or otherwise harm that person? Of course not!"
  • 0 +8 -8 William Jun. 25, 2012
    "If everyone actually became vegetarian, the amount of people that are vegetarian would obviously increase, but the amount of crop that can be raised in USA does not. In fact, the amount of companies shutting down will lead to the loss of so many jobs that the unemployment rate would shoot up and lead to the fact that millions would be homeless and unable to buy the veggies they need, where they could have bought meat or veggies if they still had their jobs. Also, making everyone eat veggies limits the people's freedom since now they can't eat what they please, going against many laws, both national and international, and the US constitution. Finally, the animals raised for our consumption were domesticated and raised by us. Their lives would never have been created if it weren't for the fact that we raised them and gave them protection. If animal cruelty is involved in their lives, then it is the people who purposely or not did it, and so the consumption of meat has little to do with it."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • 0 +15 -15 morgan academy Mar. 14, 2012
    "i belive it is the persons choice in wat he /she eats in my case i choose to eat meat because it gives us vitamins we cant get from fruit and veg and other vegetarian food so keep it in mind that it is your choice not anyone elses ."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +2 +2 0 Ruacha Jun. 8, 2013
      "Actually this is not true. Though it is a common mis-understanding. You can get ALL your nutrients from fruits and veggies and it is easier to digest. It is not as concentrated and many people refuse to investigate a "well rounded" meal schedule for themselves. I had to due to my daughters food sensitivities one being meat. Though I am not 'against' meat eaters I do wish all who eat meat would get it from a local small farm and let the CFO (factory meats) leave our memory forever :)"
  • 0 +23 -23 Haylie Oct. 6, 2011
    "I think that if you want to become a vegetarian, then go for it. But its not like anyone is stopping you from eating meat or just strictly vegetables. It's your choice to become a vegetarian and I believe that not everyone should become a vegetarian."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +1 -2 Fishtree Apr. 17, 2013
    "We are omnivores, built to eat a mixture of meat and plants. The vegetarian diet is unnatural. The obesity problem is caused by the unnatural processed diet with too much meat. If we eat a good mix of food then we can be extremely healthy."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +6 -7 AlexHunter Oct. 3, 2012
    "I respect vegetarians, but making every single human being go vegetarian seems a bit extreme, especially since agriculture contributes to deforestation just as much as cattle-farming. If the government could invest in animal-cloning, then the ethical and ecological issues could be avoided"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +12 -13 Chris Apr. 20, 2012
    "A lot of pro vegetarian people say that they dont wont to eat one of Gods creations. I believe its okay because god provided animals to eat and allowed it in several places in the bible."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • 0 +1 -1 rachel Nov. 21, 2012
      "he only allowed it after the flood and it was regulated. several places in the bible it states that the domestic animal should be cared for and that the righteous one should care for his animal.
      before the flood the diet was vegan, as god told adam and eve that they could eat from every tree and all plants were good for food, no mention of eating animals in eden. i think this shows that people can live without, but the later allowance, not because God had changed his mind but because the Earth and the way man needed to live outside eden had changed, shows that it is not wrong to eat meat, just that care should be given to the animals. i have respect for those who farm and slaughter their own animals after caring for them and for those who hunt their food giving the animal a fair chance. but since i could never kill an animal myself, i feel it hypocritical to eat them and am therefore a vegetarian. and while it's not a perfect diet by any means - no diet can be as we are not perfect people - the bottom line is that each person has a right to chose what they will put in their mouth and what they will support."
  • -1 +15 -16 VegGirl Feb. 14, 2012
    "I understand why people eat meat; I just think that they should respect the fact that they are taking an animals life, and be ethical and humane about it. I'm not trying to say that it is "unethical" or "bad" to eat meat. I'm a vegetarian for my own reasons, but I just hope that someday people learn to be ethical and humane through the process; IE: not debeaking while chickens are still alive, or leaving animals to rot one their done with in the isles of slaughter houses, no more CRUEL deaths, etc."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +17 -18 Jack Nov. 9, 2011
    "There's really no reason not to eat meat unless you have a medical condition.People have freedom these days,and we can eat whatever we want and live good lives.If I hit a deer with my car,why waste the meat. If this is a battle of ethics,go somewhere else the topic is about cutting meat out of your diet,not the mass slaughter.Be happy it's not you.Animals kill each other all the time,keeps populations in tact so they don't turn into machine societies like ours. Peace causes disease and diminishing resources and mass extinction.Death is a natural part of life, and I'm not talking about death of old age. Everyone and every animal is built to kill (something) and built to die.Circle of life, it's a power struggle. People are going to fight for what they want especially if they are not vegetarians, they will just complain and mentally abuse everyone else. If I had a choice between I'd say kill me. That's my personal experience with vegetarians and relative to the argument that death is healthy and normal part of life. It's also painless and it's probably really cool when your brain shuts down.The worst part of life is fear, and all them animals had one extreme run in with it in theirs.Don't have kids these days if you're rly, sentient"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +18 -19 kso Jun. 27, 2011
    "no, but they should much less meat for sure"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -1 +29 -30 Tyler Buchman May. 27, 2011
    "I am a vegetarian, but I dont think people who dont want to become vegetarian should do so. Do I think that we need to rework our food monopolies? absolutely, but people definitally o not need to become vegetarians if they like to eat meat."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +3 +3 0 me Jan. 13, 2012
      "yes i loooooove meat but i dont eat it very often because i love animals and dont want them tourtured"
  • -2 +1 -3 Enya Payan Apr. 12, 2013
    "I believe that people should not be vegetarian becuase meat includes all the essential amino acids that our body needs for a proper diet. It is also a good source for protien. Yes, you can get protien from legumes and grains but it doesnt hold the same amount of protien. You would have to eat three servings of legumes/grains for every one serving of meat if you wanted to get the same amount of protien intake. Not eating meat would mean an increase in carbohydrates and fat intakes. Ladies, you know that chocolate you crave during your menstrual? When are brains are craving sweetes, it actually means our bodies are craving red meat. This is because of the great source of iron found in the meat. No, eating too much red meats can be unhealthy but we're not just talking about red meats. In fact, seafood is probably the best thing you can ever eat as far as internal health is concerned. Finally, humans are natural meat eaters meaning, eliminating such a big part of our food group could be unhealthy."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -2 +8 -10 Howard Apr. 27, 2012
    "Not all meat is that unhealthy, such as salmon, it has healthy Omega 3 in it, and it's also very tasty."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +1 +1 0 Fishtree Apr. 17, 2013
      "I am on the con side, but I have to say that most large carnivorous fish have a buildup of mercury in them. Our body flushes mercury out, so these fish are very healthy, as long as you eat them moderately. Tuna is a particularly bad offender, you should probably only eat it once a week."
  • -2 +14 -16 Wassup World Mar. 7, 2012
    "Meat is so tasty. I can't help but have some meat. Animals eat meat. It's natural. And good."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -2 +16 -18 Chloe Dec. 20, 2011
    "I do not think that peoople should become vegetarian because they should get to choose what and what not to eat. I think that because if i like meat and want to eat i should be able to and if somebody else does not like meat then they shouldn't have to eat meat."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -2 +16 -18 cmts Nov. 30, 2011
    "in the book of Genises of the Bible God gives Adam domain over all of the animals in His kingdom. this means that we are alowed to use them for any of our needs. furthermore we should be able to eat animals without ever being guilty of taking an unneccisary life."
    Write a Reply Replies (2)
    1250 characters left
    • 0 0 0 Carie Kaleidoscope Jan. 9, 2013
      "Please keep religion out of a scientific debate. Please? Just for once?"
    • 0 0 0 rachel Nov. 21, 2012
      "before giving dominion over the animals in genesis 1:29 god also mandated that humans were to eat vegetation, the allowance to eat meat was not given until 1600 years later after the flood of noah in genesis 9:3. a king has dominion over his subjects - but that doesn't give him the right to kill them or treat them badly. we would call that a bad/cruel king. a good king would show kindness and love to his subjects caring for them and their needs. therefore having dominion is a poor argument as dominion does not mean that you can do whatever you want."
  • -2 +15 -17 Potter Nov. 30, 2011
    "It seems as though the only argument that the vegitarians have is that eating meat is cruel. Well think about this, My family owns a Ranch. The cows we raise are sold for slaughter every fall. That is how we make our living. The animals are slaughterd vary humanly, those who say they have seen actual footage of animals being beaten to death are either lying or confused. PETA uses footage from other countries fom like a long long time ago. There is nothing cruel or inhumane about eating meat. it is the way of life."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -2 +20 -22 Aaron Oct. 11, 2011
    "Our bodies need the B12 nutrent that most vegetarians don't get because they need to eat meat or dairy products. Without eating meat you need to take a number of different vitamins in order to make up for the nutrents that you are not getting from the vegetables you are eating."
    Write a Reply Replies (2)
    1250 characters left
    • +2 +2 0 snabbydabbydoo Mar. 14, 2012
      "You are absolutely right. In fact, 2 out of 3 vegetarians aren't getting the B12 vitamin, but only 1 out of 20 non-vegetarians aren't getting the B12 vitamin."
    • -1 +1 -2 Kat Nov. 3, 2011
      "B12 comes from dirt. that is why you get it from animal products, because they are so dirty. that is correct about the vitamins, but, is it not better than getting it from dirty food? think about it..."
  • -2 +23 -25 Will, PA Sep. 27, 2011
    "No, because meat carries proteins and nutrients that other food lack the abundance of. Especially for children, who are continuously changing due to puberty, it is essential to eat flesh. And fish is good for you, don't get me wrong, but it still lacks the the plentiful protein in red meat and chicken. PLUS IT TASTES GOOD!"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • 0 +2 -2 Kat Nov. 3, 2011
      "Meat does not carry any nutrients that other foods lack, unless you are talking about saturated fats, cholesterol, etc. Flesh is exactly the opposite of essential - it's harmful. Fish is awful for you! It has enough mercury that if you ate one can of tuna a week, it could be dangerous. Meat may taste good, but do you really want to be eating the bodies of tortured animals? Please check out meat.org You can get all the nutrients you need from humane, vegan foods. Children are actually better off on a vegan diet."
  • -2 +21 -23 Yo-chan Sep. 23, 2011
    "I believe that eating meat is necessary in controlling the animal population. We shouldn't necessarily have to breed them, but that doesn't mean that we can't eat them. I think that what people do to their bodies is their own business. If they want to eat meat, then it's their decision. We can't make it for them. I personally can never be a vegetarian because I lack the self control of not eating meat. I just enjoy it too much."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • 0 +2 -2 Kat Nov. 3, 2011
      "meat is not necessary for animal population control at all, because if animals were not excessively bred for meat, there would be a whole lot less of them!"
  • -2 +23 -25 Josh Jul. 22, 2011
    "No veggies have B12 in them. That's all I need to say."
    Write a Reply Replies (4)
    1250 characters left
    • +4 +6 -2 Mike Jul. 26, 2011
      "Check this article: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.htm#reliable"
    • +3 +5 -2 Rebecca Nov. 4, 2011
      "Vegeterians do not just eat veggies do your research buddy!"
    • +1 +2 -1 ProudVegetarian Jan. 9, 2012
      "You know, there's such thing as supplements, if you're SO convinced that vegetarians don't get B12."
    • 0 0 0 Alley-Cat Nov. 29, 2012
      "actually nuts have all the vitamins you need and a lot of other stuff not only veggies!!"
  • -3 +3 -6 liz Nov. 14, 2012
    "If the main reason you want to become vegetarian is because we slaughter animals at mass and you think that's inhumane, then go hunt down your own food."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -3 +6 -9 Genesis Jun. 14, 2012
    "Im a con, because you dont get all the nutrients that you need to survive, that includes iron and vitamins and it really makes your life harder,with having to watch other people eat the food you use to like"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -3 +5 -8 veg_free Jun. 6, 2012
    "- There's many kinds of Vegs, even Vegs that eat meat and fish. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animals-and-us/201109/why-are-there-so-few-vegetarians That's because there is not one kind of vegetarian diet, but all kinds of vegetarian diets. All of those can be summed up in six kinds: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/oct/17/six-kinds-of-vegetarian-ariel-leve

    - All heart diseases attributed to meat, even those claimed by certain studies, must now be considered in light of this new study: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2010-releases/processed-meats-unprocessed-heart-disease-diabetes.html. I deeply regret the absence of this reference in the pros/cons arguments.

    - A majority of Vegs (not all), especially vegans, tend to turn their diet into a religion, a sort of blind dogmatism that does not take in consideration all the studies that have been released. They sometimes express arrogance, pride and radicalism, pretending to detain a higher or better ethic truth just because of their diet. Ethics that we cannot quite seise the content but that permits them to rise barriers and clans against those who are not vegs. Take a look of the "thumbs down" made in this side of cons..."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -3 +11 -14 Marcos Feb. 29, 2012
    "18 says that manure from producing beef. well manure is constantley used to produce vegatables. Its not like anybody is saying not to eat vegatibles or meat. as humans we need to use our intelligence to eat both wisely. there are some foods that we shouldnt even be eating because they are so bad. i know a vegetarian he is so disgustingly week and pail that its creepy. he punched a kid and fractured his hand. both eating just meat and just vegatables can be harmfull to a person. but with the right amount of both we can be even faster, stronger, and smarter.NO VEGATARIANISM IT ISNT AS HEALTHEY AS YOU THINK, MOST OF THE PROS ARE FORMED OF OPINIONS JUST SAYING."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -3 +13 -16 Luke Geister-Jones Dec. 21, 2011
    "I think that peopel should not be vegetariam. Because then you would not get the proper vitams such as iron proten also becase some anmals need to be killd to controll the population and my finely reason is meet is very good!!"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • 0 0 0 joe goodman Apr. 2, 2012
      "Some said earlier that the only argument for vegetarians is that its cruel, but that a lot better then most meateaters arguments, which is "it tasted goood!!!" have some self control for you and your plant, please."
  • -3 +17 -20 mav Nov. 25, 2011
    "alright..... imma tell u guys whats supposed to happen....... the plants grow...... the animals eat the plants giving them all that protein........ then we eat the animals (if properly slaughtered)...... we live"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -4 +3 -7 Justin Nov. 26, 2012
    "I think that, as a whole, the community of human beings should eat meat, although I am a vegetarian myself. the only reason to stop eating meat is when the animals are raised solely for the purpose of eating meat. if you hunt the animals during that animal's hunting season, it should be perfectly fine, because, up to that moment, the animal would have lived happily. The same is with actual farms. if you actually raise your animal in fair conditions, that animal would be happy until the day, hour, or moment of it's death"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -4 +2 -6 Ula Nov. 16, 2012
    "it did not work, I was thinking about eating most of the time..........finally I am eating everything today, and feel beter"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -4 +3 -7 Melissa Nov. 8, 2012
    "I have omnivore's teeth. If God or evolution intended me to be a vegetarian, I should have cows teeth.Humans are classic examples of omnivores in all relevant anatomical traits. There is no basis in anatomy or physiology for the assumption that humans are pre-adapted to the vegetarian diet. For that reason, the best arguments in support of a meat-free diet remain ecological, ethical, and health concerns."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -4 +4 -8 Bailey Oct. 10, 2012
    "It says in the Bible that we were made as omnivores."
    Write a Reply Replies (2)
    1250 characters left
    • +1 +1 0 Modern Beliefs. Mar. 12, 2013
      "can we just keep religion out of this?....its a scientific debate....nothing to do with the bible.....okay?.....okay...."
    • 0 0 0 rachel Nov. 21, 2012
      "actually read in genesis 1:29 "here i have given to you all vegetation bearing seed which is on the surface of the whole earth and every tree on which there is fruit of a tree bearing seed. to you let it serve as food." verse 30 goes on to give a similar mandate to the animals telling them to eat vegetation. humans eating meat was not introduced until genesis 9:3 "every living animal that is alive may serve as food for you". this mandate came 1600 years after adam's creation. thus for 1600 years humans were vegetarians.
      some people will argue that in eden humans were given animals in subjection, but let's look at it this way: a king has people in subjection to him. but he has a responsibility to those people to care for them. a good king is kind and looks after his people and provides for them and loves them. a bad king rules with fear and cares little for the feelings of his subjects. so are we good stewards or bad. while we now have a right to eat meat, humans didn't always do so and weren't created to do so, afterall eden was a truly peaceful place and you can not have true peace if there is killing of any sort."
  • -4 +4 -8 Sarah Sep. 28, 2012
    "Alot of people dont want to become vegitarian and thats ok. Im not a vegitarian. If we do become vegitarians it will be a big impact on the envirounmrent. Animals feel pain just like us and we shoulod help them! Meat is delicios i know it is but just try not eating meat for a week and see what a difference it makes if one person helps."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +1 +1 0 Fishtree Apr. 17, 2013
      "erm, wrong side.
      it makes a total of...No difference! Whatever we do the meat markets will still make meat for the people who eat way too much. (as well as people who will never become vegetarians)"
  • -4 +15 -19 Bobo the Clown Nov. 7, 2011
    "If the animals are being bred for consumption (as farm animals are), I feel no guilt in enjoying a tender, juicy steak. If this argument seems simplistic, it is. But, hey, it's my opinion, and I'm entitled to it."
    Write a Reply Replies (3)
    1250 characters left
    • +2 +2 0 Bobo the Clown Nov. 8, 2011
      "Awesome. Aren't you just a giant ball of sunshine? I just put my opinion (i.e. my view, *cough* the reason this page is up *cough*) here, and you go ahead and attack me.

      Also, watch films like "Fresh." Do those free-range animals (and I never said I was against that) look unhappy to you? No, I didn't think so. Then, when those animals are taken to the slaughterhouse, they follow the regulations set by the HMSA, meaning that the animal is struck unconscious before being slaughtered. Thus, they feel no pain. If you want to relate it to humans, you wouldn't feel any pain either if someone knocked you out and then put you down.

      And, there's no proof that meat takes years off one's life. There are people that eat diets full of bacon, fried chicken, and the like that have lived to be over 100 (see the Discovery Channel or Travel Channel for more info).

      Thanks for the unwarranted attack. There's my rebuttal (in a civil tone)."
    • -1 +1 -2 Malola Nov. 16, 2011
      ""Then, when those animals are taken to the slaughterhouse, they follow the regulations set by the HMSA, meaning that the animal is struck unconscious before being slaughtered. Thus, they feel no pain." = That's refutable since, even when oblied, not all slaughterhouses actually do this. But, yes... that's more of an "stick to the law" issue...
      Anyways, sure that a well done slaughter job wouldn't 'cus the animal pain but for many of us is still unethical (you know, to kill a someone who feels), as it would be to kill a person.
      Anyways, for some of us is the ethics behind it that matters... and the environmental issues...
      Erm... Who says you're not (entitled to your opinion that is)?"
    • -2 +1 -3 Kari Nov. 8, 2011
      "You feel no guilt? How inhuman are you? Because, animals are like us. If it were humans that we were breeding and eating, you would feel differently wouldn't you? Yes, I'm sure. You are exploiting a sentient being. And you have no guilt? You are causing them unthinkable pain and anguish, for the sake of the fleeting, perhaps pleasurable taste of flesh that will essentially take years off your life. And, yet, you feel no guilt? I am disgusted."
  • -4 +23 -27 Sheila Wilson Jun. 1, 2011
    "Why only compare serious-minded, intelligent, caring vegetarians with uncaring, slob fast-food hamburger eaters? The truth is that many vegetarians eat badly, and many meat-and-2-veg eaters eat well. How about being a moderate, balanced omnivore? You can't get away from the fact that we are designed (like pigs) to eat food from multiple sources, including meat. That's what a balanced diet is all about. Yes, we need to be responsible - but not hysterical."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +5 +6 -1 Simon Jun. 2, 2011
      "Sheila - did you even read the site? You said "Why only compare serious-minded, intelligent, caring vegetarians with uncaring, slob fast-food hamburger eaters?"

      The site did not do that, in fact most of the "pro" meat arguments are from very intelligent, health conscious people like Michael Pollan.

      Look at "con" number 22 on the front page. It says "Some vegetarians eat an unhealthy diet, drive SUVs, and consume eggs and dairy products produced at factory farms (CAFOs). Some meat eaters use solar-panels, ride a bike, grow their own vegetables, and eat free-range organic meat.""
  • -5 +9 -14 Meat Lover Apr. 20, 2012
    "We should not be vegetarians because without meat, we'd start killing each other and practicing cannibalism in order to satisfy our need for meat."
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -6 +2 -8 Christopher Newcomb Feb. 6, 2013
    "You need meat to get your protein"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -6 +24 -30 MARK RICHIE Nov. 3, 2011
    "we are NOT RABBITS"
    Reply
    1250 characters left
  • -6 +25 -31 BIGDADY Oct. 25, 2011
    "MEAT ROCKS"
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • -3 0 -3 Malola Nov. 16, 2011
      "Now, that's a good argument...
      It's not the most efficent way...
      May I ask, where would you draw the line???
      Domestic animals (inhouse, like cats and dogs)??
      Even if you were to eat cats, would you eat your cat??
      I ask 'cus some slaughterpeople say that they wouldn't kill an animal close to them....
      Human meat??
      How about becoming a scavanger?? If you're pro-meat that's a far better choice in my opinion."
  • -6 +30 -36 The MEATMAN Oct. 18, 2011
    "MEAT! is delicious. No contest."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • -1 +4 -5 Katherine Oct. 31, 2011
      "It may be delicious, but is it healthy? Ethical? Green? No. I think you need to rethink the way you choose foods."
  • -8 +19 -27 Cole Taylor Dec. 5, 2011
    "Meat good. Vegetaraians bad."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • -1 +2 -3 Emily Jan. 9, 2012
      "You seriously think that? Are you sure? Well, you can't judge people for their food choices! You must have a serious problem. Meat is murder! Vegetarians are saving lives."
  • -8 +25 -33 Juan Sep. 27, 2011
    "vegetarians simply are hurting themselves. It's thier loss."
    Write a Reply Replies (1)
    1250 characters left
    • +3 +4 -1 Malola Nov. 16, 2011
      "But, we have other sources than meat... How is that hurting ourselves??"
  • -18 +24 -42 Dennis May. 24, 2011
    "Well I'm all for good health, but if human beings stopped 'eating mammals and fish' then what pray tell will happen with all the populations of cows, steers, pigs, lambs, chickens, buffalo, deer, elk, and 'any' other four legged mammals and fish that human beings consume?

    What happens to all those animals and the 'impact' it would cause this planet. Not to mention the 'inferior' bunch of humans that would be produced from not having the core strength of proteins we as humans get from consuming animals and their meats."
    Write a Reply Replies (6)
    1250 characters left
    • +2 +6 -4 boos Jun. 1, 2011
      "Come on... if you're trying to create an argument, you need a valid point! Livestock would simply be bred less, which would simply mean less money in the pockets of those farmers. Maybe their techniques in raising these creatures would change as well if the demand weren't so high. Hmmm. While I'd never be in favor of hurting the U.S. farming community (any more than crop importing and selling off valuable farm land already has), I'd also like to see some responsibility taken in the ethical treatment of creatures who can't speak for themselves (watch Food, Inc. if you want a disturbing eye full), and if this means less consumption because of less demand, I doubt if any American I know of would suffer any health effects from no longer consuming Big Macs or Burrito Supremes -- other than maybe lower blood pressure and a healthier digestive tract. (And maybe a clearer conscience?)"
    • +1 +3 -2 Vicki Van Linden Oct. 12, 2011
      "If we stopped eating meat, then humans would stop breeding chickens, pigs, cows, sheep and goats - all the domestically raised animals. There would be no population explosion of these animals as they are purposefully bred for human consumption, and use a great amount of the earth's resources for each pound of meat. We would just stop breeding them. As for fish, the fish populations around the world are in dramatic decline due to over-fishing, so the oceans would be able to begin to recover if we stopped eating fish. As far as wild animals that people sometimes consume, they are subject to the natural limitations of territory and food supply, and nature has done a better job of managing wild populations than human interference has. So, there is no need to be concerned about the earth being over-run by too many animals."
    • +1 +3 -2 boos Sep. 7, 2011
      "Baah. Farm animals don't overpopulate like creatures in nature. And, the only way that any of them will overpopulate in nature is 1) from disease (at which point man would probably attempt to intervene), or 2) if hunting, farming, and/or fishing stop, which is completely ludicrous, since there's no way that will never happen -- not only because you could never convince the entire population to go veg, but there's way too much $$ to be made off the poor creatures, and man is greedy. In fact, man is the only animal motivated by greed. ProCon: let's address greed instead -- its effects on society, and the trouble it has gotten us into, and see what kind of responses THAT generates! One last thing: take this rhetoric to Alaska. Try to convince that state first to go veggie. They're surrounded by water and wildlife, and farming isn't viable at certain times of the year. "Alaska: the tempeh state!" I think not!"
    • +1 +4 -3 Estlyn Aug. 15, 2011
      "Wow. Do you have any understanding of how livestock is raised? Farmers don't just go outside and trap some cows. The meat you eat is bred and raised for the purpose of slaughter.

      Also, as I love to explain to hunters, Mother Nature has this cool mechanism called carrying capacity. That's when a species reaches its maximum, sustianable population. If there are too many cows, there isn't enough food, therefore the population adjusts itself since animals will die without food."
    • +1 +5 -4 Andrew May. 27, 2011
      "Most of the animals people eat wouldn't be born in the first place if we didn't factory farm them, so your argument seems to lack a logical foundation.

      As for the 'core strength' of proteins: humans can get more than enough protein without eating animals, so again, your argument is invalid."
    • -1 +2 -3 Katherine Oct. 31, 2011
      "If everyone went vegetarian, there would not be as many farm animals because they would not be bred for meat, but the ones that there would be would have loving, caring homes as opposed to living in bloody slaughter houses.

      There would be NO 'inferior' bunch of humans as to the fact that you can get plenty of protein from plant-based foods! Meat is not necessary to humans."
Visit the ProCon.org community on:
Reprinting Policy | How to Cite ProCon.org | Media & Press | Donate to ProCon.org | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy

© 2013 ProCon.org, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit    |    233 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200, Santa Monica, CA 90401    |    Tel: 310-451-9596