Animal rights.

[Mavh25]

I switched (and am still switched) to drinking soy milk. It was basically impossible to eat out though. People have vegetarian options but rarely food that doesn't contain both milk and eggs.

 

It was an easy switch taste wise as I found the soy food substitutes to be just as tasty as the foods they were attempting to taste like.

 

A lot of foods that you wouldn't think are vegan. Such as ritz crackers and a lot of snack foods.

 

However, your options definitely are limited when eating at a cafeteria, like I do.

 

Yeah I can imagine it would be really difficult eating out like I said, so you just could'nt?

 

See I love to eat out, I'd like to think that dairy farms and such are'nt painful or anything, but maybe i'm just naive.

[jettison]

I belong to In Defense of Animals. I made a donation, I get the newsletters and emails, etc. I am, admittedly, a meat lover. I grew up on meat, and I've always loved meat. That said, my conscious can't rectify the way we treat animals vs. my lust delicious animals. For lent this year, I am giving up meat. I will go 40 days, and see what happens next. I'd love to be able to quit altogether.

 

The woman I'm dating right now has had quite a huge impact on me as well. She's been a vegan for half her life (but is only a practicing vegetarian right now), and belongs to IDA, PETA, and many other organizations. She's passionate about it, and it wears off on me.

 

I also agree that any little thing you can do to help helps. There is no such thing as too little. Just keep doing your little part, and if enough people do theirs then it can make an impact. And yes, PETA are nuts. But still, it doesn't matter. At least they are so nuts that everyone knows their name and knows their cause.

 

As for cruelty to animals, I personally think it should be reserved only for tying large alligators to the leashes of unsuspecting canines and nothing more.

 

link removed

[Cognitive_Canine]

Wow, I can't imagine being vegan eating cafeteria food! That would be near impossible!

 

I switched to soymilk about 8 years ago and haven't switched back since. At least it's ONE little think I can do

 

It really was.

 

I had the salad and fruit bar (which is excellent at my school) but there were no meat substitutes nor egg substitutes.

 

Also, my cafeteria had soy milk but a really cheap brand (I prefer silk). It wasn't very good.

 

The great thing about soy milk is that it is extremey filling.

[Mavh25]

Oh, Ok, I'll check it out so I can have a sense of what you are talking about here.

 

PETA videos by nature seem to be awful and hard to watch. No doubt there.

 

Ok, but just for the record, I really don't reckon ya should, it is'nt really about being squeamish.. its utterly heartbreaking.

[jengh]

yeah. its an old video.

thing is i can sit there and watch cattle being slaughtered all day, but watching all the way through the raccoon disturbed me on a multitude of levels.

it bothers me still. and i would never click on that link again.

 

I'm just curious, not trying to start an argument or debate here, simple curiosity... how is it you're fine watching cows being slaughtered but watching the fur video disturbed you so much?

Cows are animals too (I'm biased--they're my favorite)

One of the videos that disturbed me most was about cattle.

[Cognitive_Canine]

I'm weird in a way though.

 

I am fine with eating meat, just not eating meat that has been prepared by large companies. The treatment of their animals, use of hormones, and disgusting preperation techniques really irk me.

 

However, my step dad is an avid hunter and my bf's family raises their own chickens and eggs. That doesn't bother me at all and I'm fine with eating that.

[Mavh25]

When you say she "belongs to PETA" do you mean she donates? you see I don't believe in donations, my mum has worked for many and the majority of the money does'nt go near the cause. So i have never wanted to give in that respect, I want to be active, signing petitions does'nt seem enough, do we really believe that people in fur farms are going to read signatures and say "OK!" or does it work another way?

[lila...]

Its been that long? wow

 

I saw the racoon, then I skipped past it to this one particular point in the video and thats when I literally jumped out my skin.. it was unbelievable.

I saw almost 30 seconds of the video, and it affected my majorly, no way I could watch a whole one.

 

What happened? Don't describe it in detail, I'm just really curious to know.

 

I'm hugely against animal cruelty too. I really can't bring myself to see these kind of videos because I'm too sensitive and they really do traumatize me for a while, but at the same time I do want to know what's going on so I can once and for all stop eating meat, I feel like such a hypocrite.

[redhearts]

I'm just curious, not trying to start an argument or debate here, simple curiosity... how is it you're fine watching cows being slaughtered but watching the fur video disturbed you so much?

Cows are animals too (I'm biased--they're my favorite)

One of the videos that disturbed me most was about cattle.

 

I think I have a picture of dead cows. I was driving into Texas and saw this slaughter house, there was a pile of dead cows outside in a pen. Then a whole other bunch half alive.

[JadedStar]

I eat meat but I do pay extra for farm raised. We have a locally owned grocer and i know where they get their meat and animals are not abused in the manner you see in the tapes. As for PETA, i think most of the people in that org are nuts.

 

I am into animal welfare. NOT animal rights. When you get into animal rights it is a whole other ball of wax. Animal's rights activistis do not believe in 'owning' pets period. When an animal has rights like a human then you get into many issues that i don't even have time to list.

 

Animal welfare groups, however, are in it to HELP animals and prevent cruelty. Animals IMO should not have rights like a human. But they should be treated iwth kindness and live in decent conditions and not be subjected to cruelty.

 

PETA's tactics are often so over the top that they are not even so much in it for the animal's as they are in it for shock value. They go into show rings and release animals from cages. Tell me what good that does for a bunch of domesticated dogs who have never lived in the wild to be released into the streets to fend for themselves? If one is against dog shows, you take a stand in a more productive manner, not like this. They have actually HARMED animals before in their attempt to take a stand. Do you know how many of these whackos are standing their filming WATCHING these animals skinned alive? Instead of stepping in and HELPING that animal they want to watch and video tape it. HOw many of us iwth compassion and a conscience could have continued to tape this? Wouldn't any one of us have put the video camera down and did whatever we had to to save that animal ??

[Mutley]

thing is i can sit there and watch cattle being slaughtered all day,

 

HOLY Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Batman!!

[chasey]

I get sick just thinking about the cruelty some of these animals go through.

 

Quite awhile ago now I saw some (parts of, couldn't stomach watching the whole thing) videos of skinning dogs and apes alive - OMG - I still get nauseous thinking about it.

 

There is absolutely no reason any animal should be mistreated like that.

[Mavh25]

What happened? Don't describe it in detail, I'm just really curious to know.

 

I'm hugely against animal cruelty too. I really can't bring myself to see these kind of videos because I'm too sensitive and they really do traumatize me for a while, but at the same time I do want to know what's going on so I can once and for all stop eating meat, I feel like such a hypocrite.

 

The part I saw, a dog was skinned alive, from head to toe and thrown on a pile of other animals, but he's still trying to get up, to put it simply.

[Peppino]

I'm a vegetarian and the PETA video's are horrific, the people should all be painfully killed, there should be links to how to help PETA's cause from their website

[itsallgrand]

I believe you.

 

But I think I can stand it - if it's happening, it's happening right.

 

What turned me veg years ago was my upbringing in part - I was raised in a rural area where part of growing up was Annual Chicken and Cow and Pig Slaughters, hunting, and a grandfather that showed me how to trap the old way.

 

One of my big things is honestly, trying to have patience with the disconnect between living beings and life and food that is so rampant now.

 

I mean, a burger is one thing...it's a whole different thing when you saw that cow raised from calf to table.

 

I guess my biggest thing is that I feel humanity is sorely lacking a lot in the respect department.

[Mavh25]

Cairo, I'm exactly the same. My favourite animal is the cow, so much so that before I came to America I went and visited afew dairy farms, got lots of photos hehe. I went into a couple of farmers fields aswell (got chased off by moody cows!) because i'd never been that close to a cow before and my mum knew how much I loved them.

[jengh]

Cairo, I'm exactly the same. My favourite animal is the cow, so much so that before I came to America I went and visited afew dairy farms, got lots of photos hehe. I went into a couple of farmers fields aswell (got chased off by moody cows!) because i'd never been that close to a cow before and my mum knew how much I loved them. haha, I have so many stuffed cows! cow print pillows, bed throws... everything lol

 

Awwww, yay! Another cow lover! I have cow everything...In fact...give me a minute and I'll show you.

[Mavh25]

I believe you.

 

But I think I can stand it - if it's happening, it's happening right.

 

What turned me veg years ago was my upbringing in part - I was raised in a rural area where part of growing up was Annual Chicken and Cow and Pig Slaughters, hunting, and a grandfather that showed me how to trap the old way.

 

One of my big things is honestly, trying to have patience with the disconnect between living beings and life and food that is so rampant now.

 

I mean, a burger is one thing...it's a whole different thing when you saw that cow raised from calf to table.

 

I guess my biggest thing is that I feel humanity is sorely lacking a lot in the respect department.

 

I know, I agree. I know that some people who work on fur farms, well its their livelihood, but really..

[tiredofvampires]

I'm not sure which vid this is, but I am completely cognizant of how horrifying the treatment of animals for slaughter is.

 

The unfortunate reality is that I realized years ago that I cannot be vegetarian. I used to be, nearly completely ovo-lacto (maybe had fish once every month). For many years, I didn't eat a single bite of red meat, and chicken on a very rare, rare occasion. I completely lost the appetite especially for red meat and thought I'd never want to eat it again. Even as a child growing up, when our family made steaks, I didn't really like it because it tastes too "meaty" and made me think I was tearing at muscle and gristle and that freaked me out. I liked hamburgers though, so I guess that was a little inconsistent.

 

But in my stint of being vegetarian, I was more sickly than I am now and I'm still not in good health. I would get tired easily, felt hungry often and was bloated by all the beans, soy and brown rice. I think there's such a thing as TOO much fiber, haha, and I just couldn't digest a lot of stuff. But mostly, my energy was never good until I started to add animal proteins back into my diet.

 

Unless I'm out at a restaurant, I eat all cage-free meat, chicken, eggs and yogurt from cows that are free-range. When I'm in a restaurant and can't eat "clean" meat (but I need the protein 'cause I don't feel full and satiated without it), I actually take a few moments to thank the animal and apologize to it for what it went through.

 

It's always in the back of my mind when I eat animal flesh that it's not my preference, it's a need, and feel grateful for any animal that gave its precious life for me. It makes me uncomfortable eating, often, but then I just have to think, some day the worms will eat me, and justice will be served (just another reason not to be cremated) -- we all have to eat.

 

As for leather, I'm torn on that because it seems leather is a by-product of already-slaughtered animals, and so I feel it actually is better to use their skin for something than to just throw it away. That way, as native peoples have done, "every part of the animal has been used."

[EQD]

I'm just curious, not trying to start an argument or debate here, simple curiosity... how is it you're fine watching cows being slaughtered but watching the fur video disturbed you so much?

Cows are animals too (I'm biased--they're my favorite)

One of the videos that disturbed me most was about cattle.

 

i really often wonder that myself.

it may be because they dont have many videos of skinning cows alive while they writhe around and scream. . . and cough up blood skinless and moving for up to 5 minuts after the fact..

it could also be because they were skinning that raccoon alive (which they could have done the decency of killing) for the sake of making some puffy hat and selling it to children as a boon hat, or turning it into a coat. Point is it was senseless.

Meat is food. its nutrition, i dont agree with torturing animals, but killing animals for food as we have all been a part of as a human race since the very beginning.. that doesnt bother me. it serves a purpose.

[lila...]

The part I saw, a dog was skinned alive, from head to toe and thrown on a pile of other animals, but he's still trying to get up, to put it simply.

 

OMG That's one of the most disturbing, saddest things I've heard of. I'm glad I haven't seen it, I wouldn't ever get over it.

 

I don't understand how the people who do such things to animals aren't affected by it. They're seriously lacking something up there, and I really hope one day they suffer the same way.

[itsallgrand]

I know, I agree. I know that some people who work on fur farms, well its their livelihood, but really..

 

Oh, the line was crossed long ago there IMO when profit became the motive rather than taking what is needed.

 

Fur farms don't belong in the world I want to live in, is my opinion.

 

good thread!

[jengh]

i really often wonder that myself.

it may be because they dont have many videos of skinning cows alive while they writhe around and scream. . . and cough up blood skinless and moving for up to 5 minuts after the fact..

it could also be because they were skinning that raccoon alive (which they could have done the decency of killing) for the sake of making some puffy hat and selling it to children as a boon hat, or turning it into a coat. Point is it was senseless.

Meat is food. its nutrition, i dont agree with torturing animals, but killing animals for food as we have all been a part of as a human race since the very beginning.. that doesnt bother me. it serves a purpose.

 

I can understand where you're coming from. While the skinning process is undoubtedly MUCH more horrific and cruel, I still feel bad for the cows. I saw videos years ago about the cows and it made me not eat beef for years.

[jengh]

Cairo, I'm exactly the same. My favourite animal is the cow, so much so that before I came to America I went and visited afew dairy farms, got lots of photos hehe. I went into a couple of farmers fields aswell (got chased off by moody cows!) because i'd never been that close to a cow before and my mum knew how much I loved them.

 

A shelf in my kitchen

 

image removed

 

Long live the cows

[Mavh25]

Sorry Portage =(

 

I don't even know where to start to be active in this, seriously do petitions and screaming in the streets do anything??

Does anyone know of any kind of thing shut down due to any of this?

 

Humans are greedy, thats just a fact is'nt it, not talking of meat eaters, I mean because of profit.