Humans through conditioning are creatures of habit. This is not unlike other animals. Among all animals there is an innate drive that predisposes toward behavior that provides a refuge of comfort and order. Regardless how an outsider may perceive a particular refuge, it is strong for the beholder. That is why change is so difficult to implement.
Before I go on, my background should be briefly stated. I have lived an average life, like many. I am 63 years old, and 3 years ago I became paralyzed. Why am I bringing that up?
Because I know that change is possible, though I will be the first to attest it can be very difficult. It comes down to doing what you have to do. If one’s perception of a reality is such, a person will do what he has to do. It comes down to playing the hand that you are dealt.
Having never been married, it is truly a distant memory sitting around the dinner table to eat supper. Like a kid in most families after a hard day of school or playing I would ask what was for dinner. My mom would reply, “We are having roast beef,” which seemed to necessitate the mentioning of a sacrifice of some animal as the focal point of the nightly ritual. I would then reply, “Oh great. Make it is rare and juicy.” I really used to love roast beef when it was juicy and there was blood on the plate. It was like dinner was a ritual in which our family partook in the eating of meat and blood of an animal that was sacrificed on our behalf.
I don’t think my experience was different than other people of my generation. My family and I gladly ate meat. I surely didn’t think that this animal was sacrificed, so we could satisfy our hedonistic desire to eat animals. Meat just tasted good and that was all that mattered.
The family structure is changing now along with society. There is no need to address this except that the mealtime ritual, though weaker, is still something that is revered in many families.
The nightly query of what’s for dinner can heard on the East Coast and West Coast and all points in between.
A version of this article appeared in the Apr 20 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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I can honestly say that I can look a cow/chicken/pig in the eye and still eat it.
Oh and a good way to not die from the bad stuff is this funny little thing called excercise! What a bold concept.
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Excersise isn't going to remove the cholesterol and cancer-causing animal protein, dummy! And animals are INDIVIDUALS-not "it's", and I guess if you can look into their eyes and still eat them, you can look into anybody's eyes and kill them, which when you say it makes you sound like a psychopath!
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shut up you idiot....go talk your nonsense at some crack party
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The eyes are the best part! So tasty
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Meat is murder. Delicious, tasty murder.
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How about taking this article seriously? Let's man or woman up and face ourselves and the wrong doing when it comes to our fellow creatures whom we're supposed to be STEWARDS to and look at changing our ways, eating habits, thinking, and lifestyle, hmmm?
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Thank you for writing this article. Many people do not stop to think about where their food comes from and to consider other sources.
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I know I personally like to get my meat by killing animals myself. It's a hobby and delicious.
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If you would like to live in a place where there are vast sanctuaries of cattle who are not raised for food, it already exists and is called India. Enjoy! You won't be missed!
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I have to say I can look the animal in the eye and still eat it. I babysat a 4 day old lamb over night and she was the cutest thing I have ever seen. Yet I still love lamb and I think Gyros with out lamb are horrible. So, yes some of us meat eaters don't care to think how our food is prepared, but I for one don't care.
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Boy you must be really emotionally disconnected and without a conscience, and I feel sorry for you. Not half as sorry as I do for all those innocent victims that you sentence to death just because of your selfish taste buds, though! Is life really that dispensible to you? THINK about it--it takes SO much less effort and energy to have compassion than it does to disconnect ourselves and lie to ourselves by saying "I don't care" when we DO care.
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While I do think the treatment of farm animals definitely can be improved, I will never stop eating meat. I love meat and have no problem staring a cow, pig, etc in the eyes and then eating a nice steak or chicken breast.
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That sounds just like a murderer or child molester who says they can look right into their victim's eyes and kill or rape them. VERY socio-and psychopathic; you should really step back and listen to yourself say that and see just how it sounds!
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I cannot believe that I managed to read this whole thing, but I can sum it up in a few words.
After reading this article, I have made a promise to myself to eat more and more meat every day. So whoever you are that wrote this, thank you soo much for allowing me to make this life changing decision.
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During survival training I pet my bunny and looked him in the eye. I told him everything was going to be OK. Then I bopped him on the head, skinned him, cut him up and tossed him in the stew pot. Yummy.
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I am not an English or Journalism major, but I think that this is a poorly written article. It is all over the place, lacks any concrete references to back up its points, and is not factually based. To me, this sounds like a blog post of someone's rambling thoughts.
In addition, this is "yellow" journalism (if you want to go so far as to call it journalism). The author is sensationalizing the story, regardless of the fact that he has to ignore logic and reasoning to do so.
I think that the author is entitled to his opinion, but whoever thought to run it as an article in this paper should be ashamed of themself.
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I'd like to know where you got this bogus number of 16 pounds of feed to gain one pound of muscle. The average feedlot steer gains almost 3.5 pounds per day on about 20 pounds of feed. Also water doesn't promote weight gain there PETA man, it is merely a nutrient that allows animal's everyday processes to carry on, besides they definitely don't drink 250 or however many gallons you created on this miserable stab at American Ag.
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I really think you should get your facts straight before you publish an article to such a large audience. You provide no scientific backing or credibility to your article and anyone with half a brain can see this. Like someone previously mentioned, cattle are a lot more efficient at converting feed than what you stated. Also, farmers do not cut costs by treating animals poorly. Poor treatment of animals can result in illness and decreased performance, therefore there is economic incentive to provide animals with proper treatment and housing. In addition, we are designed to eat meat. Eating the recommended amount of meat along with a healthy diet and exercise is good for you. Overeating meat just like overeating anything is unhealthy.
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I am proud to say that I have participated in the raising of animals for slaughter and that I eat them at the end. Pigs, cows, chickens, and sheep are raised as a food product, so before you start spouting off information that you don't know the truth about, I'd suggest that you talk to someone who does know about this topic. I have been in this industry for many years, and having grown up in a county based upon agriculture, I know what happens to the meat that ends up on my plate. Eating meat is not a crime and I am proud to say that I will continue to eat meat until the day that I am unable to do so.
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You are part of the problem....get your facts right before you release an article that goes against such a large and important industry...you are still ignorant and I along with many other students would appreciate it if you would actually look up true research before writing. Any child could find factual data that it does not take 16 lbs of feed or 2,500 gallons of water to get 1 lb of gain. If you used your common sense that should ring in and say that those numbers are very extreme and no where close to the truth. I know it has been a while since you have been in school but it is very easy to tell a peer reviewed website from some bogus website. Who are you to sit here and discredit the animal agriculture industries when you no nothing about them. Go on a beef, dairy, poultry , or pork farm and see how it truly before you write such an article. Seeing a cow in a field does not automatically give you insight into what goes on with animals. Your ignorance and the fact that the CT let you write in their newspaper is very surprising. Do real research....
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Lets go ahead and give our farmers a bad name and rep so they can't make their living
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I am a beef farmer.I know, for a fact, that you've got your facts wrong.As a writer, you have been completely irresponsible in your job!I realize that this is an opinion article, and you are more than entitled to share your opinion, but you obviously have no pride in yourself or your writing as you have taken no care to check the facts.As a writer, you are in a powerful position to influence your readers; it's extremely disheartening and disappointing to me that people like you are willing to intentionally lie to their readers just to demonstrate your opinion.
The next thing: support of the meat animal industry (and any agriculture industry). The bottom line is that there will always be sensational journalism that only portrays the negative side of an issue. Yes, there are instances of animal cruelty (just like with household pets), but farmers do no mistreat their animals. Logic would tell anyone that if farmers mistreated their animals, they would not be productive, and therefore the farmers would make no money and go out of business! This is simply common sense!
Bottom line: As a writer, you have a responsibility to get your facts right. And you should really care enough about your reputation as a writer to do some research before you make yourself sound like a fool. If you don't know what you're writing about, just don't write...or continue, and look like an uneducated, ignorant fool.
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. I live on a dairy farm in southwest virginia and can say that my family farm doesnt do any of this mistreatment of animals. It's obvious that some farmers can get away with mistreatment of animals because for them its only about making money. However, you cant just group ALL types of farms under this horrible stereotype. For our farm as well as many other farms we do it for the love of the game. Local, family owned farms have to actually work and put time and effort into this even when the pay isnt even that great. So why, I ask, would we, the hard-working farmers, abuse something that gives us joy and helps us support our family and communities? Maybe you should look into how much it hurts the farmer if a dairy cow gets sick or even dies. Come to my farm that has been in my family for almost 3 generations so you can experience the skill and love that we have to keep our business alive. Farms are what SUPPORT this country and people need to start realizing. Because so many people condemn farms, farms are being rarer. What will people do when there are no farms left? Where do you think the majority of this food that we all eat comes from? You can have your special diets but realize that some people care about their animals!
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Join PETA People eating Tasty Animals
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Before eating vegtables remember this...vegtables are forced to live in dirt their entire lives They are forced to grow on farms in cramped crowded conditions Vegatbles are forciably plucked from their vegatable beds, forced to bath and then shipped far far from their homes Vegtables have to endure their entire lives outside in variable climates..rain, shine, cold, hot Vegatables are forec fed fecal matter of hooven mammels with no concern for contagion
Next time you eat a potato, look into its eyes
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Looking an animal in the eyes does absolutely nothing to deter me from eating meat. In fact, I have eaten a ham sandwich while slaughtering pigs. Yum. Who cares, they're animals. They're not humans. Long live Michael Vick.
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Anyone who eats animal flesh is no better than a savage !
Animals are not here to be abused, exploited !
Go Vegan , for yourself, for the animals and for the enviroment !
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