If farmers have to destroy native vegetation and animal habitats to plant crops......?

Question

then ethically, how is that any different from slaughtering animals to eat? Don't we have a obligation to have "respect for ALL living things" and not just for organisms that walk on four legs??

Answer 1

The key word in your question is "ethically." In an ideal world, nothing would ever have to die in order for other things to live. But this is not a perfect world, and the best that we can do is to act consciously to reduce the pain and suffering. I think if you'll do your research with a little less biased approach, you'll find that vegetarians and vegans tend to respect ecology and try to make the best possible use of resources.

Granted, some loss of animal life is inevitable. But ethically, there is a huge difference between accidentally taking an animal's life and deliberately slaughtering huge numbers of creatures to satisfy meat cravings -- animals which were inhumanely raised and brutally killed in most cases.

It's the difference between accidentally hitting someone with your car and deliberately running them over. You can't stop driving (or eating, for that matter), but your intent is radically different in both scenarios.

And incidentally, how about all those insects and small animals that are trampled to death by cows and pigs out in the barn yard every day? Are you going to stop eating meat (or stop eating, period) because a grazing cow stomped a nest of baby field mice? How about giving up pork chops because pigs frequently kill and devour anything they can?

Didn't think so.

Answer 2

A lot of people don't seem to understand that animals like cattle are ranged on land that isn't capable of producing crops. There are a lot of cattle ranches where I live, and those cattle are ranged in the mountains on rocky land that will never produce any crops. Not only is the land too mountainous, but the growing season for crops is too short as well.

Answer 3

Consider this: it can take up to 23kg of grains to produce just one pound of meat. So by eating meat, you're causing the need for more crops to be produced than someone on a vegan diet. Raising animals for meat also creates an immense amount of pollution. Choosing a vegan diet will cause you to emit 1.5 tonnes fewer greenhouse gases than an omnivorous diet - that's more of a savings than if you drove a hybrid car. Think about it. And stop pointing fingers.

Answer 4

This is a moral question rather than an ethical question. I would like you to consider the moral implications of scratching your crotch when you have an infestation of pubic crabs. To the poor crabs and their helpless eggs this is the same as plowing a field.
Be happy ! Don't scratch ! Be happy ! We live in a world that is less that perfect. Perfection comes with death for some , so is it really that bad to die ?

Answer 5

OMG. If a farmer is farming he has been on land that was designated for the purpose many, many years ago. Farms are not popping up overnight. So the natural vegetation has been gone a long time. Our farmland has been owned by the same family for over 100 years. Yes I said 100.
Trust me kiddo, it's not the farmers that are destroying wetlands and soon.
Go yell at the lumber industry.
But, before you do, just know that they are responsible for re-planting. By law.
Now put on your cotton shirt and pants and go eat your steak, baked potato and salad.

Answer 6

So let me see if I get your argument correctly. It is better to kill something with a soul to feed a fatty American than it is to dig up part of your lawn to plant a garden? Well, hell. Why don't we just start eating people, too? If we're going to disrespect all living things because we want to respect a ragweed plant, why not extend that to people as well?

Incidentally, I'm not a vegetarian. Specious non-arguments just annoy me. It also just labels the person making the argument as someone who lacks the ability to create a valid point.

~Morg~

Answer 7

well, where are you going to get these crops if they aren't allowed to plow their fields?
So now we're supposed to look out for ORGANISMS AND NOT 'HURT' them?!
Put simply, it's different, every time you BREATH you kill organisms, every time you WALK you kill an organism.

Answer 8

You are so right

Answer 9

yes plants have feelings too.
I understand broccoli screams when it is being cut.