I Want To Go Vegiterian!

[Emily F.]

Hey-

I didn't realize how bad it is to eat meat until I saw that HORRIBLE video, Meet Your Meat! :-) I started to cry! Poor chickens!! (And other animals) I want to go vegiterian SOO bad, I"ve been thinking about it! But, I don't know anything about being veggiterian! :-( I don't even want to know what my parents will say! They are VERY strict...How should I tell them?? I saw mncavylover's post about to just say to your parents.." I'm going veggie"...but it's not that easy for me...


Is there anything we can do to help stop this slaughter?


Does anyone know what Bush and Kerry think about this?

Thanks,

Emily

[CavySpirit]

http://www.humaneusa.org/article.asp...le_key=109&n=1

[Josephine]

My advice is do some research about nutrition and vegetarianism. Offer to help plan menus and cook some nights. Usually parents are more amenable when the child does the research and presents some facts. If you help with menu planning and cooking, whoever cooks in your family will LOVE you and vegetarian-phobic members may be more willing to try some new and delicious food!

When I went veg about 8 years ago, I found The Vegetarian Times magazine helpful with meal planning and delicious recipes. They publish books for various age groups on becoming veggie and starting out. I purchased the general starter one. It did help me.

As for the political aspect, it is very complex indeed. There is no end to the articles. Do a little footwork on the internet. Neither candidate is a vegetarian and there are quite a few issues that are more important to the general population. It's a lesser of two evils debate, as usual.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004Oct21.html
http://www.johnkerry.com/communities/sportsmen/
http://www.georgewbush.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=2930

[mncavylover]

I'm glad you think you should go veggie, Emily. Thanks for your reply!

[chrishall1979]

Although neither is vegetarian there are many differences. #1 GW's family was and I believe still is in cattle farming. #2 GW fail to protect 6,000 acres of the Tongass Forest. That forest is the largest refuge for non other then the American Bald Eagle. #3 He pulled out of the Kyoto Treaty for cleaning up World Pollution. I realize that doesn't do much good since he's already elected. But stay informed and fight the good fight.

Congrats on wanting to go vegetarian. My family thought I was nuts too and got downright mad even when I was in my 20's (still am for the record). But these were my beliefs. And if you believe in something you must stand behind it. It's your life, and your soul. Parents are great for a lot of things, but you are your own person capable of making your own decisions. Think of all the great things man wouldn't have accomplished if we just accepted that adults are always right. I'm an adult and I'm not right ever!

Michael Jordan was cut from his High School Basketball team. He went on to become the greatest player to ever play the game.

Albert Einstein and countless other great minds were all called mentally retarded. They went on to create man-kinds greatest advances.

I'm not telling you not to listen to your parents or adults, and don't want anyone saying "Chris told me I could" But just keep in mind that sometimes taking the path less traveled makes all the difference.

Have a good day!
Chris

[agpiggy]

one way i got out of eating meat was every time we had meat i didnt eat it and said i didnt like it! after a few times my parents stopped buying meat for me and i had something else!

[mncavylover]

Also, Emily--nobody can make you eat meat. It's just like the saying that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Just try it, and they'll see. Any updates?

[heabrook]

Originally Posted by agpiggy

one way i got out of eating meat was every time we had meat i didnt eat it and said i didnt like it! after a few times my parents stopped buying meat for me and i had something else!

You are very lucky... I don't think all parents are that supportive. Most people are under the illusion that people need a massive amount of protein. Actually, we don't need as much protein as the food pyramid suggests. Ads promote the fact that people need a lot of protein and calcium because it is good for the dairy and cattle industries. The sad thing is that most people just aren't educated on other diets.. people don't seem to understand that you can be vegetarian and get adequate supplies of all required vitamins and minerals. In fact, being a vegetarian is ten times healthier than being a meat eater.

[agpiggy]

my parents thought if i wasnt going to eat it there is no use feeding it to me and they said the woulnt make me eat it, i am glad they didnt.....im doing fine without it!

[chrishall1979]

Heabrook you hit the nail on the head again. I just posted a few days ago about protein misinformation. Another thing you will find is the while meat may be high in protein, its also very high in fat, and saturated fat at that. Saturated fat is much worse then a lack of protein.

The meet industry just like the cigarette industry and oil, etc. has a lot of lobbyists who make sure their interests are taken care of. They don't care about your health or wellbeing. You're health doesn't help their bottom line. Making sure you eat meat does. They pay large amounts of money to advertise and misinform for that sole purpose.

Thats the horrible part about our commerce in the US. Just like Walmart had that huge BUY AMERICAN advertising blitz during the first gulf war. People went to Walmart in droves to support American products. Little did they know 95% of products at Walmart are foreign. They didn't hear that on the commercials. Companies worry about money, not you.

So do you want to put your faith in companies who are fleecing you? Or put your faith, effort and time into helping animals stop being fleeced by our own hands and those same companies.

Chris

[heabrook]

Chris,

You are very right. I came across an article once that posed the question.... If meat packages had pictures of real animals on them, would people still purchase them?, for instance.. If a package of beef had a picture of a cow on them, would that make people stop and think? Would they possibly put the package down and decide not to purchase it? These companies do not put a face on their products, because it would have the possibility to significantly decrease sales. But would it?

The only industry that does is the dairy industry.. because people know that milk comes from cows and they are quite comfortable with that fact. It doesn't bother them to see a picture of a cartoon cow on their milk carton. People know that meat comes from animals...but how many times a day do they really think about that?

[chrishall1979]

I've always thought they should put a picture of a milking cow having its calf ripped out from them and thrown in a crate on the cartons. Maybe then people would realize those cows must be constantly pregnant to give milk. And once the babies out, it's put in a crate for "so called" tender meat.

The vast majority of the public is blind and misinformed. I doubt they know of half the atrocities that happen between the ranch and their dinner plate. Then there are those who don't care.

I love my brother dearly but he is one of them. He knows what happens to them and just doesn't care. He saw the Meet Your Meat video and got hungry for hamburgers.

Wouldn't we all laugh if god were a cow? I know I'd be laughing my way through the pearly gates. That just makes me laugh.

Chris

[Emily F.]

Um...Why would "we" laugh if God was a cow?

[chrishall1979]

Well being as though he's omnipotent technically he could appear as a cow I guess. But I meant we'd have the last laugh as vegetarians. Just a funny thought I think.

Chris

[mncavylover]

That's a cool idea~thanks!