Why are you a veg?

[Bunnygirl]

Hello,
I am new to this forum, I haven't owned piggies in a long time, but I have 8 rabbits and was very intrguied by this forum. I am a vegatarian of about 2 1/2 years now. I am the only one in my family, and my mother and my stepfather have raised cows, and pigs before as food. I was just wondering why you are a veg. I became a vegatarian because I wrote a paper on how they treat animals in factories. I have always loved animals, and I have alot of them. I am just interested in knowing who is a vegatarian because they don't belive we should eat meat, or because they do not agree with the mass production of meat. I personally could not keep and raise animals for food, but I know that some people can and there are many local farms throughout the world that produce locally and humanely raised meat. I belive that we shoudl stop mass producing meat and only have local farm raised meat avaliable.
Just my opinion

[MySpottedFrog7]

Hello! I don't have an exact age that I became veg but I can tell you its been a loooong time! I wanted to be a vegetarian when I was a kid but my parents had the philosophy that everyone needs meat, potatos, and milk for supper each and every day. I hated eating it though because I loved all animals so much. I was always connecting with animals and had my own that meant the world to me and from a very young age never understood how killing a helpless animal could ever be justified. I also did not understand why some people could say they, for example, that they loved their dog but could turn around and eat meat without caring about the life that was lost. As I got older and become completely veg I also did my research and began realizing how huge animal cruelty is and since became an activist as well. I do not think we are anywhere remotly near a point where as a whole, humans are treated with respect. It horrilble how much information you an find in a short period of time and how animal cruelty surrounds us.

[Tessa Bea]

I've been a vegetarian on and off since birth. Currently trying to go vegan, again. I am vegetarian because I am a tree hugger and against mass production of just about everything.

[Hawise]

I hope one day I'll be able to be a vegetarian. I only eat fish and eggs, but I still don't feel happy.

I was once reading something about Leornardo da Vinci, and he said something about eating meat that has remained with me so far:

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[FONT=Georgia]Truely man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs. We live by the death of others: we are burial places! I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look on the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men.[/FONT]
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[princesspoppy]

My 9 year old won't go near or even try red meat of any kind and refuses all types of fish. Somtimes she will eat chicken nuggets. She has been this was since she was around 2 yrs old. I say good for her (i never push her to eat something she doesn't want) but meal times in the house are difficult. (menu wise)

[Hawise]

Originally Posted by princesspoppy

My 9 year old won't go near or even try red meat of any kind and refuses all types of fish. Somtimes she will eat chicken nuggets. She has been this was since she was around 2 yrs old. I say good for her (i never push her to eat something she doesn't want) but meal times in the house are difficult. (menu wise)

You're a brilliant mother princesspoppy. My parents used to force meat down my throat until one day I threw everything up at the table and went into hysterics. Since this day, they have always respected my preferences (my grandparents still don't understand but my lovely gran always has some alternative ready for me )

[princesspoppy]

Thanks Hawise. Learn't not to push food when I was a kid. My dad used to force me to eat brussles sprouts yuck. To this day I have never touched them. I promised myself if i ever had kids I woul never to the same. If they don't want to try then thats fine.

[JD In Van]

I was a vegetarian for about 5 years... mostly cause I was really poor and discovered I could buy and cook a lot more food if I wasn't wasting 5-10 a day on meat. When I got pregnant though I needed meat. I had gestational diabetes and increasing fat and protien with out adding to sugars (which as we know most veg has a lot of) was easiest by eatting meat.

Ironically though my daughter was what I called a 'natural vegaterian'. She wouldn't eat meat for years... until she was three or four she wouldn't touch anything but eggs so we didn't force her and just worked around it. Though she did change her mind and decided she really liked chicken after a while.

We eat probably less meat then most people but we're not vegetarians by any stretch. Having grown up around farming I'm very sensitive to the ethical issues but also the level of hormones and antibiotics our meat is stuffed full of. So when we do eat meat a handful of times a week, we opt or free range & organic options where ever possible and all our eggs and milk are the same. (Though I could go into a whole nothing thread about how our organic meat isn't really organic)

[JD In Van]

Originally Posted by princesspoppy

My 9 year old won't go near or even try red meat of any kind and refuses all types of fish. Somtimes she will eat chicken nuggets. She has been this was since she was around 2 yrs old. I say good for her (i never push her to eat something she doesn't want) but meal times in the house are difficult. (menu wise)

Mines the same way though she loves shell fish and will eat small portions of white meats. We have the added complication of my allergies to wheat too! I make meals so that meat or grain products can all be swapped out for something else.

[1frankie7]

I have been a vegetarian for almost a year.

I like calling my self a "veggie head" I think its funny!

[distancel]

I have been a vegetarian for about 5 years now. Basically because I can't stand to eat meat all I can think about is the animal it used to be. I also feel a lot healthier since I stopped eating meat. A lot of people do not agree, but I really don't think it is neccessary to eat meat. Not for me anyway.

[MySpottedFrog7]

Hawise-
I love that quote! I knew that da Vinci was against the cruelty of animals but I had never heard that quote before. Also, my parents also forced me to eat meat literally sometimes until I threw up! It was like my body rejected it in the first place. I never actually even liked meat and it made me so sick to know what I was eating. I will never forget my dad holding me down in the chair as my mom stuffed food down my throat. Good job to you parent's who do not do that! I love my parents but I will never understand why they had to do that.

[Biscuit]

I haven't had meat in over a year. The way I explain it to people who I know will not agree is just "I really like animals, I determined it was wrong to eat them when I have the choice not to." Although my reasons go far deeper than that, I find it's best to slowly introduce people to my ideas on it.

I still crave meat sometimes. Often, in fact. I've managed to replace a lot of my favorites things, but I still think about shrimp and fish the most.

It's hard to keep my mouth shut about the ignorance I see from people at work. All the usual justifications just enrage me.