I am responding to Sarah Jones's post from last week's discussion regarding our consumption of non human animals. She was responding to someone else's post- so virtually this is a response to a response of a response. Sarah makes a valid point that may truly be in our human nature to be compelled to consume the meat of other species. Is that not how other species survive? Bears eat fish and lions eat antelope do they not? However, humans' inhumane manner of commercial slaughter and gross misuse of the species for our gluttonous sustenance is revolting.
Both Sarah and I practice vegetarianism, so this enables us to see the debate from a different perspective. We are so assimilated culturally to consume meat- it is the focal point of numerous occasions (turkey at Thanksgiving, ham at Christmas, corned beef St. Patricks Day etc.) I wonder if it is simply an expected social convention or a practice we are forced to endure. As with any personal decision there are social influences that work against our convictions. Turn on the television and you will be inundated with images of hamburgers, steaks, seafood, chicken, and bacon. We are continually stimulated to react with hunger and salivation from these images; all in a ploy to perpetuate a system of commercialism and the sale of livestock for financial gain.
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