Friday 4 November 2016

A level position on vegetarianism

Gunasekar C Rajaratnam
I prefer to eat vegetarian food as my body and mind are more comfortable with it. I don't defend non-vegetarian food but defend the right of people to make their food-choices. Yes it is cruelty to kill a cow to eat its flesh, but that argument is ridiculous when it is OK for the same people if it comes to slaughtering goats, chicken pigs or fish. I have worked among a community that eats dogs and I don't frown when I see dog meat in their markets. It is their choice and practice, who am I to question them? 

Even plants are life forms and recent research in plant behaviour shows that plants can sense threats to them from animals and humans. Should we stop eating at all and drop dead, or do I wait for plants to shed their grains and fruit before eating them . Oops eating fallen grains and fruit is also as cruel as abortion!

Should we also convert carnivorous animals through a campaign and ask cats not to catch mice, or force dogs to eat sambhar rice? Oops ok, we can't afford to eat sambhar ourselves now that toor (arhar) dal prices are facing Achchedin. Where the eff do I get my proteins from?

My mind is simple and does not delve into higher planes of philosophical or existential questions too often and to my simple mind the arguments against animal slaughter are not convincing. Perhaps animal slaughter methods can change. Recently Germany became the first country to ban 'chick shredding' and that is welcome.

Will listen to arguments from all sides more but meanwhile I will stick to slaughtered plants for my food and slaughtered animals and fishes for my family members and neighbours as they prefer. Most definitely I refuse to accept that cows and dogs cannot be food while goats, chicken, pigs or fish can. It is an individual choice to me and yes if you don't want to eat cows or pigs you have a right not to eat those.

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