Animal Rights?

[Thorne]

This was all talk about the whole 'genetically designed' argument. I don't think it is possible to determine nor do I think it has bearing. The question we should address is our current consumption of meat. Today. 2008. Is is helping us or hurting us as a species?

To be honest, I don't care if it's helping or hurting the species. I'm more concerned with myself. Odds are the species will outlive me by a couple of years, at least.

My issues with it tend toward the global. Almost all of my issues with things have that tendency. Plagues and starvation. Those are the problems I've raised.

Well, chances are, if we eliminate meat from mankind's diet, millions will starve because there won't be enough vegetables to go around. There isn't enough to go around now. Instead of worrying about whether eating meat will harm the species, you should be worrying about the amount of food which is wasted instead of feeding the hungry. Although, if you aren't one of the hungry ones, why should you care?

[Shwenn]

Well, chances are, if we eliminate meat from mankind's diet, millions will starve because there won't be enough vegetables to go around. There isn't enough to go around now. Instead of worrying about whether eating meat will harm the species, you should be worrying about the amount of food which is wasted instead of feeding the hungry. Although, if you aren't one of the hungry ones, why should you care?

I do not believe this is true. In fact, I feel the opposite is true. Raising cattle is not a closed system. You have to invest far more calories in the creature than you will ultimately harvest from it.

Now, I am not a strict vegetarian by any means. I eat fish I catch myself. I eat the deer and boar that my father hunts. And I do eat cattle that are properly grazed by honest to god cattle ranchers, people for whom I have a great deal of respect.

I do not eat corn-fed beef. And most beef is corn fed. I think it is a complete waste of corn.

[Thorne]

I do not believe this is true. In fact, I feel the opposite is true. Raising cattle is not a closed system. You have to invest far more calories in the creature than you will ultimately harvest from it.

Now, I am not a strict vegetarian by any means. I eat fish I catch myself. I eat the deer and boar that my father hunts. And I do eat cattle that are properly grazed by honest to god cattle ranchers, people for whom I have a great deal of respect.

I do not eat corn-fed beef. And most beef is corn fed. I think it is a complete waste of corn.

Generally, though, the cattle are eating vegetation which humans cannot eat, or cannot eat easily. But like you, I don't think feeding corn to food animals is a good idea. It raises the price of corn, for one thing, making it more difficult for the poor to afford. Even more ridiculous is using corn to make ethanol to use as a gasoline additive, but that's a whole different topic.

I only had deer meat once and didn't care for it. But that may have been the fault of the guy who cooked it. I'm not a hunter myself, nor do I like fish. And I can't honestly say I check what my meal was fed. My wife buys it, prepares it and cooks it. I eat it. It's that simple for me!