Comments on: A Growing Chorus Asking Us to Live and Let Live—Each Time We Sit Down to Eat

By: Louche

Louche — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 14:35:28 +0000

EC Garrison: AMEN to everything you just said.

I love that “Killing is NOT a personal choice.”

I like to say that veganism is MORE THAN a personal choice because otherwise the meat-eaters are probably going to get antsy! But when you change it from veganism to “killin,” it sounds right on!!

The comments on the article are grave evidence to me of the inefficacy of asking people to “eat less meat.” That’s something virtually NO ONE will argue against, and so it’s not a challenge of the status quo. It’s pinning most of the blame on the producer. History tells us that this is a useless endeavor with regard to animal rights and eating animals at all contributes to increased animal suffering, animal oppression, and animal slavery.

By: EC Garrison

EC Garrison — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:06:56 +0000

Paul, great article. I would like to respond to the “Go Grass Fed Beef” commenters at the beginning of this discussion:

This issue is very simple:

Killing ANY living being is wrong.
Killing is NOT a personal choice.
Murder means that a life has been taken.

A person cannot get out of this crime by paying money to someone for murdered, chopped up pieces of a once living animal. Murder is a serious crime and treating this crime as though there are options, further delays spiritual peace for the entire world.

By: Judy

Judy — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:21:24 +0000

As a retired science teacher, an environmentalist, and a humane advocate, I believe in and support Mr. Shapiro’s views. As soon as I learned about the horrors and cruelty of factory farms, their contribution to land, water, and air pollution, I stopped eating meat. I feel so much better for doing it. Thank you for writing this article. I once read a saying that I really like, “Peace begins on our plates.”

By: Bea Elliott

Bea Elliott — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 06:18:39 +0000

by Chiot’s Run: we can’t guarantee totally “cruelty free” vegetables either – I agree – However, there’s a world of difference betweeen the accidental harm done to animal during grain/plant harvesting than what is done *deliberately* to billions of beings grown for flesh… Who by the way, also must be fed plants in order to be “fattened”. Either way, a vegan diet limits suffering to animals.

And of course it’s better for health and the environmnet. Global warming, deforestation, land use, and contaminated ground water are but a few of the issues with animal agriculture. It’s high time that we evolved above this primative and unnecessary use of animals for “food” by adopting a vegan diet.

By: BP

BP — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:19:40 +0000

Mr. Shapiro – the piece is great.

A shame that many of those who posted comments know nothing of the horror that chickens and fowl are subjected to during slaughter. Search for the video of Sarah Palin talking while a turkey is bled to death behind her (from late last year). This is a best case. More likely is the PETA video of live turkeys thrown against the wall in the slaughterhouse.

By: Ari Solomon

Ari Solomon — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:25:58 +0000

Thank you for this piece. It’s not talked about nearly enough. We can all make a choice to help fight global warming and cultivate peace every time we sit down to eat. Factory farming is indefensible on every level.

By: Mark Hawthorne

Mark Hawthorne — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:32:51 +0000

Thank you for this well-reasoned piece encouraging a reduction in meat-eating. As our national obsession with dieting grows in pace with our expanding waistlines, the value of a vegetarian diet becomes more obvious. According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians and vegans enjoy lower body mass indices, which means those who choose plant-based foods over animal products are slimmer.

As the author points out, diets that reject meat are also good for the planet and they help reduce the suffering of billions of animals. By eating vegetarian foods, we deny support to an industry that forces factory farmed animals to exist in horribly overcrowded conditions and that continues to engage in such cruel practices as tail-docking, castration, toe removal, and branding — all performed without painkiller.

Whether one is looking to avoid the many negative health issues associated with eating meat, eggs and dairy foods; to reduce harm being done to our environment; or to help the billions of farmed animals needlessly slaughtered each year in the United States, becoming vegetarian has never been easier or more mainstream. Each of us has the power to improve the world every time we take a bite.

By: Nora

Nora — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:49:20 +0000

I couldn’t agree more that we should at least eat fewer animals, and preferably no animals. No one diet is totally “cruelty-free,” but the fewer animals we raise and slaughter, the better off we’ll all be.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 05:45:16 +0000

Excellent article! I’ve been vegan for 5 years and am excited to see more attention paid to this issue. As Paul points out, there are many reasons why we should all be eating plant-based diets. Thankfully, there are many great options to choose from. I’m a distance-runner and triathlete and have more energy today than I ever did on a meat-based diet. If you don’t make the change for yourself, then do it for the animals, or for our environment. Whatever your reason, both your body and your conscience will benefit from your decision to choose a plant based diet.

By: Freeman

Freeman — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 05:34:34 +0000

To me, my food choices are about living my values. I want a world of fairness, justice, and peace, and I don’t think we can reap these things when we sow misery, pain, and suffering on our fellow animals.

Vegetarianism shows my commitment to peace and freedom for everybody.