Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Vegetarianism
This morning I had blood drawn at the doctor’s office. I am rather eager to learn the results, especially concerning my red blood cell count because lately I have been dealing with anemia. I am iron deficient; most likely because of my vegetarian diet. This has been frustrating because it’s affecting my immune system. I keep getting sick. So why, when my health is being affected negatively do I continue to choose to be a vegetarian? This is not an easy choice for me. It is something I consciously choose everyday and for me it is very much an ethical choice, which is why I chose to focus on it for my blog topic.
To begin I would like to describe my vegetarian diet. I, according to many, would not be a true vegetarian. I mainly am a lacto-ovo-pescatarian. I eat dairy, eggs, and fish. However, lately, due to my struggle with anemia I have been including some high iron meat to my diet. Technically I would be considered a “flexitarian”, a person who mainly eats vegetarian but sometimes eats meat. Although I like this word I choose to use vegetarian so that people know not to feed me meat.
I decided to become a vegetarian because I thought it was time to admit that the conditions the animals go through are wrong. I had known for sometime that animals raised for meat have horrible living conditions. I don’t have room to go into descriptions of the conditions but if you want to go to PETA’s website (http://www.peta.org/) they have plenty of information and even scaring videos. I chose to be vegetarian because I did not want to financially support a system that tortures animals. I do not consider it ethical that creatures that feel pain should suffer like that nor is it ethical that I participate, through consumption, in that treatment.
The reason why I wanted to blog about this is not because I am a card carrying PETA member who is trying proselytize her classmates but that I want this ethical choice of mine to be taken seriously as an ethical choice. Vegetarianism is constantly dismissed. Often times when I simply state I am a vegetarian people will mock me and go on about how much they love eating meat and how they want to go out that very moment and get a bunch of meat as if they wish to counteract my vegetarianism by consuming even more meat. This happened to me several times in undergrad in an ethics class where we were discussing animal rights.
A more subtle dismissal is when it is merely regarded as a lifestyle choice. As if the reason I am a vegetarian is purely arbitrary similar to a choice to wear sandals over high heals and not based on values. It ignores the fact that is my response to the suffering of those on the margins of society. Can I even say that animals are members of society? Many consider society human and therefore exclude the other creatures we share this planet with. In addition to that my choice is dismissed as having nothing to do with Christianity. What I consider my response to “the imprisoned” and to “the least of these” is considered either as superfluous to Christian values and/or in direct contraction to command to “dominate” in Genesis and therefore unchristian. An ethical choice for me, which has lead to a very serious life change, is regarded by many as unimportant, unethical and even a nuisance by having to provide vegetarian meal options.
These dismissals I have experienced tell me that many do not consider animal rights an ethical issue. Or, if it is it should be secondary to human needs. Which brings me to a new reason why I am vegetarian. I have learned since making the original choice that eating meat, especially red meat, contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Here is an article that offers more information than I can give right now: http://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct/15/opinion/ed-methane15. Apparently livestock emissions pose a much greater threat to the environment than all cars, trains, and planes. Add onto that the damage created to the environment by deforestation and the energy needed to create crops to feed livestock and we have a serious environmental problem. Therefore, our consumption of meat isn’t just an arbitrary concern for animal lovers such as myself but rather the future of our planet and the future of humanity itself are at stake.
All of that being said, I don’t think the solution is for everyone to become vegetarian. I think more people should become vegetarian but I don’t think it’s for everybody. As I stated earlier, I am considered more of a flexitarian than a true vegetarian. I do struggle with continuing to not eat meat. I am very concerned about my health so in addition to iron supplements I will eat some meat. I also struggle with my own challenges. I stated that I consider it unethical to participate in the suffering of other being, however, I still eat eggs, dairy and fish. The chickens that lay the eggs I eat suffer in terrible conditions along with the ones that are used for meat. If I purchase eggs for myself I make sure they are at least cage free if not free range and organic; however I also eat eggs at restaurants where the eggs most likely aren’t cage free. I also have a challenge to consume less dairy products. I have switched to organic milk but my cheese isn’t always organic and either way the cattle emissions still affection the environment. Even consuming fish has its environmental impact. We are vastly depleting our oceans’ fish supplies and affecting the environment that way. If I were to push myself to follow my values strictly I would probably become vegan. But in addition to valuing the sustainability of the environment, I am interesting in the sustainability of human persons. I struggle with being a vegetarian. My health and my social life are affected greatly. All of this can wear on a person. Therefore I think it is important that we lesson how much we consume rather than cut meat and animal products out all together.
P.S. For those who are Mac users I found I could not paste into the blog using Safari. I don't know if you can use Mozilla but just know Safari does not work.
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Sinnamon,
ReplyDeleteTo me you have accurately described the challenges entailed in making ethical decisions and applying them effectively to daily life. I don’t know for sure if I’m ready to begin entering into a debate on the blogs here – but just to get started, I’d rather discuss these challenges as it applies to your choice of vegetarianism, as well as other decisions we make based on our ethical values. This is a simplistic approach to the blogging, but I’m sure it’s just the beginning. Soon, I’m sure I’ll think of something more substantial.
For instance, I have attempted for many years to shift to using as many all natural, earth-friendly products, from cosmetics to toilet tissue. What I have discovered is that such a commitment tends to be cost prohibitive. How can I financially justify spending the same amount on a 4-roll pack of toilet tissue made from recycled paper as it costs to purchase a 12-roll pack of name brand tissue? Organic vegetables, fruits, milk, etc., cost much more than “regular” foods; do I spend more on food than my budget allows so that I may feel I have done my part in protecting our planet from insecticide poisoning? Cosmetics made from all natural ingredients and never tested on animals are very pricey, and the colors are not as vibrant as those made from chemicals. Do I spend more on Rachel Perry or Burt’s Bees? In this media-driven youth and beauty oriented world, do I just stop wearing any make-up and hope nobody notices? Another example is Tom’s of Maine – I LOVE the products – but as a single parent with one income, do I really choose the $4 or $5 tube of all natural toothpaste over the 97 cent name brand product at Wal-Mart? All of these products have some kind of effect on the environment, on human lives, and in reality, on the lives of all creatures.
I mentioned Wal-Mart. Here’s a store that offers many products at prices lower than most other stores can offer. However, their business practices are in question, and many thinking people choose to shop elsewhere because of that. Knowing that Wal-Mart is adamantly anti-union; knowing that Wal-Mart clerks often don’t get their breaks, pay is capped at the lower end, and that Wal-Mart insists that every employee must be available to work all shifts, thus effectively barring them from moonlighting, I would love to stop shopping there altogether. I even belong to an online organization called “WakeUp Wal-Mart.” In reality, though, it’s so much easier to go to Wal-Mart and spend less money than it is to drive somewhere else and spend more.
Sinnamon, I like your comment that “But in addition to valuing the sustainability of the environment, I am interesting in the sustainability of human persons.” I think this might be the core of the dichotomous challenge to living our personal ethics: how do we find the balance between the needs of the environment, the needs of the poor and disenfranchised, the lives of animals and plants and our own need to be financially and/or physically stable?
~ Suzanne Jacobson, Arizona Program
BTW, Sinnamon - I understand your situation, too. I have tried to go veggie at periodic intervals, only to find myself slipping because of costs, time restraints, the children's health or just plain cravings for a steak...
Suzanne,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. I struggle with all the things you mentioned all the time. One of my biggest concerns is the use of plastic. Plastic is so damaging to the environment but it is EVERYWHERE and impossible to live without. Everything, even so called eco-friendly products, use plastic in some way mainly through containers. I find myself standing in store isles just staring at products like peanut butter trying to decide between the organic/non-organic, plastic jar or glass jar, local product or shipped in and then price. There are so many factors that play a role in being a conscious consumer. I'm learning that I need to get old fashioned with some things. LIke returning to more natural cleaning products like vinegar and/or shopping local at farmer's markets when available. Efforts like these can actually be cheaper than going to grocery stores and/or buying name brand products. But that's isn't true for many products so it still is challenging. It can all seem very daunting and exhausting. One answer to that might be community. To be a part of a group, congregation or community that values sustainability. This can even be an online community that shares resources and tips. In Claremont there is an interfaith group on sustainability. I find some of the posts on their website helpful. http://cics422.ning.com/
I hope some of the tips can help and good luck.
Sinnamon,
ReplyDeleteI applaud all that you have written here. While I wouldn’t say that I am a true vegetarian either, my family and I have been committed for many years to eating only one or two “meat meals” a week. We eat mostly beans, grains, tofu, and milk for our protein.
Our reasons for doing this, however, vary somewhat from yours and I suppose this puts an interesting spin on the ethical nature of vegetarianism. Quite honestly, I have never been compelled to eat vegetarian due strictly to animal rights. My interest in vegetarianism has always been about the culinary aspects and creativity inherent in eating vegetarian meals (you already pointed out the interesting nutritional challenges to avoiding meat) and the absolutely unavoidable truth that if humanity is going to survive into the next century, we need to eat foods much lower on the food chain (beans and grains in particular), foods that require less water to produce, foods that are grown locally (which require less transportation to get to consumers), and foods that are grown organically.
Man, and then we can get into the whole nature of genetically modified foods (including meat) and you’ve opened up a Pandora’s Box regarding ethical issues related to food. I used to write articles for magazines about these topics so I’m well aware of how precarious our current position is. If you’re interested, here is an article I wrote in 2005 about genetically modified foods for a magazine called Delicious Living: http://deliciouslivingmag.com/mag/dl_article_1560/
I guess my point is that vegetarianism will soon become a pressing issue in our society. Those people who mocked you for being a vegetarian will soon have to face the hard reality that whether or not to eat meat will no longer be an issue of personal choice, but of environmental imperative.
As a side note, my son was just diagnosed with a number of food allergies. One of the items on his allergy list is red meat. I have to say, while I am saddened that he has this challenge in his life, it forces not only him but the rest of us to COMPLETELY cut red meat out of our diets. In a way, how great is that? I mean, now we have no choice but to make the correct ethical decision regarding food. Don’t we wish all ethical choices could be so clearly defined?
I saw some video clip on Internet in which a person was killing many minks to get the mink. I can’t describe it in detail because it was so cruel, brutal, and inhuman. It was definitely unethical deed. I support the idea that such animals which are killed for human extravagance and vainglory have to be protected by the law.
ReplyDeleteIn light of this issue, however, I think that to be a vegetarian or to be a meat-eater cannot be ethical issue. This is because as you need to eat meat for supplement of iron (I am sorry you have anemia),we most people get the important nutriments for their lives by eating meat. It is the law of nature. Like other animals, human is a component of an ecosystem. To sustain the ecosystem, human being has to play its role. This role does not only mean consuming animals to eat, but also contains taking care of them for environment as a final predator and a steward for the earth.
As you know, most of Buddhist monks and nuns do not eat meat, but Christians aren’t leery about eating meat. Then, can we say that Buddhism is the ethical religion more than Christianity? I think we can not.
I agree with you concerning the difficulties of eating according to your conscience. For myself I would like to eat a vegetarian diet, but I am lactose intolerant and would essentially be restricted to a vegan diet, which I am not interested in pursuing. So I have decided to continue eating meat. One day I hope to eat only free range meat, but the costs are more than I can afford right now and as you pointed out this still doesn't resolve the environmental impact of livestock.
ReplyDeleteI think a possible solution to this environmental impact for those who don't want to give up meat would be to reduce portions as well as purchasing free range meats. In the United States especially portion sizes are a huge problem. Clearly this proposal doesn't address all the issues involved with eating meat but I think it is a step in the right direction.
Perhaps I am behind in my thinking on these issues but I still have trouble with the idea of giving up meat entirely. I would like to think there is a way to continue eating meat in way that is earthing sustaining and cruelty free. Perhaps this is a bit naive but that is why we these discussions are helpful.
Sinnamon, like you, I'm a non-evangelizing vegetarian (ovo-lacto). The notion of personhood being extended to animals seems to be on the increase, lately. This is evident even in popular entertainment: whereas Mickey the Mouse' and his contemporaries' species were irrelevant to his identity, movies like Chicken Run & Ratatouille highlight the role of the species' trials and triumphs in a less anthropocentric manner, while still bringing an anthropomorphic personality to them.
ReplyDeleteIf this keeps up, one suspects that something like the Werther Effect will lead to greater vegetarianism in the USA. To quote John S. Lawrence and Robert Jewett at length: "In the Werther effect an audience member (a) experiences a work of fantasy within a secular context that (b) helps to shape the reader/viewer's sense of what is real and desirable, in such a way that, (c) the reader/viewer takes actions consistent with the vision inspired by the interaction between his own fantasy and that popular entertainment."
Human vs. nature (and "nature" almost inevitably means "animals") movies are on the decline (including everything from "Peter and the Wolf" to "Jaws" to the contemptible "Anaconda"), instead highlighting human vs. technology conflicts (e.g., The Matrix, Terminator series), there seems to be an implicit call to primitivism. This, it would seem, entails a characterization of hunter-gatherer and pastoral lifestyles as more humane. To this end, it would be helpful for us to educate our children using entertainment that doesn't make recourse to stereotyping animals as the so-called "ungrievable other."
That said, this "other" is still too often human (again, in popular entertainment, Disney movies tend to dichotomize good and evil along racial and ethnic lines [e.g., Mulan, Pocahontas]) for us to focus our collective gaze exclusively upon animals.
Perhaps I should talk about something that makes it look like I'm not a 6-year old. Hurm.
Sinnamon! Thank you for your writing.
ReplyDeleteYour writing allowed me to think about the nature and animals. I have not thought about vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is unfamiliar to me in my culture. I have started to think of vegetarianism since I came to U.S.A. by meeting American friend who is vegetarian. I didn’t know why human become vegetarian. However, I understood the reason why human become vegetarian through your writing. I agree with your opinion that the condition to raise animals is horrible. Also, animals’ right is exploited by human being. However, I am not sure what people need to become vegetarian is right and ethical. I think what people eat meat is ecosystem. As you know, carnivorous animals take meat from herbivorous animals. It is the ecosystem God made. Therefore, I think that eating meat is natural. In ethical issue, I want to state that the condition to raise animals need to be changed as cage free. Also, people do not take wastefully meat and resources from the nature. Those are what I can say.
I agree with Sunghwan and Insuk that humans are omnivores rather than herbivores. I suspect that is one reason why some people are able to live healthy lives as raw food vegans while others become anemic or, when I tried, constantly exhausted, as lacto-ovo vegetarians. Although we discussed the lack of mention of predators and human meat-eating in the garden several weeks ago in Blair's class, the world we live in has an ecology where omnivores and carnivores are necessary.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that it is innately wrong for humans to kill animals for food. I grew up in the country, where the link between animals and food was clear. Only town kids were exempt from helping feed and water animals that they knew would be taken to the butcher in time and I couldn't help but be aware that chickens and steers died so that my family could eat them. The people who raised a few animals for their family and friends treated those animals well, as, honestly, did the family-owned dairies and farms with feedlots that I knew. It is not necessary to treat animals badly in order to raise them for food.
When animals are treated badly it often seems due to the extra cost of treating them better. I have a problem with valuing cheaper meat over ethical treatment for animals. Surely we owe the animals whose lives we intend to sacrifice for food decent treatment while they live. I am also not at all convinced that meat should be cheap when a life has to end for every whole chicken sold. I think that it can be ethical for humans to eat meat, but that when we chose that we have certain responsibilities to the animals we eat, including decent treatment while they live, a quick and relatively painless death, and awareness of the true cost of the meat we eat.
Sinnamon,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post. I don't know if there's much I can add to the discussion except to say that this is a great example of the ethical complexities of many of our decisions in this globalized world. Thanks for your honesty and grace.
Sinnamon,
ReplyDeleteI’ve always enjoyed your comments and opinions, but I have always been on the fence about the issue of vegetarianism. I decided to wait and see what kinds of postings would occur to your article, which have been to a range of thoughts that describe vegetarian-discrimination, potential future ecosystem issues, current economic aspects of becoming vegetarian, and even the understanding of the role of the human being in relationship to the consumption of animals.
Although I agree with your stance of becoming flexitarian, I hesitate to side with you in understanding the inhumane treatment of animals for human consumption. Not to say that it is not cruel, but cruelty towards animals is based upon the economics of farming. Growing up on a farm, money=production, and the question of humane treatment comes second to sustaining a family. I don’t think a farmer loves to slaughter animals, he/she was taught the techniques of their parents and grandparents, almost to a finely-tuned machine. If a farmer could raise less animals and produce more money, they would do so in an instant. Unfortunately, to make ends meet while not breaking any health violations, the treatment of animals are the last option to deal with.
This is not just ethics with animals, this is the ethical understanding of agriculture in general. Movements in this industry started with health code violations which ultimately led to the little “grade A” stickers on packaged meat and eggs. Next, Cesar Chavez’s movements for better working conditions addressed unethical working conditions in agriculture. This is the next movement, with limiting production/consumption and potential ecological concerns being arguments I cannot deny. However, I do believe a farmer will put their family and way of life first before any ethical treatment of an animal.
Oh, and I’m a cleaning-out-the-fridge-itarian.
Wow...so many differing opinions, this is awesome! I'm part of the Arizona contingent (same as Suzanne) so I really enjoyed reading the comments from the California students and in some ways, getting to know all of you (or at least some of you).
ReplyDeleteBut to the subject at hand: vegetarianism and all it's variations, at least in my experience, has always been a conscious choice made by the individual, and it's usually for ethical reasons that they choose to be vegan, or even partially vegan, which I totally respect. I think Sinnamon brings up many good points about her choice and the choices of others with regard to being vegetarian, but what I would like to focus on is the reactions of others that her veganism hasj sparked. I think the fact that you have been ridiculed or criticized for your choice is appalling (I hope I spelled that correctly). Although I think it is noble for you to explain to others why you have made this choice, I'm continually amazed that people who have made choices like this - or any other lifestyle choice that might be considered outside of the norm - have to explain it at all. The simple fact of the matter is you have made a choice that is right for you, just as I have made choices that are right for me and my family. It really should be enough for you to say "I'm vegetarian" when in a situation where food will be served and leave it at that, yet members of our society have found it necessary to be critical of those who have made these kinds of choices. As a meat-eater, do I have to explain why I choose to order a steak instead of a salad when I go to a restaurant? No, of course not. But let someone be a little different, and bam! all of a sudden they are labeled as being kooky or something worse. I applaud you for standing up for your convictions, and for also being concerned enough about your physical condition to make adjustments to your diet in order to maintain your own health. It also sounds to me that even though you have chosen not to eat much red meat, that you are also respectful of those who do...which brings up a whole 'nother dilemma, but I'll end my comments here. Thank you for bringing this to the forefront. Good topic!
Sinnamon --
ReplyDeleteI spoke to you at the scholarship luncheon at Claremont a couple of weeks ago and told you that I had been trying to comment on your blog, but had been having trouble getting onto the blog itself. Well, with the help of CST IT, I finally made it!
What I wanted to mention is that perhaps your anemia is not caused by your vegetarianism at all. This might be something that you have looked into at length and discussed with your health care provider, but I just didn't want you to assume that it is the cause. By now, you have certainly received the results of that blood work you mentioned when you initially posted, and I certainly DO NOT want to enter into a discussion of your health status, it was just something that occurred to me when I first read your blog. If you are paying attention to your intake of proteins and vitamins, there could easily be another cause.
Also, just HANG IN THERE with what you believe. Don't let those other folks get you down. I appreciate your writing.
I think people should care about the environment, the creatures and the nature around them. These days we hardly see trees and flowers much in the streets. All there are only artificial grass laid out in front of houses for the beauty or the landscaping. Gardening and caring for pets are time consuming. Also it is very expensive. Not every one has the time, the finance or the space to do these things. In United States of America time for socializing or even having a meal a day is short. Therefore, people do not pay attention to what they eat. Often they just eat something to carry them through the day.
ReplyDeleteAll these fast food chains are serving processed food which is completely not Ok for our bodies. I think being a vegetarian is a good choice of diet. It’s healthy and you can almost get every single mineral that is necessary for the body from fruits and vegetables.
I completely agree the kind of food the animals are fed is not natural grass. There some other vitamins and hormones involved. Meat eaters don’t care but people like you who desire to take care of their bodies and they are aware of what’s going on, do care. All red meats are eliminated from weight loss programs. Even people who suffer from cancer are supposed to stop eating red meat. For iron deficiency one can eat food that contains vitamin A. Examples are Enriched breakfast cereals, cooked beans, pumpkin seeds, canned beans, baked potatoes with skin, Enriched pastas and canned asparagus.
I support you completely. Keep up the good work and please do whatever makes you feel healthy and boosts your energy level. After all, people are valued by their mentality, their manners and other characteristics such as caring for some other things in lives besides their tummies.