[161] in Vegetarian_Support_Group
killing plants vs. animals
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (rebecca@MIT.EDU)
Tue Sep 6 23:54:53 1994
From: rebecca@MIT.EDU
To: vsg@MIT.EDU
Date: Tue, 06 Sep 94 23:54:08 EDT
Well, usually when people ask "aren't plants alive too", they are
obnoxious meat-eaters who are just looking for a way to make
fun of vegetarians. So, to most people asking such questions I don't
think it warrants a serious response. However, among people who
are seriously interested in questions of ethics around living things,
i do think it is interesting to ask ourselves, how do we draw the line?
To some people, eating fish "counts" as vegetarian, to others it doesn't.
Even drawing the line at "sentient" does not make the division entirely
obvious. "animal" vs. "vegetable" are not entirely clear lines.
This is not a problem which i have given a great deal of thought, because
though i accept that boundaries are fuzzy, i feel like i know the
difference between a cow and a zuchinni, and i am not usually pressed
to clarify that difference.
Also, my motives for vegetarianism are not from animal rights. My primary
reasons for vegetarianism are environmental and social-justice oriented.
Meat is a destructive & wasteful use of natural resources, and is
associated with vast inequities in the distribution of wealth on
a global scale, & the destruction of rainforests & indiginous cultures
for grazing land, etc. The suffering of the cows, while i do not like it,
does not figure high on my list. Thus, is someone asked me, "isn't eating
plants also killing living things" my answer is likely to involve other
reasons for choosing plant rather than animal foods.
-rebecca
