[169] in Vegetarian_Support_Group
plants vs. animals
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (elsiedee@MIT.EDU)
Mon Sep 12 21:57:28 1994
From: elsiedee@MIT.EDU
To: vsg@MIT.EDU
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 1994 21:56:28 EDT
The following post I got off of ar-talk, in response to the question of Sid Pain.
I think it is a very sensitive response to his query.
-Laura
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Date: Sat, 10 Sep 94 01:56:24 EDT
From: "Geoghegan, Martha" <OPMARTH@UKCC.UKY.EDU>
Subject: Plants vs. animals
To: ar-talk@CYGNUS.COM
Sid Pain said:
>There are many arguments associated with the animal rights and vegetarian
>issue.
>One that I have had to endure repeatedly is: If it is wrong to kill animals,
>then why is it okay to kill plants? I am a strong believer in the theory
>that specism is analogous to sexism and racism. What I am trying to do here
>is come up with some arguments with which to fend off my friends. I am
>familiar with the argument that vegetarianism is the lesser of two evils.
>Obviously we have to eat something. I imagine it would be impossible to
>survive on a non-organic diet. I also understand the environmental
>advantages of a meatless diet. I often have to use this point as a last
>ditch effort. I end up saying, "The environmental benefits alone are
>enough".
>This does not seem to cut it. If anyone has any other arguments, please
>let me know.
This is exactly the question that I want to be able to answer. When I
look inside myself, at my revulsion at eating animals, it is because
they have a face, they have emotions, they love and laugh and cry and "talk"
to me. They are moving around tending to their affairs, taking care of
their young, relaxing sometimes, being upset or frantic sometimes, enjoying
and hurting. Plants do not look like this and, as Sid said, I have to
eat something. This answer is not good enough and I know it. I also
believe that this DOES make me a speciesist (or some kind of "ist").
I do not know that plants have no feelings or that their life is not as
precious to them as mine is to me or my dog's is to him. This is only
the answer to me until I learn something else. I KNOW that animals feel.
I do not KNOW that plants do. Now I don't shoot plants with guns or tear
them up or kill them for sport or even force them to grow in weird shapes
for my amusement. I try as hard as possible to live and let live.
I do mow my yard, but I don't trim hedges that were there when I bought
my house or cut down trees because they are in my way. I work around them
just like I work around people and animals.
I think we should keep trying here to answer this question "Why are plants
and animals different?" because so far there isn't a satisfactory answer.
Just because we don't have a satisfactory answer doesn't mean the commitment
is wrong. I personally don't eat animals because, from my observation, they
feel many of the same ways that I feel, and that makes me want to treat them as
much like I want to be treated as possible. When it is shown to me that
plants feel, I'll try to find a way to survive without eating them too.
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