[313] in Vegetarian_Support_Group
Re: thoughts on animal research
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (elsiedee@MIT.EDU)
Fri Jan 20 17:52:41 1995
From: elsiedee@MIT.EDU
To: lmtancre@MIT.EDU
Cc: vsg@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Thu, 19 Jan 1995 21:13:50 EST."
<9501200213.AA23985@w20-575-71.MIT.EDU>
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 17:50:05 EST
>wow
>im assuming this guy got a reply to this
>there is SUCH a huge difference between being used after you're dead and
>while youre STILL ALIVE. im amazed he didnt see that.
I agree that there is a huge difference between an animal
being used while it's alive (e.g. killing it for meat)
vs. being used after it was dead. I think that the person
who wrote the original post is aware of the difference, but
is probably an optimist (I say this because I am an
optimist) and just wanted to point out that some good could
potentially come from an otherwise sad death of a beloved
animal. :/ I agree with you though that it is a far worse
crime to use an animal while it is alive, and maybe the
author is at fault for seeming to ignore that, but I
tend to think that he is aware of animal sufferingand just
wanted to address a separate issue. But I emphasize that I
agree with you.
BTW, I am admittedly an ethical vegetarian and believe
animals do have rights to a non-oppressed existence, but I
have not always believed that. I originally became
vegetarian for health reasons alone, but as I became more
aware of the issues surrounding vegetarianism, I changed my
thinking and today believe very strongly in the above
sentiments. Through awareness of why _other_ people became
vegetarian I have broadened my perspective and now count
just about all reasons I have heard for being vegetarian as
my own (with the exception of necrophobia - which I know
was the cause of at least one acquaintance's being veg -
and religion, though I count living a compassionate
existence as one part of my personal religion).
I believe this list should be open to the expression of any
and all opinion, and I urge its members to at least
consider the points of view that others express. I believe
this all the more strongly because of my own experience in
changing my thinking. In several posts at the beginning of
this month the sentiment was expressed that politics are a
separate matter from vegetarianism and should not
necessarily go hand in hand. I agree, but I also believe it
is idealistic to think that you can be vegetarian and not
be political; being vegetarian is viewed as very radical by
society, though increasingly less so. That's the knocks.
Well, that's all I have to say for now! I can be wordy when
I'm inclined to be. :)
-Laura
