Let me be sure I understand: you prefer that millions and millions of cows and chickens never have years of a pretty good life? Instead you prefer to deny them the opportunity to walk on your planet, ever?

Did I come out judgemental? If so, first I apologize. That is not my intention. I have trouble making some kinds of distinctions, and this is a case in point.

Is it better for a cow to never be born, or to have the best half of a life?

@Dick_Martin no biggie. Sorry if I misinterpreted you. I have no idea about the never to be born issue.

too young. let 'em grown to young men and then send them into battle.

Awesome. If I may, wild animals are vegetarian, not vegan. It is not about morals for them, as far as we know.

But out of curiosity, do or would you consider eating insects and alike? And if meat-eating was reduced and limited to hunting wildlife, would that be immoral?

The reason I became a vegetarian (now bordering on vegan) is because of both "Food Inc", and "Earthilings". The former really opened my eyes, and the latter, well, I couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks. I believe it was Although this quote is notable because Paul McCartney said it, I think it was originally said by either Dickens or Clemmons ; "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian".

I like that reasoning.

Omg. Me too. It was heartbreaking. I still think about it.@AzVixen52

@hlfsousa Not sure how wild animals are vegetarian-meaning they eat eggs? Anyway, I was mostly speaking about cows, chickens, pigs that eat plants. Though they are often forced to eat their ground dead or sometimes diseased brethren.

@AzVixen52 I think you are wrong in your thinking "that if slaughterhouses had glass walls we would all be vegetarian." The fact is that I wish they did have glass walls not because it would make people vegetarian but, so humane slaughter was made the norm by placing it under tighter public scrutiny. People need to know where their food comes from and there are consequence for every food you choose to eat and that some of the most dire are in the production af vegetable protein. One of the greatest destroyers of the natural habitats of the world is in the quest to produce vegetable protein, it is one of the biggest factors in the destruction of the rain forests, the hardwood temperate forests and plains of the world.
Livestock production with grazing as their main food source is far less destructive it leaves most of the ecosystem totally intact.

@hlfsousa herbivours and frugivours are vegan after being weaned off there mothers milk. Only humans drink milk after adolescence and other animals milk at that. What makes you think any animal is vegetarian do they eat cheese and not meat or have an exclusively egg and veg diet? If so show me please.

@JoelLovell point missed: being vegan is a moral position

@hlfsousa not nessesaraly it can be and it is but it can also be personal for health, for taste, for preference all of which have diddily squat to do with morality and your right I don't get your point.

@hlfsousa you said animals are vegetarian, that was my point.

@hlfsousa vegetarians eat animal bi-product and not animals name one other species that does that. I'll wait...

incorrect our whole biology shows that naturally we are herbivores in the common sense of the word. Through adaptation and manipulation of foods we have found ways of increasinng digestion and palletablity. I urge you to delve deeper in your research into prehistoric nurtional anthropology, cancer of the digestive system and nutrition related pathologies. You'll find a rather different set of evidence from the most rigourous of studies and meta-studies.

There is more than enough food on the planet even if everyone ate meat, the problem is one of distribution and waste mostly as a result of large corporate farm, lack of returns to the small farms, and the monopolies that control food processing and distribution.
Chickens and turkeys convert plant protein very efficiently basically 1:1, pigs convert it at about 3:1, sheep and goats at about 4:1 and cattle at about 7:1. The gazers however can convert protein that is completely inaccessible to human since we die if we try to live on grass and forages.
The concept and practise of monoculture agriculture is a problem but, that is a model that was created for the benefit of the corporate world. There is far better models of sustainable agriculture that out produce modern monoculture farming by their reliance on livestock production as a main component of their production what is more they don't deplete the soil at all in fact they improve it.
Animal husbandry is an important part of raising livestock, an animal raised for food needs to have a good life ending in just one short bad day. Eaters need to make a choice of where their food comes from and who reaps the profit from it or not.

@HeathenFarmer Fair points re. chickens, food distribution and monoculture.

It's a rather silly question how can you ask a question about non existence, you don't exist to have an opinion. Turkys or any other living organism are not concerned about anything until they start life so it's a false dichotomy. The only thing that matters is the treatment of life and that's where meat eats fail morally. That's why we have people like you coming up with fallacious arguments to assuage feelings of culpability or make yourself feel intellectually justified.

@JoelLovell Perhaps you're right. I wonder what you'd say the reason for unnecessary rudeness and personal attacks in replies is?

That's essentially my checklist as well. If it has a face, I don't eat it. Plants are healthier to consume anyway, I don't know why so many insist on meat as their primary source of food.

You don't see the face in a flower? So, no fish except shellfish. Escargot is a no-no but worms are OK?

You don't see the face in a flower? So, no fish except shellfish. Escargot is a no-no but worms are OK?

I have contemplated suggesting that my funeral be instead a barbecue. They could literally roast the dead.