The Ethics Of Meat Eating

Throughout the Perdue farms across the country, there has been evidence of overcrowding and unethical treatment to the chickens kept in the barns. This past December, footage of workers stomping on the necks of chickens in a North Carolina Perdue chicken farm was released by Mercy for Animals, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing animal cruelty in the food industry (“Watch”). With the introduction of this video, the organization stated that the only direct solution to this problem is to become vegetarian, but I refuse to believe that that is the only option. I am personally concerned with what foods and chemicals I am putting into my body, and it makes me uncomfortable knowing that I am consuming chicken that has been covered in

“For most humans, especially for those in modern urban and suburban communities, the most direct form or contact with non-human animals is at meal time: we eat them. This simple fact is the key to what each one of us can do about changing these attitudes. The use and abuse of animals raised for food far exceeds, in sheer numbers of animals affected, any other kind of mistreatment” (Coats). The most effective method to stop this cruelty is to learn about where the meat comes from, by supporting the organic and family farms which will ultimately lead to the reducing the amount of animals that have to suffer (PETA). More than 95 percent of animal abuse in America occurs in the meat packing industry (Harper & Low). Animals suffer an unimaginable amount, they are raised to be killed, then bought and then consumed. In order to help fight back against the abuse, there needs to be a cut back on the amount of meat or poultry that is consumed. Seriously consider the option of becoming a vegetarian; by not eating meat, you completely stop supporting animal

When animals are raised in these dreadful conditions, there meat easily grows disease, tastes worse, and is worse for you. Humane meat helps to reduce pollution. “Industrial farms produce so much manure that it is a human health risk. On small farms, manure is used to naturally fertilize soil (10 Reasons to Eat Grass-Fed & Cage-Free Meat).” Raising humane meat uses less energy and less resources. It saves energy by food not having to travel far and wide to get to local grocery store but only at most a few hours to farmers markets. It also reduces waste because cows raised in pastures produce

Eating animals is normal for any carnivore, but abuse to these animals is unacceptable. There are religions and traditions when it comes to eating and killing animals, usually to be viewed sacred and not like they are nothing. Humans have morals and traditions that separate barriers with farm animals and pets.

While researching books for the major project, I stumbled upon a book over the ethics of eating meat: Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, published on November 2, 2009. Coming from a rural, agrarian background, my curiosity about why anyone in his right mind would want to become a vegetarian grew immensely when I discovered the book. Foer’s main audience appears to be those on the fence about whether to eat meat or those uninformed about factory farming. This book was not meant for individuals with an agricultural background, as Foer attempts – and fails – to explain how farms operate, massively overgeneralizing several aspects. Throughout the book, Foer seeks to inform readers about the atrocities committed on factory farms, to

Eating animals poses two moral questions. Is it wrong to raise and kill animals simply because humans enjoy the fleeting taste of their flesh? Do our differences from these animals justify their slaughter? The response to both of these questions is simple. Never. Many people believe that their superiority over animals is a justification to eat them. Animals have been traditionally defined as slaves and non-rational beings without moral reasoning, but these beliefs have been refuted for centuries.Even if these claims were true, these differences should encourage more, not less, moral consideration since they gather that animals cannot give or withhold their consent or

Morally, one may feel obligated to exercise Vegetarianism due to the inhumane treatment of animals throughout the farming process. The issue is that roughly ten billion animals are raised for United States food consumption alone. Animals such as cows, fish, chickens, pigs, and turkeys are subjected to

This artificial diet leads to joint problems, which cause the animals to be in constant pain. Such cruelty is not justifiable, and by becoming a vegetarian each individual can make a small difference. On the other hand, eating meat is not cruel or unethical; it is a natural part of the cycle of life. The conditions for animals in modern slaughterhouses are dirty and violent. The lack of rules and regulations cause animals to be treated poorly because the industry is focused on mass production and profit rather than finding more human alternative to run the meat packing business. The most effective method to stop this cruelty is to learn about where meat comes from, start supporting the organic and family farms, which will ultimately lead to reducing the amount of animals that have to suffer. A wise woman named Linda McCartney once said, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone in the world would be a vegetarian.” This is one of the truest statements ever made. If people thought about or saw what really happens to animals in slaughterhouses for more than a second, it would get to them and they would not be able to bring themselves to still be a carnivore. Those animals endure some of the cruelest treatment and neglect. Also, slaughterhouses are kept in the most unsanitary conditions and violate more laws then almost any other business. The slaughter of animals for human consumption should be banned.Based on research and my own personal experience,

The killing of animals is a topic that can spawn much controversy. Many people believe that because animals are living creatures, they deserve similar rights as people. Vegans even go so far as to stop eating or drinking things that come from animals because they want to defend these rights. While animals live, breathe, and feel like humans, there are many ethical aspects that occur when deciding whether to kill an animal. What may be acceptable in one case may not be in others. Killing of animals can be good, bad, or both depending on the intentions of the killing are.

We are a nation of meat eaters. We are socialized from a young age to consume high levels of animal products. This deeply ingrained meat-eating tradition is a big part of the American standard diet. A visit to the local grocery store shows that there is no shortage of animal products. Isle by isle you see a plethora of meats, neatly packed and ready to be cooked, dairy products neatly shelved, and even candies that contain animal by-products. This is an omnivore’s utopia, allowing for a lifestyle that involves the overconsumption of meats and animal by-products. The rampant meat industry has managed to condition people to disassociate the meats in our grocery markets and the animals from which they came. Most people have become unaware omnivores, consuming whatever meats are available to them. This shift of moral degradation is evident in how we process and consume our meats. We have become a selfish society that values our own convenience and affordability of meat rather than the consideration of the animal. This begs the question, is eating meat inherently wrong and should we forbid meat consumption under any and all circumstances? To fully address this issue, we must first define the moral status of animals. So, are animals equal to humans in worth and value and should they receive similar treatment?

It doesn’t make sense to eat meat when there is no need to do so. Humans can live long, happy, and healthy lives on an all plant-based food diet. Sense this is correct, there is no need to continue to put these animals in pain that is no longer necessary for our survival. The treatment of these animals is inhumane and brutal. This treatment is equivalent to a person beating up your dog and killing it because they think it is fun. The only plausible reason humans eat meat is merely for the taste of it. Who doesn’t like a nice juicy steak, but if you were to really know about what it took for that piece of meat to reach your dinner table and truly understand the pain and suffering, then you would never order that piece of steak again.

Many people think that if they had vegetarian diet they would save the live of the animals, and it is not an ethical that people produce meat and other things from the animals. That’s a wrong thought, because there is a lot of people aren’t

What is the ideal doneness of a burger? Some may claim that well-done is the best, others may like medium-rare. While this is one of the most common questions asked in regards to meat-eating, there is an even more important one that everyone should be asking. What are the ethical implications of eating meat? This oft-debated question has been obscured, especially in recent years, by the outcry for the humane treatment of animals being raised for food. There have been many recent documentaries, books, and debates about how these animals sometimes never see sunlight before they are slaughtered, among many other abusive treatments. In his essay, “Animal, Vegetable, Miserable,” Gary Steiner raises this issue of the morality of meat-eating and challenges the readers to question their own views on this topic. Regardless of the morality of eating meat or using animal products, Steiner does not support his claim strongly enough to be accepted.

Meat is something that is seen as being detrimental for obtaining a nutritious and healthy diet, however, as society has changed, we have learned that might not be the case anymore. What this means is that when we look in our pasts, meat-eating has been something which has always happened; first starting with hunter and gathering societies to when our grandparents and parents were growing up. However, now fast forwarding to today’s society, we can see that meat eating is not something that is very common. The reasons for this change of attitude towards meat-eating varies and will be explored later in this essay as part of how vegetarians have obtained their identity with their eating habits. With that being said, we must begin this essay by looking at what it was like for someone who consumes meat on a daily basis to give it up for a week and become a vegetarian. We will close this essay by looking at the ways that doing this experiential learning project has shaped the ways in which I think of the relationship between food and identity as well as food and environmental issues.

It should be pointed out that there are many different 'sects' of vegetarians. Some vegetarians choose not to eat meat but will eat other animal by-products For example, ovo vegetarians eat eggs as a part of their diet, lacto vegetarian include milk in their diets, ovo lacto vegetarians eat both as a part of their diet. There are vegetarians who eat fish but no other type of meat, then there are the vegetarians who on occasion will consume meat. They are affectionately called 'flexatarians'. Regardless of what degree of the vegetarian diet an individual chooses to embrace, it is widely researched and proven that people who eat mostly a plant based diet are healthier than those who consume mostly animal by-products. Firstly, a plant based diet is lower in calories, cholesterol