Unutterably Silly THE AMITYVILLE VEGETARIAN HORROR!

[happy_terd]

You are in my dreams, sweetheart.

[Delta Tango]

Originally Posted by Cyberman tM

I sometimes wonder if those PETA guys wouldn't actually try to hinder development of more humane slaughtering because it would ruin their scare-tactics.
If they'd instead pour all their work and time into better methods for meat production, we'd probably already have safe clone-meat that never had consciousness (like in that one episode of Eureka. Surely the idea itself isn't new.)

Of course it's wrong to hurt living beings. But just turning away isn't the answer. (Be it from meat or the cruelty.)
Better methods have to be found.

Somehow, I prefer the approach from The Restaurant at the End of the Universe:

A large dairy animal approached Zaphod Beeblebrox's table,
a large fat meaty quadruped of the bovine type with
large watery eyes, small horns and what might almost have
been an ingratiating smile on its lips.

'Good evening', it lowed and sat back heavily on its haunches,
'I am the main Dish of the Day. May I interest you in the parts
of my body?'

It harrumphed and gurgled a bit, wriggled its hind quarters in
to a more comfortable position and gazed peacefully at them.

Its gaze was met by looks of startled bewilderment from
Arthur and Trillian, a resigned shrug from Ford Prefect and
naked hunger from Zaphod Beeblebrox.

'Something off the shoulder perhaps?' suggested the animal,
'Braised in a white wine sauce?'

'Er, your shoulder?' said Arthur in a horrified whisper.

'But naturally my shoulder, sir,' mooed the animal contentedly,
'nobody else's is mine to offer.'

Zaphod leapt to his feet and started prodding and feeling
the animal's shoulder appreciatively.

'Or the rump is very good,' murmured the animal. 'I've been
exercising it and eating plenty of grain, so there's a lot
of good meat there.'

It gave a mellow grunt, gurgled again and started to chew
the cud. It swallowed the cud again.

'Or a casselore of me perhaps?' it added.

As for hurting the animals, you shouldn't consider slaughtering them for food as hurting them. If you don't do it, you'll hurt, and frankly if it's a choice between me and a nice young calf, I'll choose a calf on a grill.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your gourmandity) we can't absorb non-organic material very well, so we're stuck with steaks, pork-chops and bacon... mmmm, bacon.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by happy_terd

We should change your sig picture to this one KK.

I'd hate to think of the one you'd give Red...

Yes, I have been involved in hunting and chopping up deer as a kid (Bambi!). It's awful gamey...I fish also...

As a molecular biology degree major. I don't draw any distinction between a plant cell and an animal cell. You're killing living beings with every lettuce leaf...

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

I'd hate to think of the one you'd give Red...

Yes, I have been involved in hunting and chopping up deer as a kid (Bambi!). It's awful gamey...I fish also...

As a molecular biology degree major. I don't draw any distinction between a plant cell and an animal cell. You're killing living beings with every lettuce leaf...

I still hunt! and I don't think of venison as gamey

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

I still hunt! and I don't think of venison as gamey

Each to their own taste. Since the ranch was sunk in 1979, I haven't had any place to hunt. (I won't spend money on hunting. Besides, I don;t like venison.)

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Each to their own taste. Since the ranch was sunk in 1979, I haven't had any place to hunt. (I won't spend money on hunting. Besides, I don;t like venison.)

well I've had nasty and or ill prepared venison. a lot of it depends on what they have been eating. as well as fowl that has sat on the ground for too long and the blood congealed in the tissue, and as I mentioned before, there is a HUGE difference between salmon bears and berry bears. (but I'll never eat another bear)

[recluse]

You all realize PETA doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of pulling this off. That's a multimillion dollar residential neighborhood.

By the way, does anyone know of a group like PETA that does something useful, like protect children?
Because I don't care if meat suffers. I care if children do.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by recluse

By the way, does anyone know of a group like PETA that does something useful, like protect children?

Fear not - since humans are animals too, children are covered ipso facto by the animal rights group of your choice.

[happy_terd]

And PETA would rather go naked than wear a child

[Cyberman tM]

Originally Posted by Delta Tango

Somehow, I prefer the approach from The Restaurant at the End of the Universe:

It's tempting, but the problem with that is we'd basically create a slave-race.
Even if they think they want to be eaten, it's us who created them to be just that. (Think Brave New World.)
Doesn't go down as easily IMO.
I'd prefer non-sentient food.

As for hurting the animals, you shouldn't consider slaughtering them for food as hurting them.

I don't really. It just depends on HOW they are slaughtered. If done right, it shouldn't be a problem.
If done wrong, it ends up in a PETA promotional video...

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

You're killing living beings with every lettuce leaf...

Probably even when breathing. Or brushing your teeth. Chewing gum containing Xylitol...
Fortunately few of these cells are sentient. - As far as we know...

[obs20]

"SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!"

[BenG]

Originally Posted by happy_terd

I have always wondered about kids growing up on farms and making friends with the animals. I get upset when I lose a cat or a dog, but these kids see their friends go every other day.

"Tonight son we are eating Joe the cow. Go get my sledgehammer."

Generally speaking, people who grew up on a farm are less bothered by it than others who think of cow as the animal and beef as something you get from the market wrapped in plastic.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by recluse

From the N.Y. Daily News, May 30th:
Souvenirs would include dolls that resemble a knife-wielding Ronald McDonald.
( Lindsay Goldwert )

I can't be the only one here who wants one of these!

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

has anyone ever actually MET someone that admits membership in pita? I mean PETA?

No, but I've worked with people who think they do a good job, and assumed that because I'm vegetarian I support them too. The discussion enlightening them of my reasons for being a vegetarian (laziness and cheapness, really - will expand on that if anyone's interested) was interesting, and we never really spoke to each other again...

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Imho there should be a real-time webcam in every abattoir.
People should be able to see what goes on inside them; and be reassured or otherwise about where the meat on their plate is coming from.

That's not such a bad idea People should certainly be more educated about the entire chain that ends up with food on their plate. One could then hope there'd be more people pressing for more local abattoirs, buying meat direct from farmers who rear the animals in a decent manner and so on.

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Non-sentient clones would be a great humanitarian innovation I think - they could be used for medical testing, and organ provision as well as meat.

Maybe the synthetic cell that was announced recently is the first step towards vat-grown meat!

[nomesque]

I cope with the PETA types better than with the 'I eat meat but I can't stand the idea of an animal dying for it' types. GAH! I'm a country kid, I grew up around farms and killing-for-food. After I turned vegetarian, I started breeding mice for my cats (because I didn't think depriving THEM of meat was fair, and at least this way I knew how the animals going into the cat food had been treated). The number of people who thought I was a monster for doing that, and swooned at the idea that their meat was being raised and killed less humanely... but wouldn't dream of not eating meat...

I guess when you get right down to it, I'm a big fan of logical consistency. Believe what you want, only PLEASE MAKE SENSE!

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by nomesque

I cope with the PETA types better than with the 'I eat meat but I can't stand the idea of an animal dying for it' types. GAH! I'm a country kid, I grew up around farms and killing-for-food. After I turned vegetarian, I started breeding mice for my cats (because I didn't think depriving THEM of meat was fair, and at least this way I knew how the animals going into the cat food had been treated). The number of people who thought I was a monster for doing that, and swooned at the idea that their meat was being raised and killed less humanely... but wouldn't dream of not eating meat...

I guess when you get right down to it, I'm a big fan of logical consistency. Believe what you want, only PLEASE MAKE SENSE!

I'll never forget a friend of mine in Germany who was an "ethical" vegetarian that had no problem with owning a full length fox coat. I eat meat, I hunt, I'll wear leather and fur, but nothing that cannot be consumed