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In reply to the discussion: So glad that I gave up eating meat. So glad that I can look in any animal's eye and say... [View all]Major Nikon
(36,922 posts)For one thing, we don't know if any of those animals experience pain in the same way humans do just because their nervous system is more complex than a house plant. For another, every state in the union regulates the way livestock may be treated. Certainly some states do a better job of this than others and that conversation is certainly worth having, but the whole idea of assuming an animal is adverse to something exactly the same way a human is just doesn't have that much merit. Most states have regulations that govern the dispatching of animals in ways that are more humane than those used for humans on death row. Much is made of the "cruelty" of livestock raised for foie gras, completely ignoring the facts that waterfowl are made to swallow extremely large fish, do not breathe through their esophagus, and have livers that are made to expand greatly. Numerous studies have shown that livestock animals experience less stress than their wild counterparts.
The ethical treatment of animals is a good conversation to have, but one that starts with "A Rat Is a Pig Is a Dog Is a Boy" probably isn't going to be all that rational, nor is one that starts with the assumption that all livestock consumption is unethical while conveniently ignoring the parallels which exist with the human consumption of non-animals.
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