Response to "Exploiting Animals."

Response #4

In Shelby's blog, she talks about how our support and usage of animals as property and food seems to be done without realizing the effects and harm it causes. She states how Kant sees humans as superior because we are the only species that can refer to ourselves as "I." Humans are "beings altogether different in rank and dignity from things," according to Kant. She asks, "Is meat eating usually a carefully examined decision, or an unexamined habit?" However, Kant disapproves of kicking a dog in fear of that person becoming brutal. Shelby then brings up the point that all humans are taught that brutality is wrong, although, people choose to hurt animals before they would choose to hurt/torture a person. Shelby believes, as do I, that if people had to kill and prepare their own meat, the world would be filled with more vegetarians. She agrees with the Socrates quote, "the unexamined life is not worth living," and wants human beings to be more aware of what, or who, they are eating.

I fully believe meat eating is an unexamined habit, minus the occasional exception. This summer, I watched the movie "Food Inc" (which I recommend to everyone!) and I learned so much about the food industry that I never imagined to be true. Early on, our food choices are made for us. As babies, we're fed what whatever baby food our parents want to feed us. As children, we learn to eat what is given to us with minor complaints. We don't ask what "beef" is or where it comes from. Our parents say we need our protein so we keep eating meat without question. Once we are old enough to make our own food choices, we don't question what our parents have taught us. We just eat what we always have even if we don't know where it comes from or who produces it. Some people begin to question the meat and food industries, but others like the obliviousness and simplicity of just enjoying what is prepared; dead animal or not.

Once we get into the habit of eating meat, it's hard to give that up. I have struggled to be a vegetarian because I'm just so used to ordering meat at a restaurant or eating my mom's chicken parm. We eat meat because it's easy, it's what we know. To question this is to question tradition and our culture (or so we think). On Thanksgiving, how hard is it to stop yourself or question why we eat the big juicy turkey in the middle of the table? And who could ever consider a tofu turkey? So untraditional, right? While vegetarianism has been practiced for over a thousand years in some countries, it is a relatively new concept in the West. I think the reason why people don't seem to think about what they eat is because it feels like our traditions and what has always been would be jeopardized. The meat industry does a pretty good job of keeping the public away from the truth and that seems to be okay with most people. A lot of people I know don't want to know how their food is prepared. They don't want to change the way they eat so they don't think about their food. Why change what we have done since babies? Eating meat is in our nature and most people don't question human nature.

My question to you is: How do you think is the best possible way to inform the public about not only the meat industry but how all of our foods are grown and produced? Do you think people would listen and maybe change their ways?

"Food Inc" Trailer