A friend of mine recently pointed out to me that my posts are coming across a little anti-meaty, which has never been my intention. I’m honestly not one of these “I’ve given up meat so I’m better than anyone who hasn’t” kind of people. Really, I’m not! But it did get me thinking about certain prejudices around whether or not you eat meat.
Firstly, it’s wrong to assume that to be an animal lover, you must be a vegetarian. It’s equally as wrong to assume that all vegetarians are animals lovers. Plenty of people go veggie purely for “health reasons”. Or just because they don’t like meat (which is just being a fussy eater, surely?!). Anyway, I have loved animals more than people for as long as I can remember, however I didn’t give up eating them until I was 25. I was convinced that eating meat was completely natural, and to some degree I still believe this.
My issue is more with the treatment of animals before they end up on the plate. That being said, you can easily buy ethically sourced meat from most butchers and supermarkets where the farms ensure the animals live a reasonably good life before they are slaughtered. Not something I’m particularly comfortable with, but it’s a good start. And the issue I have with animals being bred purely for the purpose of being eaten is a big issue for me, but it’s my issue that I don’t expect everyone to share. I kind of get when people hunt for their meat, and they use every part of the animal, like certain tribes who will kill like one whale a year and that will feed the whole tribe and provide fuel and other materials, that is acceptable in my eyes. But that’s a necessity and completely different to hunting for sport, which as far im concerned is vile and sadistic.
Needless to say, vegetarian/veganism is an individual choice, and I’m not here to judge whether or not you choose to eat meat. It’s taken me a long time to get used to being a veggie, and unless you’re 100% committed it’s not an easy transition. So as long as you treat animals with respect and try and go for the free range or ethical option when possible then you’re alright by me, and deserve a “big meaty hug”! 🙂
LPW xo
Little Pixie Wild 