Ya know... a lot of the argument i've seen thus far for being a vegetarian is that the animals aren't treated well enough. I can tell you this much, for the area I live in, and from the farmers that supply my meat (other then fish, I don't buy my meat from large chain supermarkets), the animals are well treated.
The cows, live happily out on farms. I know the cattle that live on my farm, have quite a few acres of pasture to traverse, they're human friendly, they're well kept. As are most of the cattle I know of. Those that aren't well kept are dealt with by the ASPCA, same with any poorly kept animal. The chickens that I eat, are true free range birds. They have a pen, yes, but thats to keep them safe from being eaten by creatures such as coyotes and hawks. They're well kept birds.
But you know...
What is the limit?
These animals aren't pets. These animals are being raised for food, it's what they've been bred to do. And whats more frightning, is that these animals, without the help of humans, would die. When we lose our need for a certain breed or species of animal that we have created, it dies.
There are quite a few breeds of farm animals that are dying out now, chickens, pigs, cows, horses sheep and even dogs, that are dying out as breeds, because we simply do not use them anymore. Many were made centuries ago, and were never large populations; but they're still amazing creatures. And now, because we aren't eating them, and because we aren't using them, they're dying.
Is that fair?
That we create something, and then because we stop eating it and what has been created to keep it (in the case of dogs), dies.
It takes up space, and a lot of patience, to keep many species of 'food' animal. Most of the herd species (sheep/cattle/goats/horses), cannot live by themselves safely. Cows go mad (wild cattle do as well), without companions. And horses do very strange things when they're all alone.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to say "don't be a vegetarian, because then you'll still be killing animals" but I am trying to say, that we have made a certain standard for many of these 'food animals'. We have made them arguably dumb (in comparison to humans), and we do have a right to continue eating them. To continue propagating their species, as we have done before.
It's not cruel to everyone who eats them. As i've already said, my brother works in a slaughterhouse, I know how everything is kept, and everything is killed. Be it pig, horse, sheep, or cow. And I can tell you this, that the slaughtering plant where my brother works? I've been there. Yes, animals die there, but they aren't ill kept at the plant. They have space, they have food, they have water. And it's all clean.
You hear about the horror stories of animals being mistreated before they're killed. But you never hear about the ones that aren't.
And I think thats something people should remember.
 Evisceration is a sign of respect.
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