Why It's Ethical To Eat Meat

 This is my entry to the NY Times essay contest "Why It's Ethical To Eat Meat"



Why is it ethical to eat meat? Here is my argument and moral philosophy.

 In my view this is simply a First World ethical dilemma brought on by self-righteous do-gooders who have totally lost sense of where we as a human race have come from and how we got here. Perching on their lofty pedestals whilst perusing petty non-issues such as this one, this may well be a case of loving the creature more than the Creator.
    Do we honestly believe that the Pilgrims at Plymouth had the same misgivings about eating their freshly bagged Thanksgiving Turkey?
   Could it be that those in society who believe in evolution are now experiencing guilt pangs over eating their supposed ancestors?
    Do we have a four-compartment large-capacity ruminant stomach that’s optimized and critical for a vegan diet? One that doesn't need to be fortified with protein shakes, vitamins, essential fatty acids, and numerous other supplements?

   Sorry about the questions but sometimes we have to look back in order to see ahead.

    We, my friends, are at the top of the food chain. And no, we didn't get here by sautéing spinach or by pressure cooking cauliflower. Absolutely not, we got here by devouring protein and nutrient rich meat, fresh and dripping with blood, cooked on a stick while crouching over an open fire, clothed not in leaves of trees or pumpkin shells but in warm hides of animals.
    Domesticated livestock are here to serve us just as we are here to conscientiously care for them. They depend on us to protect, care for and feed them. They in return supply us with a vast array of necessities including meat, gelatin, glue, leather (yup, those plush seats in that BMW, those fancy designer shoes, fine seating furniture, and cozy woolen blanket, they all went moo or baa not so very long ago). Amino acids, vitamins, supplements, hormones, countless medical and pharmaceutical products, replacement valves for the human heart, even food for pets come from animals.
    They also supply us with milk and eggs which raises the question of ”Is it ethical to eat eggs or drink milk?” When a chicken gets too old to lay eggs or a cow can't produce milk any more, what should be done with them?
   Are there Old Birds Homes for aging chickens or Retirement Pastures for elderly cows? And what would be the ethical thing to do with them when they succumb to old age or disease? Will the taxpayer pay for these services?
   I almost feel silly defending such a logical argument that is quickly turning from ”Why it's ethical to eat meat?" into ”Is it ethical to stop a beating heart?”

    In summary, I do think that it's ethical to eat meat and fully use all byproducts from the said animal, bird, or fish. I also think that it's imperative that we as farmers and livestock owners respect our source of nutrition, clothing and life essentials by implementing the highest standards to house, feed and care for these creatures of God, whose full potentials are only realized once they arrive at the abattoir.    And since this is a free country you can choose to chomp your canines into a crispy carrot, but I will use my omnivorously designed dental structure and digestive system to wade into my next flame-broiled New Yorker. Medium Rare, please.

 Louie Vetter.
 Western Canadian Farmer.