Monday, March 12, 2012

To Eat or Not to Eat

    After reading Eating Animals, readers may want to choose to be conscious of what they are eating. Foer gives graphic details on practices of the farming industries and how unethical they are towards their livestock. His detailed description of the factory farming makes readers uneasy and gives them an idea of practicing vegetarianism. This well written book from Foer makes it a lot less challenging to convert to vegetarianism. I believe that Foer does make valid arguments; however, a solely vegetarian nation would be unsustainable. The United State's economy will not survive if we were all to become vegetarians. 
    Foer has valid arguments for being aware of the farming industry and being aware of what we eat. The details and statistics of the cruelty these animals suffer is alarming. Having a diet without eating meat tends to be healthier and less damaging to the environment. I've tried going vegetarian multiple times, but I haven't been able to sustain it. The longest I've lasted without meat is 5 weeks, but then I caved in. I know its healthier for me and better for everyone, but it's tough.
    Foer does a great job in touching the ethical, moral, and compassionate feeling of people. He is able to connect with everyone on the subject of meat. Foer goes from the eye of a farmer, to a consumer, and to a parent. He touches all bases of his audience. In the chapter,Hiding/Seeking, Foer displays views from the factory farmer, the line worker, the Jewish guy, and a poultry farmer. He even discusses the organic and free range chicken industries.
    I understand Foer's point of morality and ethics when discussing factory farming, but farming industries and restaurants around the United States will be devastated if everyone were to convert to vegetarianism. Our economy is too large to stop producing meat. Millions of people are employed by some kind of food industry. Sadly, the meat industry will not be able to continually employ people if everyone becomes a vegetarian. I'm positive vegetarian restaurant industry will not be able to survive on a large scale. To my knowledge, there is no vegetarian restaurant chain. Sure there are some restaurants that serve vegetarian dishes, but not solely.
    Because of the economic casualty created if the meat industry were to go down, I don't think it is a wise decision to put hundreds of millions of people out of business. These people work hard to put food on the table; even if that food is filled with antibiotics and growth hormones. It's better to have food on the table than nothing at all.  

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