Eating things with a face
July 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under What to Buy
Last week I went to eat oysters at the Ferry Building in San Francisco which has a lot of high quality food shops. Next door to the Cowgirl Creamery is a butcher shop with cuts of meats on display. Although I enjoy the flavor of beef, this image looks scary to me. The blood, the hooks, the carnage. The shank on the left looks like a face from a horror movie.
Kiki and I have often discussed the idea that people would be less inclined to eat an animal, or they would at least be less wasteful, if they had to kill the animal themselves. At most grocery stores cuts of meat are sliced and wrapped in plastic which, I think, psychologically distances us from the steps to bring meat to your table.
Personally, I don’t have a problem killing an oyster and eating it. Same for a fish. Personally slaughtering a cow? I don’t know if I’d have the heart for it. But a chicken? I think I could do it, but only for a special occasion and giving thanks to the spirit of the chicken.
I know that not eating meat lessens suffering in the world. I’m still working on eating responsibly. Seeing pictures like this helps me.
Jo on Mon, 13th Jul 2009 10:41 pm
I don’t mean to mock your beliefs, but do you really think a chicken cares if you “honour [its] spirit”? Do you think in its dying moments it’s thankful that to YOU its death isn’t in vain? To me, every life is worth living and every life has a value independent of what it can do to me. It doesn’t matter if it’s small enough that I can dissociate from it, different enough that I can pretend it doesn’t feel pain, doesn’t endeavour to live its life simply for the sake of living.
It’s great that you’re thinking about what you’re eating, and I applaud you for that. But maybe it’s time to think about why you have a hierarchy of animals that deserve life and those that don’t.
Ryan Montague on Wed, 15th Jul 2009 7:22 am
I love your website - very well done! I thought you might like to hear about the new summer vegan menu from VeggieBrothers.com. You can read about it here: http://www.gourmetfoodpr.com/vegans-and-carnivores-barbecue-together-with-new-summer-menu-from-veggiebrotherscom/
admin on Wed, 15th Jul 2009 8:27 am
Thanks Ryan!
Bizwac on Wed, 15th Jul 2009 5:18 pm
Wait.. how on earth are you virtually vegan, if you eat oysters and fish?
You’re not even virtually vegetarian.
admin on Wed, 15th Jul 2009 6:12 pm
Bizwac, who said you had to be a Vegan to write about a virtually meat-free diet?
jordan on Fri, 24th Jul 2009 6:52 pm
An interesting article on fish: http://www.vegan.com/blog/2009/07/24/rich-assholes-and-bluefin-tuna/
Sorry about the title.
Kathleen on Sun, 2nd Aug 2009 4:00 am
“Bizwac, who said you had to be a Vegan to write about a virtually meat-free diet?”
You don’t need to be a vegan to write about a virtually meat-free diet at all - and it’s great that your diet is virtually meat-free - but virtually meat-free is not the same as virtually vegan.
Risa on Sat, 8th Aug 2009 7:25 pm
Just curious, why do you call yourself “virtually vegan” (which implies that you mostly eat vegan, but sometimes eat dairy and/or eggs) when you actually consume meat? Shouldn’t you call yourselves “virtually vegetarian”?
Diane on Sat, 15th Aug 2009 8:25 pm
Why are you guys picking on people who are trying to become Vegan? What I understand from this blog is: Virtually Vegan is working on eating responsibly and looking at the pictures helps.
Why not praise those who are trying to become Vegan. I am also one of those. I do not profess to be one, but I am getting better each day. You are all so anxious to point fingers. I suppose if you become a true Vegan you are better than those who are not. Give us some respect for working on it. I try each day and I think I will eventually become a full Vegan….but in the meantime, stop with the egos and just help us!
Adam on Fri, 18th Sep 2009 8:25 pm
Diane, what gives you the impression we are “picking on people who are trying to become Vegan”?
The author states that she finds it morally acceptable for herself to take the life of a chicken or an oyster. How do you interpret someone’s objection to this violence as them “picking” on people trying to become vegan?
If I told you that I was someone who inflicted harm on my dog via some sort of weapon and I wrote a blog called “virtually non-violent” saying that I find it morally acceptable to beat brown dogs but not any other color, would I be trying to be non-violent?
Taylor on Thu, 3rd Dec 2009 12:19 am
I think my biggest problem with the phrase “virtually vegan” is that veganism isn’t just about not eating meat. Veganism is a serious lifestyle choice that some of us have chosen to adopt. A lifestyle that includes not wearing leather, wool, or silk. We don’t support companies that test on animals, use animal ingredients, or do vivisection. We are against animal exploitation and needless suffering. We don’t trivialize all of our beliefs because an oyster might taste good. So frankly, for you to throw around the term vegan while you are still eating actual animals, not even just their byproducts, is incredibly insulting. To Diane…that’s awesome that you are trying to be vegan and I would never criticize someone who is making the transition, but these two aren’t trying. They clearly state that they will eat oysters, fish, and chicken. They never mention that they are trying to stop eating these things.