Dear Marcy,
Your concern for animals is very kind.
But how about concern for yourself and your long-term health?
In about 20 years when you get to be my age, the ravages of toxic eating begins to be felt.
Eat plants!
Warm regards, Michael
Here's a good article on all aspects of vegetarianism:
http://bacolicio.us/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism
<http://bacolicio.us/http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism> .
Dear Michael and Mike,
As the vegetarianism article says (thank you Mike A.!) people make
their choices based on many variables -- culture, health, animal
welfare, etc. I am on the animal (as many as I can comfortably and
conveniently fit in the category : - ) welfare camp. Maybe if we make
an effort not to initiate force against our fellow critters, we will
get used to resolving conflicts without war, crime, and other
aggressive behavior? It could happen!!
Marcy
Free the Pigs..!
If you don't wish to read the entire wikipedia article Mike A. referenced
(see below), here's an excerpt from wikipedia on veganism:
"Vegan diets (sometimes called strict or pure vegetarian diets) are a subset
of vegetarian diets, which are credited with lowering the risk of colon
cancer, heart attack, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, prostate
cancer, and stroke when contrasted to diets high in fats and sugars."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism
Warm regards, Michael
What about the considerable evidence that one hundred percent grass fed beef and wild cold water fish are healthy? Didn't we evolve as omnivores?
Dear Phil,
All beef and fish are high in either animal protein or fat or both. The accumulation in the body of the harmful effects of these are usually toxic to those who wish to age healthfully. All beef and fish also lack fiber, anti-oxidants, and other phytochemicals found in plants.
What are phytochemicals? According to wikipedia: "Phytochemicals are plant-derived chemical compounds under scientific research for their potential health-promoting properties. Phytochemicals (or 'phytonutrients') are non-essential nutrients, but still they have been scientifically confirmed as being important to human health."
If you're interested I would be happy to send you studies to support the healthfulness of eating plants. For a start here's an excellent cross-cultural perspective on diet and health: www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=/articles/art0422.html
I'm not aware of the counter-evidence you say exists, but I would love to see it. Please forward it to me. Thanks. (OTOH, I am aware of people making your claim. Did you know they're all statists and favor Obama's stimulus plan?)
There's debate over whether humans evolved as omnivores. However, this is irrelevant to our discussion. Evolution was impelled by surviving long enough to pass on genes and protect genetic offspring until viable. This did not require living until 100 (my short-term goal) free of heart-disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, and other ravages of aging.
Warm regards, Michael
With all due respect this subject is off topic. I recommend an "LPSF
Benefits of Eating More Plants" list for those who wish to carry on the
conversation. But I'm sure there are already many other lists covering
the subject people could join if interested.
Mike
One of those lists is <libertarians_for_animal_rights@yahoogroups.com> (http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarians_For_Animal_Rights/). It has 226 members, however there is very little discussion. The same is true for other lists I'm on that have a narrow interpretation of staying on topic, like the local Pink Pistols list. These lists tend to be fairly boring, imho -- getting a group of people together and only letting them talk about the one specific topic on which they're generally in agreement is not a recipe for lively conversation. This is one of the things I love about the LPSF list -- we talk about all kinds of stuff -- plants, guns, gay marriage, god, the economy, Iceland, Tibet, etc. Keeps things interesting, imho.
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))