Thanksgiving arrives every year with a heated debate over how to best cook that plump and juicy turkey. But the idea of a tofu turkey (also known as a “tofurkey”) has gone from a joke a couple years ago to a reality for many. While vegetarianism has been practiced for over a thousand years in some countries, it is a relatively new concept in the West. And so, with the question cropping up more and more often, should we eat meat?
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Carnivore vs Herbivore
- From PETA
By PETA - People for Ethical Treatment of Animals
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Can you run down and kill a deer?
Until you show me a human who can run down a deer, catch it, kill it, rip it up, and eat it all raw, with only our inadequate teeth and nails, the argument that we are "meant" to eat dead animals is an utter fallacy. We also cannot digenst raw meat, organs, etc. Our intestines are much longer than a real carnivore's, meaning meat rots before being excreted. Really, people, eating dead animals is revolting. It's that simple. And that morally wrong.
- JAT
December 13, 2008 2:09PM
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Omnivore
As far as I can see, in this whole post, I cannot see the word Omnivore mentioned. Which is by the way what we are. Even vegan proponents can admit to this fact ( http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/omni.htm ). It is a disturbing fact that the most funded organization in the vegan "scene", actually uses this argument.
There are many very good reasons for avoiding meat, even if not devouring all arguments against.
- Francis
February 5, 2009 5:25PM
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Definition of an omnivore
The whole point of being an omnivore is that one is an opportunist- so can eat anything just about. This of course allows one to survive under different conditions . The emphasis is on choice- there is no necessity to choose any type of food exclusively. This is not at all the same as being an obligate carnivore.
"Omnivores (from Latin: omne all, everything; vorare to devour) are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source. They are opportunistic, general feeders not specifically adapted to eat and digest either meat or plant material exclusively.[1] Pigs are one well-known example of an omnivore.[2] Crows are another example of an omnivore that many people see every day.[3] Humans are also omnivores.[1][4]
Although there are reported cases of herbivores eating meat matter as well as examples of carnivores eating plants, the classification refers to the adaptations and main food source of the species in general so these exceptions do not make either individual animals nor the species as a whole omnivores.
Most bear species are considered omnivores, but individuals' diets can range from almost exclusively herbivorous to almost exclusively carnivorous depending on what food sources are available locally and seasonally. Polar bears can be classified as carnivores while pandas almost exclusively eat bamboo and are therefore herbivores, although Giant Pandas will eat some meat from time to time.
"
- sor666
August 31, 2009 11:32AM
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Here's another short quiz:
1. You are heading home, when you see that your tree has fallen on the middle of the road. Do you:
a) Stop to see if you can move it out of the way, or
b) Stop and devour it raw?
2. You're with your toddler in a picnic under and apple tree. Does (s)he:
a) Bite into the chicken you're serving for lunch.
b) Climb onto the tree and bite one of the apples?
3) You're feeling hungry, but there's nothing in the house to eat. Do you:
a) Go out to a restaurant, or
b) Go out to the woods behind your house sniff out some roots and berries to eat?
If you chose “b,” then you might, in fact, be a herbivore(or, at least, an omnivore). If you selected “a,” however—congratulations, you’re a normal human omnivore.
- sandwiches
March 4, 2009 2:41PM
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Ohhhh boy.
Ahem, listen up class. Today we will learn how to make a biased questionare that every normal person will pass on our side with.
First, you must have as few options as possible.
Second the other option must be as ridiculous as possible.
Humans are not meant to digest raw meat . we can, but we shouldn't. That's why we cook it. It is true that people in first world countries eat too much meat. Just as with anything too much is bad. Too much rain is a flood, too much sun is a drought and too much meat is a heart attack waiting to happen.
If I saw a deer on the side of the road that was hurt, I would aproach it carefully to see how its hurt. If it has a stick in it, I would pull it out and apply an anti septic. If it had an arrow I would wait for the hunter. If said hunter took more than ten minutes to get there I would chew him. If it has a broken leg, I would kill it, as there is nothing you can otherwise do for them. I wouldn't eat it because there are game laws.
A child will eat the most readily available food around. Hence the apple . They may bite the rabbit but that's not to eat it.
most restaurants serve meat my friends.
People only feel sick when they see an animal killed because they have been trained to not kill. It's not something a human normally does without quite a bit of thought before hand. However, it is not something that is universally repelling.
I quite love the thrill of the chase. I'm accurate enough that I almost never have a runner but it is still exciting. It is something we are wired to do.
If we are rigged to only be herbivores, why do we have canines, and shorter digestive tracks than herbivores of similar size?
You guys normally make a lot more sense than this one. :(
- Nivarion
August 4, 2009 10:59PM
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What does it mean to have to eat meat to survive?
Obligate carnivores are the only creatures who actually have to eat meat to survive: eg ferrets.
"Ferrets are what is called an "obligate carnivore", meaning they have a digestive system designed to digest ONLY meat. They do not have a cecum, which is necessary to digest plant material. For that reason, they should be fed a diet of meat - or, more commonly in the United States (for convenience) a kibble diet made of meat and meat byproducts." http://en.allexperts.com/q/Ferrets-2277/2008/1/Ferrets-Obligate-Carnivores.htm
Are there any humans out there who can claim the same?
- sor666
August 31, 2009 11:26AM
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