Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Eating Meat free essay sample

Eating Meat and The Treatment of Animals Eating animals is part of the daily life of billions of people all over the world. Every day, thousands of animals are killed for the production of food for people. We have been brought up eating meat and never questioned it. It is culturally accepted even though modern livestock and poultry production (factory farming) is cruel and gives animals no other purpose for existence except for human consumption. There are particular religions which prohibit eating certain meats or eating meat at all. The religious points of view also cover the topic on the treatment of animals. Cultural practices on eating animals around the world differ from each other and what some may consider the norm may be shocking to us North-Americans. Then there is the question about morality is it possible to eat meat and yet still respect animal rights? There are many different angles to look at this topic. We will write a custom essay sample on Eating Meat or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For instance, coming from an Islamic background, I have respect for all living creatures and I am against animal cruelty but, when it comes to eating habits, like Wallace, I eat meat because I â€Å"believe animals are less morally important than human beings†. It does not mean that I do not respect animal rights. There is nothing morally wrong about eating animals. The moral issue stems from whether you, personally, have a problem with eating what was once a living animal. In my opinion, animals are not equal to human beings in terms of morality, critical thinking, decisions vs. instinct, or communication; although, some of them come very close. Most people in North America do not think about the meat they eat. When they go to the supermarket, questions such as where did the meat come from and under what circumstances did the animals live in, never cross their minds because eating meat is part of their daily intake of food. Most meats come from large scale live stock and poultry production facilities. These facilities often keep animals in crowded conditions where they cannot move. Calves to be slaughtered for veal often have their hooves nailed to boards so that they will remain stationary. Chickens at processing plants have their beaks clipped to prevent them from attacking each other, a situation which would be less common except that four to five chickens are often kept in a cage with hardly room for one. The idea is simple to process them as quickly and efficiently as possible in assembly line production without regard to animal safety. Their only purpose for existence is for human consumption for food. These types of farming practices are cruel and immoral but the reality is, today, everything revolves around efficiency. Population is growing at a high rate so, to maintain the balance of food animals have to be grown at a high rate as well and as efficiently as possible. Factory farming has become a norm in society and humans are on the top of the food chain. So the argument most people hear is: is eating meat morally right? Instead, they should be asking about the treatment of the animals prior to processing. There is a difference between eating an animal and respecting animal rights. Factory farming may be a norm when it comes to satisfying our gustatory pleasures from eating meat but there are many different ways to look at the moral sides of this. Furthermore, I am a Muslim and I have been eating meat for as long as my teeth were able to chew it. The religion of Islam states that animals exist for the benefit of human beings but at the same time prohibits the cruelty to animals. Also, causing unavoidable pain and suffering to the defenseless and innocent animals is not justifiable under any circumstances. The Qur’an (Holy Book) says animals can be eaten for food but only through certain methods of slaughtering. The animal has to be slaughtered with a sharp object (knife) and in a fast way so that pain of the slaughter is minimized. The swift cutting of the vessels in the neck disconnects the flow of blood to the nerve of the brain which is responsible for feeling pain. While dying, the animal appears to struggle, shake and kick. This is not due to pain, but due to the contraction and relaxation of muscles which are deficient in blood and the blood flowing out of the body. These slaughtering practices are very different from the ones in North America. It is important to have an open minded perspective when discussing the morality of animal slaughter since differences in cultural practices exist. Some other religions consider certain animals to be sacred, but thats a different topic. Just because we kill an animal for food does not mean we cannot show affection and take care of them. I do not see anything immoral about eating meat. Eating is a part of human nature just like drinking water and sleeping. Continuing this further, animals deserve to be treated with respect even if they are going to be slaughtered for human consumption or not because just like humans, they also inhabit earth. Treating animals the same as humans and whether they deserve the same treatment are individual choices. Every human has the choice to eat meat or to be a vegetarian. Wallace states in his article that â€Å"the whole animal-cruelty-and-eating issue is not just complex, it’s also uncomfortable†. By this he means that killing any animal and then eating it is cruel. Just the thought of it is very uncomfortable. Any person who enjoys eating meat will know this because the animal obviously had to be killed in order for the meat to be processed. It all depends on our personal values in life, so I do agree with Wallace when he says animals are less morally important than human beings. Morals are man-made things: they are the right way of behaving or acting in different situations. Being able to determine right from wrong and choosing which action is appropriate. On the other hand, animals do not have morals; even if they did they would not be able to express them in human terms. A cow for instance cannot critically think for itself and chose from right or wrong nor can they make life changing decisions. Pigs are considered one of the smartest animals yet; markets are flooded with pork products. Since humans are on top of the evolutionary chain, they have control over what they eat and how they can produce it. Is it morally acceptable to raise animals for slaughter? In my opinion, yes it is. But I certainly would rather buy meat that comes from animals who did not endure miserable existences on factory farms. The meat is healthier, the animals are happier, and this seems like a mutually beneficial result of humane farming practices. It costs more, but good food usually does. I dont think there is anything morally wrong with eating meat and caring for animals at the same time. I know there are some religions that are against eating certain types of meat. Some religions consider certain animals to be sacred, but thats a different topic. Thats about religion, not morals. I think the majority of people that argue the moral issues of eating meat tend to be concerned with the treatment of the animals. There are ways to raise animals for meat in a compassionate way. Animals do not have to be tortured when they are processed for their meat either. There are humane ways to handle meat processing. But again, meat processing is a different issue from eating meat. I really do not see any moral implications against eating meat.

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