Originally Posted by Wybiral

I've always wondered why there is so much segregation between animals. If someone did to a dog or cat, the things that happens to pigs and cows on a daily basis, it would certainly be frowned upon... Why?

Personally, I've been a vegan for years, and a vegetarian since I was a little kid. My stance is if I don't have to hurt an animal, I wont. It's not about some strong moral conviction for them or anything... It's about the fact that it is unnecessary, so why continue it?

There's also the health aspect of it... The number one cause of death in Americans is heart disease, which is almost always the result of high cholesterol. The ONLY source of cholesterol is from animal products (notably eggs and milk).

Most humans produce the proper amount of cholesterol (with a small percent of people who actually produce an excess). A medium egg is about 1/3-1/2 of your recommended cholesterol intake. A few eggs and you're over your limit. Toss some bacon and a glass of milk and you're simply asking for heart disease. But people do this daily (and that's just breakfast).

So with such an obvious reason why NOT to eat animal products. Coupled with the fact that they were once living creatures (similar to your dog or cat). And the fact that we have plenty of scientific research to show alternatives to eating animal products (don't be fooled into thinking you can only get protein, vitamin D, iron, and calcium from animals... It's really easy to replace those)

Why is it still so common? Is the taste of a cheeseburger so awesome that you will happily raise your blood cholesterol and raise the demand for a harmless little cow or pig to be killed?