27 Words: 4 The Ethics of Vegetarianism

2219 Words: 402
There are many reasons why people become vegetarians. A lot of people do it for ethical reasons, and there are a multitude of these. The following are some of the ethics behind vegetarianism.
Some people feel that it is simply not ethical to eat living things when there are other options. Nowadays most people can survive quite well on products that are vegetarian. There are so many options out there. Now there are even more choices than ever before because in the grocery store you will find a huge section of meat substitutes. They may feel that it is wrong to take the life of another – even if it is an animal – when you do not need to in order to survive.
Unfortunately, the animals are often not treated correctly. Many of the farms and places where they raise and butcher meat are very unethical. A lot of times they are very cruel to the animals. They do what would be considered animal cruelty if it happened to an animal such as a dog or a cat. Even some of the regular practices such as debreaking chickens can be very painful for the animals. In a lot of cases they painfully kill the animals that they do not want. A lot of times the animals are kept in absolutely horrible conditions. They may have no room to move around, and it may be very disgusting. They may fill them full of hormones and make them horribly sick. They will kill them inhumanely, even baby animals. Unfortunately, it is not just the outliers that do this but many of the companies that produce meat. A lot of people feel that if you buy the products where such treatment occurs than you are supporting it and helping it continue. By not giving your money to buy these products you are not helping it continue. Some vegetarians would eat meat if the animals were treated better (and in fact there are some people who are not vegetarian but will only eat meat that is better treated). Unfortunately, a lot of the companies that even tout better treatment of the animals are still not great. Sometimes it is just a marketing scheme and they will do what they can get away with.
There are many reasons involving ethics why someone would be a vegetarian. The above reasons have compelled many to follow this route.
Updated On: 05/01/2010 Published On: 05/01/2010 Gift basket ideas for retired veterans