Hath Not a Plant Life?

As a Texas cattle rancher I am very familiar with the arguments for veganism and against the consumption of animals for food. As a degreed earth scientist and student of nature who has spent most of his life in the great outdoors, I may have a somewhat broader view of our natural system than many vegan and vegetarian proponents. To those who believe it is immoral to take the lives of animals for food, I would offer this thought: Plants are living creatures as well. Because we do not interact with them the same way as we do with animals does not mean they are not alive. Not eating meat, then, because it means taking life is a weak moral argument. It takes life to make life. Our entire natural system is based on life begetting life, whether animal or vegetable. Even our petroleum products come from ancient life (organic matter, primarily of algal origin, compressed under the weight of sediments and cooked under the earth's heat). The morality or immorality of our behavior is determined by how we treat the animals (and perhaps even plants?) while they are alive. That is where animal husbandry comes in. Conscientious farmers, ranchers, and stock growers every day try to provide the best care possible for these animals we consume while trying to make a living. If you've never shed a tear while putting down a cow that was dying a slow death from an injury, don't moralize over the taking of animal life. Most producers care greatly about their charges. If someone cannot condone the principle of something dying so he can eat, then he should eat rocks...read more

Just don't pick up your rocks on federal land...it's against the law.