On Mon, 8 Jan 1996 17:23:45 -0500 (EST) [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > From:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 17:23:45 -0500 (EST) > Subject: Re: Meat!Meat!Meat!(reprise) > To: STUDIES IN WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENT <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > As a vegetarian, I have often heard the argument about the fact that I > don't eat meat but do eat vegetables. Many a frustrated person has > implored that I give a reason for this distinction. After all, they say > "Don't vegetables have a consciousness too?" > > Indeed, I cannot deny that vegetables may also have minds. The > Gaia view of life and the world is something I do feel some affinity > with. However, it is the case that I do not need meat to live, but do > need vegetables. It is the case that eating meat contributes to the > destruction of the planet, as well as socio/political situations > (starving people and well-fed cows, etc.) Many of the arguments about > the benefits of not eating meat have been posted by others. > > Specifically, I want to point out Carol Adam's book _Neither Man Nor > Beast_ In it she does a marvelous job of deconstructing/analyzing the > argument that vegetable-eating by vegetarians is hypocritical/ I don't > have the book with me (it's in my office at school) so I cannot offer > specific pages, but if anyone has time to pick it up I recommend it highly. > > > Now, onto a different but related subject. An important and unfortunate > thing about vegetarianism in America is the class-related/privleged > aspect of it. There are many obstacles to eating vegetarian if one is > living in a condition of poverty, low income, etc. Some examples are, > the price of vegetables related to say a box of macaroni and cheese, a > can of spam, and other foods that are inexpensive but loaded with > calories and fat and hence "more filling". As a child I recall that my > grandmother often stood in lines for free cheese, butter, and milk and > not vegies, grains, and the like. My feminist-political view thinks that > the economic discrepencies are intentional on the part of those who > benefit from meat-eating. Intentional in the same way that the > government-endorsed food guidelines maintain that eating meat is > important. Sure, it is important, but to what groups? > > There are also issues of time that are directly tied to economic > privilege. As I have developed a vegetarian life-style, I have also had > the time to read and educate myself about what foods I should eat, what > supplements I should take, etc. Speaking from personal experience, I > have many family members who would never be able to invest the same > amount of time to such matters. Time is money as they say. > > I bring up the economic factors because it is something that has bothered > me for some time. As a feminist I agree with theorists such as Adams who > connect systemic treatments of women to systemic treatments of animals. > As a feminist I also realize that vegetarianism is not something I can > apply as a universal standard. Due to economic and political oppression > there are many people who cannot make the choice to not eat meat. > Vegetarianism is not something I cannot expect from all persons, even all > feminists concerned with the environment, until certain socio-economic > conditions are changed. > > How do others feel about this? > > Lori Parker > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > *please excuse any typographical errors* :) I think you raise some really good points here. Especially the point about time. I think your point about cost must be specific to your context. In the UK meat is quite expensive and a vegetarian diet is on the whole cheaper. Taking into account the class differences in health which are repeated throughout many countries and the evidence that a balanced meat-free diet is significantly healthier could not a veggie diet be a form of class resistance?? Richard :) :) -please excuse me but I have just discovered netiquette and I wanted to express two happy faces in this disembodied and impersonal medium.
