Why am I a vegetarian?

One of the question ppl often ask me is "So why are you a vegetarian?" (Other questions include: "How can anyone love books that much?", "Why are u so lame?" and "When will u get a boyfriend?" For the last question, 90% of the time it comes from my mom. But let's save those questions for other posts.)

Been a vegetarian for about 7 years now - I remember it cuz I became a vegetarian nearing my birthday - and truly, I can't think of me not being a vegetarian, of ever converting back to the way of the majority - omnivorism with a dash of McDonaldism. (My mom did hope that this was "just a stage", but she gave that up several years ago. Well, I am a strong-willed child, after all.)

So why did I become a vegetarian? Contrary to popular belief, it's not because my pet gold fish drowned when I was small, leaving in me a deep psychological scar. Part of the reason is that I think vegetarianism is healthier. (which is why I don't like chinese vegetarian food, laden with oil n seasonings) Another reason is that I'm convinced my vegetarianism is my own little contribution to making the world a better place. It takes much less resources to feed a vegetarian, and the environmental impacts concurred in the process are also much less fatal. Consider this:

1. In terms of resource use, it takes 8 kg of grain to produce 0.5 kg of beef, but 0.5 kg of grain to produce 0.5 kg of bread. If u remember ur energy pyramid, u'll notice that only 10% of energy is transferred to the next level. All tt stuff about energy efficiency when u'r a primary consumer is real-life stuff, my friend.

2. Accordingly, much more land is required to feed a meat eater than a vegetarian. And most of the land cleared for farming comes from forests cleared by slash-and-burn. That includes land from the threatened Amazon rainforest, by the way.

3.If ppl in America reduce their meat consumption by 10%, enough grain would be saved o feed 60 MILLION PEOPLE. So yeah, I kinda become a vegetarian as a way to reduce my guilt over starving ppl in Africa.

But there's one primary reason behind my decision to be a vegetarian: I love animals too much to eat them. Simple as that. I can't stand the sheer hypocrisy of saying "Awww, that chick is so cute!" and then having fried chicken for lunch. Can't stand restaurant/food advertisements using cute-ified cows/chickens (like KFC's chicken) cuz the reality is not cute at all. I mean, how can u use an image of a plump, laughing chicken to promote chickens bred for profi in appalling conditions, slaughtered inhumanely juz to preserve the best taste? (Oh yes, there are ways. Horribly horrible ways) Can't stand the thought of factory farming either. (Google the term n u'll soon find out that humans breed and slaughter their feed using the cruelest of methods. Some pppl have the cheek to say "Well, I'm not technically the one that does the job, am I?" Think demand-and-supply, friend.) I read books and saw images on factory farming and slaughtering 7 years ago, and decided that I'll be vegetarian right away. Stopped eating meat and anything with eyes without any "transition stage". I just totally stopped eating meat one day, n that's it.

Having said all that, I don't think that as a vegetarian I'm standing on a moral high-ground, having the right to view non-veg with smug pride and disdain. For me,the feeling is no more than facing a junction with another person,and then I chose to turn left while he chose to turn right. No point being so smug about choosing one way over another.

The shit about humans being created to "have dominion" over all the earth and of protein malnutrition? Ask me directly if u wanna know my opinion, I'll galdly spare some time explaining why I call them shit. (ok the protein stuff might have some grain of truth, seeing as I'm verically challenged..but that's a risk I'm willing to take. Love needs sacrifices, anyway.)

Hufh..there were days when I wanted to do anything possible to save those animals from a fate worse that death .(Namely, being killed merely for another creature's tastebuds.) No, I don't dream of having my photo in some spandex costume splashed on the front page,"The ANIMAL ACTIVIST Strikes Again!!",but I did try to tell ppl about vegetarianism. Nowadays though, I eat my broccoli and carrot quietly. Enough if I can get ppl to eat meat with gratitude, since, however they wanna view it, another living thing died so that they may live, and live with pleasure.