Vegetarian Discussion TopicsVeggies has feelings..? ._____.
Posted by alicece
at 11/13/2012
Of course no, but how can explain that for my friends. They all are meat eaters and can't eat something without meat. I'm the only vegan in my school and just a few vegetarians I think.
I'm 13 years and live in Sweden, here we get free lunch in school, my food it's okay (even if they often forgot that I don't eat egg or even are vegetarian..). When the whole school ate soy tacos for lunch (amazing huh?), they don't knew it, and they love it cuz they think it was meat (later i explained that it was soy tacos) ;). We have (had..) vegetarian monday in school, but now they serving sausage too, because so many protests from pupils).
But they "think", or have bad arguments like "veggies have feelings too, flowers sleep on the night, they can die, they growing, they feel if you cut it...", "but i must eat chicken too survive, HAHAHAH", "I don't care about them, they are yummy anyways", "It's our choice, YOU can't force us", "vegetarian food taste so euuuuw", "you're too nice, they die BEFORE they heads cuts off hahaha", "i want MEAT MEAT MEAT!!!", and then all of them laughing...
Sometimes i feel like I just don't do more, they talk about it almost every lunch, it's like they 5 against me. :I
Someone who have some tips? c:
Responses
I used this one for a while when people tried to be a smart ass and say that I'm killing plants.
It's simple, I don't eat anything that was alive. Plants have a "life cycle", animals are alive.
It's simple, I don't eat anything that was alive. Plants have a "life cycle", animals are alive.
Hi, alicece. People raise this argument when they're afraid to talk about the suffering that they inflict on animals when they eat them. If you must respond to these silly arguments, tell your peers that science has proven that animals suffer when we eat them. But science has not yet proven that plants suffer when we eat them. So, vegans choose to eat plants.
If that is not good enough for your peers, simply ask them to prove that plants suffer as much as animals. It would be an interesting research activity. If someone does prove this, nominate them for a Nobel Prize for their groundbreaking discovery!
If that is not good enough for your peers, simply ask them to prove that plants suffer as much as animals. It would be an interesting research activity. If someone does prove this, nominate them for a Nobel Prize for their groundbreaking discovery!
Kids usually don't need much of a reason to tease each other. If it isn't diet its the clothes you wear, or how straight your teeth are, or what ever else they can make fun of. The best defense against teasing is to show them that it doesn't bother you. Wear your colors and convictions with pride. And with that, you may find that earning their respect is the best way to winning their curiosity.
jive
jive
Here's two things that I've learned when trying to deal with meateaters:
1) When they mention the hurt that plants feel, quickly point out that they can't tell the difference between a carrot and a cow, and until they learn the difference, you're not going to waste your time arguing with a moron. Strange that they would attack you for eating plants when they eat them too! Remind them that the subject is about eating animals, not plants. they always try to skirt the subject and turn things around on you to distract your point. Animals have a central nervous system and feel pain. plants don't have a central nervous system but they do have a right to live. it is true that we should only eat plants that don't have to be killed by us to eat them...fruit WANTS to be eaten (so that you'll swallow their seeds and later fertilize them after digeston) and is karma-free. you can cut the head off a carrot, replant it, and it will grow. so will a lot of vegetables. Seasonal plants, such as grains are arguably already dead or dying when it comes time to harvest them, so it's not us that is killing them. 2) Always remember this in life (something I learned in from being a salesperson): AN OBJECTION IS ALWAYS AN QUESITON IN DISGUISE. When your schoolmates are teasing you, it's because they really want to ask you a question, don't know how or afraid to face the facts, so they resort to teasing and silliness. To address this, you must educate yourself on the flesheating issues and hit them with fact after fact. My favorite one is: "6 out of the 10 top leading causes of death is directly caused by consumption of animal flesh", this would be heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, etc. Did you know that the late popsinger Michael Jackson was a dedicated vegetarian, and he was autopsied after he died and the examiner found absolutely NO arteriosclerosis in his heart, and testified in court that he had never seen this before in any other 50 year old man, that he expected significant plaque and heart disease when he did his examination?
1) When they mention the hurt that plants feel, quickly point out that they can't tell the difference between a carrot and a cow, and until they learn the difference, you're not going to waste your time arguing with a moron. Strange that they would attack you for eating plants when they eat them too! Remind them that the subject is about eating animals, not plants. they always try to skirt the subject and turn things around on you to distract your point. Animals have a central nervous system and feel pain. plants don't have a central nervous system but they do have a right to live. it is true that we should only eat plants that don't have to be killed by us to eat them...fruit WANTS to be eaten (so that you'll swallow their seeds and later fertilize them after digeston) and is karma-free. you can cut the head off a carrot, replant it, and it will grow. so will a lot of vegetables. Seasonal plants, such as grains are arguably already dead or dying when it comes time to harvest them, so it's not us that is killing them. 2) Always remember this in life (something I learned in from being a salesperson): AN OBJECTION IS ALWAYS AN QUESITON IN DISGUISE. When your schoolmates are teasing you, it's because they really want to ask you a question, don't know how or afraid to face the facts, so they resort to teasing and silliness. To address this, you must educate yourself on the flesheating issues and hit them with fact after fact. My favorite one is: "6 out of the 10 top leading causes of death is directly caused by consumption of animal flesh", this would be heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, etc. Did you know that the late popsinger Michael Jackson was a dedicated vegetarian, and he was autopsied after he died and the examiner found absolutely NO arteriosclerosis in his heart, and testified in court that he had never seen this before in any other 50 year old man, that he expected significant plaque and heart disease when he did his examination?
Alicece: First, congratulations on your excellent English, assuming of course that Swedish is your native language! Next, do not feel obliged to justify any of your behaviour which you feel at one with. Even if you could logically argue any principle to another person do not assume that they will accept logic as the final arbiter. Their 'truth' is what they feel comfortable with irregardless of common sense. You know what is right. That is all that matters. There is of course the other question of wanting to fit in. Please appreciate that deeply caring people will never ever fully integrate. You will decide what is most important to you. Your friends may be personally wrestling with their own views on life, and perhaps be envious of yours. Envy can become a little aggressive and hurtful at times. As for vegetables having feelings: Such matters were addressed by author Lyall Watson several decades ago. Their electricity certainly responds to human electricity, but that is entirely a different matter to them having souls and a nervous system on all fours with our own. Fruitarians will no doubt have a different take to my own, and I respect their views. Good luck!
THank you all for answering me :)
Dumballa: Yes, I tryed to say like "Plants LIVE, but they have no feelings, just beacuse they need water doesn't mean that they are alive like animals (or humans). But I will say and explain lifecycle next time, it's sounds better ;)
Asscimo and Jive: haha yes, it's very silly arguments, I think they must find something that's bad with being vegan or vegetarian (i mean actually everything is just good ;). Asscimo, yes, i tryed too say something like that too, they can't find a good answer, just saying like "ehm... but this plant feel if I touch it, plants, animals.. no sense..", it's not an argument.
Vegebald & Longdrive: Longdrive; wow thank you :)
And, thank you all for the tips/arguments, especially that with "you can cut the head off a carrot... Yes, like i writed to Asscimo, they "must" find something that's bad with being veg, if I can persuade them that plants and vegetables don't have feelings, they started to say something about the earth ("but how the soy come here without affecting the earth???") or the humans or whatever the can find. My old classmates said that "VEGANS LIVE SHORTER; I PROMISE!!!!", they asked a teacher and she was like "Oh, of course! You must have meat to survive! What, are you VEGAN?!" I was so stupid that I did not say that vegans live up to TEN YEARS longer! *stupid me*. I will write a list in my phone with cool vegan facts ;)
Michael Jackson, wow!
Thank you all :)
Dumballa: Yes, I tryed to say like "Plants LIVE, but they have no feelings, just beacuse they need water doesn't mean that they are alive like animals (or humans). But I will say and explain lifecycle next time, it's sounds better ;)
Asscimo and Jive: haha yes, it's very silly arguments, I think they must find something that's bad with being vegan or vegetarian (i mean actually everything is just good ;). Asscimo, yes, i tryed too say something like that too, they can't find a good answer, just saying like "ehm... but this plant feel if I touch it, plants, animals.. no sense..", it's not an argument.
Vegebald & Longdrive: Longdrive; wow thank you :)
And, thank you all for the tips/arguments, especially that with "you can cut the head off a carrot... Yes, like i writed to Asscimo, they "must" find something that's bad with being veg, if I can persuade them that plants and vegetables don't have feelings, they started to say something about the earth ("but how the soy come here without affecting the earth???") or the humans or whatever the can find. My old classmates said that "VEGANS LIVE SHORTER; I PROMISE!!!!", they asked a teacher and she was like "Oh, of course! You must have meat to survive! What, are you VEGAN?!" I was so stupid that I did not say that vegans live up to TEN YEARS longer! *stupid me*. I will write a list in my phone with cool vegan facts ;)
Michael Jackson, wow!
Thank you all :)
Alicece: It is SO nice to receive a "Thank you" occasionally. Your thoughtfulness sets a great example for some older members. Also, it is nice to write to someone so young who is so caring and mature. My own view is that 'thinking' takes place on two levels. Most people just associate thinking with mental activity. Sometimes our 'heart,' 'soul,' 'higher consciousness,' call it what you will, thinks differently to our head / brain. My experience has taught me that in most cases my heart takes the better decision as to what is true and right. The only exception to my own personal 'rule' is to listen more carefully to one's brain in matters of love. But, please appreciate, that a 'heart decision' cannot always be explained. Reading your words, my own heart tells me that you will hold strong in your beliefs and continue to be a credit to both yourself and your family. Well done.
I always used to say, "I'll stop eatting veggies the day a carrot walks up to me and says hello" People who choose to eat meat sometimes come up with the most ridiculous arguments because they don't understand not eatting meat.
I suppose animals do say "Hello," each in their special way. I was extremely lucky from my toddler days onwards to have a pater that actively encouraged me to be vegan. He drowned our Lassie dog's nine puppies, then gave he gave her away. She found her way home after knawing through a house door and walking forty miles. So, he gave her away again. She was replaced by two German Shephards - mum and daughter. The daughter 'Wendy' was given to me as a present. When pater got bored with the dogs he had them tied to posts and shot dead by a local farmer. He made it up to me by giving me a rabbit which I named 'Frisky.' Unfortunately though pater fancied a special treat for one Sunday dinner, and Frisky fell onto the menu. As a treat for my visiting step-grandfather he was invited to kill her and of course I was invited to witness this heroic act. His attempt failed so pater enjoyed finishing off my pet. But my father did not lack compassion. That day he did not force me to eat Frisky, although he tried. But he made amends. He acquired for me a pair of mating mice. Sadly I didn't like mice and fell over with their feeding bottle in my hand and tore an enormous hole in my wrist. But pater took me to hospital on his motorcyle for stitches. Always there to pick me up after my frequent traumas. I was too sensitive a child. Pater said so, and he was my hero. I don't know what happened to the mice. Perhaps he ate them too? He ate everything, became very fat, and died from a heart attack aged fifty two. The above true ditty would have made a great song for Burl Ives. I don't know what happened to him, perhaps he got eaten too? Pater owned a real shrunken head. Burl? I'll play a few of his songs tonight. I wonder if Burl has met my pater in the spirit world? "Hello sir, I believe that you are the fellow that ate me." You gotta laugh.
Plants are just as "alive" as animals. The important difference is that animals have a central nervous system, so they can clearly feel pain, and are sentient (having the power of perception by the senses). This is why most animals have mobility, and most plants do not. Mobility allows a being the chance to escape pain.
If it's not causing pain, but the killing that concerns you, a vegan diet demands far less "killing" than a meat and/or dairy centered diet, because vast amounts of vegetation are consumed by farm animals before their trip to the slaughterhouse.
If it's not causing pain, but the killing that concerns you, a vegan diet demands far less "killing" than a meat and/or dairy centered diet, because vast amounts of vegetation are consumed by farm animals before their trip to the slaughterhouse.
Forum moderated by HappyCowGirl
You need to be logged in or registered to post.
