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Marilyn Davis's avatar

Brown cows should be Jerseys or Guernseys , especially in Vermont IMNSHO :-). And if you get to know them, they all have personalities. I have no problem eating meat, except for the way meat is grown these days in factory farms destroying the environment and lives of the workers in the meat industry. Eggs and milk are just as much a problem. I get mine local mostly, pasture raised.

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Terry J. Allen's avatar

that is pretty much my approach, although i do have qualms, even for well-raised animals.

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Ann Stanton's avatar

I'm curious about the undocumented workers on the farm that you and I both know of (although it could be one of two). How does that work? You know so much more than I about the migrant workers in VT.

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Susan Forste's avatar

This is why I don't eat meat. Theoretically, like you, I don't object to eating meat if the animals are treated well, but usually you don't know how well the animals are treated, and once you stop eating meat, it just isn't necessary and you don't miss it at all.

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Terry J. Allen's avatar

I have no explanation for my meat eating (quite occasional, but still...) except hypocrisy, and no justification except that it tastes so good. Bacon ...sigh. Fortunately, I can buy local and known ... mostly. How do you feel about fish?

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Susan Forste's avatar

I love seafood and eat everything except octopuses, and that is because of the movie My Octopus Teacher. In other words, my ethical stance is pretty sloppy. I'm aware of trying to choose varieties that aren't endangered or caught in giant nets that indiscriminately scoop up entire ocean neighborhoods. As you know, I especially love oysters! Recently I was pleased to hear Peter Singer opine that they probably don't feel pain because of their lack of a central nervous system.

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Terry J. Allen's avatar

Love the description "sloppy (tm SF)" and will adopt it. Does trump have a central anything, except ego? how sloppy can we get?

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Susan Forste's avatar

Trump is the mascot for sloppy, on many fronts. And he revels in it.

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Terry J. Allen's avatar

Thanks. I think she is pretty wonderful. I'll take a look. I see that the article described some conditions as "inhumane." I avoided using that word, which seems kind of etymologically bizarre, given that it is humans who are causing the suffering. or am i being too literal.

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Sue Johns Le Grand's avatar

Yes, sometimes what she writes does not resonate properly with me. Then I remember that she's a lot smarter than I am, lives in a completely different brain space than I do, and makes much bigger positive changes to the world, also. In the article she said she has a "cow's eye view" and thinks like a cow. And when I looked up the definition if "inhumane", it seems to be applied to the creator of the conditions, not the recipient. And I'm very glad to have had a great morning mental workout!

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Terry J. Allen's avatar

agree all round.

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