I have been struggling with this for awhile. Looking for input from others on what they believe and think.
How can I say I am all for animal rights and eat meat? It has been shown over and over most cows, pigs etc live in terrible conditions and are not treated nicely. How can I support that industry.
I am waffling back and forth on this issue and will be honest I love the taste of meat. If the animals were treated humanily and killed quickly I don't think I would be having this issue with my values.
It is my values and guilt that are making me think of this over and over again.

You can stop eating animals and buying animal skins.
You can fight for new laws.
You can contribute to organizations who do that for you.
You can pay more for humanely raised and killed animals, if you believe that's possible (many do).
You can make a conscious effort to eat less meat while you struggle with this.

Sounds like you are vegetarian joy. (I am assuming that is). How do you get enough protein etc to eat healthy?
Right now I have been fighting for animal safety (pets) mainly. I do think I will start broadening my fight for animals. I guess what I am getting from your post is baby steps and I need to figure out what is right for me.
Thank you for your input

No mogrann, I am not a vegetarian, but eat less and less meat over the years. I too think about any animal slaughter, and the way egg-laying chickens are treated, and dairy cows, even dolphins caught in fish nets. I haven't figured out what to do either.
Enough protein? Adele Davis wrote in the 60s that we didn't need nearly as much protein as many Americans eat. I admit that I'm too lazy to combine grains, beans, seeds in the right ways so eat dairy, eggs, and some fish and chicken. A tiny bit of beef, even less of pork.

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Do you know about the efforts by animal activist/scientist Temple Grandin to make cattle slaughterhouses kinder and less stressful for the animals? There are others like her helping to improve conditions for poultry and other food animals, as well as for horses (Premarin, a drug for menopause) and animals that help humans with research and product development. PETA can get pretty extreme at times, but they do have a lot of worthwhile things to say and ways to help animals.

Wondergirl is that the professor who is autistic? If yes I have heard about her. PETA I will not support at all because they believe in BSL. Yes they do good work but how they treat pit bulls goes against my values.

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Originally Posted by mogrann

Wondergirl is that the professor who is autistic?

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Yes, that's the one. I've read most of her books. My editor (Veronica Zysk) who published a story I wrote is good friends with her and has edited some of Temple's books.

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PETA I will not support at all because they believe in BSL. Yes they do good work but how they treat pit bulls goes against my values.

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I know nothing about PETA except for the wild stories I read in the newspaper. I should check up on them.

I heard about her from a friend. She figured out how to herd cows to slaughter so that they would be less stressed and would not have to forced. I would be interested in reading her books too... Christmas idea for hubby and he can get it used as well I don't need brand new

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Originally Posted by mogrann

I heard about her from a friend. She figured out how to herd cows to slaughter so that they would be less stressed and would not have to forced. I would be interested in reading her books too... Christmas idea for hubby and he can get it used as well I don't need brand new

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Thinking in Pictures and Animals in Translation are two good ones to start with. Amazon or Alibris or Powell's have used books for good prices.

Temple Grandin was autistic with a brilliant mind, and a gifted artist.

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Originally Posted by tickle

Temple Grandin was autistic with a brilliant mind, and a gifted artist.

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She's still alive, by the way and younger than you and I are. ;) I don't know anything about her being a gifted artist, though.

She had to present her plans and drawings for better management of the herding process at the slaughterhouse, yes, she was a gifted artist.

Grandin Original Drawings

She was born in 1947.

Google has a wealth of information on her.

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Originally Posted by tickle

She had to present her plans and drawings for better management of the herding process at the slaughterhouse, yes, she was a gifted artist.

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Ah, very true! I think she considered a career in architecture -- her spatial sensibility is wonderful. And she has a fantastic understanding as related to animals and being able to see/feel things from their point of view -- the scary flapping-in-the-breeze rag draped over the fence rail, the not wanting to walk from bright sunlight into a dark building, the slippery footing on the chutes and walkways... thus her ability to design those new slaughterhouses and manage the cattle.

I love animals too and was conflicted about eating meat, but watching many nature shows made me believe that it is okay to eat meat. Many animals kill and eat other animals so that doesn't make it wrong for people to eat animals. Many say that it is inhumane but animals often kill other animals in very brutal ways, such as an owl or hawk snatching a mouse or other small rodent, or lions and tigers killing a young or injured antelope.

I am not a hunter of animals, but do love fish. I do eat meat, but would not kill anything, unless I were starving and had to. Pinto beans, Navy beans, or any other beans are a very good source of protein.

To be honest I think I would not have as much of a problem with it if they animals were allowed to live as they were meant to and when it came time to kill them it was done humanly and quickly.
One day I will be able to afford to shop at farmers markets where I can find out how the animals are raised etc. Until then I will have to struggle with this