Ask the majority of people living in the out west if they would ever consider becoming a vegetarian and you’ll get the strangest look on their face. Their culture is surrounded with raising and eating livestock as a part of everyday life, as it has been for centuries. Now fly east to New York City and according to Happycow.net there are 375 vegetarian restaurants just in New York City alone, more than enough to eat at a different restaurant every day of the year. It is generally easier to find vegetarian options in urban restaurants than in rural ones. Restaurants that cater specifically to vegetarians are scarce outside places like New York City, parts of the Northeast, and the West Coast; however, this seems to be slowly changing as vegetarian market innovations such as veggie burgers attain greater acceptance, demand, and distribution.

The growing number of vegetarians is expected to grow slowly, but why? Why are these people vegetarians? Some do not partake in meat because of religious views. Some vegetarians do not to eat meat because of the way the animals are treated at meat processing plants. Thousands of cows for example are moved around in cage like devices given only a couple of square feet to live in a cage and then must pop their heads out of a hole to eat whatever is put into the trough. Many chickens are kept in 1 foot square cages and fed all day, and are never given a chance to walk around. The majority of the time the chicken’s legs never form properly, they grow in a bow like position, not allowing them to stand up or walk. After a few months they are processed for food.

Recently I spoke to 2 vegetarian friends of mine. I asked them why they don’t eat meat. Their response was typical to the average answer given, mistreatment of the animals. I asked what if there was a farm and processing plant were the animals roamed around freely, given vitamins, treated humanely and then killed quickly with no pain. Would they then go back to eating meat? After a couple of seconds their answers were, “No.” So what is the true reasoning behind their discipline?

I applaud the thousands of vegetarians for having the will power to stand by what they believe. But what is their belief? Is it the badly treated animals, giving animals human characteristics, their health? As per almost every health association out there, the vegetarian and pescetarian (fish only) diets are the most healthy diets of today.

If you are in the “I don’t like how the animals are treated cruelty” group, then I would say on top of your diet it also becomes your responsibility to change it or at least try. Not eating meat is not going to stop or even slow down the amount of livestock that is killed every year. According to a poll done in 2004, 2.8%, roughly 8,400,000 out of 300,000,000 of Americans are vegetarians. Out of the 8 million or so 21% claim they’re vegetarians due to Animal Rights. The majority (32%) claim they don’t eat meat for health reason. Not for hormones and chemicals that get pumped into the animals but for reason including cholesterol, and fat contents. Actually the percentage of people that don’t eat meat due to hormones was 15%. The other 32% remaining is attributable to taste, religious reason, and weight loss.

If in fact you believe that animals are treated terribly then lets do something about it. Contact PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals), or Animal Welfare Institute. Check for local and state organizations that fit your cause. Make the difference! Do some research like the ones I did for the article. Get out of your vegetarian chair and start an Animal Rights Revolution. (Peacefully please I don’t want this haunting me!)

My point is, whether we choose to be carnivores, vegetarians, or vegans, we need to look at the cause. We need to ask “Why am I what I am?” “What can I do, to change what I don’t like?” Feed off those questions, organize with others, and start some change.

For an example of animal cruelty, please click on the link below to view a 4 minute, graphic video on chickens.

Contributed By: Felo, Miami, Fl