Chew on This

As I do on a daily basis, I was scrolling through Instagram stories and I came across a post that upset me. One of the people that I follow is a vegan and something in her story said to the effect that if you eat meat you cannot love animals. Well not even that you can't love animals, but that you don't.

Now, I'm not a big fan of umbrella statements as it is but THIS one might take the cake. To say that every single person who eats meat does not love animals is absurd. I don't think offended is the right word for it, but when I read it I was mad.

I think the reason this really bothered me so much is not just because I love animals, but because I think people who are often seen as "animal haters" love and care for animals more than the average person. Hunters get such a bad wrap, as some of them should! I do not support hunting for sport, but I do believe in hunting to help control animal populations and for food. My hubby just got his first buck a few weeks ago and when I saw it, I cried, prayed, and thanked the animal for the sustenance that it was going to provide for our family. My hubby is new to hunting, but he also made sure that it was a good shot and that the animal died quickly.

My hubby with his first buck.

We also believe in sustainable farming, so one day we will be raising our own livestock and poultry for meat. I believe in giving these wonderful and beautiful animals the best life possible, and honoring them with a good death as well. Granted, I have not done this yet so I have no idea how I'm going to feel about it and how hard it is going to be, but it is something that I believe in. I believe that we were meant to be good stewards of our environment and that includes the animals. Right now, America is failing dramatically at being a good steward. Feed lots are travesties that need to be stopped. Not only is it producing sub par meat, it is terribly cruel to the animals, and it is destroying our environment. If you do eat meat, we need to start voting with our checkbooks and only buying meat that is from sustainable sources. I know that this is hard because it is much more expensive, but when we can do it, we should.

Cattle on Belcampo Meat Co. farm - pasture raised as they should be!

When you look at the way our meat quality has gone down the drain, it is easy to see that God never intended for us to treat animals this way - as if they were crops, trying to grow as many as possible. When you break down the nutritional value of a typical cow on a feed lot versus one that was raised on a pasture, it is staggering. Well sourced and sustainably farmed red meat is one of the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet. What most Americans put in front of them nowadays is not. The fat content is grossly imbalanced (omega 3's versus 6's), iron content is much lower, and other vitamins and minerals are sometimes missing entirely.

There are some that argue that we could not survive off humanely raised meat due to the population and land requirements, and to an extent they are correct. We could not continue with the same system we currently subscribe to, where literally millions of pounds of meat are thrown out and wasted just so we can all have the specific cut of meat that we are looking for. This has to change. Not only is it incredibly wasteful, but it is also not honoring the animal in its' death by throwing it out.

If you don't eat meat because of ethical reasons I get it and respect it. I have, at times, gone off meat when I was feeling particularly convicted. But when I know where the meat comes from, and that the animals were treated well, I can eat that meat with a clear conscious and know that it is also fueling my body well. If you choose to not eat meat, that's fine, but why is my eating meat not tolerable to you? Why are we becoming a society where if we don't all feel the same way about things that we are suddenly adversaries?

People eating meat is here to stay. It is what we have literally done since humans came into existence. We are omnivores. Our teeth are proof of that. And while there are some exceptions to the rule, most people do well (meaning that they digest well and feel good) including meat in their diet. Instead of being against the consumption of meat, we should be advocating for better conditions for the animals. Instead of focusing on the differences between us and how we feel about this subject, we should focus on what we CAN agree on and think of ways to act upon it, for the good of our health, the animals and the planet.