Ricavito > wrote:
> On Jun 26, 2:50=A0am, Nick Cramer > wrote:
> > "Julie Bove" > wrote:
>
> >
> > > > Julie. Don't tell anyone, but I was a vegetarian in the late 60's
> > > > and early
> > > > 70's.
> >
> > > I went mostly vegetarian at about age 12. =A0We did eat some meat at
> > > ho=
> me,
> > > but we had meatless Mondays, perhaps in an effort to save money and
> > > als=
> o
> > > had meatless meals other times of the week. =A0I didn't really think
> > > ab=
> out
> > > it much.
> > > [ . . . ]
> >
> > I became a vegetarian out of compassion for other living creatures. I
> > stopped after about ten years. Having a steak, charred blood rare,
> > tomorrow.

> This is precisely the problem I have with eating meat, which I have
> never fully given up. I like a steak cooked just as you described.
> If I had to kill an animal to eat, I don't know if I could do it. I
> can't even fish anymore.

I started killing chickens when I was seven. I was probably younger when I
started fishing. I started hunting when I was in my late teens. They all
tasted good.

> I ran over a small bird that the wind blew into my path a few weeks ago,
> I saw it turn to face me and square its little birdy shoulders the
> instant before I hit it and then I burst into tears and had to pull
> over.

I was tooling down the Interstate on my motorcycle, when a pigeon flew into
my chest. I had to pull over, too.

> It has gotten so bad that last week I got teary eyed and morose
> after I drowned an ant's nest -- they were marching out of the flood
> carrying the larva on their backs -- they want to live too!

Don't drown them! Go to a swimming pool supply store and get the finest
grind diatomaceous earth you can. Pour a ring of it around (not over) the
entrance to their nest. It's not toxic and works for fleas, too. I use
boric (boraxic) acid, which is toxic, for cockroaches. We have no
cockroaches. Noo ants or fleas, either. ;-)

> I realize this is not a healthy reaction, and maybe a little neurotic,
> but if I have to feel this way, where do I draw the line? Stop eating
> meat? Stop driving? Stop gardening? Practically, no. So I brake for
> animals and garden without pesticides . . .

We don't use pesticides because we (including preteen kids) eat the
produce.

> . . . and put up bird feeders and set out food for stray cats and
> volunteer at the animal shelter . . .

Are the bird feeders squirrel-safe? I don't think feeding stray cats is a
good idea. It encourages bad behavior.

> . . . and give money to the Humane Society

I hope you carefully researched the agenda of whichever group you're
supporting.

> . . . and try to eat only meat (or eggs, dairy, etc.) from
> animals that have been treated humanely. That's hard to do sometimes
> because either you don't know for sure or it can be so damn expensive.
> We're fortunate in that we can afford to eat those foods for the most
> part, but as a consequence we do eat less meat and more vegetables --
> can't be a bad thing ;-) Of course, lately I've noticed tender feelings
> toward my garden plants.

Kosher meat comes from animals that have been raised and killed humanely.

> Gosh, I don't know where that came from, but I feel better now :-)

Good. Keep in touch with your feelings, but thimk!

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
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Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~ USMC 1365061