I not sure what started me thinking about this … perhaps it is the comments I get from my family and in-laws of “you’re not going to try to raise your child as a vegetarian are you?” While I often try to re-evaluate myself and my internal baggage, external comments like these seem to bring it up all over again.

I first began dabbling in vegetarianism when I decided to eat healthier … by healthier, I mean, not eating at fast-food restaurants. Then I got somewhat scared at eating meat products at any restaurant. I mean, do you really know who is charge of cooking your food? And this lead to questioning the safety of meat at a grocery store.

As soon as I started cooking more interestingly, my meat consumption dropped without regret. If I could eat flavorful Thai food that was just vegetables, then I didn’t feel the need to add meat.

Later on in my life, I actually had some allergy tests done, and found out that I was allergic to most meat. Further confirmation that my lifestyle was appropriate for me.

You can’t be a vegetarian for any reason without considering the moral issues. I personally think that death is not that big of a deal, and the eating of another animal is just … well, life. However, the treatment of animals while they are living is another thing. I avoid eggs from caged hens for moral reasons.

Maybe this is the reason that I still eat fish, as I always thought that the fish had a good life in the ocean, swimming around and all. Eating fish like this seemed much better. However, now fish are being raised in “farms.” Hmm… the physical and dietary abuses of cattle are unbelievable, and if it weren’t for the fact that you can’t torture fish too long and have them survive, that caged fish might live somewhat well.

You think? I don’t know. Do fish realize that they are caged? Would they prefer cages with easier to catch food than working at in the open oceans? Who knows. What is clear to me is that fish from the ocean taste far better than farm fish. Maybe I just prefer the spicy flavor imparted from a life of adrenaline.

It is far easier to think about ideals… living them is such a bother.   My wife is not vegetarian, and unlike me, eats dairy as well. I will let my daughter decide for herself what she wants to eat, however, it does seem impossible to me that anyone who reads about the life of a cow in the industrial United States could actually eat beef.