Why Some Animal Lovers Eat Meat

I have always loved animals, sometimes more so than people honestly. If you compare the behavior of some individuals to that of your pet, you can't help but feel that animals can be much kinder than some humans.

I know I'm not the only person who feels this way; bearing that in mind, it seemed very strange to me that given the circumstances, some animal-lovers, while very kind to animals, looked at them in two completely different ways. The first: kind, cute, harmless ANIMALS. The second: delicious, juicy, medium-rare DISH OF THE DAY. Basically, they have the ability to transform according to their surroundings, in this case, a Restaurant or a Petting Zoo.

Why do some people who adore animals, feel completely fine with eating them?

1. Disassociation

People tend to phase out colorful, seed pecking, egg-laying chicks and chickens while devouring a 16 piece "family" bucket at KFC. The last thing on a person's mind is a cute baby black and white calf when they're alone with their Big Mac or Double Whopper. For hours, people marvel, stare and glare at the sight of ducks swimming in the Serpentine at Hyde Park and then fail to make any connection while ordering duck a l'orange (for the lack of a less fancy dish currently on my mind) for dinner after a long and relaxing day. It's as if animals grow on trees... Medium-well veal couldn't mean cooked baby cows, could it?!

2. Cultural Acceptance

In most, if not all cultures, it is completely normal to eat meat. In some cultures it might even be considered rude/cheap if a host did not to offer meat at a dinner party they were holding. I for one was repeatedly ridiculed for being a vegetarian when I was back home, an attitude that I find judgmental, shallow and ignorant. The death of other living creatures has become an appropriate, acceptable and even central ingredient in our daily breakfast, lunch and dinner.

3. Religious Beliefs

Generally, I prefer not to criticize religions as I've found it to be a good way to lose friends quickly. I decided to stick only to analysis which results in mildly less upsetting consequences- they just try to "save" me. That being said, most religions don't prohibit killing and eating animals, SO, some people feel they have a green light to skip ethics and common sense. It has also been pointed out to me that animals were created only for people to exploit them; having just read yesterday that male Koalas have two penises, I certainly hope that's not true. This is me NOT criticizing. You can imagine how I get when I go for it.

4. Legal

As long as you're not breaking the law, there's no need to use your brain. If everyone had adopted this attitude, black people would have remained slaves and women today would still be unable to vote. If you think about the things that people do to animals and then contemplate the consequences of doing the same to a human being you'll get, well... HANIBAL! Remember how twisted it was watching Anthony Hopkins "having" Ray Liotta for dinner?

5. Easy, Available & Cheap

If you like the taste of meat but lack the time, energy or ‘courage' to go hunting, skinning and cooking, you can save yourself the hassle; just go down to the nearest supermarket, buy a cheap, precooked readymade meal and just pop it in the microwave. The downside however is that beef might actually turn out to be horse, dogs or cats. Same thing if you honestly think about it; non-human.

6. Someone Else does the Dirty Work

Back in the Golden Days, it was every caveman for himself. You had to cut down a tree, fix a proper thick piece of wood, look for an unsuspecting animal with less brainpower than you, clog it on the head, drag it back home, start a fire, skin it, cook it and FINALLY, eat it. This went for everything else. Everyone had to be their own doctor, engineer, builder, teacher and chef. Now, we just hire a bunch of people we call ‘butchers' to do our dirty work for us. We skip the blood, pain and effort- we order home delivery.

People deliberately choose to disassociate live animals with cooked animals for the sake of having a tasty meal and a peaceful mind. They're not ready to stand up for something that is obviously wrong if it means opposing their culture's beliefs. They'd rather eat whatever they like, choosing convenience over logic; very similar to another lazy attitude which is, if it's legal then it must be fine. 

Finally, to the "believers", I will only say that there are over 470 species of sharks and they've been around for more than 420 million years- a bit longer than humans. Coldhearted people who don't care about animals aren't afraid to show it, they don't contradict themselves. But at least they're not hypocrites.

Amr K. Moufid is an Egyptian student studying music in London. You can read more posts by him here.

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