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Goodbye, crazy lady, I enjoyed repeatedly throwing you to the ground.
By this point, Lent is the only holiday (season) that I trust. Can you buy "Have a solemn and depriving Lent" cards? Lenten decorations? "Lent" aisle at your local everything-store? Lenten candy? Only if you go to random places online, and that's awesome. There are only two kinds of calendar-based celebrations I can have where I'm not obligated by social pressures to throw money at my happiness: holidays I invent, and Heaton-esque holidays that no one else cares about. The problem with the second group is that precious few of them are actually meaningful, which is where Lent shines. Even outside of the religious connotations (and they're pretty compelling to those of us that buy into them), giving yourself a specified amount of time to spend exercising the self-control that people seem not to be so keen on these days seems like a patently good idea. After giving up caffeine and carbonated beverages and intellectual posturing in previous years, I find myself better able to refrain from the kinds of overindulgence to which I know I'm genetically predisposed. I even try to emulate this process in other parts of the year (cf. my various personal experiments) but that then falls into category 1 of the holidays above, which is not quite as much fun.
You know it's an odd week when you have a Toby Keith song stuck in your head.
So, to help keep myself honest, I'm letting you know that I'm becoming vegetarian for the duration of the season. The logic works like this: there are lots of arguments out there as to why people should be vegetarian, and I've only scratched the surface. I'm going to find out if I need to investigate further by finding out if I'm capable of vegetarianism. My resolve is pretty strong when it needs to be, but I want to make sure that I'm not going to melt from lack of iron or anything. Now, my form of vegetarianism means no flesh of anything that moves under its own power: cow, chicken, fish, squid, etc. Things that are not flesh (Eggs, milk, butter) are still in, as are things that don't move (spinach, nuts, the bedridden elderly). So far, I've had salads, veggie subs, cereal, croissants, and the tastiest spinach artichoke dip in the (un)free world.
Lots of colons today. Also links
The question of the day is then "What good arguments for/against vegetarianism are there?" You should tell me the 1 or 2 really good 2NR kinds of reasons why, if I don't think that I have any moral obligations toward animals that are incapable of engaging in the responsibilities that rights require, I should not eat them. The best arguments I've seen so far come from land use and economic/anti-capitalist sides. The worst ones for me have been the animal rights ones (see above).
Just to see you smile, I'd do anything that you wanted me to.
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5 comments
i can't really give you any good reasons (that aren't selfish) why vegetarianism is bad as long as you get enough of your daily/weekly vitamins.
i can tell you that the "weakest" argument is the one that the (what i will call) "tree huggers" use. animal rights. it makes sense and all, but is very hard to argue for (if you try to do so you will see why).
the strongest argument for vegetarianism is economy. like it would be easier/cheaper for everyone in the world to eat if we all stopped relying upon sentient beings for food. we feed the cows so that we can eat the cows. stop feeding the cows and grow something that we eat instead.
a really good argument to finish out a solid one-two-punch with the economy argument is health. it is healthier to go vegetarian, given that you don't consume too much bleached white rice and other starches AND that you get all of your daily/weekly vitamins. humans can only digest 3 ounces of meat in one sitting, all of the rest of it directly turns into fat or poo (and not the cleansing fiberous kind either). those two are the best debate style arguments for vegetarianism, and haven't really had anyone give me too much hassle after i explain those reasons.
the very best reason of course is "because i feel like it" which no argument can penetrate. but of course that tends to work for all things that you do to yourself which doesn't involve or impact anyone else. it also tends to irritate debaters, which is loads of fun to do.
so, i can't give you an argument against vegetarianism because... i can't think of any and haven't been presented with any that have values that correlate with my own.
-doug
i see this argument as the author giving up and conceding without having to actually sound like he is.
evasion is cute, but often makes one look weak and scared.
Of course, the Marxist view is simple to admire if we believe animals have any value above that of renewable resources.
Then again, canine teeth and incisors seem to indicate that humanity have been eating flesh for quite some time. Who are we to argue with millions of years of natural selection? I mean, the probability seems against you. Have faith in numbers!
Happy Lenten season--did you check out that wicked-awesome Good Friday card? Joyful, to say the least. Anniversary? Of the death of Our Lord? Here's a card!
Remember, Billy, we say it every Sunday: "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed."
And for beeauty, listen to the actual song. Perfection.
You'll walk unscathed through musket fire,
No ploughman's blade will cut thee down,
No cutless wound will mark thy face
And you will be my ain true love,
And you will be my ain true love
And as you walk through death's dark veil,
The cannon's thunder can't prevail,
And those who hunt thee down will fail,
And you will be my ain true love,
And you will be my ain true love.
Asleep inside the cannon's mouth,
The captain cries, "Here comes the rout,"
They'll seek to find me north and south,
I've gone to find my ain true love.
The field is cut and bleeds to red.
The cannon balls fly round my head,
The infirmary man may count me dead,
When I've gone to find my ain true love,
I've gone to find my ain true love
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