Mmm... slaughter.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:43 pm

I just watched a programme on BBC2 which looked at how animal slaughterhouses work. It boasted that it would make vegetarians of us all. It didn't - in fact I was having my nice meaty supper sandwich as I watched it.
Actually, I was more disturbed by some of the employees - I got the impression that at least one of them would have been an axe-murderer if he didn't chop up cows, sheep and pigs all day long.

Anybody else see this programme? And what do we all reckon about eating meat and the fact that thousands of animals are killed everyday just to satisfy our meaty desires?

Post by **Denyer** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:04 pm

Probably most effective TV with a younger generation which is inclined to anthropomorphise many and varied things.

It does never cease to amaze me how many people have never set foot on a farm, much less seen inside a slaughterhouse. I eat meat, and in a Lord of the Flies situation suspect I'm likely to be the one with the spear or trying to brain something with a rock rather than the one who knows how to gut and prepare a pig.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:27 pm

Well, I can't say that I'd know how to gut and prepare a pig, although I've worked in a slaughterhouse. Didn't seen the programme, though.

In a previous life, I did learn how to top and tail fish, though. So, as long as I can catch 'em, Ill not go hungry.

Oh, and in case you were wondering (probably not, but anyway!), I'm not a veggie, although, during and post- working in the slaughterhouse, I did go off the smell of some meats. For a while, anyway.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:45 am

Someone told me recently that all meat-eaters should be made to keep and slaughter their own animals and that way they would all become vegetarians. Not so - I would much prefer to keep a pig and some chickens in my back yard, as my great-grandmother did. She didn't slaughter the pig herself but she would do pretty much everything else and it would keep her in meat for most of the year. There's nothing wrong with "natural" cuts of meat anyway, even if you're a bit squeamish. It's the reconstituted burgers and bites and all that crap that's really bad for you, and I wouldn't eat that sort of thing anyway.

Personally I think we should make vegetarians grow and harvest all their own vegetables. Right now I'm growing tomatoes, potatoes, rocket, radishes, strawberries, 5 types of mint, rosemary, lavender (thanks C&S!), oregano, chives, onions and one other thing* and it's bloody hard work but incredibly rewarding. I spend something like 75% of my home time in the garden now. God bless wireless internet!

*not necessarily for eating

Eline · Post by **Eline** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 12:40 pm

I used to be a vegetarian for about 10 years. Now I started to eat fish, (mainly out of curiosity) but still no meat.

I'm not sure I'd like to see a slaughterhouse... but thanks to my boyfriend's family who live on a farm (where they keep cows and sell their milk), I know a bit about how things work over there, pretty interesting if you are a city-girl.
His father does kill and prepare turkey for Christmas, but I don't think they slaughter anything else.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 5:43 pm

Nice to hear the lavender is doing well, MV...

After attending India Fest at the Hare Krishna temple last year, Chrissy and I stopped buying meat for consumption in our home and only ate it 1) when going out or 2) when served to us in another's home. I feel much better with less meat and more vegetable, along with less processed sugar (tho I haven't quite got that one down yet.) So I eat less meat for health reasons, and coz I really don't like it much.

Slaughtering animals seems inhumane on the surface, but at the same time, it's difficult for me to really get upset about it because... they're animals! How many of them don't die a violent, horrible death? If it's not a bear's claws it's a wasting disease! I guess I would mostly be opposed to keeping animals in pens all their life and not letting them roam free and have fun before slaughtering day comes up.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:40 pm

Metal Vendetta wrote:*not necessarily for eating

Available in Sainsbury's?

I have the problem where nearly all vegetables taste like stagnant water to me. All the leaf ones, like cabbage, lettuce, sprouts and the like put the taste of a dirty puddle in my mouth. The root ones, like carrots, turnips, swedes etc just make me heave my guts up. This stuff all just tastes so bland and boring. I can get away with some of these in small amounts (and I mean TINY), but only if they're cooked deep into something I like.
I can tolerate peas, onions, sweetcorn, peppers, mushrooms, beansprouts and potatoes, so at least I can have chips and a decent pizza topping.
Of course, this makes dieting rather difficult as I have few options. And I really DO love the taste of meat (mmm... crispy bacon).
Basically, I'd rather not eat at all than eat those horrible vegetables. It makes me too sick. Then again, perhaps my lack of veggies is why I'm always so ill.

I find fruit boring too.

BRING ON THE BEEF!

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 9:03 pm

I know how to gut and skin wild game. I've helped with that countless times at home as a kid. *shrug*. I've worked with meat in a grocery store (gods... I miss that job, I miss my friends...) and I'm a vegetarian. I've got no big deal with meat in general.

(I'll eat fish on occasion though.)

Basically for me it's a respect thing. I don't much like the way barnyard animals are treated... don't like the idea of something being raised for food, pretty much. Nowadays it's "if I couldn't/didn't kill it, I'm not going to eat it".

At the same time, I know not everyone's gonna feel that way and I'm fine with that. To each their own... I've wrapped and been around meat prepared for people to eat, I've cooked meals containing meat for other people, it doesn't bother me. Asides, eating barnyard animals is probably a lot better than if everyone went out and shot something daily, etc...

That show would probably turn my stomach a bit, though. On the one hand, it'd be interesting (things die. People will eat meat. Fact of life.), but on the other...

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 9:09 pm

My sister went vegetarian around ten years ago. She eats seafood though. I don't think she really did it for any particular reason - she certainly doesn't care that animals die for the meat we eat, and it isn't because it's healthy, because she eats all the other crap. I think it was just a fad to her, but she's got used to it now.
She likes vegetarian mince, burgers and sausages, so she obviously still likes the 'meat' angle.

I'd LOVE to be vegetarian and lose some weight and improve my health, but BLLEEARRRGGHH!!!

Señior's Covenant · Post by **Señior's Covenant** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 9:45 pm

Autobloke wrote:She eats seafood though.

The second reason I'll never understand vegetarians. "If it doesn't walk on dry land and I can't hear it scream when it's killed, it's in play!"

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:10 pm

Señior's Covenant wrote:
Autobloke wrote:She eats seafood though.
The second reason I'll never understand vegetarians. "If it doesn't walk on dry land and I can't hear it scream when it's killed, it's in play!"

I don't get why some vegetarians don't consider fish "meat", really. It is meat, goddamnit!

I'll admit that for a long time the reason I didn't eat barn animal but kept eating fish guilt-free was because it was easier to eat something that wasn't furry and 'cute'. Giving up meat is a gradual thing... it took me about two, threeish years to get out of eating wild meat. Being able to rationalize/not think about eating fish made it easier up until I began to really think about it.

It's something I've been pondering for awhile. Like, if I went fishing today I'm not sure that I could kill the fish. So to hold to my own 'beliefs' or whatever, I shouldn't eat fish anymore.

That's the main reason it's slowly working it's way out of my diet. There's more shellfish now, though, for some odd reason... Which raises another little issue in my head. But that's currently on the same thought-level fish used to be on.

That's just me, though.

I don't know. Sometimes I think the entire thing, the entire way I think about it is just rediculous. I know it probably sounds rediculous. *shrug*

Eh, it makes sense in my head (even if it doesn't translate 'out' well) and that's all that matters.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 2:52 pm

Then you get vegans, that don't eat dairy products or eggs etc. I could understand not eating eggs for the 'not killing' angle, but I can't see how having milk and cheese is doing any harm.

And most vegetarians don't mind scoffing seafood because it doesn't look up at you with those big doe eyes set into a cute furry face. At least that's my thought on it.

Eline · Post by **Eline** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:15 pm

I think that when you eat fish, you're not a vegetarian.

So I don't consider myself a vegetarian anymore.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:35 pm

Eline wrote:I think that when you eat fish, you're not a vegetarian.

So I don't consider myself a vegetarian anymore.

Finally, someone with the sense to realise that.
It always made me think of the old joke: 'I'm a vegetarian, but I also eat meat'.
I never said it was a GOOD joke.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 5:47 pm

It describes me pretty accurately.

Vegans think that the hormones and pens and various processes used to produce milk and eggs and cheese are inhumane.

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:50 am

Autobloke wrote: Actually, I was more disturbed by some of the employees - I got the impression that at least one of them would have been an axe-murderer if he didn't chop up cows, sheep and pigs all day long.

That was the most disturbing thing about it!! Christ, those people should not be allowed to go near sharp implements. It was funny when they were asked about their politcal opinions.......or maybe I only laughed to cover up the fact that I was so scared that there are so many stupid people out there, and they have the same rights to vote as me.

The way that bloke took such GLEE from killing things. fair enough, if you want to eat meat it has to be killed, but treat the poor beast with respect ffs. Mind you, he treated the other employees like crap. It was like watching what happened to all the school bullies when they grew up.

On the Fish/vegetarian issue: if you are vegi for ethical reasons, I can see how you justify eating fish. At least it lived wild, enjoyed a natural life (usually - lets ignore fish farms!), and was not killed by a psycho who took pleasure in its final gasping twitches.

Aaron Hong · Post by **Aaron Hong** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:06 am

Autobloke wrote:And most vegetarians don't mind scoffing seafood because it doesn't look up at you with those big doe eyes set into a cute furry face. At least that's my thought on it.

Yeah, everyone knows crustaceans in particular have beady little evil eyes. Evil, I tells ya.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:43 pm

Scraplet wrote:The way that bloke took such GLEE from killing things. fair enough, if you want to eat meat it has to be killed, but treat the poor beast with respect ffs. Mind you, he treated the other employees like crap. It was like watching what happened to all the school bullies when they grew up.

Tattooed pierced nutjob bully guy? That the one you mean?
All I can say about him is 'yeep!'

Do you think that cleaner guy deserved the crap he was getting?

Kup_1 · Post by **Kup_1** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 11:28 pm

Aaron Hong wrote:
Autobloke wrote:And most vegetarians don't mind scoffing seafood because it doesn't look up at you with those big doe eyes set into a cute furry face. At least that's my thought on it.
Yeah, everyone knows crustaceans in particular have beady little evil eyes. Evil, I tells ya.

LOL!!

I tried the veggie thing...once..

I'm sorry. I'm a carnivore at heart. Yes, I've shot a deer and dressed it...Venision stew is the greatest!

I dont mind people hunting if the meat is put to good use. Killing animals for fun...for "trophy" or just for the heck of it..

That I have issues with.

Give me a thick, meaty, tender, fat marbled, grilled to perfection steak any day!!!

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 12:50 pm

Autobloke wrote:
Scraplet wrote:The way that bloke took such GLEE from killing things. fair enough, if you want to eat meat it has to be killed, but treat the poor beast with respect ffs. Mind you, he treated the other employees like crap. It was like watching what happened to all the school bullies when they grew up.
Tattooed pierced nutjob bully guy? That the one you mean?
All I can say about him is 'yeep!'

Do you think that cleaner guy deserved the crap he was getting?

Thats the one! I couldn't have described him better. And I agree...

And the cleaner? No, I quite empathised with him. I reckon he was the only one there a could go for a pint with. He was a bit thick, but at least he was a nice guy (or seemed it).

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 1:11 pm

Kup_1 wrote:I've shot a deer and dressed it

Flats or heels?

Kup_1 wrote:Give me a thick, meaty, tender, fat marbled, grilled to perfection steak any day!!!

Yeah baby!

I felt the Cleaner Guy was getting sh*t he really didn't deserve. That supervisor guy didn't seem to give a crap about bullying in the company, although the bloke that owned the place seemed reasonable and intelligent.
I guess that the cutters are more valuable staff than mopper-uppers who can be easily replaced.
Annoys me though...

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 4:55 pm

Its scares me to imagine working in a place that runs by the law of the playground (or perhaps, the jungle). The 'big men' picking on the weaker individuals just to maintain their place in the pecking order, lest you fall to that position yourself. Makes me sick

Señior's Covenant · Post by **Señior's Covenant** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 4:51 pm

Where's Prime Rib? Seems like this is his kind of topic, y'know?

Nebbie · Post by **Nebbie** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 8:59 pm

The cute and furry angle doesn't work with me. Cows are not cute. Chickens are not cute. Pigs are not cute. I take that back, little pot belly pigs are cute, but hogs are not.

My dad was a hunter before we moved into the city. So I've had lots of strange stuff, although not recently. And where I live, if you hit a deer with your car, you tie it to the top and take it home. Deer can last for ages!

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 12:25 am

Nebbie wrote: And where I live, if you hit a deer with your car, you tie it to the top and take it home. Deer can last for ages!

No point letting it go to waste! You must have a big freezer

jboyler · Post by **jboyler** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 6:50 am

And what do we all reckon about eating meat and the fact that thousands of animals are killed everyday just to satisfy our meaty desires?

*Shrug*

Wolves eat deer. Sharks eat seals. People eat Big Macs.

It's the circle of life.

-J

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 2:44 pm

jboyler wrote:

It's the circle of life.

I thought you were about to break into song there.

I've got no real problem with eating meat. I don't eat much, other than occasional chicken or fish, but thats for health reasons. However, I am uncomfortable with modern methods. I would rather eat an animal that has lead as natual a life as possible and met with a death that was free from suffering as possible (such as a deer unexpectedly run-over

). And yes, I realise that nature causes suffering, and many 'wild' animal suffer horriffic 'natural' deaths, but if the cornerstone of our civilisation is that suffering is minimised, then we owe the same respect to animals that we eat, IMO

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 5:27 pm

jboyler wrote:People eat Big Macs.

I'll get me coat. Dammit, someone's eaten it...

I just didn't really like the way the animals were treated before their deaths. And although the religious-killed ones were seemingly better treated, I thought the fact that they weren't stunned first was horrible. Did anyone see the one with the cut throat that was still alive and slipping around in its own blood?

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 8:05 pm

I don't profess to know much about Halal meat, but I suspect its another of thse religous rules that probably had very good practicle reasons at the time. I'm sure God (in his infinate wisdom!) would have said we could use electro-stunning equipment if it had been available when the religous texts were scribed.

Maybe a Prophet has arisen in modern times to bring forth word of this ammendment. And his name is...........Autobloke

Señior's Covenant · Post by **Señior's Covenant** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 1:23 pm

Scraplet wrote:Maybe a Prophet has arisen in modern times to bring forth word of this ammendment. And his name is...........Autobloke

MAMTHAR!

TransFans.co.uk

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