So you take someone to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

[mdwyer]

Honestly, the whole idea of raising living beings for food is really disturbing to me. There's a disturbingly narrow line between eating canines and eating bovines. Yet one is morally repugnant, and the other is delicious! It's better if I I just don't think too hard about where my steak came from...

So, yeah. I understand the vegetarian angle. I know about eating at higher trophic levels. I'll even grant that we're not designed to eat meat. (I don't think we were 'designed' at all. But that's a whole other argument...)

But it is sort of difficult to argue with success. I mean, we got where we are today by, generally, eating meat. Meat offered us the concentrated protein, that allowed us to get off the farm and into the laboratories, factories, etc.

I'd like my meat to be healthy and treated well. It should be raised in an environmentally sustainable way. I'd like it to be grass-fed, thank you, and humanely killed. I'd like it carefully ground, lovingly grilled with a dash of salt, and placed on top of an egg bun with some applewood-smoked pepper bacon, a hint of BBQ sauce, a little lettuce, a slice of tomato, some grilled onions and a slice of mild cheddar cheese. I'd like it parked neatly between a cold wheat beer and a pile of shoestring fries.









But in a pinch I'll settle for a number two combo, no onions, no pickles, medium sized, iced tea, to go.

[kpaske]

I'd like my meat to be healthy and treated well. It should be raised in an environmentally sustainable way. I'd like it to be grass-fed, thank you, and humanely killed. I'd like it carefully ground, lovingly grilled with a dash of salt, and placed on top of an egg bun with some applewood-smoked pepper bacon, a hint of BBQ sauce, a little lettuce, a slice of tomato, some grilled onions and a slice of mild cheddar cheese. I'd like it parked neatly between a cold wheat beer and a pile of shoestring fries.

Now THAT makes me hungry...

Bart - I've heard those arguments before and while compelling, you also have to factor in evolution. Chopper already explained why the shorter digestive tract gave us a physiological advantage of having a body more adapted to thinking than digestion, and that advanced brain allowed us to learn to cook and create tools and weapons, making the sharp teeth of the typical carnivore obsolete. In addition, the complete proteins found in meat are very difficult to duplicate with an all vegetarian diet. However, if you don't believe in some form of creationism/intelligent design, it's very difficult to argue that we have a purpose or were "meant" to do anything. Oh, and let's not forget that meat tastes and smells so darn good, giving further evidence to the fact that we're supposed to eat it! I even have vegetarian friends that agree to that fact, but it's more an ethical issue for them.

Chopper - Well now you have some great office dirt to use as leverage any time she starts acting up... "remember that time you lost your lunch at Ruth Chris?"

[JHarris1385]

i have never really been a fan of steak. For one reason; it simply bores me that it takes so long to chew - it started during childhood. This plays right into what Bart has been saying. I dont like it becuase the taste does not compensate for my short attention span, now if it tasted better I would give it time. It only takes this amount of time versus other foods becuase our mouths are not completely desinged to eat cooked slabs of meat.

I know there will be comments as to me not eating meat. Im not vegan or veggitarin either. I just prefer seafood vs a thick slab of meat.

Furthermore, we are not made to easily digest it either and that is a fact. It is proven that our body goes into overkill to break it down.

[kpaske]

OK, I will agree with one thing - I too prefer good, quality seafood over meat in my daily diet. If fresh seafood were readily available and affordable, I'd probably get most of my proteins that way, but chicken and beef are much cheaper, readily available, and easy to prepare. But I'd still need a really good steak every once in a while just to remind me I'm at the top of the food chain. b;

[Chopper]

Got a tee shirt with a picture of a Manatee on it, that says...Meat is meat, and my family's got to eat...always well received at Blue Springs Park when you take the kids to see the Manatees.

[mdwyer]

OK, I will agree with one thing - I too prefer good, quality seafood over meat in my daily diet.

I'm born and raised in Colorado. We've got a ways to go to get good seafood. In case you're wondering, Rocky Mountain Oysters aren't sea food...

[Chopper]

Look.....the cow eats the green stuff, and I eat the cow.....I see no need to duplicate the process