[peace]

How does every omni on earth know how veal is produced? Im astounded by how many omnis say they wont eat veal, and not only cite the fact that it is baby cow, but that the animals are not permitted to move either.

Were talking hardcore middle-aged omnis who would eat just about any meat set in front of them, bubble-headed college girls from hunting families who normally mock concern for animals, a teenage waitress at an Italian restaurantIve overheard all of them express contempt for veal farming. Just last night I overheard a ******* couple in the grocery store discussing why they would not buy baby cow (they bought chicken instead).

I would just love to know how people who have basically zero knowledge of how any other meat is raised, or any other animal ethics issue, have this universal knowledge about veal? You know theyre not visiting AR websites or getting Farm Sanctuary newsletters in the mail, and veal farms arent exactly the #1 topic on the evening news.

 

[Black Heart]

I don't know about the US, but in the UK there were huge protests in the 90's and blockades of ports where live export of calves was taking place. It was big news and veal farming is banned here now.

 

[Poppy]

But I am still surprised at the number of people who eat it, even after all of the publicity. But I'm also surprised at the number of people who still wear fur. And the number of people who light up cigarettes in restaurants....

 

[TinaNJ]

Because South Park did an awesome episode on it!!! Granted they ended up making fun of vegetarians in the end (you catch a deadly disease called "vaginitis" if you stop eating meat...you start growing small vaginas all over your body until they consume you and you become one giant pussy!) but South Park makes fun of everyone eventually and the episode was hilarious anyway.

Actually I think veal and pate are 2 animal rights issues that have gotten more press and they aren't an "every day" food for most people so they can feel good about not eating them and doing something good for animals without too much hassle on their part.

 

[veggielove]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TinaNJ

Actually I think veal and pate are 2 animal rights issues that have gotten more press and they aren't an "every day" food for most people so they can feel good about not eating them and doing something good for animals without too much hassle on their part.

Ding ding ding.

Most people don't eat duck liver or veal on a regular basis, so when they hear about it, they get disgusted and decide they don't need it. Even when I was an omni, I know that whenever someone at the table ordered veal, everyone attacked them, lol.

But people DO eat chicken, "regular" beef, etc, pretty much everyday, and even if they do hear something, they like to pretend they didn't, because its too much to process, or sounds "radical."

 

[nigel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by veggielove

Ding ding ding.

Most people don't eat duck liver or veal on a regular basis, so when they hear about it, they get disgusted and decide they don't need it. Even when I was an omni, I know that whenever someone at the table ordered veal, everyone attacked them, lol.

But people DO eat chicken, "regular" beef, etc, pretty much everyday, and even if they do hear something, they like to pretend they didn't, because its too much to process, or sounds "radical."

I think this is on the right track. Veal and fur are expensive, so most people don't buy it.

By saying they're giving it up for ethical reasons, they think they're getting good karma points for free.

 

[lilac wine]

I'm not taking a counter positon at all, nigel, because i think i basically agree with you. But a quick point- veal is actually very cheap and readily available in many places in the US. For example, tons of House-of-Pizza type restaurants and sub shops have veal parmesan and veal parmesan subs on the menu that are priced totally comparably with their other pasta dishes and sandwiches. So, it's not a luxury item, necessarily. Although most people probably just don't eat much of it and never have in the US,anyway, so yeah, I guess it's much easier to "give up" something you might have otherwise eaten twice per year anyway. bleh.

 

[nigel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilac wine

I'm not taking a counter positon at all, nigel, because i think i basically agree with you. But a quick point- veal is actually very cheap and readily available in many places in the US. For example, tons of House-of-Pizza type restaurants and sub shops have veal parmesan and veal parmesan subs on the menu that are priced totally comparably with their other pasta dishes and sandwiches. So, it's not a luxury item, necessarily. Although most people probably just don't eat much of it and never have in the US,anyway, so yeah, I guess it's much easier to "give up" something you might have otherwise eaten twice per year anyway. bleh.

You're right. I'll add that a lot of quickie food places that offer veal, especially "veal parmesan," aren't really giving you veal, but cheap beef or pork (there have been a few 60-minute-type exposes on this).

 

[beatricious]

I totally agree, I will never understand why it's ok to eat beef, but not ok to eat veal. How old does a cow have to be before it stops being morally reprehensible to kill and eat it? I know a girl who is completely against veal - she even says that if she was dating a guy and he ordered veal in a restaurant, that would be a deal-breaker for her, because she "draws the line at young animals" (her exact words). So I asked her what she thought of lamb, and she said that lamb is ok because it has "cultural significance". WTF?

 

[Mr. Sun]

Quote:

Originally Posted by veggielove

Ding ding ding.

Most people don't eat duck liver or veal on a regular basis, so when they hear about it, they get disgusted and decide they don't need it. Even when I was an omni, I know that whenever someone at the table ordered veal, everyone attacked them, lol.

But people DO eat chicken, "regular" beef, etc, pretty much everyday, and even if they do hear something, they like to pretend they didn't, because its too much to process, or sounds "radical."

Yeah, I think foie gras (goose liver) and veal get more coverage, too, from the press. I've never heard a "ban the beef" story from the mainstream press. But I've heard both the others being discussed on mainstream radio.

 

[whisper]

If my family eats at a restaurant offering veal, my brother always orders it. Then while he's eating it he always says "This calf in a crate is so good".

Yeah, he's always been a jacka**.

 

[peace]

Quote:

Originally Posted by beatricious

I totally agree, I will never understand why it's ok to eat beef, but not ok to eat veal. How old does a cow have to be before it stops being morally reprehensible to kill and eat it?

The aforementioned college girl, criticizing a classmate who said he liked veal: "You don't kill the babies. You wait. After they grow up, then you can eat them." She then later elaborated: "I don't care about a big ugly cow, but the babies are so cute."

Yes, it's convoluted omni reasoning at its best. To omnis, an infant calf is cute, but a 1,000 pound steer is not. It's the cuteness factor, apparently.

 

[soilman]

Actually, just about all food animals are killed as soon as they stop getting any bigger. That means developmentally similar to a 15 year old woman or 17 year old man. Teenagers. I think veal would be similar to eating a 10 year old human.

 

[nigel]

Does that make Mary-Kate and Ashley stew-meat?

 

[Gredge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nigel

Does that make Mary-Kate and Ashley stew-meat?

I think there may be too much drugs in them for even factory farms to deem acceptable.

As it's been said many times already, it's all about how adorable baby animals are. There's something about people and baby animals that makes them automatically not want to eat them, but as soon as they hit that ripe age than it's good to go.

 

[soilman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nigel

Does that make Mary-Kate and Ashley stew-meat?

Gredge responds

I think there may be too much drugs in them for even factory farms to deem acceptable.

I would think they would be thought to need quite a bit of fattening up.