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Re: Cows in Danger Now!
In article <2tirav$qhm@ucunix.san.uc.edu>, <axl@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu> wrote:
>
>I normally eat beef without a second thought, as I am not a Hindu.
>
>However, I learned somewhere that Hindus oppose the killing of cows.
>After I get done reading the newsgroups today, I'm going to go grocery
>shopping and I might get some hamburger. But, I'd like to give y'all
>a chance to explain why it is offensive to eat beef. If I get a response
>before I leave today and I like the reason(s), then I promise not to
>buy beef tonight. Write back quickly!
>
I won't bore you with a holier than thou speech. Your life is your own
and you are free to act as you will, accepting the consequences of
your actions(another Hindu sacrament).
Let me try a historical perspective. India largely developed as an agrarian
society. In such a society, since there was lots more farming to do, it
made more sense to raise a cow to plow the fields, provide milk for the
family, and provide biomass(doo doo) for fuel. Rather than the alternative,
which would be to take considerable expense to feed and shelter a cow
for years, before ultimately slaughtering it and getting a few burger out
of it.
This economic justification is reinforced in "Diet for a New America" by
John Robbins. (John Robbins is the son of half of the Ice Cream duo
Baskin Robbins). It provides some cogent arguments that say that an
acre of land is much, much more cost-effectively used growing
food than raising cattle.
In the end, the next time you look at a burger, take a moment to *really*
understand what it is you're looking at, what it is you're eating.
\G
