In regards to eating meat

[Monica]

I'm interested in that, too.

Great!

You seem to have interpreted my statement that the agricultural industry was not monolithic to mean that I support factory farms. That is not true.

No, not at all. I didn't interpret it that way. I interpreted it as you downplaying the scope of the cruelty.

It still seems to me that animal rights activists, humane farmers, and compassionate consumers could work together to improve the lot of animals.

I agree! I would love to see that happen!

In order for you to work with us, though, you may have to be willing to accept the reality that some people continue to eat meat.

Absolutely! I have discussed this exact point extensively on this thread, but I realize now that you have missed a great deal of what I've said.

To briefly recap: If we didn't accept that other people ate meat, we wouldn't be able to exist in society. Why? Because most of our friends, co-workers, and, in most cases, loved ones eat meat. We face people eating meat every single day of our lives: every time we go to a restaurant, family gathering, grocery story, or even drive down the street and see the cars lines up at Whopper Burger.

So we have had to accept that people eat meat, even people we care deeply about. We simply wouldn't be able to coexist, much less still love those people, if we didn't accept that they eat meat!

So yes, of course can and do accept that most of the participants on this thread eat meat! And we have expressed countless times that we don't judge you for it, and still love you anyway!

That doesn't change the fact that we disagree philosophically, and will continue to disagree philosophically.

I will now bounce the question back to you: Can you (not just you personally, but anyone/everyone on this thread who might be interested in working with us to find common ground) accept us, and our views? Can you accept us without us having to give up our convictions?

For the purpose of working together, we would all need to put aside our differences, for the common goal of reducing animal suffering. In order to separate our mutual goal from the philosophical discussion, which might still be of interest to some people, I suggest that we start a new thread specifically for that purpose, in which no debating is allowed, in the same way I started the thread about vegetarian recipes.

Thank you for responding to my call for help!! I would so very much love love LOVE to work together on common ground!