Where's the Beef?

I miss cheeseburgers sometimes. You can keep your filet mignon. Give me a big, juicy cheeseburger on a sesame seed bun anytime. But, that was then. I haven't had a cheeseburger in almost 15 years. In fact, I haven't intentionally eaten any red meat during that time.

I'm not a vegetarian. I wish I were. I respect and admire those who make that commitment. It's probably a healthier and certainly a more humane way to live. But I'm not that strong.

I'm what some would call a pollo-vegetarian. Others might use less flattering terms. Anyway, I eat poultry and fish, but no red meat. In the South, we eat a lot of meat - also a lot of fat and grease. We also suffer from high rates of diabetes and heart disease. And we die young.

I've always had issues with meat. I remember, as a child, when I realized that meat was really a dead animal. I couldn't finish my cheeseburger that day. For a while, I wouldn't eat or drink anything without asking where it came from. I'm sure my mother loved that phase. Then, over the years, I would occasionally think about what I was eating, and it would really gross me out.

About 15 years ago, I read a publication from the Humane Society of the United States. It suggested an incremental approach rather than all-or-nothing. If going vegan wasn't an option, HSUS suggested eating lower on the food chain. That's when I decided to eliminate mammals from my diet. I went cold turkey (awful pun, I know). I originally intended to start with mammals and gradually eliminate all meat, but I never progressed any further.

I can be opinionated about some things, but I'm usually not judgmental. I prefer a "live and let live approach". Having said that, I admit that I can't pass a fur coat without wanting to throw red paint on it. And, it still makes me angry everytime I get run off the road by someone talking on a cellphone while driving an SUV. But, whether or not to eat meat is a personal decision. I make no apologies for my choices, but I don't expect anyone else to follow my path.

Some years ago, I saw a photo in National Geographic of a market in some Asian country - Viet Nam, I think. The photo showed a small dog in a wire cage being sold for food. That image still haunts me. As a dog-lover, it horrifies me to think that anyone would actually eat a dog. In France, horseflesh is a popular meal. How can anyone eat such a beautiful creature? On the other hand, have you ever looked into the big, brown eyes of a cow? Ever rubbed the soft fur of a rabbit? Ever scratched the back of a sheep? It would be pretty hypocritical of me to condemn other cultures for eating dogs and horses if I ate cows and sheep.

In another bit of hypocrisy, I wear leather. Not a lot (sorry to disappoint those of you who are into that sort of thing), but I wear leather shoes, belts and jackets. I rationalize it by telling myself that cowhide and lambskin are byproducts of the meat industry and that no one kills those animals just for their skins. I really hope that's true. I look good in my leather jacket, and I don't want to get rid of it.

Bon appetit!