Animal Vegetable Miserable Essay

Human and Animal Lives: They are Different

Over the years, veganism has become something that more and more people practice. Not only because of friends and family, but because how much it is brought up and seen in everyday life. Gary Steiner, author of “Animal, Vegetable, Miserable,” writes about how it is morally wrong to kill animals because they are inferior to humans. Steiner also explicitly states how he is an ethical vegan and highly dislikes meat eating. Although in “The Ethical Choices in What We Eat: Responses to Gary Steiner,” the writers make good points that agree with him, but are also against Steiner. In these letters, both sides make strong points about their agreement or argument. Steiner’s article functions in a

Animals have to be raised for food to keep up with this demand. However, with little room for large farms animals have to be raised in places that have cramped spaces with thousands of animals forced together to “live” in horrid living conditions. To some this doesn 't change their thought about the food they eat, but to others it makes them change their lifestyles because of how animals are inhumanely raised. Steiner states

Yes, there are animal welfare laws. But these laws have been formulated by, and are enforced by, people who proceed from the proposition that animals are fundamentally inferior to human beings. At best, these laws make living conditions for animals marginally better than they would be otherwise-right up to the point when we send them to the

However, pigs, cows, sheep, and chickens are also pets but they have more of a use than dogs and cats because they are used to produce food for a family and for many people. Yet, Steiner states, “People….virtually entitled to treat him as a commodity with miniscule market value”(847). Steiner thinks people raise, kill and eat animals because their lives have no moral significance to meat eaters and humans are superior to them, but that 's not at all why. People enjoy eating meat, and there 's nothing wrong with that. Although Steiner doesn 't believe in keeping animals caged up, he himself has a pet cat. Alice Desaulniers is also surprised to hear Steiner has a cat and writes to Steiner, “If...how does he justify keeping an animal in what amounts to captivity”(852). Steiner explicitly says many times that humans think they 're superior to animals, but if he thinks human and animal lives should be equal then why does he have a cat. Because he says that people think they 're superior to animals, and the he says that he himself has a cat makes him very hypocritical. Another point to add, people have to feed their pets somehow, and most pet foods are made from animal remains and animals. So unless Steiner only feeds his cat grass, it 's a possibility he feeds his cat cat which in turn would be going against everything he