I think the flaw in the thinking of moralistic vegetarians is the lack of
recognition that we all die--everything dies.  Humans die, sheep die, cows
die, fish die, chickens die.  It's not a question of WHETHER we die--it's
when and how.

Take deer hunting, for example.  I live in Vermont, but I moved there from
NYC so many of my friends and family think that hunting is cruel and odious.
They seem to think that if hunters didn't kill deer, the deer would live
forever.  In fact, they would die some other way, and that other way would
likely be slower and more painful.  The hunters I know are expert shots, and
try very hard to kill the animal instantly with one shot to the head.  Isn't
this a better way to die than starvation due to overcrowding?  That's what
would happen to the deer in Vermont if there were no hunting, since the other
natural predators (besides humans) are no longer there--for example,
catamounts.

Back to the question of HOW we die... When an animal experiences terror at
the time of death, all kinds of stress hormones are released into the
bloodstream, and these hormones are in the animal's meat when we eat it. We
are eating fear--it's not good for us.  That's why kosher law has very strict
rules on how an animal is slaughtered.  It must be as quick as possible so
the animal doesn't suffer.

And then, of course, there is the question of how an animal lives before we
die.  It's not a good idea to torture animals we intend to later eat--for
example, what commercial herders do to calves to produce veal steaks.  Or
even what is done to regular cattle--overcrowding with preventive
antibiotics, and hormones to increase size.  Not only is this not nice (i.e.,
immoral), the misery is reflected hormonally in the meat and ths is not good
for us.

You have to live in a rural to eat wild game regularly (and be willing to
hunt), but anyone with the money can choose to eat humanely raised and
slaughtered meat and poultry.  If you are in a rural area, it doesn't cost
more.  We buy whole cows or half cows from local farmers.  But we have to put
up all the money upfront, and we couldn't do this without a huge freezer to
store it.  If you buy grassfed beef online, you can buy less at once but it's
very pricey.

In any case, I think the nutritional value of meat is so important that it
outweighs the detriments of bad hormones released due to animal misery, etc.
I can understand a person choosing not to eat meat because s/he can't afford
grassfed organic meat and doesn't want to eat commercial beef, but I believe
his/her nutrition will suffer as a result of this choice.

Those who don't eat meat because humans have no right to kill other animals
for food are (in my opinion) simply wrong.  We have every right to kill other
animals for food.  We also have a responsibility to do it quickly and
painlessly.  Native Americans traditionally thank an animal before killing it
for giving its life to sustain their life.  I like this.  It's respectful to
both the human and the animal.

Humans are part of the food chain.  The one odd thing about our position is
that we're at the tip top--no one eats US for food.  That doesn't mean we
can't eat other animals for food.

     - Sheryl