Debates: Vegans versus Meat Eaters Addendum

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The disconnect between food and production

In early history the act of killing was connected to the production of food. The killing of a large animal was a communal act. Whether we killed livestock or hunted prey. The butchering and distribution of the meat was also done communally, the latter according to status.

Our ancestors were well aware of the feelings of the animal. The more the animal could express itself like we do, the more respect it got, even to the point of worship. There were rituals for slaughtering cows, statues and temples build in their honor, but not for fish.
Our ancestors were also very close to the animals. The management of livestock formed an integral part of tribal life. Today tribes like the Masai and the Inuit continue the traditions of caring for and killing animals with respect.

In modern societies this has changed. Modern man has been distanced from the production of all most all goods, by industrial development. We are all good at one thing, specialists. A garbage man does not make his own coats or furniture, builds his own house or manages his own money. Banks, factories, and construction companies execute these jobs.

Today there is a disconnect between food and the way it is obtained. We are still well aware of the feelings of animals and have respect for individual animals. We are raised with pets, movies with animal characters and trips to the zoo. We see cows in the fields and in commercials, whales and dolphins on tv. Most people pride themselves on being pro nature.
However, our food comes from supermarkets. We have have no more experience killing our food, and no clue how it lives. Most people today can not be asked to kill an animal, because the emotional barrier is too great too cross all of the sudden. We also have trouble handling the facts of the bio industry when confronted. The shock of the ill treatment of beings we consider cute and good is hard to take.
Today most of us try to ignore any information about our food. A lot of us opt to buy meat produced via fair treatment*. However some of us will opt to abstain from meat all together because even if the animals are treated fairly, the act of killing something that is so similar to us can not be handled anymore. The step from buying fair meat to becoming vegan is a small one.

The following questions can be raised:
Would we change our ways if we were forced to care for and kill our own food?

If so, would we again be able to emotionally handle the killing?

*fair treatment is a relative term. Some sources of meat actually do provide their animals with the natural habitat and lifespan the animal would have, more or less, if humans were just another predator like wolves. However, as man is clever, so is industry. Many products sold under this term are far from fair in that sense.