"climbed to the top of the food chain." dude, you didn't climb anywhere. If we would drop you in the middle of Siberia with 50km to the next road, you would be dead in about 5 days and eaten by something.
A woman I knew vaguely that I had on Facebook for a minute told me that I when I went vegan was still practicing animal cruelty because sometimes field nice get hurt in farm machinery. Then she talked about humanely treated meat and then blocked me. It was pretty ridiculous.
People who post carnist denialism, apologia, or trolling to [email protected] get banned. Hell, I'm going to ban a bunch of the bad posters from [email protected] just to get a head start.
I might notice it and even ask if they are vegetarian or vegan. Mostly just because if I'm gonna hang around that person again, I can have that information tucked away for future use.
Inevitably, my answer is just "cool" and move on. Eat what you want, dude.
Raised meat animals and hunted for roughly half my life. Coming from that background, I absolutely do not like to see animals suffer. Quick and clean kills. Minimal pain.
Raised poultry for both meat and eggs. When the broilers were ready for slaughter, it was a quick chop of an axe and done.
I've shot several deer over the years. Most dropped dead right on the spot. Only one had to be shot a second time, and it sucked to do. But also overpopulation/starving/eaten alive is objectively worse.
All that said, I fucking LOATHE the modern meat industry. I try and get my meat and eggs from local co-ops or people I know. Locally raised and not in cramped sheds. The butcher is smaller and not just a streamlined kill chute. I try to avoid the big corporate food market when I can.
All that said, it's difficult to explain how I see an animal as food. I know it's a living, breathing thing, but also, it's being raised for food. That's its purpose. I love meat, the way it tastes, and will continue to eat it for the rest of my life.
I'm not trying to convince you anything, just explaining my point of view.
Do I like hurting animals? No.
Am I a psychopath? Don't know. Never been examined.
Honestly, I've just accepted, that animals are going to suffer for me to eat them. Now I'd like it, if they could lead happy lifes before I do so. But that is sadly not the world we live in.
Most people enjoy eating meat because that is what they are used to and what they were raised on. Guess what? Humans come to enjoy eating whatever the fuck they eat regularly. It's such a childish reason to be cruel and violent.
The experiences of animals are real and matter. Their suffering is identical in nature to your own. It harms us when we take pleasure in cruelty and violence.