Many people continue to eat animals knowing they’re consuming misery …

There’s no doubt that billions of factory-farmed and other animals
suffer for our gustatory delights, most of which are unnecessary. Now, a
new study shows just how far people will go so that they can continue
to eat animals who needlessly wind up at the end of their fork. Steve
Loughnan of Kent University in the UK and his colleagues discovered that
“people
who wish to escape the ‘meat paradox’ i.e. simultaneously disliking
hurting animals and enjoying eating meat, may do so by denying that the
animal they ate had the capacity to suffer.”

While some people stop eating meat when they learn that animals
suffer an overwhelming majority do not, and continue to enjoy their
steaks knowing well that they’re eating pain and misery. They simply
deny moralstatus to the sentient beings who wind up on their plates as
if all’s just fine. This very important study shows “when there is a
conflict between their preferred way of thinking and their preferred way
of acting, it is their thoughts and moral standards that people abandon
first – rather than changing their behaviour. ‘Rather than change their
beliefs about the animals’ moral rights, people could change their
behaviour,’ Loughnan said. ‘However, we suspect that most people are
unwilling to deny themselves the enjoyment of eating meat, and denying
animals moral rights lets them keep eating with a clear conscience’.”

I wonder just how clear they’re conscience is. When I was writing my book The Animal Manifesto
I continually talked with people who told me “Oh, I know animals
suffer, but I love my steak.” They went on to offer lame excuses such as
“I just can’t stop eating meat even when I think about the misery for
which I’m responsible.” Sure they can. It’s so easy it’s laughable to
think that they not only deny sentience to the animals they consume but
also deny that non-animal alternatives are readily available, even “fake
meats.”

And it’s also essential to remember that cows, pigs, and
sheep who are unrelentingly tortured on their journey to and when they
temporarily reside on factory farms are no less sentient than companion dogs or cats. Most people – likely all people – would not let their companion animals trade places with these most unfortunate beings.

We always must remember it’s not a matter of “what’s” for dinner but “who’s” for dinner
as we routinely and wantonly slaughter sentience for unneeded meals to
the tune of billions of animals per year. Surely we can do better and
it’s really easy for most of us to stop consuming pain and misery.

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