You literally proposed killing all humans and now feel unfairly portrayed as "ill-hearted".

I didn't propose anything, Mike—let alone killing all humans. But maybe I made too many assumptions and should have anticipated some might take my comment literally.

I'm an optimist, but I also don't anoint humankind with some divine moral authority—I put us on the level with every other animal on the planet.

I agree with mike. You have offered a reductio ad absurdum. This isn't meaningful discussion and it is painfully transparent, as well.

Transparent? How's that?

I was being hyperbolic, yes. That was the point. I think the entire argument over the morality of it is an appeal to absurdity. There are gross assumptions made on every side of the argument and I don't see any clear path to one side of the discussion about whether or not eating animals is immoral being possible.

I'm not anti-vegan. How could one even be anti-vegan? Seems more like a personal conviction to me, and that's, quite frankly, none of my business.