The vast, vast majority of the animals that Americans and Western Europeans eat are treated cruelly from birth until premature death. Some estimates have it as high as 99% in the US [1]. If you go to your average grocery store, like most people do, that's kind of meat you'll find. I've yet to personally meet a meat-eater who actually buys local, grass-fed, truly free-range meat. In some ways, it's more ethical, in my opinion, to eat local, "humane" meat than it is to eat factory-farm produced eggs and dairy.

I can't speak for michaelvanham, but a lot of veg*ns do vote with their dollars... It's pretty easy to find locally grown produce, plant-based non-animal-tested cleaning and hygiene products, etc. No way to be perfect, but easy to try :)

[1] http://www.farmforward.com/farming-forward/factory-farming

I have to laugh any time someone says "Humanely slaughtered" or in this case "slaughtered respectfully".

I guess the oxymoron is non-obvious.

Here's a couple extreme examples: I humanely slaughtered your family. I slaughtered your mother respectfully.

Followed by: "Why are you so upset?? I could have just opted out of slaughtering your family but I decided to opt into doing it respectfully."

I put that into familial terms to bring the context closer to home. We wouldn't stand for such language with humans. At the root is hubris and apathy.

I totally agree. A humane death, to me, is a natural death or one that relieved you of inevitable suffering (I.e. incurable painful disease).

So "many" means "a large number". In the US we're talking 3% - that's not a large number. Additionally, by not supporting any meat, we are fighting a system that is polluting the earth & unnecessarily abusing animals.