Pre-Vegetarian: Running into Peter Singer

Five years before I would even consider dabbling in vegetarianism

myself, I read a Peter Singer essay as part of an ethics class I was

taking in college. I had no idea who Singer was or the groundwork he

had laid for animal rights, let alone that his essay would be a

cornerstone to my lifestyle change (I choose not to use the word

conversion here, even though it is suitable, because of the negative

connotations).

"All Animals Are Equal" by Peter Singer. His argument was a bit of an
eye opener even though anyone could come to the same conclusion using
common sense. It went into drawing comparisons between animals and
slaves, women and infants. In the end, it was simple. If you believe
that animals feel pain (which they most certainly do) and you don't
want to contribute to that pain and suffering, then you shouldn't eat
animals.

At the time, I knew it was the right thing to do. But giving up
anything, let alone meat, isn't easy. The moral implications alone
weren't compelling enough. I did however learn to respect those who
were strong enough to abstain from animals and animal products because
contrary to what a lot of people think, most vegetarians/vegans do not
hate the taste of meat. They probably loved eating meat just as much
as anybody. I know I did.

Which is why It would take me five years to revisit Peter Singer.