I think that much of what humans do on earth comes at the expense of other humans or other animal and biologic species. I'd rather we be conscious of that fact. Maybe one day we will all be vegetarians, but that will not likely eliminate the harm we will undoubtedly continue to do towards those who share the earth with us.

If humanity goes vegetarian, it will only be because it's the more profitable option.

Humans, as a group, pretty much don't give a shit about anything. Individually, we often approach greatness. Collectively, we are pretty vile.

We pollute every damned thing, we send billions of animals to the factory kill-floor each year and then giggle about our blood lust. We enslave each other, we steal, we abuse, we hate, and we kill.

Maybe it's time for our species to go down. Maybe it's in the greater interest of life itself that humans retire.

Its all true. They say humans are the most intelligent species... but how do you measure intelligence?

Smart enough to make a set of technology powerful enough to destroy the earth - Yes

Smart enough to avoid being enslaved by the wealthiest 1% - No

Smart enough to see through the propaganda distributed by the 1% and their mass media - No

Smart enough to recognize that humans are destroying the earth an ever increasing rate - No

Smart enough to know that destruction of the environment also means destruction of themselves - No

So in conclusion: Humans - perhaps not the smartest of the species inhabiting the earth right now.

And I know I am part of the problem - but I look around me and think - wow what the fuck are humans doing on this planet besides destroying everything.

"I’d like to share a revelation that I’ve had, during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you aren’t actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with its surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply, and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we... are the cure."

~ Agent Smith
The Matrix

If that was true. 7th day Adventists would not be among the healthiest people on the planet. And societies that are vegetarian would not exist such as some sects of Buddhism.

was a 7th day Adventist and I was in disbelief when she told me she never ate meat. I guess I understand now.

and I was shocked when she told me she did not eat meat.

I made the executive decision to remove it from my diet for my health and the planet's health and because I don't want my consumer dollars supporting factory farming.

First you thank the chicken before you kill it? Please.

That life may not seem like a big deal to you but it's a huge deal to the animal. It's the only life they have.

We don't need animal protein. That is just a huge cop out.

how weak they got as vegetarians, or how they "just aren't healthy without animal protein." Drives me up the friggin' wall.

or who quit after six weeks when they realized that they weren't going to magically get a perfect body, or (most bewilderingly) both.

when people switch over to plant based diet. I think sometimes people don't feel well during the adjustment period. But that is just temporary.

I eat no meat or dairy. I do have a scrambled egg at breakfast along with my hashbrowns. The rest of the day I do just vegan food. I feel just fine and have lots of energy - way more than I had before.

And then I see this, "I'm not...I still...I honor"

Holy shit but that's a lot of ego.

It's not all about you, and that person wouldn't know sacrifice if it fell on him/her.

For the record, I do and I am.

Suffer fools gladly? <------doesn't do it well.

I agree that the facile, self-serving, and self-centered (as pointed out by flvegan) comment about "honoring" the animal's "sacrifice" (presumably by eating it) is maddening. It's probably a bit late to respond to your friend, but if s/he brings it up again, you could point out that too much protein can cause health problems. Here is a great page about the "protein myth":
http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vsk/vegetarian-starter-kit-protein

After all, if even top athletes can get enough protein from a vegan diet, what makes your friend think s/he needs more?

a few weeks ago on Rosh Hashanah. The factory farming not the health issue at all has always been what motivates me with my diet. But, I have find as the years go by, I have become less judgmental of others. I used to be annoyed at people who said they eat a little meat once in a while but still consider themselves vegetarian or those who say they eat less meat than they did in the past.

My attitude now is every bit helps.

I see things changing, too. I live in Chicago which had the nickname "hog butcher to the world" by Carl Sandburg. The stockyards downtown are gone. Vegetarian and vegan restaurants are all over the city and suburbs. http://www.happycow.net/north_america/usa/illinois/chicago/ There are vegan restaurants on the south side and the west side. People don't look at me like I'm weird when I say I don't eat meat.

If I were you I probably would encourage your friend to eat less meat and dairy eggs etc. if s/he says they can't do it.

If it's about the flavor, what about being mostly vegetarian

eat veg when you can, but not when you can't

I agree. What motivates me to eat vegan is actually the taste of the food. It's so much fresher (in my opinion) than alternatives. I think the dishes take a lot more creativity as well. This actually gives me hope, as I think people will eventually choose vegan based on the taste, so they don't necessarily need to be convinced of the environmental and/or moral aspects.

There are a lot of cafes and eateries popping up around Chicago just in the last 12 months. http://www.chicagofitnessreport.com/vegan-restaurants. The Happy Cow link is also great (for vegetarian too).

doesn't involve being in some kind of morally strong state of mind all the time.

First you decide that this is what you want to do, for whatever reasons - for your health, for the environment, for the love of animals.

Then you find foods within those boundaries that you really really like a lot.

Then you eat them, however much trouble it is to buy and prepare them.

Its not about what you don't eat, its about what you do eat. And if its a big change its much easier when you have found foods within your new diet that you really really like a lot.