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.

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.