Vegetarianism vs. meat-eating with a 'conscience'

[MrsSeanBean]

I have long grappled with the issue of whether or not to become a vegatarian.

What stops me, I think, is that me not eating meat probably won't actually achieve anything positive in terms of the lives of the countless animals that will still be slaughtered? Maybe for every 100 people who are vegetarians the number of animals killed dectreases slightly, but even if a few still suffer, what is the point if you can't ultimately eradicate the suffering of those who remain?

Wouldn't it be better to remain 'on the inside' so to speak, (ie a meat-eater) and try to change the industry by purchasing choices - buying good quality, cruelty free, non-factory produce?

Also, if I were to become a vegetarian, what would I do regarding leather goods? Surely you can't stop eating meat and still wear leather, a by-product (at best) of the food process?

Yet I still feel sickened by the thought of what happens in slaughterouses (I have read some distressing things os late) and the de-sensitised brutish people who may work there.

I don't mean to be controversial, and I suppose I am just turning things over in my head (which doesn't feel particularly sharp today), but it would be useful to hear some other points of view on this.

I suppose that's what I'm almost doing now Dittany. I very rarely eat meat anyway.

To add to the confusion, a study looking at all the different farming methods decided that a basically vegetarian diet WITH pigs was the most sustainable form or farming. Pigs clean up a lot of detritus from orchards, etc, and also provide a food source. Who knows!

I don't think it is at all cruel to eat animals as long as they are humanely reared and killed. I buy all mine from the local farm shop so that I know where it comes from and how it is reared. I would hate a world without any farm animals and the country side full of arable and poly tunnels.
I think it is sad that people are so far removed from the countryside that they have no understanding of the food source. Vegetarians happily eat dairy products and yet I think that milk production is far more upsetting to the animal than a quick, clean death.(I doubt whether the majority of town dwellers have the slightest idea how people get cow's milk)
Animals will still have to be farmed to provide all the pet food so I don't see what is to be gained by stopping human consumption. The price of pet food would rise dramatically if all the best cuts had to go into it rather than the left overs, offal etc. It isn't that simple!

I'm a veggie and have been for as long as I can remember, however I still wear leather shoes. I would like to convert to hemp shoes, however they are way too expensive for me to buy until I'm older and earning a decent wage unfortunately! I never pay more than £20 for shoes so it has to be leather

One of the veggie lifestyle websites has a counter where you type in your age and it calculates how many animals you could possibly 'save' for the rest of your (averaged out) life, and how many you have saved already if you are veggie, which makes you think a bit This was years ago so don't quote me on it though!