Subject: Re: Farm Subsidies Are Unfair

From: Dave Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1999 23:20:15 -0500

Greg,

You wrote:

> Humans were intended to eat meat.

I must say - a lot of 'wrong' ideas 'go way back'
- but they're still incorrect....anyway - whichever way you look 

>From my personal archives:

-physically/anatomically/structurally
-enzymatically
-environmentally

- we are either biologically 100% vegetarian or perhaps 98%. Note that
much of the following I will say - applies also to the primates, who are
clearly closest to us of all the animals...and are also vegetarians,
save
for very rare acts of combat/dominance ritual related cannibalism.

Look at:

- humans' lack of claws

-lack of fangs

- we have long, pouched/puckered intestinal tract -unlike the short,
smooth
walled intestines of carnivore animals. (and when I say carnivore - I
mean "predominantly carnivorous" I say this because ALL animals eat a
lot
of raw vegetable matter).

- presence in our saliva of amylase, a starch dissolving enzyme - in
concentrations not found in carnivores.

- all kinds of DRASTIC enymes and acid/alkaline differences with clear
carnivores, and AMAZING similarities with the vegetarian primates - and
other vegetarian animals, I might add!

- crushing, grinding molars that are 'wired' to crush from side to side,
and
optimum!! for chewing leafy greens. - contrast with the jaws of
carnivores
which are 'wired' to open widely and tear flesh...remember - cats and
dogs - though they can thrive on a veg diet - eat grass and other greens
when they can - and can even pick the type and amount to 'cleanse'
something they ate that wasn't so good for them (dogs can be safely
vegetarian, but cats MUST have the amino acid taurine, lest they go
blind)

- similar alignments with veg - animals re: method of "sweating", pores,
"panting" to cool down etc. Likewise - drastic diff. between humans and 
carnivores here...

- let's not depend on that 'gatherer-hunter' shell game. The fossil
record
shows clearly, and has been interpreted by way better minds than I -
that
pre-heavy ice age and glacial activity - early humans ate waaaaaaayyy
predominantly organic, raw vegan foods!!! - Leafy greens, flowers, pods,
fruits, berries, roots, nuts, seeds.  Animal protein intake was
basically
'stolen' eggs, fish, and occasional small rodents, birds and the like.

To me, the theories that make the clearest sense say that - as
temperature
conditions began to make foraging difficult for longer periods and
food/fuel requirements changed - and of course hunting tools/weapons
were
developed - we began to hunt more - but STILL...the human diet was
predominantly organic plant material!

anyway - hope to hear your views on this - but I feel it is clear that
we
are:

1. completely designed to optimize health on a raw or nearly raw,
complete
vegetarian diet

2. equipped with the free-will to choose to do otherwise, which I
respect
above all

3. equipped with the hubris to ignore/obfuscate the damage choosing #2
does
to the individual, their community/environment, the fresh water supply
on
planet earth, the topsoil, and ultimately, through massively accelerated
destruction of the rainforests, to the very possibility of humans'
survival
en masse.

Recycler Dave

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