Editor:

Anastasia Niedrich makes a valid point (“Respect vegetarians for their choices,” April 14): respect vegetarians. Most individuals who choose to refrain from eating meat do so for moral reasons, ethical reasons and/or health concerns. This makes their choice all the more difficult as it becomes more than a preference in palate. They become a minority and are viewed as an inconvenience in many social situations.

However, there exists a problem for vegetarians. Niedrich’s article asks meat eaters, such as myself, to respect their lifestyle. That is fine. I have three friends who’ve attempted to become vegetarians — two were unsuccessful, one is still eating tofu. Niedrich might be confused as to why she faces unnecessary opposition to her lifestyle. Her article reveals the answer itself.

Vegetarians’ arguments are constructed with moral and ethical biases. Just as they argue that it is immoral to eat tortured animals, one can easily use religion to say we can kill and eat animals in any way we choose or use culture as an argument, since meat is involved in traditional dishes (especially Mongolian). Even in Niedrich’s argument for equality for vegetarians, she is unable to refrain from preaching to everyone on their meat-eating ways.

As far as I am aware, everything she said is accurate. However, her expectations that suddenly every place should accommodate vegetarians is preposterous. If you assume that 10 percent of the population are devout vegetarians/vegans, that still means 90 percent are not.

I’m not arguing for rule by majority. It is upon business owners, vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike to create a niche market for themselves. Niedrich comes off as preachy and sounds as if she wants everyone to accommodate her eating habits. Instead of crying, she should realize that her preference is somewhat unique in comparison and that she would be smart to make accommodations herself.

I only eat meat ’cause I feel fruit and vegetable torture is cruel. Vegetables are thrust from their roots and are starved of water and nutrients until they are eaten. I feel for fruits the most. I used to bite into tomatoes and enjoy every bite. That was until I realized I was eating an innocent fruit. I looked at the beautiful, soft, red skin of the tomato, and under the skin, I noticed a nursery with children — the ovary and seeds, if you will.

When I eat meat, I am eating one living thing. When I eat a fruit, I am eating the fruit itself, the babies inside and the nursery. How could vegetarians destroy countless nurseries and sleep at night? I eat the animals before they eat me and before they can increase the effects of global warming with their constant flatulence.

Fruits and vegetables provide more energy than meat, have less strain on the environment, etc., etc. Great. But don’t expect everyone to roll over for you, and if you vegetarians want to stop being made fun of, stop trying to ridicule everyone who eats meat as ignorant, cruel and uncivilized. I’ll let you eat tofu in peace as long as you don’t beat my meat (pun intended?).

Michael WhitakerSophomore, Mathematics