Animal Suicides

There have been experiments which show that plants react to threats. Judging a plants ability to have emotion based on something like adrenaline (which plants can't produce) is very humancentric. I don't see cats shed tears so they don't get sad. Same mentality.
I think there was even an episode of Mythbusters that dealt with this and they kept getting anamolous results that they couldn't explain (because they seemed to want to disprove this no matter the test results).
I guess if an alien race that didn't have tear ducts or produce adrenaline came down, we could just slaughter them and eat them because they have no emotion.
Worse yet, plants don't die like animals. Chop up your dog and it will be dead long before you're through cutting. Chop up a an orange tree or tomato plant and you can take some clippings, replant them and grow another tree! That means vegetarians cruely eat plants alive!!!
Not only that but they prefer to eat the offspring of plants. Oranges, tomatos, grapes - all plant babies, eaten alive! I surely hope someday we don't discover that plants can make sounds and scream.
At least meat is not alive when you eat it and the animals are put down as humanely as possible.
Putting a flower in your hair is far worse than wearing a fur coat, the flower is alive and suffering!


[edit on 13-3-2010 by Kaiju]

A very valid point, but a line has to be drawn somewhere
For egsample, to grow a pound of meat, you need 25? pounds of grain (it might be 4, but still the point is clear), same goes with water etc.
I agree that I should have added (in animal case adrenaline, etc..)
Yes plants secrete many chemicals to signal other plants or animals, call them for help, repel predators (one plant secretes a scent that lures ladybugs, when it is infested with mites). A good read (i heard) is www.amazon.com... , and theres also a thread about the side of plants that is not explored thoughout. It has been done by some russian scientists and the research was published in some crapy sci-fi magazines (old news, maybe somethings better up).
What i ment by adrenaline in animals was also from purley medical perspective.
"The adrenal poisons dumped by animals fighting for their lives in slaughter re-create depression, fright, and anger in those eating the animal flesh. Adrenalin is a long protein enzyme chain whose chain links are only partially broken by cooking heat. " (cant provide the source, youll just have to google if interested, I'm gona do it myself when i have the time)

Anyways, this is a clear idication (if true) that animals produce harmful substances when igested (would make sence, as you wouldnt want your predators to get stronger and stronger (silly, but somewhat true)). Also, plants are generaly helthier for you, they do not require so many variables to produce a quality crop, whereas an animals requires sh*t loads of comfort, good food, compasion and care (not concentration-camp-like facilities). If we cannot afford to take care of an animal the way its ment to be, I guess, we shouldn't be doing it in the first place.

Also, about the eating of the young , most fruits are designed to be eaten (almost none enzyme-inhibitors, anti-nutrients, etc.) so their seeds could spread. Yes, ts our fault we are flushing excrement to the oceans, destroying the seeds, which does not make much sence any way. (btw even human manure has a very good value, if you know how to tap it).

It is a two sided argument and I think that the point is, if you cannot treat it right, you better not eat it.

If you are a hunter, you want a clean quick kill. An animal that has to be chased down does secrete enough enzymes to make the meat tough.

My father owned a canary that he hand fed and water every day. It sang for Dad and seemed to know he enjoyed its songs. After he died, the bird wouldn't eat. One day his son came over. He looked and sounded very much like Dad. The bird sang that day. We didn't think fast enough to give him the canary. It died soon after.

reply to post by Sinter Klaas


Huzzah ! Another who saves lives and won't stop ! Nice to hear from you. I save moths in the sink, black widows with eggs, and everything. Never been hurt by an insect tho I spent most of my life outdoors! Conquer the fear of other living creatures, it is false, Love,p

Hi Smyleegirl maybe this link will add some more info.

Animal suicide

The first part is exactly the same as in the OP but it is a little longer.

reply to post by smyleegrl



these animals kill themselves if you hold them captive. lol I read about it online...I thought they were cute and creepy and it'd be cool to have one as a pet. But I guess they end up killing themselves if you want to keep them. They bang their heads against something. I saw them in the Philippines.