I have been a vegetarian for 16 years. A real vegetarian too, fish and chicken aren't vegetables.
I turned because I have a problem, morally, eating animals when other, viable options are available. People continue to eat animals not because they have too, but rather because they like the taste. People ask me, what if you were stranded on a desert island and you HAD to eat meat to survive...well, I would still try living off of bark and sand before I had to eat Spot or Bessy or Mr. Ed. Even then, I dont know.
I am all about the zen of treating animals with the same respect as I treat humans. I don't kill roaches or spiders or ants. I don't think human life is inherently more valuable than animal life.
But, I work in scientific research. I do have a continuing dilemma with animals in research. My husband works on animals...but while I have that animal-side of the argument, I also have this logic going on that tells me that things like Tylenol and aspirin were tested on animals and if I were against such things, I'd have to eschew even the most common of medications based on principle.
Although I would prefer that all experimentation happens on humans, what about medications and treatments for other animals? It is such a tough call. As part of my MS degree, I was going to use bunnies to develop an antibody to a particular virus protein I was studying. When I learned that they kill the bunnies afterwards and that I couldn't adopt them, I refused to complete the research. I still got the degree, but my analysis lacks that antibody proof, etc.
I don't expect anybody to convert or buy into my beliefs, to each his/her own...which is why I get so upset when people attack MY choices for myself. It is like they have to justify why they do what THEY do by attacking my beliefs.
So I think people eat animals not because they HAVE to, but because they like to. I really think that that is a lazy point of view. Raising and killing another life because you wanna - rubs me the wrong way. But, like I said, that is a decision I have made for my life. I can sit at a table with my husband while he demolishes chicken wings or ribs or whatever else...I don't judge. Besides, more and more evidence suggests that the less meat in your diet, the better.