To all the vegetarians/vegans (especially those who do it for ethical reasons):
I'm really interested to hear your personal reasons for giving up the flesh. Also, please include other information that you feel is related (how long you've been veg, what "degree" of vegetarianism you practice, etc).
I'll start
I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian, and have been for a little over two years. I chose to give up meat out of a sudden ethical concern. Although I had given up hunting quite some time ago, and had never felt quite right killing things, I continued eating meat until Febuary 2nd, 2001 (?). That day, I randomly decided to take the jump (again, since I'd tried veg in grade school) for good.
To clarify, I don't do this as any sort of social protest or big commentary on the meat industry, but rather just cause I like animals (I'm the sappiest 270 pound-West-Virginian-punk/freak biker-looking-artsy-welder-kinda-guy I know).