Stupid Things Omnivores Say: But We Have Incisors…
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Read this drivel from a comment on HuffPo today:
“Our incisors and cuspids are designed to tear flesh, why deny our biology. I embrace myself as a Person for the Eating of Tasty Animals.”
AKA, everything I learned about biology, ethics, and nutrition, I learned from my dentist.
If you read more of the comments you’ll see that this jerk wasn’t the only one to bust out the “but we have teeth” argument. Apparently omnis think we can answer all life’s questions through sufficiently rigorous examination of one another’s body parts.
Omnis, let me help you out here… unless you believe God created the world in six days and lovingly designed each of us down to the little toe nail. Then I can’t help you. (But maybe you can help me…. I’ve always wondered what we were supposed to use all that belly button lint for.)
If you believe in evolution, though, then there’s something you should know. Nothing about the way we are can answer questions about what we should or ought to do. Saying, “Doing X is only natural” or “We were evolved to do Y” is UTTERLY MEANINGLESS.
We weren’t evolved to do anything. We just evolved. Why do we have an appendix? Why do we have five fingers instead of seven or four? Why do we have eyebrows? Why can we smell rotten eggs, but not carbon monoxide? Why do we have some pointy teeth and some not-so-pointy teeth?
Because. I learned that answer in elementary school and it’s been useful ever since. We have pointy teeth because some creature 10,000 years ago or 100,000 years ago or 1 million or 10 million years ago who may or may not have been human as we know it happened to have pointy teeth and happened to have lots of babies. And those babies had babies who had more babies and eventually you appeared. With pointy teeth. Congratulations.
Nothing about the way we live our lives is “natural.” We live in huge concrete cities. We drive cars. We sh-t in toilets. We eat food that someone else produced that comes boxed and shrink wrapped from grocery stores. Were we “evolved” to live this way? Does it matter?
If you want to know what you “should” eat, don’t stand in front of a mirror and open wide. Try reading a book instead. Or, you know, read about all the excellent reasons to go vegan here on Vegan Soapbox.
Horses have canine teeth too. Maybe we should be eating grass.
I think a better argument would be to point to this:
http://www.goveg.com/naturalhumandiet_physiology.asp
Humans are herbivores. Despite popular belief, we don’t have canine teeth.
Apparently we were evolved to get cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, too, since those illnesses are more strongly associated with meat-eating than with veganism.
John,
I don’t think that’s a better argument at all.
My whole point is that what’s in your mouth has no bearing whatsoever on what we ought to eat. What’s in our mouths was determined largely by events that took place hundreds of thousands of years ago. What we ought to eat is an ethical and nutritional question that can be answered today without reference to prehistorical events.
I wouldn’t care if our teeth were 6 inches long and serrated, I’d still think we should be vegan. Similarly, the fact that we share similar dentition with other species is irrelevant, even when those species tend to be herbivorous.
some say chimpanzees kill small animals and primates and eat them too, but have they ever seen how large and long canines of chimpanzees are…also they do it on their own not by use of knives and guns and nets and etc.
Hi mercury, Actually some chimps do hunt with tools:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/04/chimps-with-spears/mary-roach-text
BUT, they tend to only seek out meaty food sources when other food sources are low.
We weren’t evolved to do anything. We just evolved. Why do we have an appendix?;; This USED to be used, but no longer. It is meaningless at this point, but once served a purpose.
Why do we have five fingers instead of seven or four?;; No clue.
Why do we have eyebrows?;; Same reason as eyelashes- keeps things from getting in your eyes.
Why can we smell rotten eggs, but not carbon monoxide?;; When you find out, let me know.
Why do we have some pointy teeth and some not-so-pointy teeth?;; Designed for different things.
I think Veganism is a choice. I made it myself, but was unable to keep up with it. MY body seems to be designed more for meats than anything, because even with energy drinks, vitamins by the handful, and proper exercise, without meat in my diet I was fatigued and irritated. I refuse to eat red meat, still, and mostly just have poultry or pork products between once a day and every 3 days. I refuse to eat Eggs as they are chicken abortions, and I drink soymilk. I refuse to eat or touch anything raw, and I sure as hell will never gut a fish or chicken, and I will forever cry uselessly when there is a local pig roast.
However, at this time I am an omnivore. It has nothing to do with my teeth, and everything to do with not having the money or resources or time to commit myself to a vegan lifestyle. Yes, I lost 40 pounds and felt thin and fantastic and all that, but I couldn’t stay awake, even with 6 cups of coffee and 2 energy drinks a day.
When you find an inexpensive way to Go Vegan, let me know.
Also, I left the link to my MySpace on here. If anyone wants to chat or add me as a friend, just let me know you came from this site.
Chrissee,
Here’s what I eat that’s vegan and CHEAP…
Breakfast: oatmeal with fruit
Lunch: baked potato (or two) w/ salsa, steamed carrots and green beans, and a large green salad
Dinner: rice and beans, steamed squash or corn, and a large green salad
Snacks: fruit, veggies, nuts, or popcorn