Is it Time to Mandate That Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants Offer Meat?

A PETITION from the manufacturers and purveyors of beef, pork, poultry, and generally everything connected with meat.

To the honorable members of the United States Congress and the President of the United States of America Barack Obama.

With the growing popularity of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, it's time we take a serious look at policy toward these establishments, and consider mandating that they offer meat on their menu. People can choose not to order the meat so no one's freedoms are being curbed. Under this plan, the government would simply create more choice and, in this way, be enhancing freedom.

The health benefits of red meat, at this point, are beyond denial. The Food and Drug Administration has determined that a moderate amount of red meat consumption is a vital part of a balanced diet. Red meat is high in Zinc, which is healthy for the human immune system, as well other vitamins and minerals, including phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, selenium, and b vitamins.

In addition, meat and poultry are great sources of protein. A diet high in protein from lean meat has been shown to be beneficial for weight loss. In a nation that is combating an obesity epidemic this benefit cannot be stressed enough. Furthermore, it is a statistical fact that low income and minority communities have a considerably higher rate of obesity, and the health problems associated with this condition, than more affluent communities.

Aside from the obvious health benefits, just think about the boon this would be for the America's domestic beef and poultry industry. The USDA forecasts that in 2012, Americans will consume 12.2% less meat and poultry than they did in 2007. This dramatic dip in consumption could not come at the worse time. Joblessness, as you are no doubt well aware of, continues to be a problem in the United States, and we fear that this reduction in demand for meat will only contribute to the further hemorrhaging of American jobs.

Yes, we understand that owners and many patrons of vegan restaurants might have moral objections to the practices of factory farming and this is not an objection we take lightly. However, those objections really have no place in determining government policy, especially when it concerns people's health. As far as we can tell, the idea that livestock or fowl deserve similar ethical considerations when it comes to their physical treatment is religiously based. The Christian ethos, for example, is informed on this matter by Genesis 1:29-1:30:

"Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, I have given every green herb for food; and it was so." (Emphasis not God’s)

First, let us say that we in the meat industry respect all faiths including, but not limited to, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism,  as well as non-spiritualists and secular humanists. However, the separation of Church from State was a cardinal consideration with the founders and expounders of our system of government, and any opinion, whose tendency is to fuse these two separate and distinct features of our free institutions, is clearly a contravention of the whole scope and spirit of our governmental organization.

In addition, it is well established that while most vegans are dedicated to their lifestyle, many of them do, in fact, cheat. Celebrity vegan Alicia Silverstone, for example, confessed in a 2010 interview with Us Magazine that she indulges in dairy products from time to time, despite her outward commitment. We don’t hold Silverstone’s surrender to temptation against her, of course. She is merely one of the thousands of vegan/vegetarians who abandon their commitment to dietary purity every year.

In conclusion, we’d like to note that should you chose to dismiss our policy suggestion, it would be a strong indication that you have contempt for American workers, the health of the American people in general and minorities and working class peoples in particular, the obese, the American cattle rancher, and poultry farmers, not to mention modern science. In addition, you will be exposing yourself as a moral zealot who places an outdated ethical code over the welfare of the aforementioned groups.

We thank you for your consideration of our wholly reasonable request.

Nick Rizzuto is a producer for Real News from The Blaze on GBTV. Follow on Twitter @Nick_Rizzuto