#I don't really have normal morals though so i just constructed this viewpoint after thinking about it a lot

[friendofthecrows]

Veganism doesn't work for me mostly bc health constraints but also bc if you truly believe all life forms are sacred and equal then...why is eating plants meaningfully different? Fruits and things you can eat without killing the plant I understand but that's going to land you with a really restrictive diet, isn't it? Personally, I prefer to be just as respectful and grateful if taking the life of a plant as I am if taking the life of an animal.

I'd prefer to think about the impact of my choices on my health, the environment, and society instead of just whether it came from an animal. Such as only buying from ethical local farms if I can afford it, or harvesting the plants, animals, and fungi myself in a way I know is sustainable.

For example, invasive species are always ethical to harvest. Grey squirrels are gamey but edible, especially in soup, and they're invasive in many areas (look up for where you live) and have been out-competing local red squirrels. Eurasian collared doves are invasive in the US as well. And of course you can look up invasive plant species for your area (obviously check to see whether they are edible). Even if they're invasive, you're still taking a life, so you have to be respectful and do so as quickly and painlessly as possible (as far as we know the last bit doesn't apply to plants and fungi).

I understand the complaint that animals can't consent, but neither can plants and fungi. We do see that animals are okay with eating other animals, including sometimes of the same species, and plants, plants will eat anything, and so will fungi. But either way, if you're worried about consent to be eaten, your only ethical choice is cannibalism, which is obviously impractical due to health risks like prion disease, the law, and the fact it's highly unlikely you'd find anyone that consents. Since no other lifeforms on earth seem to care about consent when it comes to eating, I've personally chosen not to either, meaning that I don't have to engage in cannibalism :)