Nature Red in Tooth and Stupidity

If you know a few hunters, then you've probably heard this one:

"If you aren't willing to hunt and kill an animal, you shouldn't eat meat."

What is this crap? If I want to get gas, do I need to first drill an oil well myself? See, I pay other people to do the drilling and pumping, just like I pay other people to do the killing and butchering of animals.

But killing an animal can get messy; if you can't handle the gore, you shouldn't be eating burgers, my hunter friends say. More nonsense. Treating sewage is pretty nasty too, but I don't think that's going to stop anyone from flushing.

Self-righteous hunters are just as annoying as self-righteous animal lovers, and their arguments are equally stupid. Maybe I should try this line on the next hunter who annoys me: Should you condone sending soldiers to fight and die in a war if you're not willing to go yourself?

(For the record, I think hunting is just fine, and most hunters are just fine. I'm just too lazy to hunt.)