On Being Vegetarian

I don't talk about myself in class much, but several of you have asked me about being a vegetarian, so I thought I'd just add a quick note about it here.  This was not a quick transition for me, and it was not simple.  It would be misleading to say that I had one reason or one moment where I made up my mind.  Eating meat is part of my culture and my family traditions.  Also, some of my very favorite meals were meat-based.  Here's how I'd summarize my thinking now:  the taste of meat is not worth the suffering it causes.  Also, even if there were no suffering at all, it still seems to me to be wrong to end the life of a creature with its own aims and desires, solely for my momentary pleasure.  Sentient life seems to be rare in the universe.  I want to respect it as much as I can.  I could say a lot more, but that's the gist of it.