I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 23 years. I started when I was living in a hunting community- just couldn't reconcile how gross and unfair I thought hunting was with eating meat, so I stopped. And I stopped wearing leather, etc. at the same time. After about 10 years, my feet were fried and I had to go back to wearing leather on my feet, although I still don't use it for anything else. There are many levels that you can take vegetarianism and animal rights activism to: vegan, fruitatarian, PETA, protests, etc. This is what has worked for me, what I am comfortable with. Cathe has the right to make choices that work for her.
I eat eggs. I am positive Cathe has chosen this partnership because of eggs' positive qualities, such as an inexpensive source of protein and nutrients, not to promote animal cruelty. I am not offended by the partnership at all, and I am curious to know what her big announcements are. I am glad she is moving her business forward and not just resting on her Step laurels. Given the demographics of the posters on this forum, it was a hint that maybe she should be reaching out and promoting her business to young people that have not yet been exposed to her. This is a way to do that.
The issue, it seems to me, is regulatory, not about Cathe building partnerships with a company operating legally. Lobby the government, force them to make changes in their legislation to ensure animal rights are protected.
We live in an interdependant world. All of us live at the expense of many who die. This includes plants. Plants have been shown to feel pain. The larger the scale, the more harm there is on many levels, whether it is animal farming, vegetable farming, mining or any other large scale enterprise. It is simply impossible to exist on this planet and not cause harm. Local farming, small farming, is less harmful, but not without harm. We decide what is most important to us, what decisions we can actually live with more or less comfortably, and act accordingly. Others have different priorities and make different, but no less valid, choices. We are all just trying to make it through life on this globe.
