If it's cruel to kill animals and eat them, why don't you think it's cruel to kill plants and eat them?!
Answers:
Really? That's what you're going with?
Veg*ns are against the suffering which the animals go through prior to their death, as well as the taking of the life and the cruelty of it. Since plants are not sentient and cannot feel pain, it is not cruel to kill them.
The way that most people know plants do not feel pain, is through scientific reasoning. In order to feel pain one must have a central nervous system. This is what allows people and animals to feel pain. Plants have no nerves, brain, etc, therefore no awareness or ability to feel pain.
Most people know that killing plants is not cruel. The definition of cruelty itself is, "deliberate infliction of pain or suffering."(1) Plants neither feel pain, or suffer, therefore it would not be cruel to kill them. We kill many living things that have no sentience, such as bacteria, protists etc, it is not cruel, as they are not self aware of able to feel pain or suffer either.
Plants do not have the neurological structures to sense pain. They lack a central nervous system and pain receptors. If you think about it, pain receptors would serve no purpose on something that is immobile and is not chased by predators.
Animals are sentient, plants are not. And if someone were truly concerned with plant welfare, they would adopt a breatharian diet to ensure that they are not supporting the meat industry that purchases grain, corn and soy to feed their livestock, hmm?
EDIT: A plant is alive, but it cannot see, hear, taste, smell, feel, think and experience emotions like animals and humans do. Plants don't experience pain or terror like factory farmed animals do.
Plants do not die when you eat the root, tuber or seed of them. It's like cutting hair- the body of the plant still lives and grows.
Plantlife has no brain or nerve system-the system that feels pain, hot cold and sensation.
Plants are a by product of a chemical reaction in nature- like a cloud, mountain or clap of thunder- there is energy there, but no life. The energy grows and progresses until the chemical reaction stops.
Plants have no sensory receptors.
One can cut a fruit off a tree and the tree does not die.
When most plants are harvested for food they aren't killed in the process. If you pick an apple from a tree, the tree is still standing and able to bear more fruit. If you cut leaves of a basil plant, the stem is still there. In fact, trimming plants encourages them to grow.
[Edit to OP] Notice how I typed "most plants". Jains, for example, recognize that humans need to eat plants to survive, but they will avoid eating all root vegetables because removing them from the ground kills the plant.
Plants do not have brains, skin, bones, blood, fur/hair, emotions, nervous systems, memories and family or social groups.
From your additional comments it seems you have come here not so much to garner others' opinions as to have an argument. Are you a dietitian? Or a botanist? If you want an argument you'll have to go down the hallway to the Religion and Spirituality category.
they feel pain. but they have a very very basic nervous system. it doesn't compare to cows screaming in pain as their blood splatters everywhere, in my opinion. also, we HAVE to eat something. what else do you suggest? rocks? that wouldn'tt work out.
and its not really PAIN like animals/people feel. they know they're being damaged.
I dont think either is cruel but Im sure their thinking is plants have roots and grow back over and over again, have you ever killed an animal and had another one grow out of the ground? Im not a vegan or whatever. I think it is only cruel to kill an animal for trophy.
in addition to what others have said , more plants would die if i eat meat. animals eat lots of plants to grow and if i eat animals i would still be eating plants.
No nervous system = no conciousness and no way to feel pain = no problem.
Plants do not have a nervous system so they don't feel pain.
Who cares if its cruel to eat any once living thing as long as it taste good!
TROLL Just so you knowq we know
I believe it's completely natural to eat meat. I also get mad at people (vegans mostly) who say it's wrong to eat any living thing. I remind them of plants all the time and they just say, *we need to eat something* or * it;s completely different*
SO basicslly: You're still killing something, even if it's a plant