I feel it important to preface this with two points. One, I am a vegetarian and two, I am a fan of Natalie Portman. But recently, an article she wrote in support of Jonathon Safron Foer’s book Eating Animals was brought to my attention by SU’s own Kelton Sears. In the Huffington Post, Portman says that the book challenged her, changing her from a vegetarian to a full blown vegan. While I respect her point of view, and find her article particularly fascinating, I was bothered by a point she attempted to make.  It appeared, though probably not her intention, to equate eating animals to rape. Portman writes:

“He [Foer] posits that consideration, as promoted by Michael Pollan in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which has more to do with being polite to your tablemates than sticking to your own ideals, would be absurd if applied to any other belief (e.g., I don’t believe in rape, but if it’s what it takes to please my dinner hosts, then so be it).”

Read more…