Just Saying...

Yes I am one of those obnoxious vegetarians who doesn't eat meat because she feels bad for the piggies and the cows. Look, I've already been derided by more than one farmer so I KNOW, it's a very wimpy stance.

HOWEVER!!! New research is showing that animals all the way down to lab rats have the capacity for empathy, social responsibility and morality. Even inter-species, check this: In 2003, a herd of 11 elephants rescued antelope who were being held inside an enclosure in KwaZula-Natal, South Africa.
The matriarch unfastened all of the metal latches holding the gates closed and swung the entrance open allowing the antelope to escape.

AND

Experiments with rats have shown that they will not take food if they know their actions will cause pain to another rat. In lab tests, rats were given food which then caused a second group of rats to receive an electric shock.
The rats with the food stopped eating rather than see another rat receive a shock. Similarly, mice react more strongly to pain when they have seen another mouse in pain.

I'm totes not saying stop eating meat or whatevs because circle of life, blah, blah, blah, but you know, you could just get some free range eggs. That would be nice.