Here’s another in a series of thought-provoking quotes, plus my two cents.
- What is food to one, is biting poison to another.
- –Titus Lucretius Carus, Roman poet and philosopher 99 BC – 55 BC
I don’t know the original context of this, but it seems relevant today. Food polarizes people: vegetarians vs. carnivores, vegans vs. vegetarians, fast-food devotees vs. the Slow Food movement, kosher vs. treyf, factory farming vs. small, independent farms–and here in Brooklyn, Park Slope Food Coop lovers vs. haters.
There are exceptions to the rule, cases of tolerance and accommodation, but it’s often difficult to find middle ground. For me, factory farms and “good” farms exist in different worlds, with little in common aside from the presence of animals. And for many vegans, animals are not commodities, period–no diet that includes meat or animal products passes ethical muster.
So… food to one, poison to another.