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I should add to the list of apologies- it was I who assumed that the logical extension of the OPs workdview was that to be consistent he must be a vegan, and only because I was genuinely impressed by the high level of empathy he clearly has with all things. He and Alex remind me of the Jainist monks of India, who hold life so dear that ants are gently brushed aside when they walk. Noble indeed.
My main point was that the best he can do is make people stop and think, which he has done. Banning things is a step too far. I can't argue about the role of law here with the kind of sophistication Alex can master, but I remember reading a famous book called Leviathan, and the statement that resonated with me was that the only time law should intervene in your actions is when they affect someone else. If "someone else" includes all paramecium, then you have one perspective. I guess humanity currently spans the entire spectrum from regarding the whole biosphere as having equal rights, all the way down to just themselves. I also think the bandwidth depends on your economic position and responsibilities to dependents.
Personally, when I'm hunting people for food for my family in the post-apocalyptic world of tomorrow, I will be glad I'm a good shot, and suspect my empathy spectrum will be very narrow.
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