Balcan: I share the same view on arguments. I am much more moved by facts and logic than by emotion, although that wasn't always true of me. I was eleven years old the first time I really thought about where my food comes from, and my decision to become a vegetarian at that time was largely fueled by disgust at the thought of eating a carcass and sympathy for stock animals that can experience suffering much the same way we do. Over the years, I developed a somewhat utilitarian philosophy on meat-eating. Essentially, I believe that it is morally wrong to cause suffering (human or animal) unless doing so prevents a greater amount of suffering. So unless killing an animal was the only way to prevent a person from dying, its impact is more negative than positive. Since I live in the United States and have access to a variety of food options, eating meat is not necessary for my survival, so I am able to minimize suffering by choosing to eat other foods. To explain why I also do not use any animal products, I must stretch the notion of suffering beyond just physical suffering and also discuss exploitation of labor. It gets complicated from here, but this is a start.
Thank for the invitation! I may do that, although I am mostly a lurker, so I promise nothing. >.>