Classical argument by meat-eaters: Vegetarians causing suffering and death to plants???

I saw this picture that some people think is funny -- "Everyday, thousands of plants are being killed by vegetarians. Help end the violence".

My reply: If I didn't know how many animal products-eaters that bring up these kind of arguments in discussions, then I might have thought that it was funny. But it gives many false perceptions and things that subconsciously stick in many people.

Please consider this:
"Plants are qualitatively different from humans and sentient nonhumans in that plants are certainly alive but they are not sentient. Plants do not have interests. There is nothing that a plant desires, or wants, or prefers because there is no mind there to engage in these cognitive activities. "
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/a-frequently-asked-question-what-about-plants/

The plant-based foods that the more than 56 billion land animals (who have the sadly misfortune to grow up to become someones food) brutally slaughtered each year eats could feed more than 9 billion people.
15 million children are dieing of starvation in the world each year. Hundreds of millions don't get enough food. If we care of them we must let our eating habits reflect this. If everyone ate plant-based food, the food would suffice for everyone's need.

If you think that plants are sentient then you have a STRONG REASON to go vegan, since that would minimize the death and suffering of plants!!!
But if you think that plants are sentient then you WOULDN'T cut your grass!!!

We all agree that it is morally wrong to cause unnecessary suffering and death to animals -- and condemn people who for example enjoy and promote killing innocent dogs just because they got tired of them. However, we must also acknowledge that all animal products-eating is unnecessary and is done merely for "taste" and "enjoyment". So if we want to be moral we must also act upon what we acknowledge -that causing unnecessary suffering and death to animals is unnecessary.

This is not the only effect. By eating animal products 3 times a day we teach our children that it is okay to take the life of innocent sentient beings, and that some individuals are of less value than others; instead of increasing our children's love and compassion by loving all sentient beings for their different qualities (just as many parents teach their children to extend their love and compassion for some dogs). I became a vegan this autumn and notice how this also increases my love and compassion for other humans, and not only all other animals.
This articles shows how eating animal products effects the environment and effects poverty and starvation: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/22/quinoa-bolivian-farmers-meat-eaters-hunger
This book shows how our violence against other animals also leads to violence against us- the human animal: http://www.worldpeacediet.org/
Research -see e.g. the research referred to here: http://www.adelicatebalance.com.au/ - has proven that animal products are unhealthy.