I have to agree with him: why don't they defend rabbits? :-) Certainly those I know who have rabbits as pets would be just as shocked at eating them. And I know a few folks who wouldn't eat their pet pigs (intelligent, clean, affectionate, they tell me) nor their pet chickens.
And I don't grok those places in Asia where some dogs are pet breeds, and others are food breeds. That's some heavy mental/emotional dissociation going on there.
I guess it begs the question: do we make decisions on what it's okay/not okay to eat on emotional basis? If so, WHO'S emotions? And if so, is it necessarily "wrong" to make an emotional decision vs a pragmatic one?
I can come up with lots of questions I can't answer except for myself.
Like, if we're going to yearly euthanize millions of unwanted cats and dogs in shelters, isn't it wasteful not to use the meat and fur?
I don't want to argue with anyone here. Just wondering out loud. No answers.
In Holland they do use the euthanised pets - in pet food. I don't have an emotional problem with it, apart from the fact that cannibalism has led to CJD in the past. I'm no expert! Maybe that happened because the animals in question, cows, were supposed to be vegetarian. But I'm pretty sure I heard something about human cannibals getting a CJD-like illness and we're omnivorous! Well, I'm not, heheheh.
I've always thought (and I've said it on here before) that being sentimenatal about eating cats, which I dislike, and dogs, which I love, is ridiculous. However I'm not imune to pointless sentimentalism and I consider eating whales to be barbaric. I suppoaw it's because I consider cats and dogs to be somewhat similar to cows and pigs, whereas I find whales sort of "magical". I hate when I'm reminded of my hypocrisy and double standards!
Yes, I have that problem too: of being reminded of my hypocrisy. Because I'm not a vegetarian, simply because I like meat. I do believe that vegans are "better" or "more evolved" because they don't. That is, if I can make an argument for not eating one kind of animal (pets, or beautiful looking creatures) while it being okay to eat others (ones we find ugly, or raise just for food), then I'm being a hypocrite. And the vegans are right: "don't eat anything with a face." Because once we decide it's not okay to eat one four-legged animal, then any arguments for eating others is inane.
I salve my conscience by eating only meat from a local farm that raises and slaughters them humanely, rather than any meat from our industrialized "factory" farm methods. At least they are not being beaten and terrorized.
Well, we ,are connected emotionally to what we eat, that is why it is important to eat mindfully regardless of what we consume. Most cultures are conscious of the need to make a sort of "grace" at the beginning of a meal...some cultures actually thank the animal they are about to consume. The problem we have as a "culture" is with out a "godhead" we have no connection to the rituals that made our activities as humans (a rather unique animal in that we can imagine so vividly) more connected to the reality of what we are doing. In fact we live in a culture that says "Don't think about it!" when it comes to eating.
This is what has contributed to the grievous situation we find ourselves in as consumers.
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And I don't grok those places in Asia where some dogs are pet breeds, and others are food breeds. That's some heavy mental/emotional dissociation going on there.
I guess it begs the question: do we make decisions on what it's okay/not okay to eat on emotional basis? If so, WHO'S emotions? And if so, is it necessarily "wrong" to make an emotional decision vs a pragmatic one?
I can come up with lots of questions I can't answer except for myself.
Like, if we're going to yearly euthanize millions of unwanted cats and dogs in shelters, isn't it wasteful not to use the meat and fur?
I don't want to argue with anyone here. Just wondering out loud. No answers.
no subject
I've always thought (and I've said it on here before) that being sentimenatal about eating cats, which I dislike, and dogs, which I love, is ridiculous. However I'm not imune to pointless sentimentalism and I consider eating whales to be barbaric. I suppoaw it's because I consider cats and dogs to be somewhat similar to cows and pigs, whereas I find whales sort of "magical". I hate when I'm reminded of my hypocrisy and double standards!
no subject
I salve my conscience by eating only meat from a local farm that raises and slaughters them humanely, rather than any meat from our industrialized "factory" farm methods. At least they are not being beaten and terrorized.
no subject
This is what has contributed to the grievous situation we find ourselves in as consumers.
I like your icon.