Albert Schweitzer said, "think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight," and those words were never far from mind while reading "Feral Pigs, Beaver and Watermelon" in the Aug. 10 Xpress. Over half a dozen species unwillingly and unnecessarily lost their lives so that local "foodies" could “pay homage to the heritage of this region." The Asheville Disclaimer summed it up as follows in the Aug. 17 Xpress: “Blind Pig clandestine supper club arrives in Asheville. Illicit diners are required to be both discreet and pretentious.”
I’ve spent most of my adult life in Appalachia. I’ve had neighbors who followed in the footsteps of their kinfolk and killed and ate almost any animal that had the misfortune of walking, running, hopping, swimming or flying in their proximity. It’s one thing when it is done for subsistence; it’s another thing when a bunch of bored, affluent people do so in an attempt to connect with the past.
The meal cost enough to feed a family of four for a week; too bad their obsession with food isn’t focused on feeding the hungry. If they insist on holding nostalgic dining events and glorifying days gone by, perhaps next time they could aim for greater historical accuracy. For example, they could have the corpses served by African-Americans, or have the women do all of the work and be sequestered to the kitchen.
Einstein said, "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” Rather than eating our fellow earthlings to pay homage to the past, how about we look forward and embrace a new ethic for the 21st century? It’s time for an evolution of consciousness in which we adopt humane, healthy, environmentally friendly plant-based eating. To learn more, please http://avl.mx/4z.
— Stewart David
Asheville
Editor’s note: The proceeds for the Blind Pig Supper Club go to pay the cooks and other service staff hired for the evening, and to the participating artists and musicians. The remaining profits go to MANNA FoodBank, Samaritan's Purse or The Salvation Army. A quick survey of the Blind Pig website (http://blindpigofasheville.com/) provides all of this information.
”
Einstein said, “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.
How many letters are we up to this year?
when are the hunters going to unite and start donating deer meat and wild hog meat to the homeless shelters, etc?
wild hogs are a major problem across the south and need to be killed and used for food. they eat them daily in Hawaii…
Heyzeus, plenty of hunters donate parts of their harvest to those less fortunate. Perhaps you could organize a group of them in WNC and set up something more formal? You’d need to contact them through their various groups, go to some meetings, do a bunch of driving around, find shelters and food banks willing to take the meat, and publicize your efforts, etc. Go for it!
Mr. David, have you ever considered moving to the Farm where everyone would see eye to eye with you?