Reading “Growing the Next Generation of Farmers” from the Mountain Xpress’ July 19 paper once again left me perplexed over the apparent emotional disconnect of those who raise animals and then kill them. I looked at the photo of [two farmers] gently holding two of their chickens for a long time. They look warm and open-hearted. It all appears quite innocent.
Yet, the full picture should also show them cutting off the heads of those very chickens they are holding or the slaughtering of the other animals they are raising. I ask the reader to pause for a moment and reflect on the reality of what is going on. This behavior has been so normalized most people do not pause or even blink when seeing such an article. When humans take the lives of other human beings, we are horrified. Why is it acceptable, and even photographed as cute, when human beings take the lives of animals?
I ask the reader to pause and also reflect on their health. The American Heart Association states, “Many studies have shown that vegetarians seem to have a lower risk of obesity, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and some forms of cancer.” The American Heart Association and the American Diabetic Association are also great resources for recipes and support for undertaking a plant-based diet.
My hope is that these words kindle our minds to reflect on our actions, our healthy bodies and how we can move forward on the planet in a harmonious way that includes animals in this harmony.
— Miriam Hard
Asheville
Yawn…Oh great, it’s this thread again. Like we haven’t read some iteration of this the last 15 years in mtnx…
What a great letter! C-Law, are you also annoyed by those working for the advancement of other social justice issues? Those of us working to break down the prejudices against animals are the same folks advocating for human rights and challenging hate groups. Because we know that prejudice in all its ugly forms is wrong. It doesn’t matter who the victim is, but when we witness oppression, we should speak out against it. So sorry if that bothers you.
Bacon, hamburgers, chicken wings, all very tasty
Maybe you can ask animals why it is acceptable to kill animals since they do it every day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBFXzyp3sks
It’s not true that we are horrified when humans die. 63 Humans were shot in Chicago last weekend 8 died. Any media coverage? Hello
Most of the animals who kill for food could not survive if they didn’t. That is not the case for us, we are better off not eating meat. And it is better for the planet, too. Animal agriculture is an ecological nightmare. Besides, many animals are vegetarians, including some of our closest primate relatives. Why don’t we look to them as our example instead of to carnivores?
A well fed domestic house cat does not need to kill for food. Yet, they show up in my yard going after birds and other small animals. Neither the cat not the chicken in the video I posted needed to kill that mouse.
Our closest primate relative, the chimpanzee are omnivores and eat meat.
Vegetable agriculture has a bad environmental record as well, not to mention all the animals it kills. Land needs to be cleared to grow all those soybeans. Birds, mice, rabbits, etc. want to eat what is being grown and thus are killed to protect the crops. They and other animals also get caught in tractors and are killed.
A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite.”
Leo Tolstoy
Thank you everyone, especially Think Critically for your comments. I am late to watch this powerful DVD, but “Forks Over Knives” is an incredible film and I suspect anyone who eats meat that watches it will rethink what is best for their health. It is available from the library. Take the challenge.
If you vegans could exactly replicate the smell, taste and texture of a large serving of beef tenderloin, and lobster and venison, I might be tempted to try them just to see. But to give up the tastiest and more fulfilling foods just so some critters , raised for that specific purpose, can live to wander among the tree huggers while they sing Kumbayah and in the best tradition of elitists everywhere imagine that their culinary choices somehow makes them ” advanced ” in the social and spiritual sense. We went through this happy hippy horse hockey back in the 60’s and once the majority of the vegans gets really hungry or smells a bar b que their compassion seems to waver. If there was only one bow left on earth I would not let him die of old age, that’s for sure.