Heritage my hoof!

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.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

5 thoughts on “Heritage my hoof!

  1. bill smith


    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.

  2. Heyzeus

    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…

  3. Johnny

    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!

  4. Deb

    Mr. David, have you ever considered moving to the Farm where everyone would see eye to eye with you?

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.