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(Or, Why Omnivores and Taxidermists Have Feelings)
The other day on my Tumblr, I reblogged a set of images featuring "pet animals" on one side and "food animals" on the other, with the statement "Why love one but eat the other?" in the middle. They were from billboards that ran in Toronto a couple of years ago. The message, of course, is that we shouldn't eat chickens, pigs, and cows because they're animals just like puppies and kittens are; it's an attempt to turn people to vegetarianism or veganism.
I don't think I gave the desired response. For one thing, I have reasons for not going veg*n. I'm an obligate omnivore due to various quirks of my body and its metabolism; I even have it on doctor's orders that I need a reasonable amount of meat protein because I tend to get sick otherwise, even on a well-balanced vegetarian diet. And I don't respond well to attempted guilt trips masked as appeals to emotion, especially when they present only one true way for everyone to do something. So I decided to respond with some non-rhetorical reasons why we eat cows and not cats:
Because generally speaking herbivores taste better than carnivores. Also, we've spent centuries selectively breeding cows, pigs, and chickens to be meatier and tastier, while we haven't done that with cats and dogs. And it's easier to raise herbivores as food behaviorally, especially because we have bred them to be more docile.
And it's also cultural. There have been and still are cultures in which dog and cat meat is acceptable; it's just that in Western cultures, where this sort of ad campaign pops up, it's not acceptable. If you talk to anyone raised on a farm, though, you know that farm kids are raised with the idea that some of the animals end up as food, and that you can be attached to them and care for them and still accept that fact. If they're from a hunting family they often learn that the same deer they hunt are also beautiful animals that can be admired, and this doesn't have to be a contradiction. On a farm, you're closer to life and death than people who shop at the grocery store and have never raised their own meat or gone hunting. I didn't grow up on a farm itself, but I grew up in a rural area with lots of farms, and with the reality that if I am going to eat, something has to die, whether animal, plant, or fungus.I have had people ask me before, "How can you say you love animals when you have dead ones all over your home? How can you appreciate them when you support killing and eating them?"
Read the rest here: therioshamanism.com/2013/04/08…
The other day on my Tumblr, I reblogged a set of images featuring "pet animals" on one side and "food animals" on the other, with the statement "Why love one but eat the other?" in the middle. They were from billboards that ran in Toronto a couple of years ago. The message, of course, is that we shouldn't eat chickens, pigs, and cows because they're animals just like puppies and kittens are; it's an attempt to turn people to vegetarianism or veganism.
I don't think I gave the desired response. For one thing, I have reasons for not going veg*n. I'm an obligate omnivore due to various quirks of my body and its metabolism; I even have it on doctor's orders that I need a reasonable amount of meat protein because I tend to get sick otherwise, even on a well-balanced vegetarian diet. And I don't respond well to attempted guilt trips masked as appeals to emotion, especially when they present only one true way for everyone to do something. So I decided to respond with some non-rhetorical reasons why we eat cows and not cats:
Because generally speaking herbivores taste better than carnivores. Also, we've spent centuries selectively breeding cows, pigs, and chickens to be meatier and tastier, while we haven't done that with cats and dogs. And it's easier to raise herbivores as food behaviorally, especially because we have bred them to be more docile.
And it's also cultural. There have been and still are cultures in which dog and cat meat is acceptable; it's just that in Western cultures, where this sort of ad campaign pops up, it's not acceptable. If you talk to anyone raised on a farm, though, you know that farm kids are raised with the idea that some of the animals end up as food, and that you can be attached to them and care for them and still accept that fact. If they're from a hunting family they often learn that the same deer they hunt are also beautiful animals that can be admired, and this doesn't have to be a contradiction. On a farm, you're closer to life and death than people who shop at the grocery store and have never raised their own meat or gone hunting. I didn't grow up on a farm itself, but I grew up in a rural area with lots of farms, and with the reality that if I am going to eat, something has to die, whether animal, plant, or fungus.I have had people ask me before, "How can you say you love animals when you have dead ones all over your home? How can you appreciate them when you support killing and eating them?"
Read the rest here: therioshamanism.com/2013/04/08…
Last Call Before Shops Shut Down!
Alrighty, last call! I'll be shutting the shops down tomorrow morning once I'm up and moving around. they won't be open again til the beginning of May. http://thegreenwolf.etsy.com - Vulture Culture art and supplies/specimens, books on nature-based Paganism, stickers, Breyer model customs http://thegreenwolf.storenvy.com - much the same, but with some items not found on the Etsy shop
Cool Adventure for Shadowdark/DnD OSR!
Crimson Pit of the Bone Magus: an Adventure for Shadowdark: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pseudothanatospress/crimson-pit-of-the-bone-magus-an-adventure-for-shadowdark Hey, my fellow RPG nerds! One of the coolest people I know is releasing this awesome adventure for Shadowdark that can be used either for old-school revival (OSR) or 5e systems. From the KS: "When an archaeological mission turned up dangerous secrets, the Dwarven Imperium sent for a notorious magical investigator--but someone doesn't want him bringing the past to light. When the truth is revealed and the party chooses their side, will the Bone Magus live long enough to tell what he knows? Crimson Pit of the Bone Magus is a site-centric adventure packed with mysteries, hazards, horrifying encounters, and the drama of faction-intrigue-in-microcosm via a tight cast of characters. It's also the pilot module of a new tri-fold pamphlet adventure series designed for use with Shadowdark RPG. These adventures, each
Even More Hide/Bone/Etc. Destash!
I spent more time this weekend culling more bones, leather, feathers and other Vulture Culture/art supplies from my stash. You can find most of it over at http://thegreenwolf.etsy.com but there are some non-Etsy specials over at htp://thegreenwolf.storenvy.com
Feathers, Turtle Shells, Antlers and More FS!
Alright, folks, I am still cleaning out my Vulture Culture supplies as I wind things down here. http://thegreenwolf.etsy.com - I just listed some wings and antlers and turtle shells and more! I also reduced prices on some of the items that have been there a while. And don't forget--I have some stuff that ISN'T on Etsy over at http://thegreenwolf.storenvy.com :)
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Comments8
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I've been a vegetarian since i first found out where meat came from. i don't believe in eating animals. point blank. but i can also accept that others DO enjoy eating animals and while that used to bother me, it no longer does. i hate that it seems like there has to be two sides on the issue, that things have to be black and white. trust me, not all of us are trying to guilt trip others into becoming vegetarian, we're not all taxidermy hating cow worshipping extremists. my two best friends and I all are animal loving vegetarians AND taxidermy collectors. we are the grey area. and i just wanted to put that out there.