A big debate is often discussed what is OK to eat and not OK to eat. Where do people’s values lie in what animals? How did they come about those values? Did society play a role? What values are inherent to human nature or a learned behavior. There often is a question of “Where do you draw the line?”
In the God Ole USA, we eat chickens, cows, and pigs. Those are the three main animals we eat and consume on massive scales. You can find it anywhere and get it cheap. It is OK to eat in our society and accepted by nearly everyone. Lets go across the map for a bit. In China, the notion is they eat dogs. Actually its true, its not everywhere but they do. In India, they do not eat cows because they are revered as a God. In some places, they like to eat bugs, while we here in America do not. In Japan, there is a small place where they do yearly dolphin hunting. Approximately 1,250 dolphins are killed during this tradition. In Spain, matadors kill bulls for culture or entertainment, how you look at it. In some places in Africa, tribal villages can still eat bush meat of other primates.
So how is it, that its OK to eat some animals here, its not OK in other cultures there. While some have animals as pets, while others eat it. While some can kill animals for culture. Where is the line? Who is right, who is wrong. How can you tell me not too eat a dog, when you kill millions of cows? Am I advocating to eat dogs and cats. Most certainly not. My point is, there is no one to really blame, there is no one you can point fingers at. We are all just as guilty for whatever meat consumption we do.
There are many ways as you can see for why we eat certain meat and not others. Some it is just engrained in our society, some its our traditions, some its our value on animals, and a big one is the intelligence. My logic, it is all or nothing. It is all life and all fair game or it is not. There is no line to draw, there is no line to say this is OK and this is not. There is no way to argue or justify why it is OK for animal to die and not another. All life is valuable and that is why #alllifematters. My point of view is the intrinsic value that every living thing has its own value and should be cherished for being so. My goes down to a deeper and more philosophical reasoning. Not measured by culture or tradition or any other sort of illogical reasoning.
Who are we to judge on what life is more valuable than another for whatever reason. Whether it is valuable to us, or it is cute, or it is smart, or it taste good. They are all valuable and in that conclusion meat eating, it is no animal that can be deemed OK to eat.
There are a billion arguments on why it is OK and reasons for what we do. It goes back to me sitting and thinking about my own parents and what they have been through. They went through the Killing Fields of the late 1970’s by the Khmer Rouge. Nearly 1.5 million Cambodians lost their lives. My mother lost her parents and 8 siblings, my father lost his sister. Everyone was affected. Everyone lost somebody close to them. Why and how this happen is unfathomable.
***The above photo is the area where my pregnant aunt (Dad’s sister) was killed, amazing to see how a pristine meadow leaves no trace of horrors from before****
Who got to live and who didn’t was also explained with reasoning. They were also deemed with only a certain value. Even as backwards as it is, knowledge was the enemy. Someone who was educated was killed. Someone who played music or in the arts was killed. Someone who was a doctor was killed. Someone who wore glasses or had soft hands to show they didn’t work as farmer was killed. The judgement and reasons for such atrocious events were given to only a handful of people. It was carried out by an army and they all listened. Even though it should defy logic, they still did it. It makes me think, every single one of those Cambodians who died were valuable. They were valuable to someone. They made someone laugh or cry. I’m sure there aren’t any we could say is a life not worth to live. I wish I could meet all my uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins, family friends and share a dinner or have a talk. But that’s not the case because someone drew a line and said their life is not worth it.
Just like its OK for us to pet our dogs but eat cows. But someone else in the world it is OK to pet cows and eat dogs. There is no correct way to reason it all as a whole. Just like how it is illogical for the Khmer Rouge or any other sadistic dictator like Hitler, Stalin, Enver, Mussolini to carry out the acts they did. Even now in today’s times because we value someone lower based on intelligence, race, or color. We put into a perception on what value they are. Is because someone is ill, disabled, a certain race, mentally unstable, give no less or no value to their life? No it does not, so it should not be the same for animals. They all provide their own value. So that is why we should get rid of the line, get rid of the boundaries, give rid of the reasons. All life is valuable, don’t eat meat. #allifematters
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