I got to wondering today - so I thought I'd share and see what happens.
Now - if you're vegetarian FOR WHATEVER REASON, please don't bother reading and leaving nasty comments, constructive ones would be appreciated. I respect your decision to not eat meat (or use animal products if you're true to the calling) and I understand your reasons. I do ask you respect the meat eaters of the world in the same way.
No one feeds a lion a carrot, but if it chooses to eat a carrot no one will stop it.
Ok, that said now the main point.
Question? What makes it ok to eat certain animals but not others?
The reason I ask is that I was searching for pictures of guinea pigs for some artwork.
"Now, I love them little critters." she says in local English. In fact when my children were young our house was house to 14 guinea pigs, 2 rabbits, 1 budgie, 1 mouse, 2 hamsters, 2 dogs, 3 cats, 4 kids (the human version) and 2 adults. So, you could say I'm an animal lover ...and a glutton for punishment. My point is that at no point did I think to eat any of them even though I'm a natural born omnivore.
And Yet...
There's a few British dishes for cooked rabbit, stewed rather than petted.
I wouldn't eat budgie but I do eat chicken, duck and game birds yet these are also kept as pets by some.
Then I read a report (link below) that in Peru guinea pigs are a regularly served up meat, and it's popularity is growing in the USA too. Plus it's helping poverty stricken peasant farmers to improve their lives.
I shivered... but then I thought "What is it about different cultures that say yay to one animal and nay to another when it comes to serving up with mash and peas?"
Some of it is cultural. Some of it is religion. Some of it is education. I guess the point is though, if you choose to eat meat, which is OK and which churns the stomach at the thought ? In the end I believe it's choice - our own choice.
Which then made me think of the stink about dog meat in China, pigs and Jews, cows and Hindus, horse meat in the UK. I cringe - in fact I'm reduced to tears at the sight of the dogs being killed for food. The thought of my funny faced rodents landing on my dinner plate etc. is one I'd rather not have.
I realised though, that if we don't like it we shouldn't be aggressive to those that do - UNLESS you are a total pro life, never harm a living being kinda person , but even then shouldn't we ALL be more accepting of others' choices? Shouldn't we live our own life the way we want and hope that others copy, but are not forced into, our way of mind? Just because Shaggy, Ginny, Erik, Jasper, Rosetta and all the others were never on my dining menu doesn't mean that Peruvians shouldn't eat their rodent populus any more or less that Chinese should or shouldn't eat the dogs, cats, chickens or pigeons of their world.