Re Western and Eastern perspectives on 'edible' animals

[Guest guest]

In an email posted on AAPN of correspondence between

JEsther and John Wedderburn on the subject of Korean

dog meat eating, Dr. Wedderburn wrote:

 

'The only strategy that I can see that will work for

the Korean meat dogs is for everyone who is against

dog eating to become vegetarian. Unless you were

brought up in a Western society it is very difficult

to understand the rationale for eating pigs while

condemning the eating of dogs.'

 

I was brought up in a Western society and *I* can't

understand the rationale involved in choosing which

animals are 'edible' and which are not.

 

As the late great animal NY animal activist Henry

Spira said 'How can you pat one animal, and eat

another'?. Like many of us, he became a vegetarian

after realizing there IS no rationality in caring for

one animal and eating another.

 

Some westerners I know involved in animal welfare are

meat eaters. When I ask them how they can reconcile

eating some animals with protecting others, some have

the grace to be ashamed and scabble to find 'excuses',

and say they want to stop eating meat, while others

stubbornly insist 'Oh, it's a completely different

thing to eat <insert name of animal they eat> than to

eat dogs and cats!'

 

Thankfully, all the westerners I know personally who

are involved in protests against Korean dog meat

eating are vegans/vegetarians.

 

As they say, 'people in glass houses shouldn't throw

stones'.

 

On another issue, congratulations to the HK SPCA for

taking the stance they have. It will be difficult for

all concerned but hopefully will lead to future

changes for the better. It is not right that the few

should suffer all the pain and trauma of 'doing the

dirty work' so that the majority can live happy guilt

free lives.

 

 

 

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