Loving Some Animals, Eating Others6/14/2009Vegetarians have long wondered why non-vegetarians do not connect the meat on their plate with the living animal who has been killed to provide it. Today I witnessed this disconnect happening right in front of me twice. I first saw it at a familiar summer gathering place for hip urbanites: the farmer’s market. This particular week the market was highlighting animal rescue organizations, and booth after booth was devoted to information about this or that breed of dog or cat. In many cases, the banners on these booths showed large appealing photographs of the particular animal concerned. People who staffed these booths had brought their own dogs, so it was an animal friendly atmosphere. There was also a large booth for onsite dog and cat adoption, with companion animals there for folks to take home and love. Yet side by side with these rescue booths were other booths offering “natural poultry” and grass-fed beef. I saw a booth for a natural beef company in Colorado that is run by a spiritual community, Sunrise Ranch! On their website they speak of their “low-stress stock handling techniques, mostly calling the cows so they follow, ” yet name the slaughterhouse where they send these well-treated animals to be killed and dismembered. The organization describes itself as “a community of people who are personally dedicated to transformation and service.” How is it that people sincerely pursuing spiritual transformation can still be eating meat? How is it that hearts open to dogs and cats can be so closed to cattle and chickens as not to even think of them as deserving rescue and compassion? How is it that a cow is considered to be so different from a dog? Because we do not see actual cows in our urban neighborhoods? Because we cannot keep a cow inside our homes? Because a cow does not wag her tail when she sees us? After leaving the market, I went to a potluck, where I found myself sitting across from a woman whom I engaged in conversation. She spoke enthusiastically about her volunteer work with the local zoo, where she presents public programs to audiences that include many children. I was glad to see someone fostering connections between humans and non-human animals, yet all the while she was telling me this, she was eating fried chicken! How can someone love zoo animals and spend many hours communicating that to the public, yet not notice she is eating the flesh of another animal which is equally worthy of respect and care? I’d love to be able to understand and instantly heal this profound disconnect, but at least we can chip away at it in words and actions whenever we have the chance. We can do this through any public outreach, such as tabling at festivals, as well as in personal conversations and online discourse. Those of us who understand that all animals deserve compassion, and whose diets demonstrate that understanding, are each a part of the solution. We are on-the-street practical peacemakers. We have an obligation to carry this awareness out into the world, while at the same time maintaining compassion for those who love some animals but eat others.
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