[Gpdd] Announcement: regarding eating pigs

[pkduffy at comcast.net]

I am writing in response to Katherine's outrage at folks not being upset with the roasted pig photograph and Jamie's response to her.  I agree with Jamie for the most part, but find the statement: "These people are probably not bad people, they just don't know any different" troubling.  "These people" are an entire culture that has different values and beliefs.  To label them as not bad people and not knowing better is patronizing at best, and terribly offensive at worst.  Why is a guinea pig any less or more deserving of living a full life than a rabbit or a dog or a cow?  And who are we, as one of the richest countries in the world, yet who euthanize hundreds of thousands of healthy but "unwanted" pets yearly, torture our "food" for economic reasons (ex., caged chickens) or for taste (ex., veal), and do indescribable acts to countless other animals to test cosmetics and cleaning products, to criticize any other culture?  And personally, I think if one eats any type of meat, s/he is in no position to criticize anyone else's choice. As an American, I have had the "luxury" of deciding not to eat meat; people living in utter poverty often do not.  

Okay, I will get off my soap-box.  Nothing personal, of course, to Katherine (I too find the idea of a roasted pig nauseating) or Jamie (as I said, I agree with almost everything you wrote).  I am going to go home and smooch my piggie for a long time...

Priscilla and Guinness