Saturday, October 31, 2009

Could You Eat Him?

Sometimes you just have to wonder! Did you know that it is legal to eat man's best friend in 44 states? I didn't either. Kind of makes you wonder why the remaining states have declared it otherwise!

One of my more consistent themes in writing this blog is the disconnect between our culture and those of countries into which we try to insinuate our own. It usually has to do with human rights. Like stoning people to death or lashing them to serve as an example. I hadn't really given their culinary peculiarities much thought until recently. There has been a spate of articles suggesting we ought to consider having pets we can at some point in time consume in order to neutralize their carbon footprint. I don't care if it's a cat or a rat, if it's a pet I couldn't eat it.

I realize that what we consider domestic pets are often eaten by people of other cultures and have been since the beginning of time. I guess one man's delicacy is another's heartburn. Like sheep eyeballs. If I didn't know what I was eating, would I consider it a delicacy? I have no idea and hope never to find out. The closest I've come to culinary bravery was pig snout while in France. I doubt I'll ever rid myself of the image of those nostrils staring up at me from a daintily garnished bed of greens!

Those of you who follow me know I'm a huge softy when it comes to animal welfare. That being said, I have to tell you I was shocked to see the following article in today's Wall Street Journal , Let Them Eat Dog - A modest proposal for tossing Fido in the oven. Yikes!

Halloween Day! The time of year humane societies forbid the adoption of black cats! Here's an article that not only goes into vivid depictions of how dogs have been consumed past and present, but even a recipe!

Having read through all the unsettling descriptions, the summation points out that the prospect of consuming Fido is likely repulsive to everyone reading the article and that's what's most important.

Perhaps. I have to question the timing, number one, and any socially redeeming reason for the article in the first place, number two! I guess the saving grace, and don't misconstrue "grace", is that not a lot of strung out types looking for new horrors to explore on Halloween are likely to be reading the Wall Street Journal. Nor this post. I hope.

2 comments:

Gail said...

We eat cattle and I am sure there is one place in paticular that would be horrified with that fact.

Word Tosser said...

cattle is worshipped in India? or somewhere around there...
but sorry.... no dog, cat, horse and certain nothing in the rodent family.... I will stick to fish, chicken, beef, port, deer and elk.. I will leave the rest to you all