We too have been raised into a society that has normalised the slaughter and consumption of highly intelligent domestic animals — animals who are capable of experiencing fear and suffering — animals who will show affection, if given the chance. But rather than 'dogs' and 'cats', we call them 'pigs', 'lambs', 'cows' and 'chickens'.
We will create a kinder, more caring society for ourselves if we can all widen our circle of compassion to those we have been taught to think of as 'food', rather than 'friend'. Like people in China who value dogs only for their meat, many of us have simply never been given the opportunity to appreciate 'food' animals for the unique and curious individuals that they are.
Scientists now know that cows have best friends; that sheep can learn to respond to their own name; that chickens exhibit cognitive abilities beyond that of young children; and that pigs show empathy and can play computer games designed for chimpanzees...not to mention is what is done to sea life, if fish had vocal chords the sounds of screaming death would be relentless..
Chinese are a ancient people whose cultural customs go back thousands of years to where eating all sorts of animals and animal products for medicines has been the norm....change is slow yet it is taking place in urban areas where Chinese people love their pets, to demonise all the Chinese as evil people is racist.
It wasn't that long ago Europeans people were eating anything that moves...including dogs and cats...now its taboo as people move forward.
Australia was whaling up until the 1970's.
In Canada they are still clubbing baby seals to death and widely supported by Canadians.
The Australian government sold off water to such an extent a million fish were slowly killed in the Darling River,....the Australian government not wanting to recognise Climate Change had no contingency plans to counter the drought and extreme bushfires that decimated large numbers of wildlife species, including cuddly kolas burnt to death, where apiarist upon entering the forest to retrieve hives were appalled at the screams they were hearing emanating from blackened areas....and people want to dog whistle over China's cultural nasty habits yet don't look at our own is indeed shallow to say the least.
As China increasingly embraces modernity the old cultural habits will die out, rejoice in that....and worry about Australia regressing into a backward thinking easily swayed by politicians and their friends with big money to influence peoples thinking...
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