Report Blog Entry
not too long ago I read a book called Skinny Bitch. it was published in 2004 by a woman-comedy duo. y'know, one of those "we like to swear and be bastards and we're self aware about it" kind of things. lots of swears, very blunt, occasionally kind of funny, and hasn't aged great. anyway, it was basically an entire 190 page book promoting the one thing that these, very accomplished and professionally trained women mind you, said would make anyone lose weight: veganism. I don't think I'll ever be vegan, but I've been vegetarian a couple times.
but the big chapter, the climax of the book basically, is an entire chapter about the happenings of slaughterhouses and a collection of first-hand accounts of people who work in slaughterhouses, what they do and what they've seen. i'll be honest, it wasn't a fun read, but I felt an obligation to read the entire chapter.
a few of the stories did stick with me. there was one where a pig escaped those hook-conveyor belts and tried running, but fell into a pool of electrified water and tried swimming through it. there was another where a worker cut the nose off a pig and rubbed salt all over the wound and watched it writhe in pain. insane shit like that.
so basically I read a bunch of stories from psychotic masochists. I've always sort of had the thought that meat, as a concept, is kind of strange. but after reading that chapter of that book, that thought has always stuck with me. meat is weird.
I mean, what is it really? this innocent creature that was literally bred to be killed inside a giant steel box, surrounded by her dead companions, who are being ripped apart by machines. and it happens every single day, constantly, without stopping.
I don't wanna get all hippie on ya, but it kinda is mass murder. pigs and cows show signs of self awareness, which can be a sign of consciousness. yes, I am saying a cow is possibly on the same level of a human in terms of self awareness. why wouldn't it be? why are humans the only creatures on the entire planet who can be self aware and fully conscious?
look, if I keep talking, i'll just lose it. meat is a pile of dead flesh that's been created by systemically killing millions of animals every single day without stopping, cooked, and served with some nice mashed potatoes on the side. it's weird and I don't like thinking about it, but sometimes I can't stop thinking about it.
but am I gonna stop eating meat? for now, no. it's not entirely my choice at the moment since I still live with my parents and siblings, and it's just easier for me to forget about it and make it convenient for everyone else. I don't want to make my wants harder for everyone else, and pathetically, choosing/making dinner is usually the hardest part of the day for people in my family lol.
that's all i'm saying for now. see ya
Comments
Displaying 1 of 1 comments ( View all | Add Comment )
Holden
Hey dude! I wanted to say i pretty much agree with you in some parts, the way we treat animals as objects that can be used for our desires and pleasure makes me sick, I recommend you to buy meat products that come from frams that let animals run freely.
That being said, I do have some objections.
"yes, I am saying a cow is possibly on the same level of a human in terms of self awareness. why wouldn't it be? why are humans the only creatures on the entire planet who can be self aware and fully conscious?" There are a few things humans have that all animals lack. The animals you speak of do show signs of intelligence and emotional awarness, but I would't go as far as saying they're self-aware, one common self-recognition test is the mirror test, where an animal is marked and observed to see if it recognizes the mark on its own body. One other skill we humans have that animals lack is abstract thought ot imagination. With the combination of this two skills we can develop complex-thinking, for example: humans can analyze their own thoughts, and develop a sense of identity over time. Even so, While animals communicate, human language allows for abstract ideas, storytelling, and the accumulation of knowledge across generations. And not only that, we create art, literature, and music, using symbols to express deep ideas that transcend survival instincts. We even have the ability to think about our own thoughts, assess our learning, and adjust our behavior accordingly. And last but not least, we develop moral codes, engage in philosophical debates, and make decisions based on values rather than pure instinct.
These are a few examples of the difirenciation between human and animal psique, and yes, I wrote all this instead of studying for psychology lol
yea u right
I said all that for two reasons. one was because it was just what I heard from somewhere else (possibly from the same book) and because it was more like an impassioned guess than a structured thought.
though I appreciate someone who actually knows what they're talking about came and explained it a bit more clearly. though I still hold the belief that it isn't impossible that we are the only creatures on the planet who have the same abilities that we do (analyzing own thoughts, imagination, etc). because again, why wouldn't there be? this is more anecdotal evidence, but I hear that octopuses are pretty close to us in terms of mental capacity and ability. but again, that's just what i've heard. to be honest i don't know if it's actually true.
by chee2k13; ; Report
I HEARD ABOUT THE OCTOPUSES TOO!!! Did you know that every tentacle of theirs has a separate nervous system? It's almost like they have nine brains—the head one and the tentacle ones! I really love octopuses.
Some people theorize that certain species of birds and marine mammals are able to communicate using complex language and even share thoughts with one another. There's still so much to learn about animal communication, and I'm thrilled!
by Holden; ; Report