It occurred to me that the following was your idea of a sick joke: I turned
off the news today when you announced that you would be airing a report about a
man who honors the 'pigness' of his pigs, so that they may be killed to produce
tastier meat. We do not honor our 'humanness' with a comfortable life so that we
may be more valuable when slaughtered.
Pigs are intelligent animals who have the full range of emotions often
attributed only to humans, as borne out by scientific studies which have just
begun to explore what compassionate and brilliant humans ranging from Pythagoras
to Leonardo DaVinci to Isaac Bashevis Singer have long understood:
"The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals
as they now look on the murder of men." Leonardo da Vinci, artist and scientist
"For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he
who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love." Pythagoras,
mathematician
"How can we speak of right and justice if we take an innocent creature and
shed its blood?" Isaac Bashevis Singer, Nobel Laureate in Literature
The dichotomy between how humans and animals are viewed is a direct result of
religious teaching of the Judeo-Christian tradition that sanctify the killing of
animals for mans benefit in a hierarchical scheme designated as Dominion. As
aptly noted by Pythagoras this tradition has brought neither joy or love to
humanity and has in fact lowered the bar of permissible violence. It is not
coincidental that there is so much recent violence in American society: our
youth engage in random shooting incidents in their schools, adults do the same
in public spaces, as well as the recent killing of Dr Tiller and other acts of
violence towards abortion providers.
You see it is quite simple, when you teach someone to kill, whether it be an
animal or a human, within a religious context, acts of violence will increase.
Dr. Margaret Mead understood the connection between violent teachings and acts
of violence:
"No society that feeds its children on tales of successful violence can
expect them not to believe that violence in the end is rewarded" Margaret Mead
When we teach our youth that it is fine and proper to kill animals, we are in
effect teaching them that life is NOT sacred and that one may kill for any
number of reasons, from anger, to gratification, to revenge.
Those who endorse, carryout and benefit from the killing of the pigs roll
about in a muddy, murky morality, as they consider pigs expendable to their
pleasure. while upholding their right to kill another living being, with a smug
sense of superiority.
Since meat is not essential for human, survival, there is absolutely no
reason to kill a pig either for a gourmet meal or a church barbecue. Gratuitous
violence leads to more of the same.
The Jain religion of India is founded on the principle of Ahimsa:
non-violence for all beings. It is not coincidental then, that the Jains have
the lowest, almost non-existent, rate of violent crime in India. When you teach
individuals to respect life, ALL life, they do.
Ruth Eisenbud
Cambridge, Ma
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