So, who are the real adults here, and who are the real children? Who is who?
Schoolkids vote 13-1 to slaughter lamb
A GROUP of schoolchildren who reared a lamb from birth and named it Marcus have overridden objections by parents and rights activists and voted to send the animal to slaughter.
[…]
The decision has provoked fury among animal-loving celebrities, animal and human rights campaigners and the parents of some of the children, and led to threats against Lydd primary school and its teachers, according to a member of staff.
Well, clearly, this is all about the children ("animal-loving celebrities, animal and human rights campaigners and the parents of some") and not about the adults who…
The children also look after ducks, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs.
The intention had been to buy pigs with the money raised from slaughtering Marcus, but those plans have been put on hold following the furor created by the lamb’s culling.
The school said the program may now have to be stopped.
"It’s all up in the air," said a member of staff.
"There’s been so much pressure on us as a result of all this."
Nope, it’s all about the children.
But opponents branded it heartless and cruel, with animal rights campaigners asking why Marcus could not have been used to teach the children about wool, and human rights campaigners worried about the emotional impact of Marcus’s death on the children.
A popular talkshow host offered to buy the lamb and give it sanctuary and Facebook groups sprung up to rally support to keep Marcus alive.
But at least the adults had the final say.
But the children had the final say.
The school defended the children’s decision, calling it educational.
"When we started the farm in spring 2009, the aim was to educate the children in all aspects of farming life and everything that implies," the school said.
"The children have had a range of opportunities to discuss this issue, both in terms of the food cycle and the ethical aspect.
"It is important for everyone to move on from this issue, so the children can focus on their education."
The continuing education of these adults is not what these children are after. Indoctrination is what they’re after.
In the end, they’ll probably succeed in turning these adults into children, just like themselves.
(Reader Tin Tin emailed that in the other day)
I'd love to see the link to read the story for myself. Interesting tease though.
The link is in the first block quote.
Thanks Richard. Missed that.
Looks to have taken place in the U.K. Kids aged 6-11 years old.
I can live with those whose opinions differ from mine. I just hate when they try using guerrilla tactics to change the opinions of others…especially without the forceful weight of evidence on their side, and especially when they are trying to brainwash children out of a way of life which has existed for as long as mankind. Vegetarianism on the other hand has existed sparsely since its inception, no earlier than about 600 B.C. And historically that's being very generous to them. In truth vegetarianism has only had any minor significance in the last 500 years. It has become “significant” only this century as far as I can tell.
Teach your own children your own values. They will be your most persuasive argument.
Damn Nay Slayers! (or is it Slay Nayers?). We run into these Animal Rights loonies here at UCLA, but they are particularly aggressive and confrontational towards the primate researchers. There's even been a fair bit of terrorism against primate researchers here, including attempted firebombings and torching the car of a good friend of mine. It's becoming very scary and is something the primal/paleo community may eventually face due to our philosophy of animal use. It's mind boggling.
I want to puke every time I see a warning on some tv news or documentary that animals dying or meat processing may be unappropriate for children. when you walk thru any market in 80% of the world and see unprocessed meat and carcasses, are the children suffering damage? give me a fucking break.
anyway, kudos to the school. my 5 and 3 year old were fascinated to watch us kill, clean and roast a lamb during summer vacation in bosnia. wish more kids got a real education in school.
The kids here have a stronger sense of responsibility than the so-called adults. Are we in another Dark Ages? Sometimes I do wonder….
One time, when I temporarily lived in Texas, I decided to help (ok, ‘be present for’) my roommate shooting and butchering a pig. Granted, the event didn’t go as planned. But I had this overwhelming feeling that it was my RESPONSIBILITY. That eating that generic wrapped-in-plastic ‘meat’ in the store, without ever having to see up close that something had to die to feed me, just seemed … I dunno. Morally wrong. Ironically, before this event, I was (a California girl, ok…) guilty about eating animals. I was even once a vegetarian solely out of guilt. (Had I liked fruits/veg that might have worked. Instead I lived mostly on grains and dairy and got fatter–but thank god for the dairy or my metabolism would probably be even worse! If that is even possible.) But after that event, I have not felt guilty eating meat since and now eat 95% meat.
I’m not sure why it cured my guilt. I blogged the detail of the experience in “Meeting your Meat” in case anybody’s interested. http://thedivinelowcarb.blogspot.com/2008/02/meeting-your-meat.html
PJ