A little earlier this year, there was a festival in Yulin, Guangxi ie. the Yulin Meat Festival. The internet, being weird as it is was suddenly brought notice to this and went psycho because they were eating dog meat. We all know that the Chinese eat dog meat. So why go nuts, right?
The dogs were tortured and pet dogs were snatched from their homes just to meet demand. They were allegedly skinned alived, cramped up in small cages, tied together and whatnot.
I am a vegetarian and for the past few months have been trying to go fully vegan ( unfortunately, due to the lack of vegan products in my locality, considering the food lover that I am, I wasn't able to keep up with my 'vegan word'). I have always loved animals, more than humans if I may say so. But the thing is, the people being loco are mad because dog meat is being eaten.
The dogs were tortured and pet dogs were snatched from their homes just to meet demand. They were allegedly skinned alived, cramped up in small cages, tied together and whatnot.
I am a vegetarian and for the past few months have been trying to go fully vegan ( unfortunately, due to the lack of vegan products in my locality, considering the food lover that I am, I wasn't able to keep up with my 'vegan word'). I have always loved animals, more than humans if I may say so. But the thing is, the people being loco are mad because dog meat is being eaten.
When I heard about this whole thing ie. When my Instagram was being filled with posts saying 'Stop Yulin 2015', I rolled my eyes so much a bowling ball was jealous. Why you ask? I have a list of reasons.
1. Posting something on Instagram is going to bring awareness towards whatever issue you want it to if a large number of people collectively seeing and repost. But beyond that, if you really truly want some change, it makes more sense to sign a petition or write an open letter to the people concerned.
2. Jesus Christ! For the sake of all that's good in this world. YULIN IS A GODDAMN PLACE. I mean, HOW and WHY does it make sense to 'Stop Yulin'. If a million people (number of times the hashtag was shared) are so hellbent on stopping a place, can't it be Guantanamo bay?!
.... This is the part where the white girls say ' What's that? I can't even....'
Who am I kidding, nobody reads my blog. Let alone white girls.
3. Who are you as a person from a different country to dictate another country's culture. We look at dogs as friends or companions and its none of our business if some others don't think that way and choose to treat them as any other mammal. Unless of course, if you are against the consumption of all animals in general like me
Sure, dogs are adorable and dogs are a man's friend. But it is important to both understand and respect the fact that such is not the case for some people. For some people, dogs are best when fried and served with curry. If it is okay to consume animals with the same or higher level of emotional intellect as/ than dogs, then it is nothing but hypocritical to impose your stupid morals on other countries.
Take a scenario for example, wherein another country worships chicken and considers chicken as pets and friendly companions. Then suddenly, because white girls on Instagram start squealing 'ho my gahd, I can't evunn' you are made to feel ashamed of a food preference and forced to stop eating whatever unhealthy fried chicken dish you non vegetarians eat..... Wings!.. Yes wings.
I was watching an interview with Sadhguru the other day and he answered a question non vegetarians have been asking vegetarians and vegans for years.
"but Sammie, you're killing plants, what's the difference?" Sadhguru says that eating something is like integrating it with yourself. So if you eat a cow, the cow becomes a part of you and if you eat a mango, the mango becomes a part of you too. Cows however, are more complex creatures with emotions similar to that of humans.
He (and I) believe that since humans are capable of life without the consumption of meat, it would be responsible and considerate if humans avoided eating anything with emotion and intellect.
He says that killing plants is cruelty, but it is a necessary cruelty for survival and it is important to minimize this cruelty as much as we can, if we care about flora and/or fauna.
Coming back to the topic I started with, the only thing that I really find valid in the argument posed by Yulin hating Instagram chicks is that they torture the animals and slaughter them in a very inhumane manner.
I know vegetarianism and veganism are very very far fetched and one day the future is actually going to be like it is in the novel the time machine where we evolve into fruit eating pixies.. So if there is something reasonable we can start working towards changing in the society, we should start with animal cruelty, these animals, if they are to be killed should be done in a relatively humane manner such that it feels no pain and isn't tortured to/before death.
I was watching an interview with Sadhguru the other day and he answered a question non vegetarians have been asking vegetarians and vegans for years.
"but Sammie, you're killing plants, what's the difference?" Sadhguru says that eating something is like integrating it with yourself. So if you eat a cow, the cow becomes a part of you and if you eat a mango, the mango becomes a part of you too. Cows however, are more complex creatures with emotions similar to that of humans.
He (and I) believe that since humans are capable of life without the consumption of meat, it would be responsible and considerate if humans avoided eating anything with emotion and intellect.
He says that killing plants is cruelty, but it is a necessary cruelty for survival and it is important to minimize this cruelty as much as we can, if we care about flora and/or fauna.
Coming back to the topic I started with, the only thing that I really find valid in the argument posed by Yulin hating Instagram chicks is that they torture the animals and slaughter them in a very inhumane manner.
I know vegetarianism and veganism are very very far fetched and one day the future is actually going to be like it is in the novel the time machine where we evolve into fruit eating pixies.. So if there is something reasonable we can start working towards changing in the society, we should start with animal cruelty, these animals, if they are to be killed should be done in a relatively humane manner such that it feels no pain and isn't tortured to/before death.
