Primary school children in Suffolk are rearing three pigs to be killed
for meat, to teach them the "provenance of food". The piglets, due to
be named Ham, Bacon and Pork, are being raised by the 25 pupils at
Peasenhall Primary School.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-21427695?SThisFB
The children are being led to believe that it's necessary to kill
animals for humans to survive. This is not true.
Meat isn't necessary for human survival, not only are billions of
animals subjected to a horrifying death in a slaughterhouse, but
livestock farming is destroying the planet and keeping food away from
starving people.
It would be much better for the children to grow vegetables and be
taught about animal sentience. Pigs, like all animals experience joy,
sadness, fear, pain, happiness and misery, just the same as humans do.
Pigs are intelligent, more intelligent than dogs, and don't deserve to
be used and abused for human taste preferences. No animal does.
Teach the pupils about healthy diets, compassion to all living things
and concern for
our planet, not how to use and exploit animals for a product that we
don't need and isn't healthy.
"It is amazing that most people who are horrified at the atrocities
committed in wartime do little or nothing to prevent children having
their compassion desensitized and their cruelty aroused.
They are given picture books showing sheep, cattle, goats, hares,
roe-deer, poultry and other animals with captions such as 'Our Dear
Friends'. When children meet a lamb, a kid-goat, or a calf, they are
encouraged to pet the creature, and everyone is pleased at this
display of love for animals which awakens in every good-natured child
at the sight of such creatures.
But a few hours later, the children may see the same animals they have
petted and played with, now hanging on a hook with bloody throats,
dead eyes and bodies disembowelled. And then the children are
encouraged to eat pieces of their 'dear friends', their playmates. Is
this not an education in treachery?"
Magnus Schwantje (1877 ~ 1959)
Dear Peasenhall Primary School,
It has recently come to my attention that you have a primary class
planning to raise three piglets for slaughter to teach them about the
"provenance of food".
I hope that if your aim is to teach them about food that you expose
them to the entire process. People are very disconnected about food
and the process it goes through to reach our plate.
Livestock farming is one of the major contributors to the destruction
of the planet. It's polluting the environment, destroying the
rainforest and keeping food away from starving people. Even the UN
says we need to be eating a plant based diet.
It seems wrong to teach the children to love an innocent being, but
not make the connection that it must have it throat slit and bleed out
so it can be chopped up into pieces to make the meat they will eat. To
then get the children to give these creatures the sick names of the
meat they will be cut into is macabre and disgusting.
If you insist on this behavior I would suggest they see the process
through and watch the pigs get slaughtered as well. Then they will
truly understand where meat comes from and that the creatures they
have raised, that have personalities, and that they may even come to
love, will suffer and die because they "love to eat sausage too".
Why not grow a garden and teach them to love and respect the lives of
these beautiful creatures - not for what they can be used for but for
the beautiful life that they are.
Please re-consider this project and what kind of lessons it will
really teach these children, all they will learn is how to disconnect
from the grim reality of their actions. I don't expect the children
will be shown the slaughter process, which is, in effect, lying by
omission.
I request that you abandon this project and find safe, suitable homes
for the pigs.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
