I find myself this early Thanksgiving morning thinking a little about language.
Yesterday, in an annual ritual, President Bush pardoned two Thanksgiving turkeys.
I wondered to myself about the use of the term "pardon" for this act.
Doesn't the term denote that the recipient has committed some misdeed or crime for which s/he needs or receives the "pardon?"
What crime or misdeed did the birds commit?
And what about the term, "Thanksgiving turkey."
What does that mean?
That the turkey has something to be thankful about? Or, that we bred and raised the turkey to be killed on a specific day?
"Breed to kill." In some ways that seems like an oxymoron. Or, at the very least, a waste of energy and resources. That might be something to consider during these times of supposedly becoming more "green" and forward thinking in how we're using/abusing or conserving the planet.
Of course another misleading term used to describe actions towards animals is "euthanasia" of shelter animals.
Literally, the term means, "humane death."
I'm not sure how "humane" it is to gas animals in many shelters around our country or even if it can be considered humane at all to kill healthy animals for what in many cases, is human convenience.
Is it the dog or cat's fault that his/her former owner(s) "moved," got sick, lost their job or home, became allergic or got a divorce?
Should it be considered "humane" to kill animals for things they had no control over and played no part in?
Every living creature strives to live and is endowed with certain tools for survival, be they fast feet, wings, keen eye sight, hearing, smell or superior intelligence.
And even though cats and dogs are also endowed with basic means for survival, these attributes don't unfortunately help them in animal shelters.
We, as human "predators" have learned how to "control" and overwhelm for our own purposes, those means of survival that cats and dogs naturally possess.
Thus, we are able to kill roughly ten million cats and dogs in shelters each year.
But, we call it "euthanasia." (So-called "mercy killing" for what really are human means and purposes).
I submit that the annual White House ritual of "pardoning" so-called, Thanksgiving turkeys should be referred to as "sparing" of these animals because it is, in essence, sparing them from an otherwise gruesome, human created fate. I also believe the term "Thanksgiving" should be dropped from referring to any turkeys. As the term has no place in designation of species or breed, it therefore has no relevance in description of any living being. There is no such thing as a "Thanksgiving turkey" any more than there are "Easter" or "Passover" humans.
Finally, the term "euthanasia" should not be used to describe the mass killings of viable, healthy animals in shelters for human convenience as it totally debases and in some ways bastardizes the word.
The only ones really being "euthanized" (i.e. "put to sleep") under these circumstances are members of the human public who are being anesthetized from the truth. -- PCA
Yesterday, in an annual ritual, President Bush pardoned two Thanksgiving turkeys.
I wondered to myself about the use of the term "pardon" for this act.
Doesn't the term denote that the recipient has committed some misdeed or crime for which s/he needs or receives the "pardon?"
What crime or misdeed did the birds commit?
And what about the term, "Thanksgiving turkey."
What does that mean?
That the turkey has something to be thankful about? Or, that we bred and raised the turkey to be killed on a specific day?
"Breed to kill." In some ways that seems like an oxymoron. Or, at the very least, a waste of energy and resources. That might be something to consider during these times of supposedly becoming more "green" and forward thinking in how we're using/abusing or conserving the planet.
Of course another misleading term used to describe actions towards animals is "euthanasia" of shelter animals.
Literally, the term means, "humane death."
I'm not sure how "humane" it is to gas animals in many shelters around our country or even if it can be considered humane at all to kill healthy animals for what in many cases, is human convenience.
Is it the dog or cat's fault that his/her former owner(s) "moved," got sick, lost their job or home, became allergic or got a divorce?
Should it be considered "humane" to kill animals for things they had no control over and played no part in?
Every living creature strives to live and is endowed with certain tools for survival, be they fast feet, wings, keen eye sight, hearing, smell or superior intelligence.
And even though cats and dogs are also endowed with basic means for survival, these attributes don't unfortunately help them in animal shelters.
We, as human "predators" have learned how to "control" and overwhelm for our own purposes, those means of survival that cats and dogs naturally possess.
Thus, we are able to kill roughly ten million cats and dogs in shelters each year.
But, we call it "euthanasia." (So-called "mercy killing" for what really are human means and purposes).
I submit that the annual White House ritual of "pardoning" so-called, Thanksgiving turkeys should be referred to as "sparing" of these animals because it is, in essence, sparing them from an otherwise gruesome, human created fate. I also believe the term "Thanksgiving" should be dropped from referring to any turkeys. As the term has no place in designation of species or breed, it therefore has no relevance in description of any living being. There is no such thing as a "Thanksgiving turkey" any more than there are "Easter" or "Passover" humans.
Finally, the term "euthanasia" should not be used to describe the mass killings of viable, healthy animals in shelters for human convenience as it totally debases and in some ways bastardizes the word.
The only ones really being "euthanized" (i.e. "put to sleep") under these circumstances are members of the human public who are being anesthetized from the truth. -- PCA
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