At 12:32 PM 12/18/96 -0600, you wrote:
>Hello, Everyone--
>
>I've become something of a lurker on this list, but as a participant in both
>sanet and graze-L and a grazing researcher, I've thought a lot about animal
>health and comfort and the relationship between farmers and their stock.
>
>Andy Richker writes:
> I find it curious that cattlepeople or others
>>in a similar vein see nothing strange about caring and probably even liking
>>their herds and then killing them. I think it is bit of a shame that
>>especially these people who can practice such a positive interaction with
>>their land and animals end up having to exploit them for their own
>>livelihood. But I guess this is the nature of capitalism.
>
>I would disagree that this "contradiction" has anything to do with
>capitalism. I think it is very much a natural aspect of the relationship of
>humans with the animals that we use to meet our needs for food, clothing,
>etc. I would remind Andy of the respect/reverence that many Native American
>peoples had for the animals they hunted. This is characteristic of other
>more subsistance based cultures, as well. I don't think that the affection
>that some farmers feel for their livestock is much different. Humans have
>consumed meat for millenia--biologically, we are omnivorous. It is natural
>that people have developed ways of expressing our respect and appreciation
>for the animals that provide us sustenance.
>
>Kindest regards,
>
>Laura
>
>Laura Paine
>Department of Agronomy
>University of Wisconsin
>1575 Linden Drive
>Madison, WI 53706
>Phone: 608/262-6203
>Fax: 608/265-3437
>email: lkpaine@facstaff.wisc.edu
>
>
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Steven G. Hall, P.E., Doctoral Candidate
Agricultural and Biological Engineering
419 Riley-Robb Hall
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
e-mail: sgh1@cornell.edu
telephone: (607)256-5408 / fax:255-4080
web site: http://caep.aben.cornell.edu/sghhome.htm
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