Animals for food?

Shortly right after being away from the active work force, raw meats, especially the parts like wings, thigh, feet has certainly appear unappetising, and at times quite a turn off to me. Perhaps taking a break from work has made me less of a carnivore, as I no longer need to act like one, always on the look out, watching my back, defending my 'territories', analysing, strategising....Thus, it is true what people say: Workplace is in fact a war zone, where the strong prey upon the weak. 

I was at KLCC Convention Centre last weekend (22-23 Jan 2011) for a seminar, and The World Press Photo Exhibition was on at the same time. Many astounding photographs that would cause a quake in the more gentle souls, of scenes from riots in the streets, aggressions, prostitution, assassination, bomb blast, even stoning of a live man. However for me, the series of photographs by Tommaso Ausili, Italy, entitled "The Hidden Death", left quite an impression of how animals are processed into food for us, humans. Even the caption had stated, many if not most people didn't realised what went on in the slaughter house, in order for all the well packed, cling-wrapped on Styrofoam plate meats and dressed fowls to be on the supermarket aisles.

A comic depicting chickens looking at their fellow "friend" or "family member" being roasted, and the cartoon "Chicken Run", where the lead chickens: Rocky and Ginger try to escape the farmer's pie machine, may seem amusing as they are colourful and though virtually "alive", yet it is physically not. Ausili's photos is very alive, and has spurred much controversies as to eating meat is an act of cruelty to animals. This is not just about animals being slaughtered, but also how they are bred and raised for the sole purpose of becoming food for humans. A debate that would have very strong supporters on each side, and yet there will never have a winner on. However, the photo where the lambs are looking on while the others were slaughtered and being skinned, is actually extremely gruesome if you imagine if a person is witnessing the killing and skinning of his or her kind, is either psychotic or traumatised for life. I wonder if the photo is "staged", if the lambs actually looking in every time, and do the lambs "understand" what they are seeing? Alas, I can do a pretty good meehhh, but don't get it when, and if, I get a reply.

Despite being 'disturbed" by these photos, I am yet to be a vegetarian. Still being succumbed by temptations of the well cooked, flavour full meats from time to time. But, I do eat very much less meat nowadays, at times have gone few days in a week, every week, without any animal proteins. It is quite possible having a less meat diet is what we should do, as our ancestors did from tens and hundred thousands years ago. If not for the animals' sake, perhaps for our own health's sake. Go Paleo!