Happy Hunters

I’ve heard some vegetarians say that people should not be allowed to eat anything they are not willing to kill themselves.  That would be the end of my carnivorous ways, which is of course their point.

But I wonder if there are loopholes for people who can get their kids to kill stuff.  Because if so, I’m pretty sure that I would be able to eat everything from squirrels to elephants, and lizards to bunny rabbits.

I used to worry about their desire to kill things.  And it’s a sad commentary that other worries have eclipsed my concern that they may have homicidal tendencies.  But I’ve had to let it go and move on.

Last month, when we were watching the PBS reality show Colonial House, the boys could not get close enough to the screen when the 21st-century softies were trying to figure out how to slit a lamb’s throat.  I was covering my eyes and squealing; but through the slits between my fingers, I could see the boys taking mental notes.

This morning they went fishing with Jeff.  Ezra caught two catfish that were too small to keep.  Zach got an 18″ rainbow trout that they took home and had for breakfast.  Both boys had a blast (except for the hour of complaining that preceded the catch, of course).

Here are their reflections on catching and killing fish:

From Ezra: What can you tell me about catching fish? You have to be patient.  It’s hard.  You need to focus.  If you have a bobber, you have to watch how far the bobber goes down to know how big the fish is.  If you don’t have a bobber, you’ve got to watch the pole to see how it moves from side to side.  How was it to kill the fish? It’s kind of sad, kind of fun.  If you knew you were going to eat him would it change ? No.  Not at all.

From Zach: What can you tell me about catching fish? I love catching a fish.  I was happy I got to try a bite of the fish.  I loved fishing. How did it feel to kill something? Very sad. How can you say you love fishing if you think it’s sad to kill the fish? I don’t know; it just is.

Oh well.  No need to push for more consistency of thought.  After all, if the kill-or-go-hungry people ever take over, I may need some happy hunters on my side.