Compassion and Killing

[tn_junk]

As I reach the half century mark I find that I am becoming much more emotional, and not just about family. I have been a hunter/fisherman for 45 of my 50 years, but I am coming to value life, all life, to the point that killing fills me with such remorse that I seldom do it. I have always felt a real mixture of accomplishment and sorrow at the death of an animal. Seems that I am developing a much deeper level of compassion, for all things, than I ever thought possible. Maybe it's that I can now see over the hill and glimpse my own death that makes me loathe killing. As I don't believe in hypocrisy, I am also turning away from meat eating to vegetarianism. Since I am no longer willing to kill, I should no longer ask others to kill for me. Anybody else dealing with this, or am I just getting soft hearted, as well as soft headed?

galump

[michiganfarmer]

Ive never liked killing anything. My dad never had any problem killing a sick calf, or cat, or dog by knocking them in the head with a hammer.

I dont even like killing a cow we are going to butcher. This is my problem with people who act on their emotions. Some things need to be done. I put my emotions aside and shoot the animal I need to eat. I get it done, and forget it.

Galump, I understand your dislike of killing . I guess you need to decide what you want to eat for the rest of your life, and decide if you can deal with the deaths involved or not. I dontlike it either, but Im not going to let my emotions rule my life, or make my eating decisions for me

[culpeper]

Had any deaths in the family lately? Someone diagnosed with a terminal illness?

A major event like that, perhaps even watching a gory documentary, can have a profound effect on your life and your outlook. Perhaps you've just had a discussion recently about life, age and death. Several threads here on the subject lately! It's got you thinking, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I'm older than you are, and I'm not squeamish about eating meat, though I have horrible memories of the first sheep I ever killed! Poor thing, I wasn't very expert. Luckily there was someone close by to put the poor thing out of its misery. But I didn't have any qualms about eating it later.

I doubt very much if the lion has a conscience about killing its prey, or the sharks eating fish, or the spider sucking the life out of a fly. We are animals, too, and we kill to survive.

Are you also going to give up wearing leather shoes, and leather belts, and suede coats?

I respect your new-found views, but don't make a fetish of it, will you?

[trixiwick]

Originally Posted by galump

Since I am no longer willing to kill, I should no longer ask others to kill for me. Anybody else dealing with this, or am I just getting soft hearted, as well as soft headed?

I do agree that you should be willing to do it yourself at least some of the time, but I don't think you're going soft-headed. I actually think there is something wrong with people who don't relate to or care for the other creatures on this planet at all.

I've always had a lot of respect and regard for animals, and never take killing them lightly. I figure that the animals I raise simply would never have been born if I didn't want them for food, and I have to think they would rather have lived a relatively short, safe, pleasant life than not to have lived at all. If I can make their lives hassle-free and their deaths quick and humane, I figure I've done right by them.

I do accept that some animals were intended to be food for other animals, and humans are omnivores by nature. If you don't shoot that deer, it might starve to death next winter, which sounds worse to me. That fish you don't catch will be eaten by something else. It's the way of the world. I personally try hard to cause no suffering, that's my goal.

I don't necessarily think that vegetarianism is wrong, just giving you one way to look at it.

[ceresone]

I agree with galump one hundred percent-- my hubby likes meat once in awhile, but i am the same on killing--my daughters cant understand, cause I used to help butcher chickens--it isnt trauma in your life that causes it--its just for some of us as we age, we get a different perspective on life.

[Ardie/WI]

I never knew my grandfather and I think I married a man like him in respect to killing animals. I was told that he was a very large, rugged farmer who simply could NOT kill an animal. At butchering time, a neighor had to do it. Realize that that was over a 100 years ago and I was told that some people just didn't understand.

Roger would probably starve to death if he has to kill an animal. Heck, he had to put down an outside pet cat yesterday and he is still upset today.

[moosemaniac]

Originally Posted by trixiwick

I do accept that some animals were intended to be food for other animals, and humans are omnivores by nature.

As in "bunnies"?

Ruth

[trixiwick]

Originally Posted by moosemaniac

As in "bunnies"?

Ruth

Well, all right, you got me there. I don't have a problem with other people eating rabbits. It ain't like they're endangered or anything, is it? But for myself - I just relate to rabbits too much. They're the only animals I will not eat. I think I have a rabbit soul.

[Callieslamb]

I think that understanding an animal a life and not wanting to kill it is a good thing. Dh and I both feel this way. We don't seek out opportunity to go and just kill an animal. However, we think it is important to be able to do so. We butchered chickens about a year ago. It was pretty traumatic, but we did it. We wanted to learn so if it came down to it - our family wouldn't starve. Now we can, but we don't plan on doing it again for a while. Neither do we plan on starving. I believe that God put animals here for man's use. We should be wise and thankful with/for that gift. We shouldn't waste their lives and use their meat as little as we can - as a sign of respect and thanksgiving.

I don't think there is anything wrong with not wanting to kill an animal. I also don't think there is anything wrong with not minding it either. I certainly hope there are a few of those around if we ever decide we need to butcher chickens again! I will be glad to trade whatever, for their services.

[MarleneS]

When I grow up I want to be just like WindInHerHair I totally agree with her philosophy. But I am a coward when it comes to being the one doing the killing.

I so admired Sue the other day when she shared how much courage she has where doing the right thing is concerned. I cringed at the mention of bringing a beloved ill pet to the vet so that the vet could do the dirty work for you, because that is what I've always done. It takes all I have to be there with them until the end.

We all have to do what we know in our being to be what is right for ourselves.

Hugs,
Marlene

[matt633]

I agree with windinher hair and callie. DH grew up poor and he remembers eating very little meat from a store...he, his dad, and his brother hunted deer, mostly. He said they ate ALOT of deer meat, but also turkey, squirrel, rabbit, turtle,etc. Since he has been married to me (who never had venison before I met him!), we have done well enough to buy most of our meat. Dh's brother and dad still LOVE to hunt...dh doesn't care much for it, mostly b/c he' rather spend time w/ me and the kids than sit in the woods for hours when I can pick up a pack of chicken at the grocery (I know, I'm about to be thrown out of HT!!!!).

Anyways, the point is....I think it's important to BE ABLE to do it. ALot of us here believe that a need may arise for that one day. Me and Dh also want to teach our children. There is a fine line b/w having compassion and being able to push it aside to do what needs to be done. DH has taught me AND our kids that. In most cases though, it does not NEED to be done, so for us, we do enough to learn, to experience it....also dh still likes to eat some wild game now and then. But, I certainly don't feel like a hypocrite for eating chicken from the grocery OR venison from FIL's freezer!........and we're DEF not going the vegetarian route...eek!

[ozark_jewels]

Compassion and killing is not an oxymoron. They can and should go together.

[lgslgs]

Originally Posted by galump

Anybody else dealing with this, or am I just getting soft hearted, as well as soft headed?

galump

Yep.

And just wait until you start feeling sad for the poor annual plants in the Walmart garden center that have been drugged from seed to hot house flower and who's lives are likely to be wasted by careless people who fail to provide them with proper water and soil.

I'm actually quite serious about this. I'm soft headed/hearted enough that I can't stomach those garden TV shows that now talk about "installing" plants as if they were a widget or piece of plastic. I eat fruits and vegetables - but with respect for the fact that it is part of life on this planet that I am appropriating, harvesting and consuming. It appalls me to see living plants treated as disposable decorations and store produce thrown about and ultimately left to rot in someone's refrigerator.

Life of any form should not be treated so cheaply.

I personally can't harvest animals for food - not even with all of the compassion I can muster, but I know that some people can do this respectfully and don't fault them for it at all. I expect those folks are treating their carrots and green beans with respect as well.

But yuck - the annual parade of abused annual plants really gets to me.

Lynda

[ceresone]

LOL-I think we're all nuts!! Arent we glad we can stick together? Yes, I can kill and butcher any animal (we owned a meat processing plant) Would I? Not unless it was to keep my family from starving--Heck, I could shoot a human, IF I had to protect my family.
And yes, I cringe when I see all those rows of plants, and all the potential, not being cared for...

[trixiwick]

Since I'm among crazy friends , I'll admit two things.

1) I have a rule about "single lives" not being sacrificed for no reason. Thus, if I am served a plate of shrimp or clams, I must eat every one, lest that individual life go to waste. I need not eat every bite of chicken or beef, because that's not the same case.

2) I HATE thinning plants (carrots, onions, etc) because it makes me feel like a murderer. I do it anyway, though...mostly.

[Wildwood Flower]

I came from a family of hunters and fisherman. Sure, they enjoyed it--but they were also providing for our family. We were all taught to respect animals, and not to kill them senselessly. We never wasted meat.

I really think that as we get older it dawns on some of us that something (or someone) has to sacrifice its life for us to live. It's an age-old principle, and foundational to most religions. I won't get too philosophical here.

I've seen several men who served in Viet Nam who can no longer hunt. Remember the movie, The Deer Hunter?

I can certainly understand where you're coming from, Galump. It shows you have a deep heart.

My son is the same way. When he was young, I encouraged him to go hunting with my Dad and brothers. He never wanted to. Finally one day he came to me and told me, "Mom I never want to kill anything." I respected his choice.

In the same breath he said, "I've thought about fishing. I like to fish. But maybe it's okay. ...... Jesus was a fisherman." WOW

[EasyDay]

Originally Posted by trixiwick

2) I HATE thinning plants (carrots, onions, etc) because it makes me feel like a murderer. I do it anyway, though...mostly.

I thought I was the only one that felt that way!
Maybe not so much a murderer, but like it's life was wasted.
So all thinnings go to rabbits, chickens, goats, etc. That solves the problem in my mind.

[Meg Z]

My signature line tells you how I think on the subject.

Meg

[oz in SC]

Up close and personal killing I find distasteful.

I could shoot something much easier than I could chop it's head off.

Well except for things like crabs,softshell crabs have their little heads cut off while alive as well as their gills and tails removed,they seem to find this quite uncomfortable..

But once it is dead I have no problems doing whatever needs doing.
When our chicken killing dog bit the head off of a rooster(as cleanly as if removed with an axe) and it was still warm I was quite tempted to try my hand at butchering it but had nothing ready and at hand.