"That's the bone. Ham comes from pigs."
"From pigs." Pause. "What comes from cats?"
"Well, sweetie, we don't eat cats."
Bud is listening attentively. But Sis poses the next question, "How did they get it out? Squeeze it?"
"No, see, meat comes from dead animals. Not like an egg from a chicken or milk from a cow. They killed the animal and cut it up into meat."
Silence.
"Can I see?" she says. "Because I love meat!"
"No, we don't need to see."
Finally, Bud responds. "Mommy, that is so sad. Why would they do that to their pig? Who cuts up their pig? That makes me so sad."
"Well, Buddy, some people eat meat, like Mama and pretty much everyone you know, and that's okay. And some people like me think that it's sad and don't eat meat. You can be either one."
Sis chimes in. "What other animals do we eat?"
"Mostly pigs, chickens, cows, turkey and fish."
"Buddy loves fish," she says. "I love meat."
"Yep, and that's just fine."
Bud reiterates, "That's just so sad."
But Sis has the final word, "can I touch the bones?"
Two totally different kids. Reminds me of the story of the two sons of an alcoholic: one is an alcoholic and one is a teetotaler. When asked why, they both respond, "with a dad like mine, how could I be any other way?"
We have been here before, animals are a bit like us, well cows and things are. Plants are not like us so it is all right to eat them. Some plants do have feelings, at least they react to touch and who are we to say that they do not do it by feeling? I have no problem with killing to eat, what I am against is killing for fun, sometimes known as sport, neither am I happy when the two are combined. On the whole meat eating men, perhaps women too, are more susceptible to bowel cancer. Pass the tomatoes and carrot cake.
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