My repug friend gave me a book to read - wondering if any of you have read this . . .

[Bullwinkle925]

"Animals in Translation". The author is autistic and claims that animals process things in much the same way as people with autism. I've only read the first chapter - sounds like it will be an interesting book, however I am having some ethical problems with her work involving helping animal processing plants plan more humane treatment of the animals as they move them on to slaughter. I have a really, really difficult time whenever I see the words *humane* and *slaughter* in the same sentence. I'm hoping that as I get deeper into the book she will have left that kind of work and is doing something different now.

[mzteris]

1. well - I guess

if animals have to be slaughtered (by the meat eating public) then let's hope it IS done as humanely as possible.

I'm just shocked - SHOCKED, I tell you! - that Republican gave it to you. I mean - can they read? rofl

[Bullwinkle925]

3. i keep trying to entice her over to the light . . .

but, so far, to no avail. she is a very bright woman - actually a physician - specialty is pathology. she has a very good heart - but very misguided political thought, imho.
sigh

[Kali]

2. Temple Grandin

She is amazing - has done incredible work changing the way food animals are handled and processed. She teaches these sort of stuck in their ways, traditional cowboys and she is autistic.

Yes animals can be humanely slaughtered.

[Bullwinkle925]

5. i just have trouble with those 2 words together . . .

i don't know how slaughter can ever be considered humane?

:shrug:

[Kali]

7. well if you have ever seen inhumane slaughter

compared to a clean kill it might change your mind, but I understand your point.

To me it is realated to the concept of euthanasia vs slow painful death.

[Bullwinkle925]

9. believe me - i'm all for euthanasia . .

but the slaughterhouse thing leaves me cold. killing is killing. i remember watching a program years ago about a rattlesnake round-up in texas. mind you, i do not want a rattler in my yard and would run like hell if i saw one, but i absolutely felt a wrenching in my gut when they were hung up and skinned alive.
if they had lopped off their heads first, i still would have felt uneasy with it.

that's just one of my 'issues', i guess.

[Danger Mouse]

4. I think it's a good cause. I'm a vegetarian myself, but it's a fact of life that there will be

meat-eaters and animals being slaughtered. It's big of her to do her best to make sure the animals to be eaten suffer as little as possible. Must be hard work, but I'm glad someone is doing it.

[Bullwinkle925]

8. you are correct, of course . . .

i wish that i would do better with the shades-of-gray areas of thinking. i was just taken aback after the book began describing her experiences with abused horses at her boarding school and then i was shocked to see her move on to the slaughter-house thing.

[Danger Mouse]

10. Doing difficult work. The mark of a remarkable human being.

:patriot:

[volstork]

6. The book is by Temple Grandin

who is an absolutely fascinating individual. She has autism, but has a doctorate in animal science and is a professor at Colorado State.
Here is a link to her website, specifically the page discussing "Animals in Translation."
http://www.grandin.com/inc/animals.in.translation.html