A Small Rant Against Sealing Protesters
Okay, so what I'm about to write likely isn't going to make me lots of friends, but I feel the need, in this season of hearing tons on the news of rants against the East Coast Canada seal hunt, to address this.
Living on the West Coast now, in urban, spoiled, temperate Vancouver, I hear lots of people rant on about the horrible seal hunt.
Now, when I hear this from vegan folks, who also decline to wear any animal products as well as eat meat, okay, I don't necessarily agree with their viewpoint, but I get why they're complaining.
But when I hear folks making nasty comments about the seal hunt, as they wear their leather shoes, leather gloves, leather jackets, and munch on steak, pork, chicken, and salmon, I think, where, honestly, do you get off.
The thing is, seals are cute. They're cute as hell. Most Newfoundlanders and other East Coast fishers and sealers will grant you that, yes, they're cute as hell. Seals are adorable in a way that cows, well, just can't quite match.
And these sealers aren't going out because they think clubbing seals is a fun thing to do. they aren't cruel deliberately vicious people. They're making a living, they're helping their own fishery, and they EAT the seal meat as well. These people are making a living in a harsh climate and a rough land. These are a warm, vibrant people.
These people have a smaller ecological footprint than many of the people who object to their hunt. Much of what goes on their dinner tables comes from what they have grown, hunted, or traded with neighbours. Unlike many of their detractors, they do not live luxurious lives in large homes with every conceivable modern amenity. These people are also not stupendously wealthy celebrities (don't even get me started on celebrities getting involved in this!).
For folks who go on about cute animals and nasty fur, these seals aren't just hunted for fur. Much of the meat is consumed by the families of those who hunt. Just as we consume steak, and the skins are tanned for our leather. But the source of our steak and leather gloves are hidden from us, everything safely showing up in boxes and clean packages. The media does not seasonally take us on a tour of abbatoirs.
So if you wear leather shoes, coats, belts and gloves, or buy nice leather purses and wallets, or have nice leather floggers and kinky toys, tucked away, I would suggest you consider keeping your mouth shut, when you feel the urge to protest the seal hunt. I am tired of people wearing leather products telling me how damned evil fur is. Honestly. Hypocritical.
And if you eat meat, think twice before you make disparaging comments about people who have to hunt their own, rather than find it handily wrapped in saran in the superstore. Maybe consider trying to hunt for your own food sometime, and skin and dress your own meat. Then think about life for people who need to do this to survive. And maybe get an idea where your lamb and bacon come from ...
And if you're a vegan who chooses not to utilize animal products, well, good for you, that's not always easy. However, consider admiring the tiny ecologic footprint of those who still live the traditional fishery lifestyle. These people lead difficult and challenging lives, and live them thoroughly and with exuberance.
Okay, so that's my rant. I don't see the seal hunt as any different from killing cows, pigs, ostriches, chickens, or cute but tasty lambs and bunnies for food or leather or bunny fur. I'm not cruel. I'm practical, and honest, and I'm trying to live my life without hypocrisy.
Unknown "Chuchundra" Frisky
- 16 years, 7 months, 16 days ago
