I can't say I've really fathomed the French and their relationship to animals yet, here horses are both pets and food, riding is extremely popular out in the countryside where I am, but all the kids who do so say they'd quite happily eat horse meat. Yet, if you mention eating a dog they shrivel their noses up... Dogs and cats seem to be given privilege over other animals here, while us Brits claim to be a land of animal lovers, we've banished them out of restaurants, schools and shops as we consider them a health and hygiene issue. How surprised was I to come to Issoudun and see the owner of a German Shepherd strut into the bar with his gigantic dog. Even in fancy restaurants you may find yourself with a cat purring in your lap happily as you enjoy your meal- the French don't see the problem, the Brits can't believe how you'd let an animal at the table while you're eating.
See, confusing?
I can see why us Brits draw a line at horse meat if they associate them as pets, yet why complain about it when you're happy enough to eat rabbit? Quite a few of us have had one of the floppy-eared cuties as a 'starter-pet', if your parents hated you then I'm sorry, perhaps you got a goldfish instead. There is of course the argument that horses are intelligent animals, therefore shouldn't be put through as much suffering as the other creatures on the food chain- yet pigs are just as smart but because they're 'frigging delicious' people choose to ignore this. It just reminds me of the quote from Animal Farm "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS."
All in all everybody seems to have their own rules about what animals should be on the menu or not, it is confusing as hell and makes me happy to be vegetarian as I have the simple answer of "none for me thank you".
I can and have given many reasons for being vegetarian, but the simplest is that I simply like animals. My first 'animal rights act' (shall we call it?) took place when I was 4. My dad had just caught an octopus that he was going to take to the local Chinese to have cooked, he left me a total of 5seconds before he heard a splash and came running to see me waving goodbye as my new friend scurried back into the sea, turning many beautiful colours in its rush for freedom. Since then I have brought home orphan hedgehogs, swallows, birds with broken wings, and I don't think I can quite forget the earful I got when mother came home to find two frogs swimming in our bath. To me, animals are just simply a hell of a lot prettier and more interesting alive than dead. However, I don't believe in telling people in what they should and shouldn't eat, it's a personal choice- just don't get shitty with me for being veggie and don't go preaching about your love of meat, it's sickening. Deal?
There are two things however that I dislike about France. We'll start with the less annoying one-
If you feel it's absolutely necessary to eat meat to survive still, yes you're prehistoric but meat has been sustenance for many years so minds can't be changed too quickly. However, using dead animals to decorate yourself will NEVER be a necessity.
The second thing that disgusts me- foie gras. While the standards of farming in France is actually pretty damned good in most respects, those horses you perhaps worried about had quite a good life before they were served up, geese are treated like shit. Quite frankly, they probably get treated worse than rats here. In fact the rats get well fed on these poor, diseased geese.
Here's Mr Roger Moore to tell you about it.
If you don't have the time to watch it, I'll sum it up for you- these birds are kept in cages so small they can't move and then a steal pipe is rammed down their throat, causing broken beaks and wounds to the neck and stomach, if they survive this first part they are then force-fed food until the majority get cancer. These birds are so ill and weak that when rats come to feed off their open wounds, the birds can't even defend themselves against it. Yes, this video centres on the farms in the US, but the standards are no better here in France. It's fucking disgusting and this is no way of life for any living creature.What's more, it's completely unnecessary. Geese put more fat on during Winter- so killing them then would mean you get the same product (fat liver), just no disease and no cruelty. But the French are unwilling to call fatty liver that has been made 'sans gavage' (without force-feeding) 'foie gras', as it's a break from tradition. Well, it was once a tradition to keep slaves and pass them on through the family but that joy eventually came to an end. Them saying but "Ohh, but it's so tasty" kinda sounds a bit like ex-slaveowners complaining that they now have to clean their houses themselves or actually bloody pay people for it.
If you have the time, here's a presentation about good, humanely produced foie gras:
If you wish, there is a petition to stop force-feeding in Europe:
http://www.stopgavage.com/en
Oh well, I'll get off my soapbox now I guess.
I'm still searching this country for veggie food, so far I have been pleased to find tofu ravioli in the local supermarket- BIG step here in the French countryside. However, the day I go to a restaurant here and I have an alternative to a goat's cheese salad is the day I can celebrate.
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