The Chicken Project

[Wolrab]

A school district adjacent to where I live had an elective course that involved raising chicks, slaughtering, then having a cookout. None of the students were forced to kill or prepare the chickens. A local activist complained that this was sending the wrong message to the kids. National groups (read PETA) started writing the Principal. She ended up caving in and canceling the course. She must have grew a set because the next week she reinstated it.
I feel, rather strongly, that this is a vital life lesson and a very important skill the students need. I would imaging that being able to kill, gut, and cook a chicken is a rather common place skill in a large part of the world. Any comments?
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008805240335

[ksbluesfan]

Many US citizens will live their entire life without eating anything that they killed. I doubt they will die with the feeling that they missed out.

[learner]

Until you have killed, prepared and eaten an animal you will never appreciate it fully. Essential for all meat eaters id say.

[ksbluesfan]

I don't understand that sentiment. I don't need to understand the design of an operating system to appreciate it. How is killing an animal essential for meat eaters? What's the worst thing that could happen if they don't kill their meal?

[Beerina]

A school district adjacent to where I live had an elective course that involved raising chicks, slaughtering, then having a cookout. None of the students were forced to kill or prepare the chickens. A local activist complained that this was sending the wrong message to the kids. National groups (read PETA) started writing the Principal. She ended up caving in and canceling the course. She must have grew a set because the next week she reinstated it.

No, she didn't! :)

She was cowardly for caving in, then cowardly caved back the other way when it became apparent that an angry population would un-elect her supportive bosses in the school board.

I feel, rather strongly, that this is a vital life lesson and a very important skill the students need.

It sure is! It's vital people learn what cowardly scumbuckets the politicians are.

I would imaging that being able to kill, gut, and cook a chicken

Oh, I thought you were talking about the political waffling. Oops! :o






:)







In any case, farmers point out that, by not killing animals, city folk have become separated from the process of actually living, and that seeing meat magically appear in stores warps their attitudes and makes them overly squeamish. (And, of course, given most people live in cities rather than on farms, this squeamish attitude gets a disproportionate weight in politics.)

[fagin]

I think all kids should be shipped off to third world sweatshops for a few years so they know where their designer labels come from.
And keep them out of mischief.

[Drudgewire]

I think all kids should be shipped off to third world sweatshops for a few years so they know where their designer labels come from.
And keep them out of mischief.

Also, no one should be given a driver's license until they can successfully rebuild a carburetor. :rolleyes:

[fagin]

Carbawhatter?
Must be that new fangled technology

[rwguinn]

Also, no one should be given a driver's license until they can successfully rebuild a carburetor. :rolleyes:


Maybe not quite that far, but they should certainly be required to 1. Change a flat, and 2. replace a fan belt...

[Drudgewire]

Seems somewhat relevant to the thread, from last week's Opie and Anthony Animation Festival (spoiled for being not work safe):

bzdjkZeynsk

:D

[NobbyNobbs]

No, she didn't! :)

She was cowardly for caving in, then cowardly caved back the other way when it became apparent that an angry population would un-elect her supportive bosses in the school board.



So I guess what you're trying to say is that she's......chicken?


:duck:

[Rufo]

While I don't think it's exactly an "important skill", and especially not for children, I fail to see why PETA objects to this. As Beerina pointed out, many people have distanced the meat from the process by which it is produced. I thought animal rights was a lot about making people aware of that process - which is exactly what this course seems to do. What's wrong with that?

[ksbluesfan]

I don't think it's an important skill, nor do I believe that all meat eaters should eat something they've killed, but I really don't have a problem with this class being offered as an elective. I was a vegetarian for a long time, but started eating eggs, dairy and fish a few years ago. When I was a kid, I used to catch, kill and clean fish all of the time. I've also prepared frogs, squirrels and rabbits.

[Spindrift]

Until you have killed, prepared and eaten an animal you will never appreciate it fully. Essential for all meat eaters id say.

And it's essential for all vegetarians to grow their own wheat, harvest it, mill it and bake their own bread.

[bluess]

And it's essential for all vegetarians to grow their own wheat, harvest it, mill it and bake their own bread.


After all these years, I find that the Little Red Hen was right! :p

[BPSCG]

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. --Robert A. Heinlein

[Dorian Gray]

Good quote.

[bluess]

You try writing a damn sonnet. I'd rather plan the invasions.


....whinings of a frustrated poet.

[Sir Robin Goodfellow]

Do not under any circumstances attempt to fix your own vehicle without training. I've seen the results. Changing a belt is not what it was in 1960.

[rwguinn]

Do not under any circumstances attempt to fix your own vehicle without training. I've seen the results. Changing a belt is not what it was in 1960.
True--but I said Fan belt, not serpentine belt!
Some of those damn things require removal of a motor mount!
Damn Engineers! They Otta be shot!






:D

[Ranb]

And it's essential for all vegetarians to grow their own wheat, harvest it, mill it and bake their own bread.

Those vegans also need to decide what tools to use to harvest their grains. Do they do it by hand, or use the combine and other machines that also kill whatever hapless animals get in the way.

Ranb

[TX50]

I think a visit to a slaughterhouse/abatoir/knackery should be
mandatory for older schoolkids. Same goes for farm and fish market
visits (failing trips out on actual fisher boats). Does them no harm
at all to see where their food comes from.

[Drudgewire]

I think a visit to a slaughterhouse/abatoir/knackery should be
mandatory for older schoolkids. Same goes for farm and fish market
visits (failing trips out on actual fisher boats). Does them no harm
at all to see where their food comes from.

Yes, teenagers in a slaugherhouse. What possible liability concerns could there be? :rolleyes: