“Life lessons” no child should learn
June 22nd, 2007 by admin
“We teach them how to finish a product for the market.” The “product” that Mike Putnal of the Volusia County Fair Association is talking about in that sentence isn’t a wood cabinet or a ribbon-winning watermelon. He is referring to cows destined for the slaughterhouse.
A recent article in the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported on the progress of children, and their animals, entered in the fair’s livestock competition (the fair opens in November). One of the children featured in the article spoke of how she’ll react when her cow, who she’s named Hokie Pokey, is sold to be killed: “I think I’m going to grab one of those Ben & Jerry’s tubs and I’m going to cry for three straight days.”
Mr. Putnal claimed that killing an animal that a child has become emotionally attached to is a life lesson. That may be true. But we think that teaching children to turn their backs on animals is a horrible lesson.