To the Editor:
What did you eat for dinner the day you were outraged about the killing of Faye, the beloved swan? (”Faye, the mama swan taken from Manlius pond, was eaten on Memorial Day,” May 30, 2023)
While it was certainly a shock to the senses to learn of a bird with a name that many knew was butchered for a meal, it should not be any more emotionally jarring than the deaths of the 8 billion chickens in the United States that are slaughtered for the taste of their flesh on a yearly basis. Psychologists would describe this mental state as cognitive dissonance; a mental conflict when one’s beliefs are not in alignment with their actions.
We recognize the beauty, personality and maternal instincts of a single swan but cannot extend that understanding and compassion to a chicken — who, when given the chance, can and will display those very same instincts and characteristics. While Americans may hold swans in high regard due to their beauty and perceived rarity, swans have been eaten by cultures all over the world for centuries. Just as most of us would not consider eating our companion animals like dogs and cats, many countries continue to raise dogs and cats specifically for the purpose of eating them. What passes as a cultural norm in one country can be seen as abhorrent in another.
Regardless of the cultural norms at play here, one thing is certain — the animals that end up as meals are inarguably sentient and can experience the same panic, terror, pain and horror that beloved Faye from Manlius did in the last moments of her life. The only ethically consistent decision that aligns with that certainty is to leave animals off of our dinner plates for good.
Joel Capolongo
Lake View, New York
Related:
3 who took Manlius swans at night thought they were ducks, police say
Manlius swan pond connects us to a vanishing way of life (Guest Opinion by Soozan Baxter)