So... what exactly did I do last week?
Long story short, I went to an animal rights and advocacy summer camp located on an animal sanctuary. My special friend pictured above is Beatrice, a turkey born to be killed in a slaughterhouse. At a young age she was rescued and parted with her 45 million friends and family who did not even see the sunshine before their deaths.
It's amazing, even though humans have wronged Beatrice unimaginably, her heart is still open to us. She loves wing massages and will approach you asking for them. Beatrice spends her days in freedom, exploring the land, looking for yummy grass and bugs to eat, daydreaming beneath trees, and chatting and cuddling with her fellow rescued turkey friends.
You know, while me and my friend at camp were stroking Beatrice's soft white feathers, she told me something that struck me hard. It's a simple phrase that sounds obvious at first:
"Turkey is a turkey"
The flesh you eat for dinner used to be a living, breathing, beautiful being; someone who had needs and wants that were never fulfilled; someone like Beatrice who cried when they were sad and purred like a kitten when they were happy.
My friend had only realized this a year ago, she was embarrassed to tell me. When she saw someone eating a turkey, she only saw "meat". They probably only saw "meat" as well, not the being from which that flesh was stolen from. When my friend began to realize the folly of that train of thought, she was never the same again.
Beatrice was molting a little during the time we were stroking her wings, something completely normal. She purred as she fell asleep in our arms, the caruncles on the top of her head shifting into a blue as cool as the sky. Turkey's caruncles are like mood rings, when they feel excited they are bright red, and when they feel relaxed and loved they turn cool blue.
A small downy, angelic feather fell from her wing to the earth. I brought it home with me to remind me of Beatrice, all her friends safe at the sanctuary, and in memory of all those who were never so lucky, who continue to live and die in painful darkness.
This experience really changed me, seeing an animal usually objectified and eaten at head level, looking into their deep brown eyes and seeing their hearts and history unravel before me.
I just wanted to share this meaningful thing that happened to me. I feel honored to have met Beatrice and heard her story, so I'd like to share it with you for you to think about.
Overall, this camp was an extremely positive experience. Everyone in the community was so close, and it was amazing to meet so many kind people who have had vastly different experiences and yet all hold the deep-set belief that animals deserve respect and understanding-- something I often have to defend back home lol
I like to use this blog to tell y'all about the new stuff going on in my favorite game, Animal Jam, but I also like to tell you a bit about myself sometimes to make the experience more personal. I'm not AJHQ, guys! I don't have to worry about public relations or anything.
Besides, I'm sure a good amount of you love real-world animals and not just Animal Jam animals, and a major aspect of AJ is learning about the animals around you. I personally love all animals, not just the charismatic megafauna of faraway countries!
On a more internet-related note, I noticed an awesome new feature when I logged on this afternoon:
At first I thought, '*gasp* is this the new feature I've been waiting for??'
And, yes! Yes it is! Finally, after all these years, a general feedback button for all of AJ!
If you've been reading this blog long enough, you probably know what I'm going to write first:
Yep, classic DoomyPanda. XD
Honestly, I think this change could be so simply yet effectively implemented by putting stuff like notices of new Conservation Museum exhibits on the front page of the Jamaa Journal and pushing the "OMG SPIEK SALEZ" notice back a couple pages. This is also good because people are more likely to read the whole Jamaa Journal if you safe the "best" for last.
I just think that AJ needs to understand that it's classified officially as a "biology educational MMO" and not a "spike collar simulator" for a reason. It's simple as that. :|
What kinds of things will you write into the suggestion button?
See y'all in Jamaa,
~DoomyPanda
Oh. My. Gosh. I know this is going to sound so cheesy but your post really touched me.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!! That actually means a lot to me :')
DeleteYou know, I don't really think many people think of the process of the turkey and they just think of it as meat. It's sad to think how many types of animals have to go through what Beatrice almost did (she seems really cute btw). I mean we could survive without meat, VEGETARIANS DO.
ReplyDeleteYeah, totally! I'm vegan (no meat, or eggs/milk) and what I've found is that eating meat is just a habit for many people. We grew up with it, so we never questioned it. Like any habit, eating meat is hard to break at first but once you get into the groove it's second nature! After four years I can't even imagine eating meat now, I feel so healthy and happy with mah veggies XD
DeleteAnd yes, Beatrice is fluffy and super cute. :3
Where does Berry the Koala start?? I can't find the beginning because the opening screen is where you left off.
ReplyDeleteI should probably fix that! You can go into the archive and click "July" but of course it's tedious. I'll be doing a blog remodeling soon so I'll keep that in mind to fix.
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