Quote:
Originally posted by Stonan
I can understand how these type of things get started... [to] get the population to grow massive pigs to increase the food supply under the guise of a contest.
Problem is that the food isn't needed anymore but because it's 'tradition', it continues. I bet most of the people involved don't know why the contest exists, only that tradition dictates it continue.
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Now don't get me wrong Stonan, I'm probably one of the biggest animal rights advocates in the Cellar, but I don't think this 'tradition' was started under the 'guise' of a contest. If they were that hungry, they would have just grown big pigs and ate them. I'm also not sure that most involved don't know the origin of the tradition. In most places where traditions exist, especially outside the US, the origins have been passed down through the generations. They like to tell stories and talk about their ancestors and stuff like that. It's really not about how the tradition started, but what purpose does it serve in today's society. Most continue for entertainment purposes. I'm by no means against traditions, but do take issue with those that involve animal cruelty. Go ahead, have a log rolling contest or a tree climbing contest (granted those aren't very good examples), but don't hurt or kill an innocent animal in the process just to get your jollies off it.
Now as far as killing the piggies as part of a sacrifical contest I disagree totally. Unless, of course, they aren't tortured and are eaten afterwards. I agree that they probably do suffer pain by being forced to be so overweight, but it is difficult to break traditions of other countries when we are looked upon as outsiders. Take bullfighting, for example. Now don't even get me going on that. This has to be one of the cruelest, inhumane forms of animal torture I know. Who cares how it became a tradition, it just needs to be stopped. As far as I can see it is done now as mainly a form of entertainment. Who needs that when there's the Internet. Seriously though, animal activists have tried to stop it for years without much success. I think in order to stop such inhumane traditions we need to get the native people involved in helping. Most foreigners don't want to hear anything American's have to say, but slowly they might begin listening if their own people started to oppose such acts.
I've also heard of the "suicide run" in North America. Another stupid event even if it is a Native American tradition. It obviously serves no purpose in the modern world other than to entertain. Once again, why do people need to be entertained by watching and participating in animal cruelty. There are so many other things they could be doing like jumping on each others backs and running full speed down the hill ending with a face-plant in the water:p