2/15/09

Maybe the cows should learn to swim


I consider myself a borderline vegetarian. Ok, maybe that's pushing it but I definitely hang around the back door of the grass eaters hangout. I mostly substitute soy for beef and avoid pork 99% of the time. While I can do without all that red meat, the poor chicken, fish and dairy cow just have to accept their role in life. Dont you find it kind of funny how every culture has their own way of deciding who gets the axe and who gets a fan club? Why is it that we have no problem eating a cow but cringe at the thought of a good quarter horse steak? While many Asians are busy developing new ways to cook whale meat, we have reality shows about people willing to put themselves in harms way to save them. So with this in mind, I ask you to way in on the following.....

Manatee are gentle creatures that lazily float around the warm waters of the world and quietly mow the underwater lawn. They have a great union and a top notch marketing guy because only the dolphins and the whales have more supporters. Although the numbers are not always dead on accurate, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would not agree that they are a minority on the decline. THEY say that as few as 2,000 are left in and around Florida. It is stated that birthing and raising a calf to maturity can be an exhausting 2 year ordeal for big momma manatee. What if some long haired biologist managed to develop a way to breed and raise manatee in droves? What if those same red necks who mortgaged the house to get in on the Ostrich farm craze began building water ranches for thousands of hormone injected manatee? If the thought of these 45 million year old creatures becoming extinct was about as possible as Alabama without fire ants........would you consider putting them on the menu?

Slow down! Just think this thing through. If their where as many manatee as there are cows, why would we not consider pulling up to the Sizzler for a juicy manatee steak? Why should the pig, the cow, the deer, and the turkey get a death sentence while the old sea cow gets to roam the waters with full immunity? Lets just assume that the manatee is a lean heart healthy alternative to the heart clogging cow burger.

So kick it around the office for a day and let me know how it plays out. Just remember that the cow is just as cute. just remember that there are a lot of cows out there that want an explanation!

Until next time...........just eat a salad!

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