I was watching a pretty disturbing documentary recently (actually on CNN, I hate to admit) called ‘Planet In Peril’. Just in case you needed more bad news about the world. One segment was about the massive surge in the slaughter of sharks to make shark fin soup, a delicacy in lot’s of Asian countries. Particularly in China, who’s middle class has ballooned hence the growth in shark hunting.

One of the shots showed the sharks being pulled out of the water on massive lines – then they had their fins cut off and then simply flung back into the water. Finless, still alive, although not for long as they sunk to the bottom. Horrific.

I’ll have an extra large shark fin soup please. Whilst I find this practice particulary cruel, being an militant vegetarian I find all acts of animal slaughter horrific, cruel and unecessary. In my black and white world, killing a shark like that is just the same as slaughtering a pig or cow for sausage and burgers.

Similarly, when animal rights campaigners throw dye on people wearing fur coats, from an ethical perspective I find this an unbalanced act. Since time began, humans have used animals for both food and clothing. In my still black and white world, someone eating meat (or fish) is committing an equal crime to the person wearing fur. Why aren’t the animal rights campaigners throwing dye on meat eaters? I believe in freedom of choice, so I don’t object to others eating meat (or wearing fur) – it’s just not for me. And whilst we’re on the subject, what’s the difference between fur and leather? And I can never understand meat eaters who won’t eat every part of the animal. Uugh, a tongue,kidney or heart that’s gross!
As if a lump of bloody, stinking, rotting cow hind quarters flesh isn’t?

Perhaps my world view is skewered. I obviously don’t think it is. More than a Planet In Peril, it’s a very strange world we live in.