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I believe our society and media really personalizes animals, especially pets. Many shows, cartoons, movies, literature lend human emotion and cognition to animals so that the audience can relate to the character. We also belong to an increasingly urban culture that really separates "man" from "nature". Some of my friends in the city have never even been on a farm, seen a cow or chicken up close.
What i'm trying to say is, it's much easier now to get a skewed perspective on the value of a pet. Your parents treat your pet dog like family. You are fed poppycock from the T.V. about animals- watching them walk and talk and think deep thoughts, crack jokes and plot dastardly deeds, and all the rest. During this time, you've never had to kill for your meat, or see a cow up close before it's a burger. Never really made that distinction between Animal and Human.
Your friends are crazy. Pets should stay pets.
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"Asking a bomb squad if an old bomb is still "real" is not the best thing to do if you want to save it." - denim
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