Would you kill it to eat it?

Quite a question right? It’s one that divides even the most avid meat eaters, go on ask some meat eating friends ‘Would you kill it to eat it?’ You will find some saying ‘Yes, probably’ and some will reply in shock ‘No, never!’ I find this kind of strange. Being a meat eater myself I have no moral dilemma, as I understand that the meat I buy was once a living breathing animal…and for me to eat it someone had to kill it. If there was a situation where that person had to be me, then so be it. Maybe it’s an age thing. In boy scouts I was show with enthusiasm how to trap, skin and cook a rabbit over the fire. Not the best culinary experience granted, but I didn’t have or see a problem with it. Funny that these days people find rabbit hard to swallow, as they are more often than not seen more as pets here in the UK.

It’s also strange to me that fishing doesn’t have that same moral impact. The image of catching fish or seafood from the sea and cooking it over a driftwood fire has a certain romanticism. It is easily forgotten that that poor little fishy had as much right to live as a cow, sheep or pig. So is it the size of the animal which puts people off? Or because they look cute and it’s hard to kill an animal that may once have been your childhood toy companion? I don’t agree with hunting purely for sport, or the killing of animals for trophies or mumbo-jumbo medicines and aphrodisiacs. However I would happily spend an afternoon shooting pheasant, grouse or pigeons to fill my freezer. So what about you? Could you kill for food, or does the idea make you sick to the stomach? Remember to share your thoughts on this tricky topic in the comments below. Michael Robinson