If you don’t choose a vegetarian Thanksgiving celebration, consider a heritage turkey instead

Posted by Catherine on Nov 19, 2009 in Animal Rights |

Go ahead and roll your eyes. The mere idea of a vegetarian Thanksgiving is enough to send most people into hysterics, foaming at the mouth and cursing about tradition and turkeys.

Relax.

Then take a look at this video and see if you can watch it all the way through. I dare you.

If, after watching that, you still don’t give a damn about the suffering of animals, fine. I can’t abracadabra a heart where your stone-cold, blood-pumping rock sits instead.

However, there are other arguments to consider besides animal cruelty being wrong and immoral. What about your health and the health of your family?

Most of you get your birds from factory farms. Ninety-nine percent, in fact. Factory farms produce turkeys through artificial insemination. This is because turkeys are bred to be fat and so broad-breasted that they can’t even walk properly, let alone fuck. These birds also grow plenty of tumors and ulcers because they are made to live in horrifying conditions.

If you believe that animals are put here to be consumed, aren’t you angry that most leading manufacturers show such little respect for the life that is lost so that you may eat? And if you care about your children and what they consume, aren’t you angry that your only option is unhealthy and diseased meat?

Wait.

There is another alternative.

Online communities of farmers offer local turkeys that are similar to what the pilgrims ate rather than a bloated concoction offered in the frozen food section at Target. Heritage birds are raised in their natural environment and able to run, scratch, mate, and eat feed without hormones or antibiotics. They are healthy animals and develop a thin layer of fat. This makes them self-basting so you don’t have to spend hours marinating and basting to get your manufactured meat to taste like something humans are fit to consume.

There are some who bemoan the idea of political correctness invading their grocery list. To them I say, “Blow it out your ass.” This has nothing to do with politics. This has to do with educating consumers and letting them choose. I’m happy to help persuade meat-eaters to consider a healthier and more humane choice.

Natural and healthy. What’s wrong with that?

Plus you get to support your local farmers at the same time.

Have a wonderful holiday season.