Subject: Blood and guts predation
Date: Aug 12 15:08:33 1994
From: "John Shelton - ext. 4051" - johns at uma.ohsu.edu



> I think people recoil at the idea of one animal eating another
>because we anthropomorphize them too much--we imagine that all other
>animals have psychic lives like ours, with the same richness of awareness
>and experience, so death for them is as sad, painful, and horrible as the
>death of a human. This kind of unjustified anthropomorphizing also
>underlies the animal rights attitude that values a feral cat just as much
>as the native birds it kills.
>
>Burt Guttman guttmanb at elwha.evergreen.edu
>The Evergreen State College Voice: 206-866-6000, x. 6755
>Olympia, WA 98505 FAX: 206-866-6794
------------------
Having raised (I know it's illegal) several corvids over the years I find it
very difficult not to be anthropomorphic about them. I think a touch of
anthropomorphism is much better than the obverse. I read recently (I forget
where) about priests in the middle ages doing vivisection on animals to
instruct their brethren that screams are not necessarily related to pain
(since only humans could feel pain).

I think it's possible to balance an empathetic, anthropomorphic appoach with
the scientific and practical. You can want all the Starlings gone and still
admire the bird for its amazing ability to adapt. By the way, I like cats;
but if you need a volunteer sharpshooter to help in the public park cleanup
give me a call.

John Shelton johns at uma.ohsu.edu
Portland, Oregon