Let 'peace on earth' apply to animals, too

The New Year's moose rescue, featured on the front page of the Bee, was a laudable example of our community members expressing empathy for an animal struggling for its life.

It is sad that the moose saved with compassion will now be fair game for the next hunting season. As the parent of a 4-year-old who adores all animals, it got me thinking about how children transition from loving animals to become adults who implicitly condone the horrific treatment of animals.

Most early childhood children's books feature animals as the primary characters and young children can't seem to acquire enough cute, fuzzy stuffed animals or household pets. Between those childhood years and adulthood children are hidden from the gory details of how we treat those cute, fuzzy animals and are heavily indoctrinated to objectify animals.

There is something very dysfunctional about a culture that anthropomorphizes animals and at the same time allows us to do the most horrible things to them. Children are raised with extraordinarily conflicting and disconnected messages about the food they are made to eat and the cute fuzzies that feature so prominently in their lives.

We don't tell them what really happens to the Little Red Hen or Dora's Benny because the truth would most likely give them nightmares and besides - we wouldn't have a leg to stand on. If we truly believe in "peace on earth," and if the moose rescue is not to be in vain, we should stop deceiving our children and ourselves.

STEPHEN AUGUSTINE

Sandpoint