Cow's slaughter was inappropriate

One day in early October, most of Sandpoint Charter High School’s students went on a field trip. A cow was introduced, shot dead, and disemboweled and dismembered with a chainsaw. Those students who could stomach the event stayed and played with the cow’s bloody organs. Those who could not stomach the event were taken back to the high school by a teacher who was openly irritated at missing out on the remaining “fun.”

What were those teens taught that Tuesday afternoon? It seems to me that they were taught less about bovine anatomy than about our society’s belief that slaughtering a cow is OK. They were taught that this animal was theirs to do with what they pleased. They were taught that this cow’s life simply did not-and should not-matter.

I applaud the students who left the butchery. Risking their peers’ derision and their teachers’ criticism took courage. Their compassion for that defenseless cow is heartwarming. I hope their trauma is short-lived.

I wonder … would Sandpoint Charter High School teachers have shot and butchered a dog or a horse? In other parts of the world, the meat of dogs and horses is consumed. Here, we protect dogs and horses from both abuse and slaughter. Clearly, the distinction we humans make between animals we call “pets” and animals we call “dinner” is artificial. 

All defenseless animals deserve our protection. We need not eat meat. Compassion for animals dictates that we should not eat meat.

ROBIN HELM

Sandpoint