Humans have probably the largest maternal instinct of any animal, and also
the largest brain. Perhaps it is simply an overflow of the maternal
instinct to feel so cuddly about animals to the point of skeemishness when
they are killed. Hunter-gatherers are quite unsentimental about animals,
even "pets" which are not considered the same way that we consider pets.
They can be killed and eaten without any of the remorse that some moderns
feel. Perhaps the modern tendency to turn animals into toys and substitute
children has more to do with our "broken continuum" than any atruistic
"ideals" invented by (mostly) urban vegetarians/vegans.

As already mentioned, there is certainly a gender gap in hunting. With some
interesting exceptions, males in h-g cultures do the bulk of the large game
hunting (and warfare). On top of that, we add the human tendancy to share
food (females can eat large game without killing it), and the probable fact
that human females have a more developed maternal instinct than males--it
doesn't seem entirely surprising that even modern young boys have
hunting/killing play where young girls seem less interested in such. Or
that females may more easily fall into skeemishness regarding animal kill
and slaughter.

On a personal note, my dw is very happy to let me kill and slaughter our
lambs, chickens, and ducks, but has no problem whatsoever in eating it. ;)
Our dd (26m) seems to have far fewer problems with the process. Except once
when a shot lamb convulsed for a few seconds she got spooked and cried.
Later when I was slaughtering it she had no qaulms about taking a look and
taste. I am certain that she understands that the eggs come from the
chickens and the chicken that comes out of the fridge is the same chicken
that she chases around the pastures. I'll never forget her first look at
some duck heads in a bucket at about 18 or 20 months: she said, "uh-oh"
twice and wandered off to eat some rasberries. ;)

Pity the young boys in our world who are contantly reminded that their
"violent play" is bad because of their parents' arbitrary ideology. It may
make as much sense to tell the toddler girl who puts a doll's lips to her
nipples that she should stop it and do something else because her impulse
is wrong.

Cheers,
Kirt


Secola  /\  Nieft
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