Rabbit on the Menu

Does this photo anger you? It should. It angers me. It angers me that rabbits are showing up on more and more dinner menus these days. It saddens me to think that some chefs are so clueless to what these animals mean to so many people that they must concoct an eight course menu, with the theme "Duelling Rabbits" to see how many ways they can serve up our companion animals to their hungry clients (a San Diego restaurant did this very thing a week or so ago, despite the many calls and letters of protest that ensued once RabbitWise got the word out about this.)

There is no question that human beings are a gluttonous species. Is it any wonder the majority in this country are obese and suffering from so many ailments? We tell ourselves we are on top of the food chain so that gives us the right to eat anything and anyone we choose. We are so devoted to satisfying the growling of our stomachs that we refuse to see that what we are putting on our plates are the remains of fellow beings who have every right to a full life on this planet as we do.  I wish every person could spend a day--just one day--with a rabbit and really engage with this animal. To deepen and strengthen our own humanity, we must be willing to reach out to other beings and to really see them for who they are, not WHAT we think they are. We don't have to see animals as food or a byproduct just as most people today do not look upon African Americans as slaves. We can change our perceptions and act accordingly. For the sake of the future of our species in an overpopulated world whose resources every year get scarcer and scarcer, we must do this.

The Hoppy Vegan