Several times on ZenEthically I have published articles describing situations where I’ve come across children behaving unethically towards animals such as chickens or the environment. Every time, this behaviour is backed by the parents and the things children have been taught.
I have yet again witnessed a what seemed to be an adorable situation of a child chasing birds but turned out to be a pretty disappointing time of a dad teaching his kid something that isn’t right.
I was walking down the Sutton High Street and past a group of pigeons eating McDonald chips off the ground.
There was a cute, maybe 4-5 year old kid running towards said pigeons trying to catch them shouting “Look dad, it’s a chicken“.
I smiled at what I saw and what I heard.
The dad responded laughing:
“It’s not a chicken, it’s a bird” .
Hold on a minute.
Since when is chicken not a bird? What is it if not a bird?
A chicken is very much a bird. It’s pretty common in our human lives too.
My raging inner voice says: what a great way to disconnect from the fact that you’re eating a living being. A bird in fact.
And what better way to pass on the view to your kids and teach them that a chicken is not a bird, perhaps not even an animal. What similarity could there be between a chicken and a pigeon your child is trying to play with?
None?!
My voice of compassion however makes me feels sorry for the parent. How unaware, blinded, or brainwashed do we have to be to actually believe in such words. What a messed up world we live in.
Let me tell you, chickens are living, feeling and fully conscious and intelligent beings. They’re compassionate to each other, they have emotions and get ready for it… They’re capable of counting. BBC have written more on their abilities.
