Wednesday 13 February 2013

I Am Such A Cow.

John knows how annoyed I am about the horse meat so called scandal that is happening in Britain right now. He knows and that's why he has let me take over his blog to give my perspective on the matter. I should explain who I am I suppose.

In the old days I would have had a proper name like Matilda, or Gertrude, or Emily, but today I am known only by a number. When I say I'm known by a number, well that's not strictly true. No one actually knows me personally. The only reason anyone even knows I exist is because I have a tag, a bright yellow tag with numbers printed on it, stapled to my left ear.

You can call me a cow if you like, because that is what I am. I am the farm animal who supplies you with your daily milk. The milk that makes your butter. The milk that makes your cheese. The milk that nourishes your children and you.

Look up the word cow in the dictionary and you will see me described thus: A mature female animal of a domesticated breed of ox. That's all it says. Actually though, people who don't know any better, describe even the male of my species as cows. It's because they don't look. But the male is known as a bull. At least those who are allowed to live are, but even then they are not bulls for very long, because as soon as the young bulls testicles drop, they are, in most cases chopped off. The young bull then is known as a bullock.

Too many bulls are born. So what happens is that they are slaughtered soon after birth. Their only reason for being born in the first place is because, the young cow then becomes a milk producer, and can begin to earn her keep. She is the lucky one, if it can be described as luck, because she will live on until she gets too old to give milk. Those females not chosen to give milk are known as heifers. They must be slaughtered before they reach two years old. The same thing happens to the bullocks. This is where your meat known as beef comes from.

Why am I telling you this? Well I shall tell you. I am telling you this because I want you to know that we cows are just as important in the scheme of things, as horses are. Indeed probably more so. We give you milk and butter and cheese and yoghourt and cream and meat, and suet and leather.

I suppose what I'm saying is this: If you went into a shop and bought a horsemeat pie, only to discover later that it actually contained beef, I bet you wouldn't be concerned in the slightest. I suppose what I'm further saying is: Why is it all right to slaughter my kind in their millions, yet to slaughter a horse is so frowned upon? Is it to do with nobility? Is it to do with the magnificent role the horse has played in life?

If that is the case, then think how well mankind has done due to the sacrifices made by me and my kind, the humble cow.

Yes  I do realise I haven't touched on the ethics of selling one thing and describing it as another. That is not my problem. After all I am only a cow. You can call me Matilda. I would like that.

Thank you John for giving me a voice. I could have said much more, but eloquence is a human thing I do not possess. All I know is this, horses or cows we are all worthy.

Respectfully yours

Matilda.

                                                                                                                                  

9 comments:

  1. Matilda- Thank you for those explanations. Since cow and horse don't taste much alike (don't ask me how I know this), I think people must be pretty stupid.

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  2. Thanks for sharing your point of view, Matilda, and to John for graciously sharing his blog space.

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  3. Whoop,whoop.This vegan salutes you!!!
    Jane x

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  4. My Dear Matilda. Thank you for your statement on this subject. The fact is that we humans were designed to eat both plants and animals. Some of us have chosen to try to nurture ourselves without meat. Others try to eat meals with meat as well as vegetables. Beef is one of our favorite meats because it is so tasty and it is so versatile. I can understand why you wonder about our aversion to eating horse meat. I, personally, also have an aversion to lamb, goat, dog, cat, and non-domestic animal meats. We usually think of horses the same way we view cats and dogs... as pets. Therefore it would be like eating a family member. I would never eat you though, Matilda. We have been introduced. I never eat an animal with whom I am on a first name basis.

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  5. Thanks Matilda for giving us Food for Thought. It is good to get the words straight from the cow's mouth. Someone needed to speak up! By the way, Matilda could you remind John I'm still around and can be contacted at this address http://seasonsfullcircle.blogspot.com

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  6. John, Matilda, I appreciate and respect your viewpoint, and have not been comfortable eating beef since the septum of my heart was replaced with bovine tissue 8 years ago. But I would rather not hear from fish if you don't mind. Excellent post!

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  7. Thanks John for allowing Matilda to write this guest post. It has opened my eyes and my heart even more on this subject.
    After reading Matilda's testimony, I am glad that I am a vegetarian.

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  8. Matilda
    Now you've gone and done it.
    Poor old John will now be comtemplating going veggie again, your story is sure to have got him in a quandary.
    Briony
    x

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