Letter to the Editor
Published 2:43 pm Friday, April 16, 2010
By Staff
Animal activist asks for compassion
There are more creative ways to motivate kids to get involved in charitable works without demeaning animals and forcing them to participant in an activity that objectifies them and finds humor in our negative and inaccurate view of pigs.
Pigs are smart, social beings. They are thought to have intelligence beyond that of an average 3-year-old child and they communicate constantly with one another in their own language.
Newborn piglets learn to run to their mothers’ voices, and mother pigs sing to their young while nursing.
They snuggle close to one another and prefer to sleep nose to nose. In their natural surroundings, pigs will spend hours playing, sunbathing and exploring.
Experts agree that teaching compassion has long ranging ramifications for the future of today’s children.
Encouraging kids to ridicule and show disrespect for both animals and educators sets a precarious precedent.
Jennifer O’Connor
Foundation to Support Animal Protection