Comments on: domestication http://www.pzed.ca/words/2006/09/03/domestication/ what do you read, m'lord? Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:31:29 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: jodi http://www.pzed.ca/words/2006/09/03/domestication/comment-page-1/#comment-295 jodi Sun, 03 Sep 2006 23:21:05 +0000 http://www.pzed.ca/words/archives/2006/domestication/#comment-295 Scary to think that we've made them stupider, but not surprising considering all of the other changes we've made, through breeding, to suit our own needs. If you've ever had to chase a young bull that's gotten out of its pen, you'd wonder how on earth such a stupid animal could ever survive on its own. I'd like to know more about what happened to the grains, though, whether these species might still be thriving were it not for the intervention of humans. It would be a little bit dishonest to say that animals were smart (or lucky) to have become domesticated to humans because their natural foods have disappeared, if in fact it's humans who have brought about that disappearance. As you know, I grew up in a small town with an extended family in the farming community; although my family raised swine for meat, I couldn't bring myself to kill either, and have long been repulsed by the killing of swine in particular. So it's not just city kids who are squeamish. Scary to think that we’ve made them stupider, but not surprising considering all of the other changes we’ve made, through breeding, to suit our own needs. If you’ve ever had to chase a young bull that’s gotten out of its pen, you’d wonder how on earth such a stupid animal could ever survive on its own.

I’d like to know more about what happened to the grains, though, whether these species might still be thriving were it not for the intervention of humans. It would be a little bit dishonest to say that animals were smart (or lucky) to have become domesticated to humans because their natural foods have disappeared, if in fact it’s humans who have brought about that disappearance.

As you know, I grew up in a small town with an extended family in the farming community; although my family raised swine for meat, I couldn’t bring myself to kill either, and have long been repulsed by the killing of swine in particular. So it’s not just city kids who are squeamish.

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