Cancelled Seminar!?

[kimmie]

Sur la Table in New York Makes Compassionate Decision

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Following pressures from P.E.T.A., representatives of the New York branch of Sur la Table cancelled a foie gras seminar that was scheduled for Thursday, February 28. They have also indicated that they will not schedule any events promoting foie gras in the future.

For those who don't know, P.E.T.A. is probably one of the most agressive of the animal rights groups.

I think that Sur la Table is creating a dangerous precedent in giving into these kind of pressures.

So, what do you think?

 

[kylew]

What next? "Sur La Table goes Vegan"?

 

[marmalady]

LOL, Kyle!

Those people make me want to fashion a coat out of their skin!!!

I may cross the line here - hope not - but I want to share a personal story. My son, now 25, was an avid supporter of animal rights, PETA, etc., a vegetarian, no leather, all that. On November 15, 1998, he was involved in a car accident in which he broke his C4-5 vertebra, and is now a quadriplegic, confined to a wheelchair. There is significant and exciting research being done in the area of curing spinal cord injuries, and a lot of it centers around animal research. When my son first heard of the research, and the fact that they were using animals, his first response was, "I feel sorry for the rats, but if it'll help me walk again, so be it". This from the guy who was almost arrested for a protest at a well known pharmaceutical company!

Sorry for going off topic, but had to share. My feelings are this: we're humans, they're animals; we use animals for food, for warmth, for shelter, and for companionship. As long as it's done compassionately I see nothing in the world wrong with using animals - for food, for research, and for all the other benefits they give us.

Again, apologies for going off topic - but my Bp goes up when I even see the "PETA" logo anymore!!!

 

[pete]

Fanatics are fanatics, no matter what their cause. Remember the "Earth First" movement. These were the people spiking trees, causing severe injuries to people in the logging business. I have my beliefs and other people have theirs. That is what makes this world wonderful and diverse. Yes, I may argue my beliefs with people (another great thing), but I do not attempt to force my opinions or beliefs on anyone else.

I would tell PETA to go check out a foie gras farm and see just what goes on. A foie gras duck's life is much better than a chicken's life. They get to run around a yard as opposed to being stuffed into a cage barely bigger then they are. Watch them feed the ducks. See just how much the ducks hate it (irony here). If foie gras production was so damaging to the animal how could foie gras be considered for being kosher since on of the stipulations of koshering is that the animals are treated in a decent and humane way.

 

[marmalady]

Agreed, Pete, and again, sorry for the rant!

 

[chiffonade]

...The ever popular can of worms.

What's next? We know some animals-raised-to-be-food are not treated like my spoiled Springer Spaniel but they're raised to be food.

Veal...the penning of young calves so their muscles don't develop has been under fire for years. I still like veal.

The Little French Birds You Have To Eat While Covering Your Head...There's a dish served in France and in some very shee-shee places in the US that people actually enjoy while draping their heads in their cloth napkins. It has something to do with the inhumane consumption of eating these baby birds bones, head and all. I remember seeing a story about it on the news once. Who did they interview? None other than Peter Kump, the founder of the cooking school I attended. His message? A simple, "People need to get over this and enjoy their food."

Foie Gras...The tying of a duck or goose's head to the force feeder makes a terrible picture. I guess one can make the decision to either enjoy foie gras, or have something else.

Milk Cows...The indignities suffered by dairy cows are the stuff of legend. They used to be milked 2x a day. Now, cows are given steroids and things to increase milk production and they have to be milked 6x a day. Their overgrown milk sacks make it almost impossible for them to walk.

Meat Cattle...The electrocution of cattle up the ...behind seems almost humane next to some of the other techniques used to raise/slaughter food animals.

I liked it better when I lived in a city and thought food animals were born into their little styro-shrink wrapped containers. Knowing what I know about food-animal production has not stopped me from enjoying meat. Had I been raised in a vegetarian household, things might be different. However, I was raised in a family that enjoyed veal, beef, pork and poultry - and my household is not likely to change anytime soon.

 

[chrose]

Humans are animals as well. The fact that we have more brain ability than an "animal" puts us at the top of the food chain. Imagine how far our species would have gotten if early humans hadn't used animals to survive. A nice coat of mud and grass to keep us warm in the winter. Mmmm a steaming bowl of lichen soup to keep us alive in the tundra. If animals didn't have fur and had thumbs instead, don't think for a second they wouldn't be wearing our as..s on their backs.
I think Pete's right fanatics are fanatics. No one should cave into fanatical groups. They may sound well meaning, ohh don't hurt the cute little animals this time, but what's next? Oh we're getting crowded in this country close the borders and no more kids until half of the people die and there's more room?
Let's take it to another extreme, everybody turns vegan. Hooray for the farmers! While there's still land. The population grows and land shrinks soon there's no room to grow anything. Bingo we all starve and who survives...cockroaches which beget lobsters which beget shrimp which beget fish which beget amphibians which beget mammals which starts the whole thing over. Go have a steak with Fois Gras!
I hate fanatics....I'm pretty fanatical about that!

 

[kimmie]

And what happens when Dean and Deluca decides to offer a seminar on foie gras, or the CIA for that matter, offers some specialty variation on cooking chicken? This is the proverbial slippery slope don't you think?

 

[chiffonade]

I don't think Dean & Deluca would cave to such pressure. I think the P.E.T.A. people should spend their time chasing people who abuse pets and service animals. The only people who don't like fur coats are those who've never worn them in sub-zero temps. It's easy for a life-long Floridian to thumb their nose at fur. The first time I put one on, I could not believe the difference between it and a cloth coat. Next to fur, wearing a cloth coat is like wearing tissue paper. Of course, I don't wear any of the fur I have because if someone tossed paint on me, I'd end up in jail.

 

[pete]

LOL @ Chrose!!! Sounds like a line I use all the time about the only people I really hate are hate groups!

 

[isa]

Yes I do have vegetarian tendency, I don’t eat much meat. I wouldn’t wear a fur coat and I don’t eat animals I met when they were alive. This said I would never try to impose my believes to someone else. Also I should add that I wouldn’t refuse foie gras if it was offered to me.

I don’t think it is a good idea to back down because of pressure by a group who would protest against just about everything. Specially not if they are known to resort to violence to get their way. Foie gras has been around for a few centuries and will continue to be available to those who choose to eat it. It was a big mistake to cancelled and it has set a precedent. Next time they’ll force someone to cancel an oyster tasting or lobster festival. Where will this stop?

Animals destined to become foie gras are treated a lot better than chicken and cattle yet I don’t see anyone protesting at Flamingo.

 

[monkeymay]

**** PETA and **** Sur la Table for caving in

 

[peachcreek]

Vegetarians? I LOVE vegetarians. In fact, every steer I've ever eaten HAPPENED to BE a vegetarian....

 

[marmalady]

Are you sure, Peachcreek?! Seems there's been a hullaballoo in the news about them feeding cows - well - cow parts - isn't that part of how the 'mad cow' disease spreads?