Sask Bible camp counsellor facing heat for roasting squirrel in front of kids

[sumbirdy]

My uncle is a hunter, and he'll do that too. What's more traumatizing to someone -- seeing a dead deer decomposing on the side of the road, or his death to not be in vain and be eaten? I don't see anything wrong with something like that, my uncle has picked up deer that he's seen someone hit (by accident, of course) and brought it home to eat.

I by no means live out in the country, but I guess I was just exposed to that type of stuff when I was younger. I would rather any animal's death not be in vain than just lay there and rot (in this squirrel's case though, the counselor definitely SHOULD NOT have thrown anything at it). But that's just me.

So...If I died should I be eaten so that I wouldn't have died in vain? I don't see why people think that if an animal dies and is not eaten that animal dies in vain. Why not just pull the animal in the woods and tell it you're sorry? I've been raised around hunters since I was 5 but I find it disgusting and I find this very wrong. He was cruel by throwing that stick at it. And then roasting it in front of the children? Did he fully kill it first or did he roast it alive? I think a squirell could have survived with only a hurt paw. To hurt an animal in front of children is just teaching them that it is ok.

If I had to kill something in order to live...I would die. That just seems like murder to me.

[Jessika]

So...If I died should I be eaten so that I wouldn't have died in vain? I don't see why people think that if an animal dies and is not eaten that animal dies in vain. Why not just pull the animal in the woods and tell it you're sorry? I've been raised around hunters since I was 5 but I find it disgusting and I find this very wrong. He was cruel by throwing that stick at it. And then roasting it in front of the children? Did he fully kill it first or did he roast it alive? I think a squirell could have survived with only a hurt paw. To hurt an animal in front of children is just teaching them that it is ok.

If I had to kill something in order to live...I would die. That just seems like murder to me.

It's the "waste not, want not" philosophy, I suppose. I'm not arguing that what this camp counselor did was wrong by throwing the stick to injure and then kill the squirrel, I'm simply stating that I don't think that people who do eat animals that die from stuff like this is wrong.

And just a completely random question - are you a vegetarian? If you don't want to answer publically, I just have some confusion on what you'd said... if you wish please PM me and I'll ask you via PM instead.

[sumbirdy]

It's the "waste not, want not" philosophy, I suppose. I'm not arguing that what this camp counselor did was wrong by throwing the stick to injure and then kill the squirrel, I'm simply stating that I don't think that people who do eat animals that die from stuff like this is wrong.

And just a completely random question - are you a vegetarian? If you don't want to answer publically, I just have some confusion on what you'd said... if you wish please PM me and I'll ask you via PM instead.

Yes I am a vegetarian. Which is probably why this stuff bothers me so much. Sorry for sounding so cross...I was having a bad day (I know that's really no excuse)
I understand your point but still go with mine.

[Miss Z]

So...If I died should I be eaten so that I wouldn't have died in vain? I don't see why people think that if an animal dies and is not eaten that animal dies in vain. Why not just pull the animal in the woods and tell it you're sorry? I've been raised around hunters since I was 5 but I find it disgusting and I find this very wrong. He was cruel by throwing that stick at it. And then roasting it in front of the children? Did he fully kill it first or did he roast it alive? I think a squirell could have survived with only a hurt paw. To hurt an animal in front of children is just teaching them that it is ok.

If I had to kill something in order to live...I would die. That just seems like murder to me.

I am in agreement with you on this.

I don't like the phrase 'it didn't die in vain'. How do you define such a phrase, is it not more of a presumption? To me, dying in vain is suffering a death premature to the one that would be reached naturally. So, falling off a cliff is dying in vain. Taking an overdose is dying in vain. Injured by aerial objects and then roasted and eaten by animals larger than myself is dying in vain. I know that there'll be many who'll now jump at the chance to try and explain the dictionary version of 'dying in vain', but I couldn't care less. That's just how I perceive it to be.

Just because it was eaten after it was brought down makes no difference. I just don't get how using the corpse seems to mask the KILLING.

I know, as I've been dictated to many times before, that the predator/prey cycle happens all the time in the wild and prey animals must fall victim to predators for the benefit of both species. But the last part is exactly my point, for the benefit of both species. A lioness will hunt and bring down a weak zebra, thus continuing her species and strenghtening that of the zebra. A human on the other hand, will be more attracted to shoot a big, strong stallion to show off his skills, and will shoot at it from afar giving it virtually no chance of survival. At least when a predator gives chase, there is some chance that it could get away. Chances are he'd have a go at shooting the lioness as well.

Even those that do shoot for food have drastic impacts on populations of creatures. The human population is exploding and we're taking more and more land from the animals. Then we throw up our arms and say, "There's a huge amount of deer all crammed up in a little wood! Some are coming into our towns! I know, lets go and shoot them all so the population doesn't rise too much! And if we eat them, the animal lovers have nothing on us!"

Sorry this has gone on a bit (believe me, I could go on a lot further, but that would take me into the depths of my thoughts on meat and slaughter, to which I am not keen to go publically), but I had to express my opinion that hunting wild animals is a primitive action, and I hope that as the world modernises, we'll think more about how both the animals and we can live alongside each other, and hunting will be squeezed out.

I agree with Richard's post, unless all the kids at that camp were vegetarian, then they are being contradictory and selective about what they eat. I have to admit that only a vegetarian/vegan could complain against such a matter.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I am in agreement with you on this.

I don't like the phrase 'it didn't die in vain'. How do you define such a phrase, is it not more of a presumption? To me, dying in vain is suffering a death premature to the one that would be reached naturally. So, falling off a cliff is dying in vain. Taking an overdose is dying in vain. Injured by aerial objects and then roasted and eaten by animals larger than myself is dying in vain. I know that there'll be many who'll now jump at the chance to try and explain the dictionary version of 'dying in vain', but I couldn't care less. That's just how I perceive it to be.

Just because it was eaten after it was brought down makes no difference. I just don't get how using the corpse seems to mask the KILLING.

I agree with you and Sumbirdy as well. I think it is the height of egocentrism to assume that a creature died in vain simply because it wasn't eaten by a human. As if the ultimate goal of a creature's life is to be consumed by a talking biped.

Actually, I feel the squirrel would have been much less "wasted" had it been left in the forest for the many, many more deserving and no doubt hungrier creatures that live there. I guess some people just can't get over the medieval belief that the Earth is the center of the universe, and by jove, so are humans.

[shais_mom]

I don't have a problem with eating most kinds of meat - but I myself will stick to pork, chicken, beef, lamb, deer, fish/seafood, or beefalo(b/c actually that's pretty good) even bison.


This kind of reminds me of my sister's mother in law who is a vegetarian but eats hot dogs and bologna. She won't let you fix her garden burger on the grill if hamburger is being grilled at the same time but eating the lips and buttholes apparently doesn't bother her.
She'd probably pass out at the thought of eating a squirrel. (don't get me wrong - Love her to death - she's a wonderful lady but her ideals are a bit wacky)
Whereas myself - if you gave me a huge salad with everything my heart desired on a salad vs a squirrel - I'd pick the salad.!!
But I wouldn't eat rattlesnake, alligator, ostrich either. I've never had goat so I can't comment on that - but I LOVE lamb....

[RICHARD]

I guess some people just can't get over the medieval belief that the Earth is the center of the universe, and by jove, so are humans.

You are wrong.

Los Angeles is the center of the universe and Lindsay Lohan is the Queen.

[shais_mom]

You are wrong.

Los Angeles is the center of the universe and Lindsay Lohan is the Queen.

now wait a minute -
she might be queen of YOUR world!!
then Paris, Nicole and Britney must be court jesters....

[RICHARD]

now wait a minute -
she might be queen of YOUR world!!
then Paris, Nicole and Britney must be court jesters....

Not of my planet.....world or neighborhood...

I'd like to think I have better taste than that!

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And speaking of nuts....


Some funny squirrel stories. All true, all happened while camping.


At Leo Carrillo State Beach there are tons of squirrels.
And If you do not watch your car while you camp there they will climb under the hood of your dad's Blazer and chew the wires so you cannot leave the campsite.
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If you leave your dad with a sandwich, chips and soda in a chair to go to the bathroom, you will come back to find him asleep with a squirrel in his lap eating off the plate and the rest fighting over the crumbs that were spilled.

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At the campsite next to ours a 'traveling college' - the kind for rich, spoiled kids who are not welcome at home, pulls up.

From the trailer one kid grabs a fishing pole, ties a bag to the line and proceeds to fish for squirrels. When they get into the bag, this idiot jerks them off the ground.

They 'fun and games' finally end when one of the campers protests about it.

Later on they all go to the beach..

Five minutes later I am treated to screaming squirrels entering their trailer.
It looks like a cat fight....I laugh because I think I know what is going on.

Campers return to trailer to find 50 dollars worth of bread, crackers and other foodstuffs destroyed!

It's their universe....I am only renting space!