A few days ago, an animal rights extremist wrote this seemingly scathing piece about how "cruel" it is to kill and eat rabbits.

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-01-18/news/30641248_1_dead-rabbits-american-rabbit-breeders-association-bunnies

It included the text:

"Somehow, rabbit killing has crept into mainstream America. National news stories have labeled rabbits as the “new chickens”; one even described a “rabbit-killing seminar” held in a parking lot behind a Brooklyn restaurant. Along the campaign trail, Mitt Romney has bragged about killing rabbits, presumably as a way to scare up votes among grizzly moms and dads.

Rabbits are so undervalued that the Royal Shakespeare Company planned to behead them on stage for entertainment last summer. As part of the Lincoln Center Festival in New York, the company planned a production of “As You Like It” that would feature an actor skinning and beheading dead rabbits."

While I agree the idea of beheading a rabbit onstage is revolting on every level, what these fanatics don't seem to realize is WHY that is so, thinking that an animal that could be a "pet" is being killed for entertainment. That isn't the reason it's wrong.

An animal has every right to die peacefully and surrounded by the person or persons who've cared for it their entire lives or at least have their life taken in a manner that's as humane and stress-free as possible. Killing rabbits isn't cruel. Killing animals for meat in general isn't unless they're being tortured somehow first, which goes well against the grain for most animal raisers. We are healers, life-givers, caretakers and, yes, we are also sometimes death-bringers. I can't help but wonder how long these "vegans" could live without their suppliments or if they know exactly what is in the products they use each day. I can almost guarantee the majority will have some sort of animal byproduct, even if it isn't listed on the ingredients list.

This person says it in a different way, but it is essentially the same idea:

"Rabbits are a multi-purpose animal that can be raised with minimal impact on the environment and can be the most economical option for small farmers. There are plenty of species of livestock that can be treated as pets. This does not change that fact that they are able to be used for meat production. Small farmers and breeders don’t contribute to overpopulation of rabbits —there is no need to re-home livestock raised for meat. No one knows more about rabbit care and husbandry than the actual breeder. Good living conditions are always our top priority, for the sake of health and production. No one respects the life and purpose of an animal raised for meat more than the farmers who raise them."

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/readers-sound-rabbits-city-homeless-policy-michelle-rhee-article-1.1009534?localLinksEnabled=false

So the bottom line for the AR fanatic, I suppose, is that it's okay to kill rabbits at the pound because they're "unwanted" but killing them for consumption is cruel and heartless. Breeders are evil, but "oops" litters are fine. I'm glad someone has enough sense to refute that (il)logic.

AR says whatever brings in the most money this week, I suppose. Next week it will be chickens, which make "excellent pets." And, of course, egg eating is an exceedingly cruel "recent event" as well.