Governor General Jean Likes Veal and Lamb as Much as Seal Heart
Published May 28, 2009 @ 06:41AM PT
Many of you have probably heard by now about Michaelle Jean's public seal-eating stunt earlier this week. The Canadian Governor General, the Queen of England's representative to Canada, helped cut open and gut a slaughtered seal and ate a piece of the animal's heart, all in front of television cameras. And to be clear, she apparently asked if she could try the heart. This comes, of course, on the heels of the EU's ban on the import of seal products because of the horrid, despicable nature of the commercial seal hunt in Canada. But Jean wants to show solidarity with oh-so-oppressed seal hunters. And she is certainly not offering any apologies for it.
Defending seal hunting while in the company of an Inuit community, she remarked, "It is done in a sustainable way. A very respectful way." Let me guess--you're rolling your eyes. Canada's commercial seal hunt too has Jean's full support, and the notion that it is "respectful" is too outlandish for anyone to take seriously. Yes, it's so respectful that entire groups of nations are condemning it. It's so respectful that the videos and images documenting it make people ill. Yes, when I see a human chase down a hopelessly fleeing baby seal and bash her head and body with a club, spraying warm red blood onto the white ice--when I see a still-conscious baby seal being skinned alive for her fur and skinless babies' bodies all thrown in a pile--"respectful" is what comes to mind.
But the Winnipeg Free Press reports that Jean now wants to make sure we know that she lacks concern for all animals equally:
"When I eat beef, I am totally aware that eating beef is also. . . a once-living thing. Vegetarians make a choice in their life," she said.
"I haven't made this choice. When I eat lamb, I know that I am eating a lamb. When I eat veal, I know that I am eating a veal. Those, too, are very cute animals."
What, does she want an award for knowing and not caring? What's next on her itinerary? Perhaps she'd like to beat a baby seal herself. Perhaps she'd like to drag a flailing, weak, wobbly-legged veal calf to his slaughter; perhaps she'd like to be right there when the baby lamb's frightened cries are silenced by the slitting of her throat. Perhaps she'd like to eat their hearts too.
Media reports remarked on the fact that she had to wipe the blood from her fingers after eating the heart and that when she went out on a hunt with sealers (no seals were killed at the time), she wore her sealskin gloves. Good thing she thought to take off the gloves before asking if she could eat the heart--we wouldn't want to ruin the skin of a baby seal by getting seal blood on it.
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Update: See the next post, "Because Calves Apparently Aren't as Cute or Worthy as Seals," for continued thoughts on this.
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Comments (18)
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Author
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Stephanie is an independent animal rights advocate, a vegan, a tree-hugging environmentalist, and a freelance editor and writer. She lives in St. Louis with an aging corgi-lab and an adolescent rescued pit bull.
people like this disgust me...
Posted by Kristen Magno on 05/28/2009 @ 07:01AM PT
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Personally, I'm a vegetarian, but I understand why people eat meat...but I think they should at least show respect and gratitude to the animals they kill, and to waste as little as possible. This is a total publicity stunt so that she can get everyone's attention and announce that she is at the top of the food chain and proud of it, and no one's gonna stop her from eating the heart of a baby seal. Why she would want everyone to know that is beyond me.
Posted by Michelle Bak on 05/28/2009 @ 09:50AM PT
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Michelle, I appreciate that you yourself don't eat animals, but the abstract ideas of "respect and gratitude" mean nothing to the animals slaughtered for meat, dairy, and eggs. Saying that they're "grateful" to the animals may make people feel better, but it doesn't help the animals at all or lessen their suffering or make their deaths any less unjust. Life, on the other hand, means a great deal to them, and not eating them or their milk or their eggs--not funding and demanding their suffering and premature deaths--is the only way to truly respect them and their lives.
Posted by Stephanie Ernst on 05/28/2009 @ 10:02AM PT
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This is a very thought provoking article. As with all controversial topics and in politics, education is the key. After reading this article, I would like to know how and what to eat to follow these ideas in this article. Just as I think human life is sacred, from conception to death, so I do believe that animan life is sacred also. I want to learn how to pick and at the correct protein. Thank you.
Posted by Nancy Noffsinger on 05/28/2009 @ 10:44AM PT
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Nancy, I for some reason didn't see this comment earlier today. I'm sorry for that. As I just wrote in reply to your comment on another post, I'm sincerely honored if this community can be a source of support for you. If you'd like to shoot me a private message with any specific questions you may have, I'll get back to you as soon as I can. In the meantime, you can also visit the links at the "go vegan" action started by one of the site's members: http://animalrights.change.org/actions/view/go_vegan_2
Posted by Stephanie Ernst on 05/28/2009 @ 07:55PM PT
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Right on, Stephanie. There is simply NO justifiable excuse or reason to eat meat, and therefore NO meat-containing diet is a respectable one, as taking ANY being's life just so we can take from them what does NOT belong to us is the same as robbing and killing a person so we can take their money, car, etc, and we all know that that is wrong.
Posted by Lisamarie Dean on 05/28/2009 @ 01:14PM PT
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I caught a glimpse of Michaelle Jean's stunt on CNN and wonder what people in Canada think of her? Does Canada have a Humane Society? Do they fight for animal protection, or is the US doing all of the work?
I hear so much about the horrible way that animals are hunted and killed (just to our north) and wonder if this is their way of life. Do they have any advocates for the animals?
It makes me ill, and I am just shocked that seal hunting is still going on. I remember being in grade school and hearing about the seal hunt and about the people working to stop it. Why, after 35 years has it not changed for the better? So sad.
Our teachers taught us empathy. They showed us how to care about these issues when I was only 6 years of age. I wonder where we stopped the fight and stuck our heads in the sand. There should not be any hunting of this sort any more. What more can we do?
Palin and Jean are disappointments for women everywhere.
Posted by Michele McCowan on 05/28/2009 @ 03:07PM PT
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Canada is indeed home to many animal rights advocates and to dedicated animal rights organizations. Americans may hear more about U.S. efforts than Canadian efforts simply because this is the country we live in, but that doesn't mean Canadian efforts aren't strong too. I'm sure many Canadians feel doubly strongly about this because it's happening in their country.
Posted by Stephanie Ernst on 05/28/2009 @ 03:14PM PT
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I'm so glad to hear that Stephanie.
I've been watching the seal hunt activity this year and it just makes me so upset that I can't do more to stop it.
The babies are just days old. How can people not care? Such beautiful creatures.
I hope to hear comments from Canadians and find out what they think of this.
Posted by Michele McCowan on 05/28/2009 @ 07:21PM PT
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When God gave us charge over the animals I do not believe he meant for this to happen. I am sickened and saddened by this story and pray many people will show their outrage!!
Posted by Amy Fitts on 05/28/2009 @ 03:14PM PT
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This was political stunt, plain and simple, as Jean's comments to the media indicate. Michaelle Jean, as Governor General, is mostly respected by Canadians but this story has polarized Canadians - now they either really love her or really despise her.
And yes, there are plenty of animal welfare groups in Canada (including the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, WSPA Canada and IFAW) but very few animal rights organizations.
http://niagaraanimalrightscenter.blogspot.com/You can check out some of the work I'm doing at:
and
http://veganpartyofcanada.blogspot.com/
Posted by Daniel Wilson on 05/29/2009 @ 03:55AM PT
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Thanks for the links!
I am so relieved to hear this.
I love Canada and visit often. I did not this year because we decided to boycott because of the seal hunt. It really got to me this year because I had friends go out there and take photos of the slaughter and decided not to visit Canada again until it stops. It makes me so sad.
I live in Montana, where animal cruelty is all around. Very much like Alaska and Canada, because of the wildlife we have. I have to boycott most of the activities in town because they all center around using animals for entertainment. People around my area just don't have a clue yet.
Thanks for the help, and the information. I will check out your sites and forward the info to my comrades in the fight against the seal hunt. We need more people like you out there and it helps to know where to go to find that information.
Posted by Michele McCowan on 05/29/2009 @ 09:34AM PT
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and when she eats veal, she knows she's eating a veal? The silly woman doesn't even know what the once-living being that she's consuming was.
Posted by alan woods on 05/29/2009 @ 08:18AM PT
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Very Sad!!
Posted by J T on 05/30/2009 @ 07:58AM PT
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Oh this person is truly discusting to me and to know that mentality is in power. Oh my God, but wait, maybe these people don't believe in do not kill. I am so discusted. I have stopped eating any seafood that comes from Canada and any Maple syrup as well, read the labels people and stop buying for the seals.
Posted by Anonymous Anonymous on 06/23/2009 @ 01:58PM PT
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Dear Anonymous Anonymous,
Just wondering, are you still eating seafood that comes from the U.S.? And if so, why? I understand that some people blindly follow PeTA boycotts without giving them a second thought but this maple syrup boycott has me miffed. Maple syrup is vegan, a lot of it is 100% organic, and I'm sure that many who make a living at collecting and selling maple syrup do not support the seal slaughter.
These boycotts are ridiculous. By this logic, I should stop buying t-shirts that are made in the USA because America hasn't outlawed the steel leg-hold trap, animal circuses or factory farms. I remember a few years ago the HSUS was asking everyone to boycott Red Lobster in Canada until the seal hunt was abolished. The intent being that if and when Canada ended the seal hunt, everyone could go back to eating fish and other seafood at Red Lobster. Why is the killing (and eating) of one kind of animal okay but the killing (clubbing) of another animal not okay?
"Animal lovers" who eat other animals need to give their collective heads a shake. Boycotts are a waste of time. You want to help the animals: go vegan.
Posted by Daniel Wilson on 06/26/2009 @ 03:59AM PT
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Please
Help to save Namibian Seals - We have the chance to end the most cruel seal slaughter in the World - but the cruel industry wants money for that!!! It is a blackmail and they call it business!! Please support Francois Hugo and pledge to donate 15$ for every saved seal
http://sealalertsa.wordpress.com
http://www.care2.com/news/member/457397809/1179915
Posted by Joanna D on 07/01/2009 @ 05:24AM PT
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I'm Canadian and I do support her decision of supporting the Inuit,and their traditions. She is not really oding this for seal hunting business but for tradition, but to add I do not really support large businesses killing seals for furs and medicines, it's a waste of an animal. I can respect the Inuit because they respect the animal and use it all, even the heart! Inuit people don't only eat seal as tradition, but we have to remember that animals like seals are important staples of food for them as in their region not much grows there and import food is quite expensive, importing things like vegetables and even meat is expensive, a turkey can cos't over 200 dollars. Jean is just defending the Inuit and their traditions, because some people have been also going against that too. If people say she is doing this for the media for her support, she is not, she is defending her people and way of life, she is Canada's head of state when the queen's not around in the country. I don't think the whole thing bizarre, its what people have been eating for many years to live and survive, it's just unnatural for people because they have never been in a culture that does that, it is a point she trying to prove, it's natural and she trying it to show how it's a natural part of a cultures life and how hunting seals is not some kind of freak show. That's just what I have to say, sorry if I offended anyone in anyway but that's what I feel is a realistic outlook.
Posted by LJ V on 10/28/2009 @ 09:03PM PT
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