(OT) Happy Turkey Day

[Guest guest]

Turkeys Are Our Friends

By Colleen -Goudreau, AlterNet

Posted on November 23, 2006, Printed on November 24, 2006

http://www.alternet.org/story/44618/

I grew up eating turkeys' breasts, turkeys' legs, and turkeys' wings,

and I'm still making amends to these extraordinary animals. I believe

we're able to mutilate certain animals for our gustatory pleasure

because we don't have relationships with them. We've never meet them

face to face. Once I met a turkey, I was never the same again. Once I

began to celebrate Thanksgiving as turkey-free holiday, I learned for

the first time what " Happy Turkey Day " really means.

Humans are funny birds. We get so wrapped up in habits, comfort zones,

and traditions that sometimes we forget who we are, what we care

about, and why we even do what we do. Thanksgiving is one such

instance, sadly exemplified by its alternative name: " Turkey Day. "

Thanksgiving is meant to be a day when we celebrate the bounty of the

harvest, pause in gratitude for the abundance most of us experience,

and share what we have with others. Most people don't stop to think

about the nearly 300 million birds that are killed each year in the

United States, just to satisfy our taste buds. Of this number, 45

million are killed for Thanksgiving alone.

For those who have never met them, turkeys are magnificent animals,

full of spunk and spark and affection, with individual personalities

and charms. These animals, who have been abused and discarded by human

beings, whose beaks and toes have been mutilated, and whose

genetically overgrown bodies are susceptible to heart disease and leg

deformities, still display immense affection towards humans. They are

incredibly curious and follow you wherever you go, and their wonderful

vocalizations include an array of clucks, purrs, coos, and cackles.

Turkeys love to be caressed, and people often remark that they respond

just like their own dogs and cats. Turkeys even make a purring sound

when they are content, and not until you've had a hen fall asleep

under your arm have you lived. She will literally melt under your

touch, relax her body, and begin to close her eyes, softly clucking

all the while. It's a sight to see, and I'm moved every time I have

the privilege to witness it.

Some turkeys are more affectionate than others, climbing into your lap

and making themselves as comfortable as can be. At an animal sanctuary

I frequent, a particularly friendly turkey became known for her

propensity to hug. As soon as you crouched down, she would run over to

you, press her body against yours, and crane her head over your

shoulders, clucking all the while. It's amazing how so generous a hug

can be given by something with no arms.

They're not all saints, but some are heroes. One turkey became my

personal protector when I was trying to clean a barn and was

continually accosted by a particularly rude and aggressive bird. Each

time the aggressor would begin to close in on me, my hero would waddle

over and get between me and his barn-mate. It was remarkable, and it

happened over and over (turkeys are very persistent). What made this

scene even more touching was the fact that these toms suffered from

bumble foot, abscesses on the footpads that resemble corns, a common

occurrence in domesticated turkeys. Between their grotesquely large

breasts and inflamed feet, turkeys walk very awkwardly and with a lot

of effort. I was very touched that such an effort was made on my behalf.

Colleen -Goudreau is a recognized expert in plant-based

cuisine, a food columnist for VegNews Magazine and a contributing

writer to Satya Magazine.

[poster ellen]