Although I don’t fully agree with the sentiment expressed by this thread, it did get me thinking about leaning even further into contributing to an environment I’d like to participate in. I personally much prefer dedicated discussion threads to discussing news stories myself and reading through the comments it seems like there is a huge desire among many for exactly that. In this thread I’d like to brainstorm with y’all about the conversations we wouldn’t risk trying to have on reddit, conversations you don’t have people around willing to engage in but would work well here, community vibe checks, or something I’m not considering. I would also like to explore what obstacles others see for why this hasn’t happened already despite the apparent desire so any solutions we experiment with can avoid issues which we are already aware of.
My response to my own question will be in the comments.
I hope I can offer some of my experience, if just for some flavor in the spectrum of how some people approach the lives of creatures which sustain some of us.
We raise ducks on our property - they’re wonderful for our gardens given our location, they help to sustain the pond ecosystems we have where we live, and due to the forestry industry in our area there aren’t many native nesting ducks to fulfill the roles they play. There are serious…population pressures… in duck society which makes some form of population control necessary for the health of the flock to continue. Rather than wild predatory action (which we protect against) taking a portion of them, we can manage the population in a way that keeps more of them living without suffering that can also help to feed our neighbors in town. Our goal is for them to be able to live the best life a duck could want, with one bad hour at the end.
I cannot express to you my sorrow any time any duck loses its life. There have been accidents as new mothers have reacted to the new lives around them, and injuries incompatible with life, which have been my responsibility to resolve with the least amount of suffering possible. It is heart-rending, and it crushes me.
We’re fortunate enough to have met other folks who have similar relationships and outlooks for the types of animals they raise. We’re even more fortunate that those people in our community can provide that food that comes from their management practices to us and our neighbors locally. There’s never been a better time for people to support the kinds of agriculture they agree with by connecting with farmers who share their values and are in their communities; I feel confident saying that we should all be doing that to the extent we can.