"I don't eat meat," a boys explains self-righteously.
"Is it because of the cruel way they are treated?" I ask, waiting for a speech about crowded crates.
"No, I just can't justify killing anything that is capable of love."
"Why do you feel that way?" I ask him. "What makes you think that cows are capable of love?"
"I was standing by the canal and I saw a duck and there was a baby duck and the mom duck started to push them back in line and I just couldn't picture myself eating meat."
"Was that love or instinct?" I asked.
"Love means looking out for another person's interest, right? We talked about this that day when I wasn't allowed on the field trip. So, the mom duck, she don't have any reason to protect the ducks except for looking out for their interest."
"Yeah, but does she do it without thinking?"
"What if that's what love means. What if it means looking out for another person and caring for them and thinking nothing of it?"
A girl interrupts us and says, "My sister has Down Syndrome. I'm not even sure she can always provide for anyone or look out for what they need. I know she has a hard time thinking about lots of basic stuff. But I'm not sure I know anyone who can love better than she does."
The boy, being an insensitive eighth grade boy, asks, "What is this supposed to mean?"
"Maybe love can't be defined. Maybe it's not in actions or in the mind, but it's in the heart."
Well, it sure ain't in the heart:) I didn't know what it was in 8th grade either. I have been working on it for (OH GOD!) fifty-five more years now, and I still do not know that I understand it any better:) I sure know one thing though, I love meat:)
They say if you want to see the eyes of God to look in the eyes of a child or an animal... although I'm not entirely sure who "they" are that I'm referencing right now... ;-)
I have strong opinions (founded on logic and data- not just brazen opinion) against factory farming and the way we treat animals in this country...
That being said- I like how you used the student dialog to illustrate the situation...
@jimwilliam
I, too, love meat. I also have a hard time defining it. However, I do think my eighth graders are thinking deeper about it than many people would give them credit for.
@ This Brazen Teacher
You might be onto something here. I don't have a strong opinion either way about meat (though I do have a strong opinion about love) I think you are right about how profound children can be. The girl who pointed it out to me called me out at the beginning of the year when I said, "that's retarded" and I've admired her courage since then.