Day 60: What’s the difference between a tiger and a turkey?

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 60: What’s the difference between a tiger and a turkey?

Last Saturday a tiger was shot dead in Paris, France, after escaping from a circus. The media reacted with outrage. People made comments such as

You KILLED an animal from GOD because he escaped from your torture and confinement!!! The GUN should be turned on all you CIRCUS freaks!!!!! Karma will visit you all! 

I cried my eyes out over this story, it's just so sad, and I'm trying to think of how to help other animals who are subjected to this kind of cruel captivity, and I keep thinking it's more than just this one owner, it's apathy, and lack of awareness and knowledge. I would say, don't shoot the owner (although I feel that way too), but take him to task, legally, and in so doing, change the laws around this behavior. Talk about this, petition, make the world aware. We must use our voice and speak for those who can't and change our attitudes and culture.

Another Innocent Animal Murdered ~ Why? Because he escaped being held a slave and wandered, the streets of Paris, probably trying to find his way back to his home ~ Because of HUMANS this Animal lost his breathing life ~ He lost his living Life when he was caged as a slave for this circus ~ Shame on all who keep Animals captive for their own selfish profits ~ RIP Beautiful Tiger

While I’m as outraged as thousands of others about caging this animal and killing it when it escaped, this incident got me thinking. 

Two days before the tiger was killed it was Thanksgiving in the United States, a day for which millions of turkeys were slaughtered but nobody said a word because the media didn’t report it. Did it occur to anyone to give thanks to the turkey as it sat golden brown on their dinner table?

What’s the difference between a tiger and a turkey? Is it because a tiger is a beautiful cat and a turkey is just a bird? What does that say about the human race? Do only the beautiful get to live? Man am I glad I’m not a turkey.

And it’s not just turkeys. Every day millions of animals get slaughtered (some after spending their entire short lives in cages) and hunters take to the field to kill. Why is nobody outraged about that?

Many will argue that animals are there to provide food for humans. To a certain degree, I agree but a lot of this meat gets wasted. How many turkeys were not eaten because of an argument that disrupted the meal? How many turkeys ended up in the bin because they were undercooked or burned? How many half-eaten turkeys were throw away because the bird was too big for the family? 

Every day we throw away food, whether it be beef, pork, chicken, or whatever.

What makes these animals any less than a tiger?

www.connymanero.weebly.com