Is Being Normal Okay?

     I was talking to a good friend a few days ago about social norms. It's funny how simple everything seems until you question or ponder why it is so socially acceptable to do certain things in the first place. I brought up the idea of having one bathroom for both genders in every public setting. If you can imagine this (it IS a little odd, I'll admit), you might feel that if this were socially acceptable since the time you were born, you might not be as scared of, or as unfamiliar with, the other gender as you are now. You may feel that this situation might be unsafe, but remember, everyone would be completely accustomed to it. I can't help but feel that this might encourage a certain type of equality and brotherhood. I know personally that I would be less scared of one on one confrontations with men (I should not be scared of men, but that's a conversation for another day).
     I also brought up the idea of raising children based on gender. It seems completely normal to most parents that if they have a son, he should wear pants and play with cars and like the color blue. But who's to say that this is what the child wants? I recently listened to a radio show on gender stereotyping in young children and how harmful it can be to them in the future, especially if they turn out to be homosexual or transgender. On the show, a couple was interviewed because of the way they chose to raise their children. They have a son who chooses to wear pink, chooses to wear dresses and chooses to keep his hair fairly long. Their son identifies himself as a boy, but chooses to present himself as more "girly", some might say. The parents are completely accepting of this young boy. Can you imagine how easily confidence would come if you grew up knowing exactly who you were, you didn't have to deal with any external pressures and your parents supported this?
     When things as normal as these are questioned, we see that maybe they shouldn't be so normal at all.
     After talking with my friend, I began to think more about social norms and one popped into my head that I've thought about a few times before: the concept of having pets. I know most people who have pets are self-proclaimed "animal lovers" and would do anything for their pet, but is the idea of owning another living thing natural? I've never known of another species that takes an infant animal away from its family and raises it according to the rules of the owner species. My family has two dogs, a cat and my best friend and I share three fish. I love all of these animals very dearly and I feel that we give them a good life. BUT, there's a part of me that feels I'm doing something wrong. Every "animal lover" has had to deal with their beloved pet shitting on the carpet. This animal has no idea that they did something wrong. If they were free to be an animal instead of a pet, they could relieve themselves wherever they wanted. But no, they belong to this animal lover and although the pet is completely clueless as to why a carpet even matters, they are punished. They are punished by their owner based on human standards. Yeah, if a person pooped on my carpet, they should know that's wrong. But a dog? I'm sorry, but there's just something about having that type of control over another living species that seems corrupt. As humans, the only species who can think and question (so far), I feel we have a responsibility to look after our more vulnerable fellow animals and protect them from harm, not willingly inflict it.
     I don't plan on having children, but now that I realize gender stereotyping in children is harmful, I'll be sure to let them be who they are meant to be if they ever happen to grace me with their presence. I'm keeping my fish, but I'm aware that now I might not have made the right decision. I know that after my little marine buddies pass, I won't be acquiring another pet. I hope this caused you to think about your own actions and maybe to question some social norms that shouldn't be so norm...al.

Veggies, veggies, veggies.

     In Grade 11 English, my classmates and I were assigned a research project that included giving a five minute speech. I was terrified at the idea of this and that definitely showed when I took to the front of the classroom. My stage fright aside, many of my classmates handled the situation extremely well. One of these well-versed young people did a crazy sales pitch on becoming a vegetarian. He was so passionate and educated on the subject that he actually convinced a few people in the class to give it a try. This handsome, young man is now my best friend and a mere ten months ago, he convinced me that being a vegetarian is the right thing to do.
     Now, my friend's main reasons for being vegetarian, which he highlighted in his speech, are more environmental/economic and have to do largely with sustainability which I totally understand and admire. One of his points that really stuck with me is this: 13% of overall pollution comes from every type of transportation; cars, trains, planes, busses, you name it. 18% of overall pollution is caused by factory farming and the food industry. I began my vegetarianism with these facts and statistics about the environment from my dear friend and they served as a fantastic foundation for my journey through this lifestyle. After learning about this aspect of vegetarianism, I began to do some research on my own to find more reasons to stick with it.
     An anthropologist named Dr. Richard Leakey was quoted on PETA's website as saying, "You can't tear flesh by hand, you can't tear hide by hand. Our anterior teeth are not suited for tearing flesh or hide." Many biologists and anthropologists agree that, physically, humans are not built for the consumption of meat. Factors such as the pH of our stomach acid, having no claws to kill with and the existence of flat molars in the back of our mouths give us the impression that humans are naturally herbivorous.
     Along with these physical deficiencies comes the simple psychological reasoning as to why we should not eat meat.When the average person walks into a McDonald's to order a Big Mac meal, she is not imagining tearing apart a cow limb from limb with her bare hands and gnawing on some raw flesh. No, she is envisioning a burger. Plain and simple. Humans do not have the urge to mercilessly slaughter, so why do we accept meat (murdered animals) so lightly in our every day lives? Because we are completely detached to the reality of where this meat is coming from. The children's book "Vegan is Love" by Ruby Roth is under intense scrutiny due to its "graphic" depiction of the reality of eating animals. The book includes images of animals in crowded cages and explains to children the crimes that are being committed against many friendly species. Critics are arguing that the book is too scary for children. In an interview with "Today", Ruby Roth was quoted as saying, "If it's too scary to talk about, the reality of where those pieces of meat come from, then it's definitely too scary to eat."
     There is always more to say about this topic and I will definitely be saying more about it in the future. Through my ten months of this new lifestyle, I've learned so much about vegetarianism and I continue to learn more each day. What it comes down to for me, personally, is the fact that I am no different than a pig, a whale, a monkey, a calf, a sheep, a dog or a cat. These things are also no different than each other and they are no different than you. We are all species and no one species should see themselves as better than any other.
     That's the beginnings of my info/opinion on the subject. I'd love to hear what you have to say!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/20/vegan-is-love-book_n_1441699.html

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/the-natural-human-diet.aspx