Thoughts on Owls and Thanksgiving

I was happy to hear that “Rockefeller,” the little owl discovered last week in the branches of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, was well enough yesterday to be released into the woods in upstate NY, after several days of treatment at a wildlife center. It struck me though this past week, while so many of us were following the ordeal of this one owl and rooting for her, that 46 million baby turkeys were being brutally slaughtered for our Thanksgiving meals. How strange that one bird is seen as deserving of our care, while 46 million others are seen from birth as deserving nothing more than a short life of suffering at our hands and a brutal death. Turkeys are sensitive, intelligent animals who form strong bonds with one another and with the people in their lives. They love to be snuggled, and will often “purr” when they are. There are so many delicious foods we can enjoy without harming others in the process. And what's wonderful is that it's within our power to make that choice.