Week 3 - The Rooster Dilemma and Other Animal Tales

Location: Kampala

The Devastating Anecdote:

On the morning of our Hatagote performance, we were rudely awakened at 4:30 AM by the incessant crowing of a rooster. His noises persisted well into breakfast, at which point everyone was ready to enact revenge. When we were asked what we wanted for dinner, many of us adamantly and half-seriously replied that we wanted to eat the rooster. Our message was delivered to the hotel staff and met with laughter, so we all assumed our request was taken in humor. However, after returning back to the hotel after our performance, we noticed the rooster was missing --and coincidentally we had chicken that night. It suddenly dawned on us that our earlier request was taken seriously. The next morning, curiosity overcame us, and we asked about the rooster's fate --sadly, but sure enough we had eaten him for dinner the night before. However, the hotel staff assured us that he had already been on the menu and was not cooked at our behest. I'm not sure I believe this last part, but in either case, this painfully sad episode has instilled an awareness about animal welfare in Uganda.

The Implication:

While, I'm no PETA fanatic, I must say that the treatment of many domesticated livestock especially in rural Uganda has left me emotionally torn. While I recognize that these animals are essential to the diet of many people, it has also been very disconcerting to see the live-action process of their day-to-day treatment. In the United States, while the majority of the population enjoys fried chicken and steak, we are seldom exposed to the mechanisms by which there dishes are prepared. Furthermore, unless we live on farmland, most of us are deeply removed from the animals themselves. By contrast, in Uganda, many of the soon-to-be eaten animals live in close proximity to people and I would venture to say have a much more personal relationship to them. For example, the hapless rooster lived at the hotel. I think the personalization of animals to people that one sees in Uganda makes their dietary purpose so much more difficult to swallow. In the United States, we're sheltered from this, whereas in Uganda it's out in the open. The major dilemma has been reconciling the legitimate need for food in Uganda with America's animal welfare promotional campaigns. I must say that if I lived in close proximity to animals, I could never eat them...but then again maybe the circumstances would be such that it would be necessary for survival.