[lockedcj7]

The fancy term for projecting human traits and emotions onto animals is "anthropomorphism". I'm currently a H.S. Chemistry teacher, but I have a B.S. in Wildlife Biology, and I have a whole lecture I give about how Walt Disney is the Devil. (I tie this back to chemistry standards by discussing the amount of energy contained in, and required to digest carbohydrates vs. proteins.)

I argue that anthropomorphism wasn't widespread before Disney. His Movies are highly emotional and he actually studied animals to see what needed to be done to their physical appearance to make them more "human". Because of his influence, sound wildlife management activities have become harder from a public-relations perspective.

When my son was about 18 months old, he saw the baby chicks at the feed store. I told him that they were young chickens and he smacked his lips and said, "yummm". I thought the old man next to him was going to pee himself. He said, "young feller, thar goin' to have to get a little bigger before we eat 'em!"

Another time we were watching a TV hunting show and he saw a man shoot a turkey. He turned to me and said, "Daddy, that man just shot that turkey!" This could have gone either way based on my reaction. He was looking to me to know the proper way to respond. I very matter-of-factly said, "He sure did. Now he's going to take that turkey home and eat it." If I had reacted with horror, he would have been programmed that horror is the appropriate response to an animal being killed. If you haven't thought about this, you should. We really do need to take charge and train them the way that we want, not leave it up to chance that they will adopt our values.