[quote]Countingbeans:
Well no that isn’t what you said. You said people that are okay with hitting their kids, will be okay with hurting their animals.[/quote]
[quote]My original statement in context:
I’m happy to hear that your farm is one of the small number of which prioritize care and respect for the animals. I didn’t say every farm is the same, I simply said the best ones I’ve looked into around here are suspect and the vast majority of farmers don’t give enough shits about the animals to treat them with respect.
It’s still culturally acceptable to smack a small child when it misbehaves, so it really isn’t a stretch to think people who raise and butcher animals for a living aren’t going to go out of their way to make sure they are minimizing their pain and suffering.
But seriously, if you’re taking great care of your animals then I respect that immensely. Surely you realize how rare someone like you is.[/quote]
My point was a lot closer to Sky’s point when he said that if someone would burn a science facility then it’s not a big stretch to imagine they might hit someone. As far as I know, the most likely reason both physical punishment of children and widespread disregard for animals both exist so prominently in American culture is because of the powerful influence the Christian tradition, and the Bible, have had on our culture historically. Hit 'em with a rod, the beasts are for you; something like that 
There are numerous countries that have made it illegal to strike a child just as it’s illegal to hit an adult, and there is a very interesting correlation between cultural acceptance of hitting children and how strong religious belief is in said culture. If I remember correctly, all, or at least nearly all, of the countries that have banned striking children are also some of the most secular countries in the world. So while you can contest that there is zero relationship between how we treat children and how we treat animals, can you at least acknowledge that there is a case to be made even if you ultimately find it lacking?
As I mentioned, I come from Idaho and I have heard more times than I can count that we should hit kids and not give two shits about animals because God approves of both. Even if someone doesn’t explicitly state that this is their reasoning, it’s still at least reasonable to think that multiple previous generations that DID think this way still have an influence on the relevant cultural attitudes of today.
[quote]Countingbeans:
I have to admit, I laughed at this. I really did. Not only did I deserve every beating I ever got as a kid, but I leaned from each and everyone one. No they didn’t scare me, no I don’t have any sort of lingering mental anguish left over because I got my mouth slapped for being fresh and my ass chapped for disrespecting my mother.[/quote]
Well you’re kind of a dick, but maybe you just got dick genes? But seriously, your point seems to be a tacit denial of modern psychology and the inter-generational transmission of pathology, but we can just leave the point where it lies as obviously it’s impossible to have a productive discussion with someone who pretends they know themselves so well that there couldn’t be any as-of-yet not understood/misunderstood ramifications from the way you were treated as a child. I can’t help but wonder if you have spent time with a qualified psychologist and that was HIS professional opinion, or if you are making your own amateur self-assessment.
I look at your statement a lot like when I hear a prospective client, who has never been assessed by a professional coach, say something like “Oh I’m in pretty good shape and I don’t really have any big weaknesses or left over problems from my sporting days and activities as a kid”. I bite my tongue and try to remember that they simply don’t know what they don’t know.
I’ll give you kudos for not passing that shit rolling down a hill to your kid though. Seriously.