Cordillerans are all for fighting against the stigma that is associated with our dog-eating practices. To have been dubbed as savages because of eating dog meat time and time again is one thing that we have repeatedly stood up for. A ruckus was however created over an album that was uploaded over the online community site, Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=271216&id=112348557234). This shows a group of young people who obviously enjoyed the whole process of portraying the slaughtering of the dog as to even be so proud to post this on a very popular and accessible site for everyone to see. Now this is one thing that is beyond tolerance already.
I don’t want to be a hypocrite by saying that I have not had my fair share of eating dog meat. We as Cordillerans know full well that this indulgence is not just because of satisfying the cravings of the stomach but more because it is a culture that has been practiced since time immemorial, a practice that is stuck in our lifestyle already. Dog-eating for us goes beyond the savagery that other people may perceive. It is actually one of the defining identities of an Igorot, taken into consideration of course that we can justify why we continue doing it.
There is a limit to the leniency of the laws. Certain acts should not be condoned. If this barkada really wanted to quench that yearning for dog meat, doing it discreetly should have been a wise move. I personally don’t understand why it has to be posted all over the page when it’s one issue that is still subject to debate because of cultural reasons. And to proudly upload it on Facebook is just plain idiocy. It’s not surprising then that this welcomed a lot of critics who are condemning the act.
I actually pity people who don’t understand our dog-eating practices because I believe they are culturally illiterate. But what I saw however did not just make me cringe. It made me think that we have to redefine our perception of savagery yet again.
I don’t want to be a hypocrite by saying that I have not had my fair share of eating dog meat. We as Cordillerans know full well that this indulgence is not just because of satisfying the cravings of the stomach but more because it is a culture that has been practiced since time immemorial, a practice that is stuck in our lifestyle already. Dog-eating for us goes beyond the savagery that other people may perceive. It is actually one of the defining identities of an Igorot, taken into consideration of course that we can justify why we continue doing it.
There is a limit to the leniency of the laws. Certain acts should not be condoned. If this barkada really wanted to quench that yearning for dog meat, doing it discreetly should have been a wise move. I personally don’t understand why it has to be posted all over the page when it’s one issue that is still subject to debate because of cultural reasons. And to proudly upload it on Facebook is just plain idiocy. It’s not surprising then that this welcomed a lot of critics who are condemning the act.
I actually pity people who don’t understand our dog-eating practices because I believe they are culturally illiterate. But what I saw however did not just make me cringe. It made me think that we have to redefine our perception of savagery yet again.