Submitted by Brooke Sadowsky, Aug 25, 2007 20:48

There is a much larger issue at stake here that does not involve Religion or the health risks of eating bushmeat. It's the pure fact that many of the animals being imported into the US as bushmeat are endangered, which means it is illegal to kill them and to transport them to another country. The reason this gets glossed over is because many Americans don't know what constitutes "bushmeat". It's not just Cane Rats and Duikers, which many of us Americans could care less about, but it also include Chimpanzees and Gorillas. Chimps and Gorillas are considered great apes, along with humans, because we're linked so closely by DNA and through our similar behavior characteristics. These endangered animals are facing extinction due to humans, and bushmeat is one of the factors risking their ability to last for generations. Religious beliefs should not mean we are allowed to wipe out an entire animal species for ceremonial purposes. At some point in time, the consequences of our actions and our beliefs will catch up to us, and it should not result in throwing away tradition, but rather finding new, creative ways of celebrating them. We, as humans, are intelligent enough to find suitable alternatives that won't lead to the demise of our living ancestors.

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