Eating guinea pigs, humane labelling and our moral confusion towards other animals.

Guinea Pig Gate: Philip Schofield Sparks Public Outrage After Eating Guinea Pig

British TV presenter Philip Schofield has been in the news this week after he ate a guinea pig while on holiday in Peru. Guinea Pigs are farmed and eaten in Peru, but are kept as companion animals or "pets" in the UK. Schofield was overwhelmed with comments on Twitter reflecting the horror and disgust many felt about his actions:

"@Schofe How could you ?? They are little pets not dinner."
 "@Schofe always liked you, but eating a guinea pig is disgusting! I have guinea pigs and what you did is downright offensive."
"@schofe still absolutely disgraceful, scumbag in my opinion!"
(source (warning contains image of cooked guinea pig that some may find distressing:: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/11/05/phillip-schofield-guinea-pig_n_2075354.html)

When discussing the matter on This Morning (the daytime tv show he co-hosts), Schofield exclaimed that the guinea pigs were "humanely raised" and that to eat battery farmed chicken or eggs in the UK is a "far worse crime". 

This public uproar has raised several important points:

1. Firstly that people believe in "humane" labelling-that is, they believe that humane farming/slaughter negates any suffering of the farmed/slaughtered individuals.

2. Secondly that "humane" treatment concludes our moral obligations towards other animals. 

2. Thirdly the public's moral confusion towards other animals. 

Rejecting Fatalism: Social Justice Movements Change The World

Some people say that animal exploitation can never end, because speciesism is simply too vast and too ingrained to ever change. I don’t subscribe to fatalism. After all, if we all did then no injustice would ever be challenged and nothing would ever change. Nobody is claiming that the world will “go vegan overnight”, but a shift in consciousness is gradually happening. 

Have Viva! sold out?

Vegetarian International Voice for Animals is the largest and richest animal advocacy group in the U.K. and Europe. With an often strong media presence, they represent the interests of animals to the public. With all the donations helping to fund various campaigns and a team of paid staff, what are Viva! actually achieving for animal rights?