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Vegetarianism is often a topic that society dwells upon. However, In Dick Gregory's "If You Had to Kill Your Own Hog, " the author is explicit to use vegetarianism as an analogy to society's ways. Gregory analyzes his mother's biblical virtues and ideals and uses them to pinpoint man's flaws in racial segregation. Such flaws aren't always visible to our minds such as the inhumane ways of killing animals that we feed upon or whether it is the living conditions that society puts the less fortunate in. What hurts society the most, is that the people use their own rules and morals to justify these flaws. Society often takes for granted the true meaning of life by letting these flaws happen every single day.
With his use of symbolic analogies, Gregory vividly displays his own moral views of vegetarianism as well as intertwining his opinion on African American civil rights to criticize society's hypocritical flaws. Gregory emphasizes society's tendency for viewing only what they want to see whether it is the slaughtering of animals or the horrible conditions in the ghettos that the poor are forced to live in. Society filters what is harmful to their minds blocking out whatever stops us from getting to their dream world. "The wealthy profit from the daily murders of ghetto life but they do not see them. " Gregory criticizes social hierarchy by stating that if the aristocracy were to see reality instead of the dream they live in, the fatalities of living in the ghetto will decrease. Society only sees the "steak on the platter" when it comes to African Americans.
The important black men such as Ralph Bunche and Thurgood Marshall who both have high status in society. Society does not see the oppression it brings to the Negro's life in the ghetto. As well as filtering reality from society's minds, Gregory points out how society often takes for granted the meaning of life by ignoring the fact that we kill an innocent life every time we feed upon meat. One of the Ten Commandments states that "Thou shalt not kill, " Gregory interprets this strictly limiting it to all of nature's creatures.
Whether it is human or animals, life is sacred to Gregory and society does not have God's power to take life away. Every single day animals are slaughtered for their meat, so that people may have food to eat. However, meat is not the only food that keeps people alive. Society can make use of animals without harming it such as taking "milk from a cow without killing it. " People often forget the methods used to murder these animals and they usually do not care how it is done.
Gregory criticizes us for locking these horror images into the deep cells of our brain, and throwing away the key. Another flaw that Gregory distinguishes is how society twists and violates our morals to justify all of our means. If people can tolerate the slaughtering of innocent animals what stops them from tolerating the killing of innocent human beings. Gregory believes that animals and humans are both of the same dominion. Animals are nature's creation just like humans are.
By tolerating these killings, "the door is opened for all kinds of other justifications. " This leads to the justification of social hierarchy and the status of people living in the ghetto. Every day people are dying in the ghetto because of the harmful conditions. They suffer a great deal just so that the wealthy may profit. The wealthy don't even acknowledge the less fortunate, and this disappoints the author. Society goes against its virtue and that is why Gregory calls people out for being hypocrites. Gregory blames society for having hypocritical flaws.
The people themselves violate their own rules and virtues. Society is responsible for slaughtering animals and forcing human beings to live in terrifying living conditions. Social hierarchy leaves the aristocracy in an isolated shield, living a dream, while the rest of the world suffers. African Americans are being judged upon because of their lifestyles that they can't even change for themselves. Society is the one who puts these innocent human beings there. People are to blame for ignoring the sacrifice of animals for their own selfish sake.
Gregory is disgusted with society because everyone to him is a hypocrite.
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