Peep Show For Children Only

Excerpts from "Peep Show For Children Only"
Warwak confronts his boss on the stand;
Q. Explain what humane education is?
A. Being able to, education on treating things fairly respectfully, responsibly.
Q. Things, what kind of things?
A. Anything.
Q. Anything, animals?
A. Sure, sure.
Q. Being respectful to animals is part of humane education?
A. Sure.
Q. Do you think that teachers should teach humane education?
A. And they do.
Q. Do you think Mr. Warwak was trying to get kids to be nice to animals?
A. Yes, he was.
Q. So what was the problem?
MR. RILEY: Objection, vague.
ARBITRATOR SIMON: I'll allow it.
BY THE WITNESS:
A. The problem was when it turned into a PETA advertisement and it was against the school lunch program, that's where the problem began. I had no problem with the, be kind to animals message that you were originally trying to state.
BY MR. DAVID WARWAK:
Q. So it's okay to be kind to animals providing you don't mention the school lunch?
A. I was not going advocate you turning the kids against our school lunch program. That was not the purpose of the activity.
Q. Do you feel the school lunch is kind to animals?
A. I know our school lunch program follows the guidelines set forth by the State Board of Education.
Q. You didn't answer the question.
A. I don't have an opinion on that.
Q. You have no opinion on eating animals is nice or not?
MR. RILEY: Objection, relevance. I think we are arguing the merits of veganism.
MR. DAVID WARWAK: Talking about humane education being nice to animals, all animals, all things; and all of a sudden there's the clause that it doesn't apply to the school lunch. I want to know why.
ARBITRATOR SIMON: I'll allow it.
BY THE WITNESS:
A. My opinion is that humane education does not take in and the intent of the statute is that eating animals as part of your school lunch is inhumane. That's my opinion.
BY MR. DAVID WARWAK:
Q. Do you think that eating an animal desensitizes a child to the animal that was alive? Do you think that removed them from that? No, I don't.
MR. RILEY: Objection.
ARBITRATOR SIMON: I'll allow it.
BY MR. DAVID WARWAK:
Q. Why is that? Why is there that dichotomy -- well, how come it makes sense but it doesn't make sense. What do you -- how do you determine that?
A. What is "it"?
Q. Eating the animal. You say that it's okay, but then it's not nice to the animal. Where is the happy ground? What do you tell a kid? It's kind of a confusing message. Is it okay to care about animals but not when it comes to the lunch, or is it you should care about all the animals all the time, which is humane education?
MR. RILEY: Objection, it's a false choice.
ARBITRATOR SIMON: Rephrase the question.
BY MR. DAVID WARWAK:
Q. In regards to humane education you said that it requires being kind to all things including animals. And yet the school lunch isn't nice to animals. What kind of a message does that send to kids?
A. I don't agree with that message.
Q. What is the message that you don't agree with?
A. That the school lunch isn't nice to animals.
Q. How is it nice to animals?
A. I didn't say it was nice to animals.
Q. It's indifferent?
A. I'll use that term, yes.
Q. So it is not nice or -- so you don't think that the animal screams when it is slaughtered?
MR. RILEY: Objection, relevance.
ARBITRATOR SIMON: I'll allow it.
BY THE WITNESS:
A. Our society other than vegans who make a choice not to eat meat has a choice of the menu that they eat. We do not advocate that those that choose to eat meat should or shouldn't --
BY MR. DAVID WARWAK:
Q. We are not talking about people eating meat, we are talking about the animal --
A. Let me answer the question, please.
Q. Okay.
A. Those that eat meat should or shouldn't think about whether that animal is screaming.
Q. Okay, so would you say it's accurate you want the child to be disconnected from that? You don't want them to think about that when they eat the school lunch?
A. I don't have an opinion on that. I have never thought about that.
Q. You don't want me talking about it. You obviously don't want the kids thinking about it?
A. I do not want you turning the students against our school lunch program. That's what I do not want. Because our school lunch program is, follows the State Board of Education guidelines and we have guidelines we need to meet. It provides for all different types of diets.
Q. Would you say that the school lunch goes against humane education?
A. I disagree. I don't see the connection.
Q. The humane education says be nice to all things; the school lunch says, well, not animals?
MR. RILEY: Objection, arguing with the witness.
ARBITRATOR SIMON: Sustained. You have made your point, go on.

"All the things one has forgotten scream for help in dreams" Elias Canett