So I'm reading an apocalypse book called DIES THE FIRE where all the electricity goes out and guns don't work. Something to do with an electric storm and a whole bunch of physics stuff I haven't fully come to comprehend yet.
Anyways, in this story people are going crazy. It's a pretty natural reaction when nothing you used to rely on to survive works anymore. Except, some people are crazier than others and end up butchering and eating innocent travelers. One of the main groups the author has been following came across a camp of people who ran into the cannibals. One of the members mentioned killing the cannibals and the leader of the group whole-heatedly agreed with him and said "This bunch have read themselves out of the human race. There are things you're just not entitled to do, even to survive."
That got me thinking about THE HUNGER GAMES, which I reread just recently. In THE HUNGER GAMES, cannibalism was against the rules. It seemed a little odd to me, being a third party observer, that people would enjoy watching children slaughter each other, but not eat each other.
After reading that part in DIES THE FIRE, it really hit me that cannibalism isn't just eating other people. It's eating other people. It's as taboo as incest is. Even more so, perhaps. Mike Havel had a good point when he said that there are things that you just don't do. And eating your own is one of them. Not only is it murder, but it's sick and wrong. Our flesh is not meant to be eaten, no matter how much the hyenas would disagree with me.
Anyways, I hope you weren't too disgusted by this post. Just thought I would get some thoughts written down since I have no one to talk to about this at the moment. I highly recommend DIES THE FIRE by S. M. Stirling for people who like intense post-apocalyptic novels and aren't faint at heart - or stomach.
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