Today, my peers and I had the opportunity to travel from Laramie, WY to the state’s capital city of Cheyenne. Here, we went to the famous Cheyenne Rodeo! While I had a wonderful time, there were certain cultural differences that took some serious getting used to coming from Pittsburgh, PA.
The culture shock began long before even getting to the rodeo stadium. On the walk there, through the shops, I saw leather belts, animal skulls, and fur hats. As a vegetarian for 10 years and running, I felt uncomfortable with the casual use of animal parts for retail. To me, it felt inhumane and unnecessary. Then, we got to the main event. The rodeo. I watched with one eye squinted as the cowboys raced after calves on their horses, roped them by the neck, and then tied up their legs. As the crowd erupted in applause, I wondered how anybody could praise this cruel behavior.
After putting some thought into it, I realized that the use of animals in Pittsburgh’s culture is not necessarily any better than Cheyenne’s. It just isn’t as blunt or in your face. On Forbes Street alone, there are six different restaurants dedicated to serving just chicken. In the city, there are petting zoos and aquariums where animals are unethically caged, and if you drive just a little bit outside of the city, there are dairy farms every which way.
Western American culture surrounding the treatment of animals isn’t necessarily any worse than Pittsburgh’s, it’s just different. If anything, there is a sense of disconnect with the animals we use daily in Pittsburgh. I applaud the connection to where food and clothing comes from in western American culture. As opposed to looking the other way to feel better about where their food comes from, people in Wyoming are able to see, and in a way, respect the animals they use.
While the relationship between humans and animals is very different in Pittsburgh and Wyoming, after reflecting, I’ve come to the conclusion that neither is more cruel than the other. Experiencing this traditional Wyoming rodeo, I was able to fully immerse myself in a new culture, push past my initial discomfort, and gain a greater understanding of how the rest of the United States functions.
