Role of Pets in our Post-Traumatic Stress Culture

The text by Craig Saper is dealing with the "Mr. Mentality Show", which was posted on YouTube, dealt with   the question of why people do have pets. The teory discussed was that some people claim that pets "teach how to mourn: how to deal with the loss of something you love and identify with." (Saper, 2). Furthermore, it is claimed that this concept has to do with monumentality and that pets are a sacrifice for national identity (2). The most shocking thing to read was that "we need a surplus of available animals to allow for everyone to have a pet and to practice mourning (Saper, 2)."

I think it is quite cruel to think about it in a way like this. Pets are normally there to enrich peoples lives. They are there to be loved and taken care of. I strongly disagree with the way pets are supposed to be treated in this text. No one would buy an animal for the purpose of practice of mourning.

Saper, Craig. "The Felt Memory of YouTube". University of Central Florida. Florida: 2010. P.1-2.