What’s Love Got To Do With It?

When I was young, I looked forward to Valentine’s Day for one reason: free candy! Yaaay! I especially loved the colorful “conversation hearts” (as many kids do). BE MINE… TRUE LOVE…KISS ME… I’M YOURS.  So fun to read!

What’s not fun to read? The nutrition label. Not surprisingly, the fourth ingredient in Necco’s famous Sweethearts is gelatin. For those who may not know, gelatin is a substance extracted from the boiled crushed bones, skin, tissues, organs and intestines of slaughtered animals such as cows, chickens, and pigs.

How romantic!

Now, I don’t think it takes a particularly sensitive person to recognize how truly macabre it is to take the boiled-down body parts of tortured animals, shape them into hearts and stamp the words “KISS ME” and “TRUE LOVE” on top. But it seems this is the kind of culture we live in. We live in a world corrupted by doublespeak. People commit hate crimes in the name of “family values.” We oppose drunk driving legislation in the name of “consumer freedom.” We wage war in the name of peace. We continue to exploit and disempower the poor in the name of “job creation.” And we sell animal abuse in the name of “love and romance.”

Buy your girl some candied hearts and milk chocolates! Take her out for steak and lobster! What better way to show her you care? 

Now when I see a little pink heart stamped with “True Love,” I can’t help but think, “What’s Love got to do with any of this?” In fact, these sorts of “treats” are the very opposite of love. They are fear, cruelty, misery and violence masquerading as something light and fun. In short, we are being manipulated and deceived.

Personally, I’d rather not buy any more lies. I’d rather have real love, real caring, real compassion over corporate doublespeak and animal cruelty any day of the year. Even on Valentine’s Day.