Springfield, Ohio (political)

[Szdfan]

Even if it was, it wouldn't mean that Haitian immigrants were stealing cats and dogs to eat them in Springfield. That part is clearly an unsubstantiated lie on the part of Trump and Vance. And in Vance's case it is lies about his own constituents.

Absolutely. Cats are eaten in China and yet I’ve never seen any evidence to substantiate the stereotype that Chinese restaurants in America are secretly feeding cats to their unsuspecting customers.

Robert’s claim is that cat is part of Haitian culture. Food that is cultural have names. What’s the name of a dish that uses cat as an ingredient.

A Chinese Cary out in our area was closed for having roadkill in their walk-in. Not necessarily serving it, just having it.

Which is part of my skepticism that American Chinese restaurants are serving cat to their customers. The health department would shut them down.

[Judas Maccabeus]

Absolutely. Cats are eaten in China and yet I’ve never seen any evidence to substantiate the stereotype that Chinese restaurants in America are secretly feeding cats to their unsuspecting customers.

Robert’s claim is that cat is part of Haitian culture. Food that is cultural have names. What’s the name of a dish that uses cat as an ingredient.

A Chinese Cary out in our area was closed for having roadkill in their walk-in. Not necessarily serving it, just having it.

Which is part of my skepticism that American Chinese restaurants are serving cat to their customers. The health department would shut them down.

It did. But still the roadkill was there. If not to serve to customers, for what.

[R7ehr]

White Americans have eaten raccoon, opossum, skunks, cats, and dogs. The fact that none of these are considered part of the “American” culture or cuisine, or that there are no recipes, doesn’t change the fact that white Americans have eaten them. And simply because someone has eaten these sometimes, doesn’t make them part of our national foods.

[Szdfan]

They must be different Hatians than those I know...

Ok...I've been looking without finding anything. What's a traditional Haitian dish that uses cat as an ingredient?

If you've been looking in the US it's no wonder you found nothing. I suggest you go to Haiti and search there if you want to find someone eating cats or dogs.

Even weird, adventurous food has a name if it's a part of the culture. Germany has a dish of raw minced pork called "Mett." It's sometimes shaped into the form of a little hedgehog called "Mettigel." In Wisconsin, there's a version that consists of raw hamburger called the "Cannibal Burger." A quick Google search, for "raw minced meat Germany" brings info up.

But when I search "Haitian food cats," I get hits mostly about Springfield, OH. If I search "Recettes haïtiennes chats," I'm not finding anything either.

I don't deny that Haitians in extreme poverty might be eating cats. But if it was true that Haitians culturally eat cats, I should be able to find something.

[Szdfan]

White Americans have eaten raccoon, opossum, skunks, cats, and dogs. The fact that none of these are considered part of the “American” culture or cuisine, or that there are no recipes, doesn’t change the fact that white Americans have eaten them. And simply because someone has eaten these sometimes, doesn’t make them part of our national foods.

I agree with that. I'm responding to Robert's claim that it's a "cultural" part of Haiti.

[Szdfan]

A Chinese Cary out in our area was closed for having roadkill in their walk-in. Not necessarily serving it, just having it.

Which is part of my skepticism that American Chinese restaurants are serving cat to their customers. The health department would shut them down.

It did. But still the roadkill was there. If not to serve to customers, for what.

No idea. How many Chinese restaurants out there do you think have roadkill in their freezers?

[Szdfan]

Even if it was, it wouldn't mean that Haitian immigrants were stealing cats and dogs to eat them in Springfield. That part is clearly an unsubstantiated lie on the part of Trump and Vance. And in Vance's case it is lies about his own constituents.

Vance has admitted that story isn't true, but that it's part of getting media attention to the problem of migrants in Springfield, OH.

DANA BASH, HOST, STATE OF THE UNION: Just once and for all, you again started this in part by saying that —which Donald Trump repeated on the debate stage—and he didn't say anything about the policies that you're talking about. He just said Haitians are eating dogs and cats. Can you affirmatively say now that that is a rumor that has no basis with evidence?

SEN. JD VANCE: Dana, the evidence is the first-hand account of my constituents who are telling me that this happened. And by the way, I've been trying to talk about the problems in Springfield for months, and the American media ignored it. There was a congressional hearing just last week of angel moms who lost children because Kamala Harris let criminal migrants into this country who then murdered their children. The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes.

BASH: But it wasn’t just a meme, sir.

VANCE: If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do, Dana, because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast. You had one interview with her. You talk about pushing back against me, Dana. You didn't push back against the fact that she cast the deciding vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, which is why a lot of Americans can't afford food and housing. We ought to be talking about public policy.

BASH: You just said that you're creating a story.

VANCE: What's that, Dana?

BASH: You just said that this is a story that you created.

VANCE: Yes.

BASH: So the eating dogs and cats thing is not accurate.

VANCE: We are creating—we are, Dana, it comes from first-hand accounts from my constituents. I say that we're creating a story, meaning we're creating the American media focusing on it. I didn't create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield thanks to Kamala Harris's policies. Her policies did that, but yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about this story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris's policies.

Is it problematic to make up a story about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating pets to get media attention?

[Szdfan]

The main lesson from Springfield, OH, as it relates to the OP, is that most politicians nowadays will use whatever they can to get elected.
As this and other threads have detailed, lying is now something that is ok to use for political campaigning. And when they are called out on it, they change the narrative and keep doubling down on their rhetoric. So what if the folks who unwittingly get used as props for campaign spiels get dragged into something they wish they hadn't.

We have seen this happen over and over in the Trump/Vance campaign as well as the Harris/Walz/Biden campaign.

I think this is more than just lying -- it's a dehumanizing lie that targets a vulnerable population by playing on people's bigotry and assumptions. I think that's worse and more alarming than a run-of-the-mill lie.

[Moses]

Ok...I've been looking without finding anything. What's a traditional Haitian dish that uses cat as an ingredient?

If you've been looking in the US it's no wonder you found nothing. I suggest you go to Haiti and search there if you want to find someone eating cats or dogs.

Even weird, adventurous food has a name if it's a part of the culture. Germany has a dish of raw minced pork called "Mett." It's sometimes shaped into the form of a little hedgehog called "Mettigel." In Wisconsin, there's a version that consists of raw hamburger called the "Cannibal Burger." A quick Google search, for "raw minced meat Germany" brings info up.

But when I search "Haitian food cats," I get hits mostly about Springfield, OH. If I search "Recettes haïtiennes chats," I'm not finding anything either.

I don't deny that Haitians in extreme poverty might be eating cats. But if it was true that Haitians culturally eat cats, I should be able to find something.

OK, look. You asked for it. If you find these pics disgusting don't blame me. And no, these folks pictured aren't starving.

[barnhart]

I have yet to find any evidence that supports the claim that Haitians culturally eat cats.

They must be different Hatians than those I know...

Ok...I've been looking without finding anything. What's a traditional Haitian dish that uses cat as an ingredient?

I don't think Hatians eat either. Especially not after relocating to the US.