Mmm... crow

Michael Quinion has the following to say about eating crow.

When you have made a serious error and need to acknowledge it humbly, it is highly probable that the expression you use to describe the process has something to do with food.

The best-known traditional expression of this type in the US is to eat crow. The origin seems fairly obvious: the meat of the crow, being a carnivore, is presumably rank and extremely distasteful, and the experience is easily equated to the mental anguish of being forced to admit one’s fallibility.


I am specifically referring to my statements on the tolerant response of Pakistani Muslims. The demonstrations seem to start peaceful enough, but now people have lost their lives. The loss of live is still completely on the Pakistani side [I haven't had to eat crow over Europeans being hurt yet].

From: Pakistan's mild reaction to cartoons (Feb 7) To: Pakistanis rampage over cartoons (Feb 13)

Demonstrations, while inconvenient for traffic, are not objectionable to me. The advent of "mob mentality," however, negates all positive aspects of protest as a means of freedom of speech. Violence is an example of an ill-conceived idea that individuals would normally not commit alone.

The violence in Peshaware and Lahore displays this mob mentality, and not the nature of the Pakistani people. It doesn't reflect the nature of any humanity. What does it reflect?

I haven't received a good answer yet. Fun? Disobedience to the government? [BBC's non-answer]

While the Muhammad cartoons sparked these demonstrations, no one here thinks they are the reason for them. The U.S. Embassy has recently provided much more detailed information on upcoming events.

Fun facts: This species of crow (corvus splendens) is the most common bird in Islamabad, to my eyes. Bapsi Sidhwa is a female author of Pakistan who wrote The Crow Eaters (1978).

---------Updates-----------
Extra links:
Day in Pictures - February 13, 2006
A Day of Terror - November 21, 1979 - the U.S. Embassy and ISOI compounds are pleasant inside, but stand as fortresses to the outside as a result of this historical event.

There are peripheral issues that are not part of the above discussion. Two U.S. airstrikes on Pakistan and President Bush's upcoming visit in early March.