On National Hippo Day, Sci-Fi Author Reminds Us Why We Don’t Just Eat All the Hippos

An important U.S. civics lesson: Your voice matters. It’s why Americans don’t eat hippos.

Author and Tor.com contributor Sarah Gailey took to Twitter today on National Hippo Day (*cannot contain excitement that this is a real thing*) to explain to us why the United States almost became a purveyor of fine hippo meats back at the start of the 20th century. Observe how the great national dream goes up in smoke:

We could have had it all, U.S.A. We could have had hippos. Hippos everywhere.

(Here’s the deal with her upcoming book River of Teeth. It is very hippo-centric.)