Get to know any animal for a few days – go to your local small sanctuary – the sanctuary owners will be able to describe each animal’s personality, their likes and dislikes. Some animals are super-sweet and friendly, some you bond with so closely it becomes an intense relationship, others seem to simply tolerate your presence, or somewhere in between. Personally I have loved every animal I have ever met and appreciated their individuality.
People tend to say “HUMANS feel differently” than other beings - they say "they are not like us" (that sounds familiar in a very unpleasant way). What people fail to realize is that all are unique - they are all individuals. There are not ‘billions of them’ – there is only ONE of them. We can describe unique personalities to each INDIVIDUAL.
They are not yours – my pets are not ‘mine’ - they are EARTHLINGS – their life belongs to THEM. They feel love for others and love for their independent sentient life. We think it OK to bully and destroy, especially to those we do not understand or have not traditionally bonded with…this is nothing but an irrational excuse for our ongoing domination and enslavement of INDIVIDUALS.
I have NEVER looked at an animal with any intent to do them harm, and I never will. I have also NEVER felt an animal was “just like the one next to it” even if their skin was the same color (THINK).
I am NOT living in some unrealistic world…I live in the real world – the world where I am so incredibly grateful to care, to know I want no harm to come to any individual for no rational purpose, and the world in which I confidently know I have absolutely no sociologic or dietary need to harm anyone. Fellow Earthlings will never be my commodities, my meals, or anything but my dear friends. Yes, I know, you “love bacon.” Enough selfish crap already and stop abusing and murdering my friends, destroying our planet, and harming all the humans on Earth.
Animal rights is the next logical step in a slow-moving but continually-creeping-along realization of what discrimination, mercy, nonviolence, and LOVE really means. There is no comparison to a lion in Africa or the ‘circle of life’, so don’t even go there. For humans, feeding life is NOT the consumption of slowly rotting flesh. We are not Intuit. Plants don’t scream. Farmers DO NOT love their animals, certainly not as they enslave, forcibly breed, suck fluid meant for their babies, or kill…that is NOT love unless you are some delusional sicko. Bugs on my windshield or an accident involving a field mouse does not absolve anyone of wanton intentional violent harm to others. Enough of the silliness and let’s align with what we claim are our moral codes.
Nonviolence. Go vegan.
What a morning booster shot of joy this is, Karen! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou put so much in perspective here, from the individuality and identity of EACH of our fellow earthlings to the rationalizations we use as humans to pursue our rapacity. (Just the fact that I find so profound the idea that each individual animal has its own identity and personality shows me how completely brainwashed we are to the notion that we are "superior" or "special" in some way.) Well, we ARE "special" in one very important way. WE are the only ones that can change the paradigm and become aware of the damage we are doing to animals, our health, and our common environment.
The change is coming: people are already starting to realize and take action. The selfish justifications, self-serving ideologies, and euphemistic double-talk that we use to excuse our rapacity and our callousness will not stand the test of time. ("Enough selfish crap already…" I LOVE IT! :-) ) Can we evolve and save ourselves in time? Can we take that next in a series of steps soon enough? I believe we can, and because we can, we MUST. Our physical well-being and moral credibility as a species depend on it. The whole planet's future depends on it.
Keep writing and inspiring!
Thank you so much!
DeleteI have said many times, and sincerely meant, the support of my friends is so critical and so inspiring! Just that I share the planet with such wonderful people overshadows much of the gloom of 'knowing'.
And, you ARE right, things ARE changing!!!
:)
K