The Instinct to Help, We Have No Instinct to Harm

This butterfly drew my attention when s/he appeared to be stuck on a flower and was fluttering madly to break free. Immediately I jumped to action and headed over to help. Within a few seconds, and before I even got there, s/he had freed themselves and flew to another flower nearby.

First I looked at the flower s/he got caught on – wondering what was there that could have trapped such a large butterfly. Seeing nothing and still wondering what had happened, I headed over to check on the butterfly. That is when I noticed the injury (the picture isn’t great, s/he insisted on being against the sunlight no matter how much I tried to get a better angle).

I wondered if losing part of his/her wing hurt – like humans get phantom pain or something - is that crazy? - not sure of the science on butterfly CNS. I assume s/he knows of their injury, as undoubtedly it is affecting their flight - and is surely the reason s/he got caught on a flower - from the irregular tatters of the posterior wing.

I watched this fascinating and beautiful earthling for a little while and I was relieved to see this determined critter continue to do what all sentient beings seek to do – simply LIVE.

As I watched, entertaining unrealistic wishes such as surgically repairing my little butterfly buddy, I also thought about the reaction of people I know. I think everybody I know would have done the same – had they seen a beautiful butterfly struggling - they would try to help, and if unable to help they would feel a bit bad for their helplessness.

But these same people often have trouble grasping vegan ethics, never realizing it is the exact same thing. The human(e) feeling all decent people have - the protective feeling we get when faced with a vulnerable, innocent being - the feeling we were taught to ignore, at least when it came to *certain* earthlings. How we were BEFORE we were taught it was *normal* to cause the suffering and death of *some* but not others.

Vegans just stopped ignoring the obvious – every single sentient earthling is a beautiful *butterfly*…

…if you wouldn’t harm the butterfly…???

VEGAN FOR(EVER) LIFE AND LOVE.