Examining The Conversation About Animal Rights In A Modern World
April 24th 2009 08:28
“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals.”
~George Orwell, Animal Farm
~George Orwell, Animal Farm
Off all the topics that need to be brought out in the open for conversation, the subject of Animal Rights is the one issue that brings out the best and worst faces of our society.
A society that prides itself in defending the honor of our four legged family members from archaic forms of sport, that exploits and demeans their well being, but is also quick to ignore the killing fields of abuse for the sake of convenience.
A society that will stand up for change in a time of unparalleled economic crisis in the choice of a leader to represent us to the rest of the world but loses its voice to speak out against his choice to feed into a system of breed creationism gone wrong.
It’s easy to stand up and preach about the America’s need to work on an individual level for our environment and doing what we can for our fellow man, but when it comes time to act, we forget about the little things.
Little things like the scourge of dogs and cats we welcome into our homes and love like family who are disposed of in animal shelters across our nation on a daily basis. This happens simply because the average American chooses to put money into the pockets of a breeder for the sole-purpose of having “the perfect dog” rather than rescuing a doomed soul.
Groups like PETA and the SPCA have no problem screaming from the roof tops about issues like the need to spay, neuter and adopt instead of leaning towards the perfection of creationism but when it comes time to call a spade a spade, the will and courage to stand up against a popular President gets lost in translation.
Gift or not, our President had a chance to lay down a shining example of writing the story of courage, hope, second chance and rescue but instead chose to seek out a dog that would look good in photos with his children.
To this, I turn to these groups that are the protectors of our family members and I say shame on you. This is not a political issue but is rather a world issue and the time is now for America to get her wake up call.
Simply asking the breeders to end age-old practices isn’t enough as I turn to the hearts and souls of each and every person reading this to say Animal Rights is Animal Rights.
Not cute puppy or kitten rights nor is it lizard, snake or turtle rights but all Animal Rights and finding the place where we rediscover our humanity.
The humanity that is ready to head out to our sheds and grab pitch forks when the news breaks about a professional football player using dogs for profit in a dog fighting ring, should be the same humanity that is appalled when we learn of the process that an animal goes through on his journey from the farm to our dinner plates.
The process where an animal that is an herbivore in his natural environment is fed a diet based on cannibalism and corn, instead of grains from its natural environment, for the soul purpose of corporations maximizing profit is bringing the chickens home to roost.
What goes in the animal we eat is the same thing we ingest on the back end from eating his flesh.
The steroids, antibiotics, fecal matter from shoddy slaughter practices and un-natural diets are coming back to haunt us from centuries of abuse, endangering the health of every world citizen.
The situation is out of control and choosing to be selective about whom we call to task for being inhumane only makes the situation hypocritical.
Framing arguments around hunters being the source of problems in the Animal Rights movement or only having the conversation in semantics of extremism does nothing to fix the situation.
It is up to each and every one of us to be informed and willing to look into the whole issue of Animal Rights instead of selectively seeking out times to point fingers.
The whole issue of Animal Rights: beginning with the system of how we examine the industry that provides the food we eat, the desperate situation with animal fighting rings, animal testing, poachers, the fur industry, global warming, endangered species list, overpopulation, dog breeding, animals thriving outside of their natural environment, the farmers plight with balancing out their rights to make profit and the animals rights to indigenous lands, Congressional proposals like H.R. 669 that are legislated with good intentions but ultimately don’t reach solutions along with the hundreds of other tragedies that round out the list.
Picking one issue and completely turning our back on another is only a practice in arrogance that isn’t going to do anything to help the cause.
The Animal Rights cause is not only about helping the domesticated animals in our homes, but should also be focused on doing the right thing for our extended families, earth and the overall health of the human and animal race.
No matter your religion or social thought, man does not have the right to simply exist and destroy the gifts he was given.
We share this planet and are neither her creator nor her destroyer.
With that said it’s important for us to step off of our high and mighty perch to finally not just talk about doing the right thing but to display it in simple action.
Simple action that doesn’t point the finger at a Democrat or Republican for past grievances but says that now is the time to start living for something besides the human race.
Sharing the planet doesn’t mean becoming a vegan nor does it mean starting an Earth friendly colony with houses made out of clay but rather includes an opening of our minds into a new consciousness.
A consciousness that says a farm pig has just as much right to live a decent life before he is ultimately executed as my best friend who jumps into my arms when I come home after a long day.
As a race man has proven that he has the capability to build great civilizations, build new levels of understanding and form social groups that do great things in performing amazing acts of love and understanding.
What I’m asking for is that ability to love and be loved to shine through the thickness of the wool over our eyes only for the sake of those who have no voices.
If for no other reason, only so we can have an opportunity to share this new and beautiful world, we have the capability of creating, with the other members we share it with.
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