the milk of human kindness....

[kuangning]

Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.
- Albert Schweitzer

Sometimes, I wonder about where the human race as a whole is heading. More so lately because Alys' story is unfolding in my head, perhaps. The idle question William threw up for discussion ten years ago was, "what would you do, if you were God?" It's drawn me into way too many ponderances of belief and religion and morality and humanity since then: I firmly believe that we create god in our own images, in our minds. Not the Truth of God, no, the Reality isn't changed by our perception of it... but we do control our own perceptions, and thus our little realities. Anyway, that's only a side path to be wandered another day.

Today, I'm thinking about cruelty. Not just "man's inhumanity to man," but man's hypocrisy. How can anyone who claims to be a kind, decent person, willingly inflict pain on something helpless? Not for food or anything so useful, but for the sake of causing pain?

I watched one of the men at St Paul's capture a squirrel yesterday. That in itself wouldn't have been a problem... there are lots of squirrels here, red-coated for winter and fat with the generosity of people who, like me, love watching them scamper about. But, once he'd trapped the thing, he proceeded to hurt it. On the reasoning that it's only a rodent, and no-one would care.

Let me explain something, here. St Paul's clientele is a mostly rough lot. Fifteen men, currently seven women. Of those women, and probably the men also, I haven't polled them... I am the only one who has never had a drug or alcohol problem. I am one of three of the females who has never had sex in return for money or drugs. More than half the population "have a number" ... ie, are ex-convicts. More than two-thirds of us seem to have current drug and alcohol issues, despite St Paul's rules.

Still, there are certain things that are Not Done. For example, touching an unwilling woman. Although given the slight hint of encouragement, many of them seem inclined to assume willingness, once the word "no" is stated, there isn't a problem. Some few of them are even intelligent, and most are pleasant enough, if a bit on the rough side. So when that one began torturing that poor animal, I expected someone to speak up. As it was, only two of us women did. And the animal was released, with a few burn marks and bare patches in its coat, with laughter because we "girls" were so tender-hearted. Most of the rest weren't approving of what was being done, but didn't care enough one way or another to interfere.

What the hell is wrong with us???

Between people who treat animals decently but abuse their children, and people who think it's all right and amusing to mistreat something if it's only a rodent or only an insect or nobody will care... I don't know who's more repulsive. And I don't even know if feeling that way is a sign that I'm warped... is it wrong that I feel the same way about watching the squirrel be hurt as I would have if he were hurting a human infant? ... I didn't know the things were capable of the kind of sounds that one produced. *shudder.*

I told galith, in a response to a comment he made awhile back, that human beings were the only animals who had been able to take the old concept of pack loyalty and expand their definition of "pack" to include something as wide as a country. But if ever I thought that we needed to expand the concept further, it's now, after that display yesterday. What happened to the old idea of stewardship? If you claim a place as the masters of a world, then that isn't just a privilege, it brings an obligation. That man is the first to declare loudly that men are worth more than animals. True that might be, but as far as I'm concerned, anyone who's capable of that sort of sadism has proven that he has less worth than a roach. And the ones who stood by and didn't object aren't much better, either.

No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning away
From the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
It's not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away?

Comments

[episoen.livejournal.com]

This is why, in general, I think that the human race isn't fit to be in existance.

A while back, like, about 2 years ago, I think. I read an article in the paper...
in this small town somewhere(I forget where) 2 drunken frat boys decided that it would be fun to break into the animal shelter, and torture and kill 30 helpless KITTENS.

When they were taken to Court, they were let off with a very small sentence (a FINE!!) because the people in the town thought that "hey, they were just animals. Why ruin the lives of these two students over it?"

[kuangning]

*shudder.*

[dormouse-in-tea.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, and the thought makes me sick. It is dangerous to let people get away with thinking that it doesn't matter if it is "only an animal", because that can be the beginning of a slippery slope to "it's only a child/woman/Negro/not me"

Besides, it is SICK to enjoy the suffering of ANYTHING aware enough to recognize that suffering. It makes me want to throw up. Thank you for speaking up.

[kuangning]

I seriously do think that that's what made my hackles raise the most. "It's only a rodent" translates, among other things: "it's far, far smaller than I am." "It can't speak up for itself." "No-one's going to champion it." "Its life is worthless." I don't guess I need to say more about what I think of bullies who think that way.

[tibicina.livejournal.com]

I think in general the people abusing children are worse, but usually because there is a more direct issue of guardianship and trust there. I do, however, agree that 'It's only an animal, why can't I torture it?' is very disturbing. Especially for no reason other than to see it suffer. I can understand hunting if you're going to use the meat. I can even understand science experiments and research on animals. But all three of those, when done properly, go out of their way to minimize suffering as much as possible. I do value human lives above animal lives and I am not ashamed of that. However, torture for torture's sake is not excused by 'It's only an animal.' Among other thinks that's how people who go on to be serial killers tend to start out. Pain of that sort should not be entertainment. (Though, that said, it is not an exclusively human feature, there are other animals who play with their food, scaring and tormenting before they actually get around to killing.)

[kuangning]

That's an interesting point. A lot of hunters (cats, for instance,) do enjoy the chase as much as the kill, or more so... but I've never seen one of them torture something they'd already trapped.

re: abuse

[tequilasunset.livejournal.com]

Abuse is abuse. I do not tolerate animal
abuse when I see. My experience; Anyone
who abuses an animal will, and probably does,
abuse humans. I've been a witness to animal
abuse & have spoken out. Our neighbors abused
their dogs. First I approached them with
non threatening advice about my feelings.
This didn't work, and since we have strict
laws here against any animal neglect/abuse,
I reported them to police. Things were bad for
us, we were threatened by owners, they even
threatened to harm our dogs. We stood firm,
and today all is fine. In this state, it is
against the law to harm, or capture a squirrel.
(Unless it's season for hunting squirrel in
wooded areas. Some people still eat squirrel.)

-all living things have nerve/pain receptors-

Re: re: abuse

[kuangning]

I'm not sure what the laws are for OH, more's the pity. There is a deputy stationed at St Paul's on most occasions. Sadly enough, the one on duty that day said nothing.

Re: re: abuse

[tequilasunset.livejournal.com]

Hope you didn't hear me saying I think you should
have done/said something? Every situation is
different...it all depends on if one is safe in
taking action. As for animals torturing other
animals... I don't believe that the cat has set
out to consciously, deliberately, harm it's prey.
The behavior of a cat is not the same as behavior
of humans. Example: When watching CNN
I saw humans kicking & spitting on dead humans.
I've never seen a cat, dog, bear, do this to their
prey after death. They eat it or walk away.
Far more civil than humanity.

*hugs.*

[kuangning]

No, I didn't take it as criticism. :) I'm satisfied that I did what I could do, and he did let the squirrel go, so it ended well for that animal at least. And now I know that I need to be wary around that sadist, because it is just a step from abusing an animal to abusing a human, particularly a weaker one.