irvinesinglemom_IHB
New member
[quote author="SoOCOwner" date=1234594478]As someone who frequently rescues animals from the streets, this really bothers me. At least if they leave the poor animal in the yard, the neighbors will quickly figure things out and either call animal control or provide food for the pet. We call ourselves civilized, yet I'm constantly amazed by what we do to these innocent creatures. And to each other, for that matter.</blockquote>
I agree. This is what really gets me about people who think humans are more evolved than animals. Or even more ridiculous, that we're somehow instilled with some divine magic by some fabulous diety that makes us supererior. Man's brutality against man, woman, child, animal, and planet (and to a MUCH less frequent but not nonexistent extent, Woman's brutality), is the most documented, consistent, guaranteed-not-to-change aspect of life. Sure, there are countless examples of the opposite behavior too, which is what makes life on this blue planet seem not altogether hopeless. But many people on the planet, living on dollars a day, starving, sick, watching their children die or be raped or murdered in front of them, don't get to see too much of the good stuff.
I am not religious. Not at all. But I could never knowingly hurt someone, or an animal. Sure, I could be blinded by emotion and lash out stupidly, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about making cold, calculated, long-term decisions that result in harm, either direct or indirect, emotional or physical, to someone or an animal. Like, for example, locking up an animal and dooming it to a tortured death. Or beating it. Or beating a kid. Or telling someone they're worthless and ugly and might as well go kill themselves, as so many cruel teenagers do. (Ever read Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes? You should. It's eye-opening.) And this is the mystery that I have been muddling my entire life. How are people who claim to be god-fearing or whatever, how are they capable of all the terrible things that people do?
I agree. This is what really gets me about people who think humans are more evolved than animals. Or even more ridiculous, that we're somehow instilled with some divine magic by some fabulous diety that makes us supererior. Man's brutality against man, woman, child, animal, and planet (and to a MUCH less frequent but not nonexistent extent, Woman's brutality), is the most documented, consistent, guaranteed-not-to-change aspect of life. Sure, there are countless examples of the opposite behavior too, which is what makes life on this blue planet seem not altogether hopeless. But many people on the planet, living on dollars a day, starving, sick, watching their children die or be raped or murdered in front of them, don't get to see too much of the good stuff.
I am not religious. Not at all. But I could never knowingly hurt someone, or an animal. Sure, I could be blinded by emotion and lash out stupidly, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about making cold, calculated, long-term decisions that result in harm, either direct or indirect, emotional or physical, to someone or an animal. Like, for example, locking up an animal and dooming it to a tortured death. Or beating it. Or beating a kid. Or telling someone they're worthless and ugly and might as well go kill themselves, as so many cruel teenagers do. (Ever read Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes? You should. It's eye-opening.) And this is the mystery that I have been muddling my entire life. How are people who claim to be god-fearing or whatever, how are they capable of all the terrible things that people do?
