ANIMAL RIGHTS

from Jamaka P.    May 10, 2007

Every living being is sacred; all are created by the same Creator and so are of inestimatble value.  All living beings should be treated kindly, with respect and thoughtfully.  Members of other species give unconditional love and loyalty, and should be dealt with likewise.  My family includes members of the feline species, whom I love and with whom I have bonded for life.  If we are to survive and continue living on this planet, we need to reconnect with the rest of the living beings who share it with us, and observe and learn from them how to live lightly on the earth.  It is our choice, and the time to make it is now -- respected scientists and experts in many fields agree that truly, it's now or never.  What choice will YOU make and how will it manifest in your life?

Animals are my sisters and brothers.

from Ari M.    May 10, 2007

I'll let Albert Einstein explain for me. He (among many others) said it all ages ago, and it's still as true today as it was then. "A human being is a part of the whole, called by us the 'Universe,' a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security."

Relative Equality for all Animals

from Jesus C.    Feb 09, 2007

In a world governed by economics and social power, it is expected that certain groups have become marginalized for their lack of representation within society. History has showed over time that as long as ignorance prevails,various groups are rendered unequal and undeserving of sympathy or empathy. However social revolutions have also seen an end to atrocities like the abolishment of Slavery, the ending of Apartheid, the Suffragist movement that entitled women basic human rights, and even the Amnesty work that has allowed prisoners of war to be treated more humanely. 

Animals have long been thought to be subjective creatures that were to live under the enslavement of humans. Much of the acts and beliefs surrounding animals have been principally created through religious doctrines and biased philosophical works by authors like Socrates, who also condoned slavery and emphasized inequalities amongst ethnic and racial lines. Religion has played a large part in defining humans as superior to other organisms and beings, and ultimately many religious preachings have centered around the notion that animals have been put on this earth for the sole consumption and benefit of humans.

Sadly, this is quite misinformed and much of the philosophical and religious texts that were created to support the inequality of animals, were done to rationalize the idea that certain humans were 'animal' like and thus were not entitled to be treated humanely. In the past, Africans were considered 'animal' like and theories on animal inequality allowed for the subjugation, oppression and enslavement of Africans. The Holocaust was spurred by the notion that Jewish citizens were less then human, "animal-like" and thus deserving of being treated unfairly. As we can see now, the devaluing of animals has not only had impacts on the abuse and atrocities committed to animals, but also helped the political agendas of ethnic, racial, and social discriminatory policies.

So What's This All About?