ONE FAMILY

There are things we don’t want to think about. Yet, as with everything, our willingness to look at all possibilities is important if we want to reach complete truth and understanding. Sometimes bringing things into the open helps us grow spiritually, especially when it asks us to take responsibility for areas we may have been overlooking, or perhaps are not fully aware of the impact they have.

Humanity is generally seen as a caring race, with strong feelings about injustice and a sense of compassion that helps guide our actions and integrity. In many situations this is true. Yet it may not give a complete picture of how society actually behaves.

Humans usually see animals as an inferior species and less intelligent, and therefore secondary to us. Because of this, they are often treated as expendable. When a species is viewed this way, it becomes easy to justify not taking responsibility. It is considered acceptable to kill, harm, or eat them. Animals and marine life supply is about 150 billion for food each year.

Society widely accepts the breeding of animals for meat, fur, fibre, milk, wool and bones. Animals are also used in advertising, movies, entertainment, testing, and hunting trophies. Treated as commodities, many live in conditions with little space, little natural light, and little stimulation. Cruel practices are involved in much of animal production and transportation. While battery chickens and the restriction of wild animals already show a lack of freedom, these conditions are minor compared with the severe suffering involved in large scale experimentation, genetic transplants between species, and the testing of chemicals, viruses, beauty products and pharmaceuticals.

Although some laws exist to protect animals and improve conditions, they are often poorly supervised. There are also groups and organisations that speak out against cruelty. Yet overall, society gives very little moral attention, compassion or review of the treatment of animals. Many may consider the only animals affected are cows, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, fish and testing experiments on cats, dogs, monkeys, mice, guinea pigs and rabbits. But actually it is far greater and few animals are excluded. Killing extends to bears, tigers, elephants, wolves, foxes, deer, water buffalo, fish, lobsters, whales, minks and feral cats, wild dogs, game, goats, foxes, hares, rabbits, pigs, buffalo, wallabies, kangaroos, donkeys, horses and camels. We also commonly kill creatures, that simply cross our path or inconvenience us, as they are also considered inferior and without rights. Mosquitoes, flies, ants, spiders, bees, cane toads, wasps, snakes, rodents, bugs, crocodiles, and sharks are often destroyed without a second thought.

Perhaps this is something humanity could look at more honestly if it wishes to progress, and to fully understand our role and responsibility in the events unfolding on Earth.

Love,

Sandy Stevenson

9.3.26