animal cruelty

animals embody an innocence and truth that is in the core of all of us-- just hidden by our humanity. ironically, it is this humanity that they are subjected to as our pets (dogs, cats), our food (cattle), and our products (fur). i think most of us have some idea of what goes on beneath the floorboards of our society, but prefer to turn a blind eye to the specifics. as the expression goes, don't name something you're going to eat. i think it would be beneficial for all of us to have a greater appreciation for our food and its origins, and not just meat, but the entire chain of food. i know from personal experience where i have had to actually kill with my barehands to eat that i will not forget what that means. we may rest comfortably on the thin veneer of civilization that allows us to remain aloof from such primordial behavior, but it is who we were.

anyway, the real topic was something incredibly shocking that i heard this evening. actually, i wasn't shocked. my first comment was "what do you expect from a culture that places such a low value on human life?" apparently, in china, there is a practice (i don't know how common) of skinning dogs alive for their fur. supposedly, they need to be alive to better preserve the fur. [be forewarned, the last link is very graphic] the good news, the US has recently passed legislation to prevent these products from coming here. i'm so sad that mankind can still commit such atrocities. i continue to remain optimistic that one day most us will just get it. we'll understand life, in us and in all things. death is absolutely necessary, but cruelty, never.