That is a rather biblical title. And I am anything but biblical, in fact I am completely non-religious. However, what I do believe in is the basic message behind most religions…kindness, love and compassion. And that extends to animals as well as people.
This past week has been rather lacking in compassion in the world. Just like when Bin Laden was killed, people have taken to celebrating and partying in the streets over the recent death of former British PM Margaret Thatcher. This is so disturbing to me. There is already such a nasty lack of compassion in our world, which we see constantly, so when a large scale outpouring of hate erupts so publically it just reminds me of where far too many people’s heads are at. And it is scary. Because that is what is being taught to children. And what does that mean for the future?
This lacking in compassion is coming out of even the most unlikely people. I have a former friend in Canada who is a small scale farmer. She keeps chickens for eggs and she is a vegetarian. She preaches kindness and is a gentle sort of person. So imagine my surprise when she showed a new side of herself and advocated killing an innocent animal. It is not what I expected at all.
She had been losing chickens to a sneaky raccoon. Not just
killing her chickens to eat, but a bloodbath of a slaughter. She was
understandably upset and set a trap for the raccoon. I thought I knew her so
well. But I realized I did not truly know her at all when I asked her where
they would be relocating the raccoon to. Her normally calm and gentle manner
was replaced by a person I did not recognize. “Relocation?? Straight to HELL! I
want it DEAD!” Those were the words snarled from my kind, sweet, vegetarian
friend.
Ok, I understand seeing the chickens murdered brutally would
be deeply upsetting. But why want death for another animal? An animal that was
only following instinct? Did my friend just pretend to be a person of kindness?
How can you be a person of kind heart and also want to call for death of an
innocent animal? Or dance in the street to celebrate a leader who has died
simply because you did not agree with her politics? It is all the same
thinking. Very skewed thinking.
It does not make sense to me and our friendship nose dived
after that…I began to see many more instances where she lacked in compassion
and it was as if once she had let me peek inside the “real” person she is, she
no longer cared to pretend. Which is too bad, because it makes it really hard
for me to be friends with someone I don’t respect. And she lost my respect when
she so easily wanted that raccoon killed.
I saw another instance of someone wanting a predator killed
this week. Someone who’s farming blog I followed and really enjoyed. I felt
horrible for her when she lost some of her own precious chickens to a weasel.
But once again, I was surprised to discover she did not extend any compassion to
the weasel. She came across so gentle and in love with her animals…but that is
where the love ended. She only loves HER animals. And wants death and a dance on the grave of any
other animal that may mess with HER animals. Relocation in a live trap for the weasel could have been done...but she posted she was happy it suffered when it died and she wanted to chop it up and feed it to the chickens.
Although I did not know this person personally, it was just
another highlighted example of where true feelings lie and that even people who
act like they love animals and have good hearts, show a different side to
themselves when the chips are down.
The people who treat animals in this way are giving a
very bad message to children or to people reading their words who may look up to
them. It all starts with bloodlust of a raccoon or a weasel and from that will
come a crowd who dances when someone hated dies.
There should be no “eye for an eye”. No killing or
celebrating death. Yet these are the values and morals that so many people are
teaching their kids by their own actions and behaviours. Children will mirror
this way of thinking and those of us with a voice of love will find it harder
and harder to be heard above the war cries and the cheering for death.
I don’t want compassion to be lost but the best I can do
right now, is set the right example for my own. And send hope to those who just
haven’t “gotten it” yet.