Call me CRAZY, call me TOO SENSITIVE. Call me AN ACTIVIST. Call me AN ADVOCATE…..Call me ANGRY, FRUSTRATED, DISGUSTED, APPALLED, FED UP, DISCOURAGED!!!
Call me whatever you like, but NEVER call me APATHETIC. Never call me COMPLACENT.
Every single day, 24 hours a day, in the news there is something about the horrors inflicted on animals somewhere. In our towns, our cities, our neighborhoods and across the globe. Every day, 24 hours a day there is something about the destruction of habitat, our fresh waterways, our ozone layer, our overall environment. Perfect example is the decision of Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, despite the outcries of protest, to destroy the home of Lucky and Lily, the Lindsay Pond Beavers. In response to the emails his offices received, a rather canned response was issued, I know I got the identical response others have received.
In the news every day, 24 hours a day, there are published accounts of man-kinds inhumanity against our own species. Wars plague our planet, the fight for freedom and for democracy continues. Wars rage against tyranny. There are wars evolving around religion, wars of politics, war for land, for resources, the subjugation of human rights and freedoms. Wars are big business, wars create jobs and make money for the politicians and the vast innumerable companies that manufacture arms of destruction. Wars make humans disposable items, just as humans have made animals disposable, made our waterways, our lands disposable.
There are wars in our schools, wars in our neighborhoods, continued child abuse, spousal abuse, domestic violence is on the rise. Mutilators of animals turned mutilators of people. Wars between drug lords, wars among street gangs, wars with our neighbors, wars in every single aspect of our lives.
The biggest war is our personal war to survive period., to pay our bills, to support and feed our families and to keep a roof over our heads, to cover medical costs and to just get through each day as best we can.
Unfortunately far too many do not, far too many just say to hell with it, suicides are on the rise, addictions are on the rise, mental illness is on the rise, murder/suicides are on the rise. People are snapping, losing it, you see it every day in the newscasts.
Is it me or has all of mankind inhabiting this beautiful planet gone absolutely mad??
From the continuing Middle East crisis, that has not changed over the centuries, nor will it ever; the Euro catastrophe; the issues here at home and pretty much everywhere: the rising cost of living, the rising unemployment, the rising interest rates, the famine and crop failures coupled with increasing droughts in some countries, the increased natural disasters across the globe, the negative health effects suffered by First Nations and others due to Canada’s dirty oil and planned expansion in Alberta…the millions of taxpayer dollars ill spent by our politicians in their continuing bid to ensure Canada’s sealing industry continues, the unwanted pipelines that pose risk to our environment, wildlife and communities are pushed through; the continued Canadian importation of US horses for slaughter, the continued horrific slaughter of Canadian horses, the devastating cruelty in Factory Farms and the horrific suffering of these animals in fires due to the lack of proper safeguards. The violation of human rights here at home and around the globe.
Add to the above the lack of affordable housing, cuts to social programs, the lack of proper health care in Northern communities…increased taxes, hungry children across our land…and MOST of all the deaf ears of politicians to the voices of the people….MY GOD, where will it all end???
Here in Canada, Harper has gutted Environmental Protection despite the loud voices of protest across this country. Revenue Canada is now charged with the responsibility to pull Charitable Status from any organization that speaks out against the policies of Harper’s Government.
Here in Canada, unless one is independently wealthy or has a substantial nest egg, Canadians are now being forced to retire at age 67 rather than at 65. Is this a ploy to ensure that Canada Pension will remain in the coffers of government….that hopefully many of us will be dead before we are able to collect the benefits which we have paid into all of our working careers??
Would it not be nice if our politicians stopped wasting our tax dollars on propaganda campaigns hoping to lull us into a false sense of security as well as attempting to lift EU bans that are in place on Sealing products or attempts to convince countries outside of Canada to by dirty oil? Or to fulfill personal agendas? Or to waste our money on all the fixings for the last G Summit held in Toronto? Or to launch insulting campaigns against each other during the election process? Count the many ways your tax dollars are wasted…can anyone count that high?
Wow, then there would be money for all our Pensions, all of our health care needs and social programs.
We would not have needed the “Black out. Speak Out” campaign!! that so many participated in across our country.
Oops, did I say that…am I provoking thought…oops again.
Throughout human history, we have an extremely dismal past. If anything the centuries clearly show that despite our so-called technical advances, our medical miracles discovered, we have failed miserably as an overall species to live in harmony with each other and the world around us.
Everything we have ever come in contact with, including each other, our environment, our wildlife, every living organism on this planet, has been manipulated, controlled and destroyed due to a superiority complex infused with ego, greed and a self centered pathology.
My favorite phrase (put more politely) is that if one does not like what I have to say, does not wish to know the truth, then one can walk away. Calling it as I see it, and voicing my personal opinion (as everyone has the right to do) often creates a great deal of controversy, at times negative, however it also provokes thought.
All of us are on the brink, that very fine thin line and unless there is extremely positive action to reverse the centuries of accumulated damage to human thinking, the human misconceptions and current way of life, society today across the globe will go the way of the Aztec, the Mayan, the Roman Empire, and the Egyptian Empire just to name a few. All great civilizations in their own right, that by their own actions, produced their decline and extinction.
I am not a harbinger of doom…..I see the reality…I do not have my head stuck in the sand…I shout from the rooftops, I reach out, try to educate as best I can.
Each and every one of us, has within us an untapped strength and the ability to make positive change in any area and or issue that we now face on a global scale. Each and every one of us has the Free Will to do so, to take a Positive Stand, to Reach Out, to Shout Loudly not only through our words but also our Actions.
What are you prepared to do? Are you prepared to join those of us who continue to fight the good fight against unfair odds? If so I applaud you, if so I am grateful to you!
My dearest mother and sole living relative asked me what I wanted for my coming birthday…my answer..to just once listen to the radio, or watch TV news broadcasts, or pick up a newspaper where there were very real Happy Stories instead of the continued barrage of doom and gloom.
Imagine a news broadcast that featured only good things? Is that at all even possible?
Here is one bad story with what is hoped will be a happy ending for one severely injured cat.
‘Lucky’ cat gets life-saving treatment and TLC in Etobicoke
Anyone wishing to help cover the high medical costs for “Lucky” can do so. Donations may be sent to:
Long Branch Animal Clinic
3459 Lakeshore Blvd. W. Toronto, Ontario M8W 1N2 Vets names are Dr. Yvonne Worthy and Dr. K. Zimmerman……
telephone 416 251-6787 fax 416 251-0853 and www.longbranchanimalclinic.com
My rant is now done. Thank you for taking the time to read and to comment.
Bonnie, A brilliant essay from a sensitive mind and compassionate heart!
Those of us who fight for justice for all creation oftentimes feel a disconnection with our own species due to the apathy that we encounter. Complainers say they want action, but give them an opporutnity to unite in voice and peaceful assembly and they suddenly have a thousand lame excuses. For those of us who valiantly carry the burden of speaking up on behalf of the voiceless, we oftentimes are accused of not caring for our fellow man….odd, isn’t it that the animal activists, the environmentalists, peace advocates and prayer warriors are always the ones who dig into their wallet when campaigns come along on behalf of the mentally ill, the homeless, the famished, etc. The slothful who accuse us of indifference are always the ones who avoid giving by pleading “I gave at the office”. As a servant of Christ, I know why these tragedies exist, we walked out on God, He didn’t walk out on us, but after 2,000 years perhaps even God has lost His patience and will not listen when we demand blessings and avoid doing the love, the faith, the service, the prayers and obedience to prove that we truly are His children. As you have brilliantly categorized the travails of the world in your message that should smarten up a lot of people, but will it? We so easily walk away from our duties and responsibilities to our neighbors and communities under the excuse “the other guy will do it”. We have offended God greatly when we allowed corporations to replace “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, with: It’s nothing personal just business.” In the Lord’s Prayer, we are told everything done on earth affects Heaven…..God has promised to do the battle, but He will stay off the battlefield as long as we remain indiffent to His laws of compassion, stewardship, and respect for all creation. For 2,000 years plus, nations have been wayward and the people rebelliious. We have abused His love, generosity, patience, understanding, and kindness by keeping our Bibles abandoned and unread, covered in dust…..we resent the poor, we hate animals and slaughter them with a brutality as vicious as the evils done in World War II Germany.
Our clergy deny that animals have spirit, despite the reality that the animals like Christ are made of blood and water, but of course, if they admitted that animals are precious to God and here by His design and for His purpose that would mean they would have to admonish their congregations for violating the commandment “Thou shalt not kill.” They would actually have to remember that the Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove, that Christ is honored as the Lamb of God, that we are to take lessons from the ant, the coney, the eagle, etc. They would have to give the proper definition of “Dominion” which is to give compassion to and for and not control and domination.
We refuse to accept that Christ suffered not only to pay our sin debt, but to give His love, justice, and protection to all creation. If we want a better world it begins with getting down on our knees and doing the prayers of regret that God wants to hear along with the promise to put faith into action. Justice begins by obeying God, doing service for others, and loving all of creation because all of creation is the song and biography of God.
Sharon, thank you so much..your eloquent response hopefully will reach many. There are millions on this beautiful planet who champion for the oppressed the starving, the down trodden and the exploited…people such as yourself whom I have come to know well, although we have never met in person. I am grateful to call you friend and ever so grateful for the work you continue to do for the voiceless animals and peoples who suffer at the hands of self serving individuals and meglomaniacs hell bend on leaving their destruction behind them. It is the Guardians who must clean up the devasting effects of the greedy, the complacent and the indifferent.