BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids Love for Animals, Indifference to Children?

'Treat others how I wish to be treated... and try and wind up all idiots, cretins and morons who try and impose their religious / pro -life / pro-hunting / pro -kid ideas on me'


That is right - I treat everyone with respect until they force their religion on me (I am Jewish), their anti-choice "pro-life" views on me (Pro-choice), Pro-hunting (strongly against) and try to show the error of my CF life - Then I unleash the beeotch in me!

Pffft. I'm sure the bird appreciated it. I'd be a lot more inclined to rescue a kid if I knew I wasn't going to get a mouthful of abuse from mommy for laying my filthy paws on her precious, and probably a kick in the shins from the ungrateful brat itself. How many times has one of us said something about a childs safety to a mother, or quietly turned a youngster out of harms way, only to cop vitriol from the parents? And people wonder why other people don't want to get involved?

You know what, I feel the same way about feeling more protective over animals than children, and I think this is why: yes, children get abused all the time and it's awful, but most are not, and everyone (almost) gets to grow up and be an adult someday so it's not like they are powerless and helpless all their lives.

But animals are. Look at the way we treat animals in factory farms -- it's atrocious and disgusting. It's not just dogs and cats that I worry about... it's the poor chickens who are deformed from having lived in cages too small for them ALL THEIR LIVES. The animals who are slaughtered inhumanely screaming in pain for us to eat. DISGUSTING. They NEVER HAD A CHANCE and there is no one trying to stop them. We are all turning our heads and ignoring it while we happily eat our meat. I think we have a responsibility as the most powerful creatures on this planet (I will not call us the smartest) to stop this madness. Oh, but that must make me some kind of psycho, to actually care about those poor animals.

And I'm not saying don't eat meat -- what I'd really love to see is a complete change in the way we treat our animals before they are killed to be eaten. Free-range chickens have a much better life than regular factory chickens.

So yeah, to me, it's more important to speak up for the animals. After all, they are the ones who will NEVER have their own voice.

Pinecone:
I am investigating with my animal charities if there can be changes to increase the humane treatment of the animals before they are killed for consumption. It is an area of dissatisfaction to me.

In a nutshell: I think the reason why I feel so strongly about animals is because animals will always be innocent, like children. But children grow up and can eventually care for themselves, while animals always require our care. Plus, children have many more champions than animals do.

I'm curious about something. The term "innocent" is used almost automatically in connection with children, but I'm puzzled as to why, unless people are speaking in a religious context (i.e. of innocence as freedom from sin). Why are grown people not referred to as "innocent"? Does that mean that we are "guilty", and, if we are, of what?

What determines who is and isn't "innocent", rather than just vulnerable, inexperienced, in need of protection etc.? I realise it's probably a matter of semantics, but I dislike the term because of its implication that it's more acceptable for bad things to happen to some people rather than others (whereas to me hurting an 80-year woman or a young man is just as bad as mistreating an infant).

Sorry to ramble, but I've been thinking about this recently, and wondered what others thought...

Manatee, I know exactly what you mean, and I think this is weird too.

Another thing I wonder about... child rapists are thought of as being the scum of the scum, and I agree that they are pieces of poo. But I really really really wonder why rapists of adults are somehow thought of not quite so poorly. Is rape more tolerable to an adult victim? Why is it worse when it's a child victim -- meaning, why is it 'better' when it's an adult victim? I think all rapists are scum.

Good point Manatee--I never considered the term on the flip side but you're right, it does suggest that we are judging people in a way and saying that some people deserve bad things to happen to them if they aren't 'innocent'. Hmm...something to ponder

So here was the post that went to the BF just minutes ago, inspired by the suggestions of GreyDrakkon and CookieCody:

"Hi babe,

You mentioned today using some apparatus outside that might be better for your mosquito issues than the anthrax-based chemical that caused a few critters' untimely deaths.

Is this similar to what you were talking about? I looked online, and they have machines upwards of $300 (expensive!), but this one was much cheaper. I wonder if they're effective? BellaOnline ALERT: Raw URLs are not allowed in these forums for security reasons. Please use UBB code. If you don't know how to do UBB code just post here for help - we will help out!

Manatee, I'm with you as well. Elder abuse shocks me as much as child abuse. I can't fathom why people think it's okay to mistreat elderly people - often their parents! - yet while everyone goes ga-ga over the kids, the attitude to elders is that they should just shut up and take whatever they get. Deplorable.

Abuse to anybody who can't fight back is wrong. Kids, animals, women, elders ...