Can you ID the human?
Posted on 02/28/2003 6:49:52 AM PST by Stand Watch Listen
Angie answered I do, excitedly. And after the two kissed, and no one voicing an objection, pictures were taken and they departed the ceremony. She flashed a beautifully designed wedding ring and Pierre a matching collar. Angie had hired all of the escorts and paid all of the wedding expenses herself. She had long waited this special day on which she would marry her loving and faithful companion Pierre. Pierre is a five year old French Poodle.
Disgustingly bizarre and ridiculous you say! "This will never happen" you exclaim! WELL NOT SO FAST.
Less than fifty years ago men marrying men and women marrying women was thought so repulsive and absurd that the topic itself was intrinsically outrageous. But gradually we have proceeded down the slippery slope of moral decay, with seemingly no brakes and no rudder. The boundaries of natural law have been stretched like a rubber band. Civil laws are in free fall and religious doctrines have become so diluted and twisted as to be too ambiguous to be used as a moral compass. As a society we are asked by a counter-culture to accept any social behavior no matter how deviant, aberrant, or destructive. And since group rights and political correctness trumps rational thinking; our once stable and revered culture is being slowly transformed into a large frightfully unstable Humpty Dumpty.
Human beings have always had a fondness for animals of all sizes and species, especially domesticated ones. Because of advance technology very few animals are used for work and have instead become nothing more than extended family members. They have been irreplaceably interwoven, like television and automobiles, into the culture of western civilization.
Admittedly, our animal friends provide us with affection and various therapies that cannot be duplicated. They are now living not just inside our homes but some are sleeping in the same bed with their owners. Many receive first class medical care, eat from our tables, and are given gifts at Christmas and on birthdays, and given their last rites at burial. They are sometimes bequeathed small fortunes from owners that would be the envy of any middle income American.
Yes, they have entered the domain of human society and are the stars in movies, live public performances, advertisements, law enforcement, and celebrations. We admire their physical abilities, instincts, loyalty and perseverance. We have learned more about the world, including ourselves as we share the planet.
Many people, including animal psychologists are looking for more and more human qualities in pets. The US Census for 2002 reports that more than 27 Million Americans live alone. Many of these individuals have no friends or family and their pet is the desirable substitute and an adjunct to good health.
There are only ten countries in the world with human populations that exceed the 100 million domesticated animals in the United States.
With such a plethora of animals it has become necessary to create certain laws to protect and control the wild and domesticated populations. Over the years several worldwide organizations have stringently encouraged the protection of many endangered species.
This protection includes the prosecution of those who kill or mistreat animals and other protected wildlife. These endeavors are to be applauded and supported because animals were created inferior to humans. They´re at our mercy and we have a moral responsibility to not treat them cruelly or harm them needlessly.
However, animal rights advocates have gone a step farther and are seeking legislation in states across the country to give animals equal rights with humans. Of course, this is preposterous, for one can only see animals as equals through the lens of an acute intellectual astigmatism.
This goal has been pursued incrementally which is how the ridiculous eventually, over time, become an accepted norm. The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) has stated:
"We don´t see the difference between the inherent rights of a human and the inherent rights of an animal."The "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals" (PETA) is perhaps the best-known animal advocate group in America. They have driven many furriers into bankruptcy with their anti-animal-fur crusade. They spend big bucks lobbying in state legislatures for laws affording equal rights for animals. Most of their lobbying and legislative achievement is not highly publicized but kept below the radar screen of public awareness.
PETA´s indifference to human concerns is clearly shown in their recent appeal to Yasser Arafat, the head of the Palestine Authority. They are angry that a donkey was strapped with explosives and detonated by Palestinians militants. The bombing attack barely missed an Israeli bus carrying soldiers. Hundreds of innocent Israelis and Palestinians have died in this middle-east conflict yet PETA uttered not a word of protest until a donkey dies. Go figure!
If you think the tobacco companies were a windfall for lawyers just wait until animals are accorded equal rights in litigation. Our court system will need to drastically expand and practically duplicate the size of our current system. As racial discrimination was outlawed in the 1950´s and 60s animal discrimination laws may also be necessary. The template used to implement civil rights laws in the United States will be used by this new breed of attorneys.
Now will certain animals achieve an even greater endearment from humans in this society with new equal rights laws? Yes, if humanization continues! The ultimate terms of endearment of course would be unholy matrimony, or what some states now call civil unions. Are such unions a step up for animals or a step down in depravity for humanity?
Angie will no doubt be exploring Pierre´s health insurance benefits paid by her employer when she returns from her honeymoon.
But fear not! To keep this valued institution of marriage sacred and to purge further insanity from our legal system comes "The Liberators" with a two-edged sword. They come to free the animal captives from "Human Oppression" and rid humankind of diseases derived from eating many of these beloved creatures. The biggest counter force to pets being given more humanity, ironically, is the concerted effort of the "People for animal rights" and their allies. Their term of endearment toward animals is their FREEDOM. That is, animals would be placed in protected sanctuaries to live out their lives without human intervention. They want to protect all animals from human dependency and eternal servitude. Their political agenda includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Abolition of all animal research.
- Elimination of all animal agriculture, which results in no milk, eggs, chicken, fish or meat for food, leather or clothing.
- Prohibiting of hunting, trapping and fishing.
- End of use of animals in entertainment and sports.
- Elimination of pet ownership.
Do we love animals enough to let the next generation go free or do we want to forever keep them captive for our personal gratification? Are you ready to change your eating habits? Freedom is what all humans want for themselves thus the ambivalence on the part of some regarding this subject of freedom for animals.
Boy, life is sure better for feral dogs and cats than for those kept as pets.
Can you ID the human?
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