“Let’s not throw out the Lion with the bathwater.”
Yes indeed!!
” Cecil then becomes a symbolic stand-in for all the current horrors of our vexing and profoundly sad world”
Yes indeed!
And indeed, IMHO, this is all of it, no coincidence, and somehow we have to find the wisdom to tap into the sentiment of the times, to make the very points you have profoundly made. I do not know how! But this is a profound confluence of events, and we need to grasp the moment for the Good.
Thanks for a very insightful post. I agree with you that PETA and etc. can indeed be allies if we can reach their innate response to the nobility of life. Will not be easy!
It struck me, as in the case of Cecil the Lion (who is . . . ~ Aslan), that the baby seals who were previously a PETA cause, are also very human baby-like. Now it seems to me even more, that some at least among their cause, can be allies for babies. They are fighting for lions and baby seals, who are noble and human-like, because they sense the innate dignity of those creatures. Cecil and the baby seals are surrogates for unborn babies in their cause, because their ideology does not allow them to confront HEAD ON what is done to the human unborn. Because “abortion is a right” in their view.
They are against animals used for research for cosmetics and even medical advances. SHOULD NOT PETA be against use of human tissue for the same purposes?!? And if not, WHY not?? This hue and cry is even more important than merely de-funding Planned Parenthood. We need to STOP the use of human tissue for research to the same extent animal tissue in research is decried. I am fine with tissue donated by human beings who have the where-with-all and intent to donate their OWN tissue. Otherwise, PETA should apply their own standards for animal research to use of human tissue.
And if not, WHY not?