Cruelty to Animals - Lesser species? Or fellow living beings? Our right of enslavement? Or our responsibility to protect?

If evolution allowed us to have the highest impact on the world, is it our right to treat animals in a cruel way?
I do not believe so. For it is no different than treating a human.

Does another animal not feel, or think, or have a self-awareness?
I believe so. It is apparent in most mammals, birds, and some sea creatures. Even lizards.

Warning: What I am about to show you is cruel. For starters. I do not value the life of a human more than an animal. I am not PETA. But I do not believe in unnecessary butchering, slaughtering, or greedy harvesting.

I grew up with eating meat. Hell, when I was a baby, my mother would grind up boiled chicken for me to eat. I cannot find myself feeling sustained nutritionally without meat.

Although in perspective, I know that the creature I am eating was once alive.

Now for the more serious stuff. I know that eating is essential to survival. Hell, even since our time of evolution animals have eaten each-other ever since.

If you live in the United States, our meat production is so fucking high that it has left livestock in a state of sickly genetic mutation. So antibiotics and pesticides are used to keep live stock free of disease, but the meat in 'questionable' healthy nutrition levels.

But I'm not focused on 'quality' of meat right now. Organic farms have already sought to try and solve the problem of health. My issue is still about the process of being harvested and butchered and supplied. The fact that we need to 'harvest' another species for our own survival. And when we cannot harvest, we hunt. And if we cannot hunt, we scavenge, or steal, or grow our own food and not eat meat.

It is ideally a 'eat or be eaten' world, and the process of survival is the constant gaining of recourses. Which could be problematic eventually.

...

What happens when we run out? Or our supply no longer becomes safe to eat?

And what about the non-livestock creatures that are simply harvested for 'selfish and extravagant' reasons? All for the sake of 'money'.

Yeah...some parts of Asia are like that. They harvest and butcher dog meat. In fact, many cultures are not expected to eat beef, chicken, lamb, or even fish as often as in the United States. Meat is Meat. And Harvesting and Butchering is still the same. No matter the species.

It's the process of 'harvesting and collecting' of another living species that frightens me. Cause in perspective. A much much MUCH larger creature could view us Humans as 'insignificant'.

Think about that next time you decide to torture an insect.

*I've got a soft spot for Sea Turtles. Where I used to live, you could see their heads watching you as you walk along the beach, only to dunk their head in the water once you spotted them. It was cute.

They go through a hell of allot of trouble just for a poacher to throw them on their backs and tortured.

And let's not forget about those who simply find amusement in 'torturing' animals. I remember a horror story told to me about a man who had to butchered a sea-turtle for this rich guy. He was a cook and the turtle was presented to him to be butchered. Now he was in deep water with this 'group' and they wouldn't allow his refusal. He cut the poor thing alive. And saw the tears running down it's face as it wailed softly.

I personally believe it is our duty to protect weaker species. Everything has something to offer. Perhaps food is a necessity. But hopefully not for long. If I had my way, I would find a way to make nutrition easy to access and grow.

If DNA is all chemicals, then it is possible to grow 'animal flesh' inside the husk of a watermelon shell.

And if all Matter is just made of Atoms, it is technically possible to one day manipulate atoms to form different elements.

And consciousness can exist in either form. Organic or non-organic.

But for now. We can take pride knowing we can care for other species. Cause in term, they show us love.

I don't know too much about channeling. But I 'know' what my dogs are telling me.

We could all afford to be kinder to each-other as humans. Let's not forget about our animals friends as well.

And anyone who says 'animals don't have souls'....is a pompous bigoted zealot, course I don't want to be too harsh. After all...education and experience is the only real way to know.

Although realistically, the Tiger would've eaten any other person and starved to death on it's own.

Again....Thomas Hobbes.

Think about it.

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Unless you can't help it. I would suggest not"stepping" on others and you - yourself could be stepped on. Don't be cruel.

There is a Buddhist story that I am very fond of. It expresses love and self-sarafice.

One day three animals (a Bear, a Monkey, and a Rabbit) found a starving man crawling on the forest floor. The Bear caught lots of fish from the river, the monkey gathered lots of fruit from the trees, the Rabbit couldn't gather fruit or hunt - the other animals mocked at his insignificance. The Rabbit instead gathered small branches, made a large pile, and lit them on fire.

The Rabbit then threw himself in the fire and cooked himself for the starving man.

The man *who was an enlightened Buddha, was so moved by the sacrifice of the Rabbit that he sent his spirit to be immortalized in the light of the moon.

So sometimes on good nights, you can see the rabbit in the moon.

Exist any way you want. Find harmony in your life.

Just try to eat healthy people.

Forgiving pure evil.

Can you really forgive a rapist, a murderer, one who's mind and heart have truly gone?

It's hard to think about isn't it.

We often take pleasure in fiction that portrays heroic deeds killing off a villainous person, although usually their demise is ended by an ironic fate.

Media has played a large role in wiring our brain in a certain way.

But if the mind was truly free...we have complete freedom to think of new and interesting ways.

But for all I know, this is all just a bunch of hooey.

But for what it's worth.

I truly believe in the potential of achieving world peace. World prosperity. Riches for all.

We could still enjoy watching our fiction and such. But ideas are powerful. We must learn to step outside ourselves and observe our actions, thoughts, and behaviors. I suppose if world peace was ever achieved, fiction in all it's 'context' would still exist, but 'how & why' we enjoy or dislike them is purely based on our inhibitions and behavior. Ex: a person might say 'COOL' when watching a gore film. Where another might say 'Eww' or 'Oh No!' when watching the same thing.

Thankfully, we are all different, and by observing the differences, we can gain perspective.

fuck man.

I don't even know.

Who cares about living in other universes if we cannot fix our own first?

Don't get all crazy about 2012. Just focus on improving the 'self' first.

I saw his lecture in person. It's quite moving. I would highly suggest listening to him in full at least once.

Now this may seem easy for those who have it easy.

And if you think your life is hard, you need to gain some perspective.

There is SO much we need to do in order to make just planet Earth nice and peaceful.

The youth are victims of this poor system we live in. Economy, trafficking, starvation, pollution, etc.

WE NEED TO START EVERY DAY!

We need to help whenever we can.

Please...the whole world is not just your own house, neighborhood, town, city, state, or country.

We are all humans.

And we cover nearly every inch of habitable land on this god forsaking planet.

It's may not be an instant sweep of change.

WE NEED TO BE THE CHANGE!

Your thoughts....create.

Creation is a product of your imagination.

You are not limited. You are unlimited.

It could be cute, pretty, and sunny.

Or....

It can be dark and hateful.

It all depend on how you feel.

But remember, if such power was yours; you'd be making others feel the same way you do.

Question is. How do you want to feel?

I would recommend...that when things push you too hard...you step outside of your life. And look at yourself and all around you in stillness.

And don't forget about Hope, Altruism, and Love.

Choose with your heart, feel your health with your body *knowing what to eat, drink, sleep; and think critically with your mind.

It is your own personal responsibility to determine what should be the future of your life and those around you.

What sense is it to step on others if you yourself become stepped on?

Be kind, be sympathetic, be helpful.

But only if you want to.

But remember, your behavior has a 'reflection' on the world you live in.