For
The Least Among Us
Hardly a day goes by without animals
bearing the brunt of our anger.
It seems odd that one can get on the
internet and find thousands of instances where a creature will coexist
peacefully with another - even though the species have nothing in common or are
reputed enemies. We can see actual footage of a dog nursing a baby pig, or a
cat cuddling a duck. But we, who put ourselves above every living thing, see
humans of different colors or beliefs and decide we can't suffer their presence.
And when a person behaves inappropriately, we say he or she is acting 'like an animal'.
Of the beings that exist on earth, only
one is capable of war, bigotry or hate. Only one creature goes out of its way
to hurt another by engaging in gossip or maliciousness. We've learned how to
say the most vile things about each other and avoid the consequences by using
aliases. That kind of cunning is relegated to humankind. It exists nowhere
else.
We still hold ourselves above all other
life forms.
Somewhere today, someone will beat a
dog. Some child who hasn't been taught to care for life will lock a creature in
some cage and leave it to starve slowly. A human being will find amusement in
torturing some stray or running it down with an automobile. Unspeakable acts
will be perpetrated against a puppy, kitten, bird or reptile. This won't happen
in some country where we can't do anything about it. It will take place in some
home on your block, or in your neighborhood. Those who do such things don't
just hurt the creatures. They make less of us all. Every time this happens, we
lose part of our humanity. It makes cruelty easier to accept. Such actions have
become so commonplace that we turn the page of our newspapers with a muttered, "that's a shame". Then we go
on with life.
Yet we still hold ourselves above all
other life forms.
Not so long ago, humans put six million other
humans in gas chambers. It took decades for the world to admit such horrors
ever happened. And though thousands of our servicemen and women saw it with
their own eyes, some still deny it ever took place. But in our arrogance…we hold ourselves above all other life forms.
Because we have the ability to speak, and we have greater intelligence, we
justify our actions. Again…we hold ourselves above all other life forms.
But there are those among us who,
despite growing callousness and cynicism, show better hearts. I offer an
example of what can happen when we only try a little harder.
While looking out the window a few weeks
ago, I saw a little girl and a small boy walking side by side. They were
talking in an animated fashion, probably reliving some part of their day. It
appeared they were coming home from school as they were carrying book bags and
lunch boxes. The pair couldn't have been more than nine years old.
Suddenly, they ran forward several yards
and stooped to look at something on the road. They picked up whatever they saw
and walked to a wooded area nearby. Once there, they bent over and appeared to
deposit something on the ground. After a moment, they walked away and didn't
look back.
Curious about what was going on, I let
the children stroll by my house then went outside to investigate what they'd
done. I suspected something odious. What other reason could there be for their
strange actions than they were up to something? What I discovered made me change
my attitude.
Together, these two little kids had
decided to move a rare ground tortoise off the road so it wouldn't get hit by a
car. No one told them to do it. They never hesitated in this small act of
kindness and likely never bragged about it. There was no sense of their having
done it for any other reason than it was the right thing to do.
In that simple act, the spark of
humanity shone. By their actions, those children displayed compassion. They
seemed to understand that we are not alone in this world…that none of us is ever alone…and that the most innocuous,
small life is precious.
April has been designated Prevent Animal
Cruelty month. It would be nice if those of you who could afford to do so gave
a few dollars to an animal welfare organization. Perhaps you can forgo one
pizza or a six-pack of beer and set that money aside for this event.
Using those children as an example,
there are things we can do every day that require little or no money. If you
can, leave out a bowl of fresh water for birds or for strays that might need a
cool drink. Don't throw away old blankets, sheets or towels. Take them to a
shelter where a frightened animal might be comforted by soft, clean bedding.
Maybe you could add a bag of cat litter or pet food to your grocery list and
take these to a humane center. You might volunteer your time at a neuter clinic
or shelter.
But the greatest act of kindness any of
us can ever perform is to respect the lives of other creatures. Pass on this
respect to your children. We have everything to gain.
Animals give us joy and offer us love.
They have no hidden agendas or axes to grind. In them we can see the profound
wonder of life. They aren't deserving of being left in the backyard once the
cuteness has worn off. They aren't deserving of being ignored when they get
older and can't chase that ball any longer. They don't deserve to be hurt just
because we're bigger and stronger and we own them. They aren't just
possessions. They're living, breathing entities with feelings.
Even when they've been removed from the
most horrifying conditions and are in terrible torment, animal control officers say they'll look up at
you with adoration in their eyes. It's like they're asking…what did I do wrong…why did someone hurt me?
It is difficult to understand why people
do what they do. But if the coldhearted nature of some human beings continues, we may not be
able to recover. Each generation seems to pass on a lack of care and empathy to
another.
Animals that have nothing in common can exhibit
compassion while we seem incapable of it and can't rise above petty and even
dangerous behavior. In this respect, we are not
the higher life forms.
Those children walking on the road
learned what a lot of us haven't. There's more to life than just us and our
needs. We don't live in some vacuum to the exclusion of everything else. What
happens to the creatures of this world could forecast our future. If we can't
treat them with dignity when they're helpless and can't fight back, how much
worse will we treat each other as cruelty becomes commonplace?
Every time we show kindness, we get
closer to reaching our potential. The animals of this world keep trying to teach us. All we have to do is
look with better eyes.
But if you can't help and don't care…if
it's too much trouble to put out a bowl of water or take some food to the
shelter and such acts are not worth your time…please don't make the world worse
by turning away. Don't make less of us by letting cruelty go unpunished.
Please report those who hurt animals.
For those who have no voice…for the
least among us…please…
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