~Love the Animals. God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Don't trouble it, don't harass them. Don't deprive them of their happiness. Don't work against God's intent.
~ Dostoevsky
I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
Ettiene De Grellet
Dear God, of My Understanding,
My prayer tonight is for all who lie down in chains and cages.
Alone and afraid on a concrete floor.
Soundless screams lost beneath the clang of metal, locked in rooms most will never see.
I feel their fear arise in my soul, ancient yet new...
A primal flame burning against the walls of my heart.
I want to scream an endless note, Loud and true:
Clubbed, forgotten.
Dismembered, forgotten.
Gassed, forgotten.
Beaten, forgotten.
Burned, forgotten.
Electrocuted, forgotten.
Abandoned, forgotten.
Poisoned, forgotten.
Skinned, forgotten.
Shot, forgotten.
Caged, forgotten.
Shackled, forgotten.
Murdered, forgotten.
And with my eyes, they will be seen. With my voice, they will be heard.
With my hands, they will know comfort,
with my action, they will be free.
Dear God, of my understanding,
fill their oppressors with mercy and empathy.
Dear God, instill compassion where there is apathy.
Replace horror with grace; bloodshed with healing.
Restore all humans and animals to their natural place.
Liberate all humans and animals from greed, violence and hate.
So that tonight and evermore, ALL may lie down to sleep unchained, uncaged, FREE
~ Author Unknown
This profile was inspired by all those wonderful people who have a deep love for animals. One human being can't change the world. It can only be changed if we are willing to look beyond our selves and see what's really going on out there, every day, and find a way to get the message of kindness to the mainstream.
Animals suffer needlessly day in and day out because our world desensitizes us to certain situations. We have been taught to believe that it's okay to raise animals in factory farms for our food. We have been told that this is why certain animals exist. So if this is true, why do so many human beings assume that certain animals are okay to hurt and torture and treat those animals with disrespect, but it's not okay to treat other creatures in this same manner? I think there is something terribly wrong with a society that can validate these philosophies. I believe that there are better ways for us to harvest food to feed our society. Whether we choose to grow organic produce or raise chickens to feed the masses.
What do people think they can do about the lost and forgotten animals that suffer everyday due to human greed? I have been a vegetarian for over 11 years and this change happened after I researched the truth behind factory farms and witnessed the slaughter of 6 little steer being rounded up in a pen and stood there while each one was taken and slaughtered in front of each other. While they patiently waited their turn, a couple of people who witnessed this as well laughed, stating they deserved what they got because they were so stupid. These animals were incapable of escape, but I witnessed the terror and pain they went through. After that, I went home and cried for a very long time. Not just because of their pain, but because of the lack of compassion being shown to these animals. It was in that moment that I swore I would never eat another piece of meat. I don't expect people to suddenly become vegetarians, but it's very important to know where our meat comes from and to think about why, we as humans, can be so selfish that we don't even think of their pain.
Bovine, pigs, lambs, chickens, turkeys, buffalo, and probably other creatures I am not listing here, if being raised in factory farms, undergo extreme pain, stress, and constant fear. Pigs regularly have their tails docked, with no anesthetic, because they are kept in such cramped stalls that they end up biting the tails of other pigs due to stress. They live in filthy conditions and their hooves become infected, they have very little light, and they are fed garbage and antibiotics to prevent them from getting sick due to the horrible conditions in which they live.
Oftentimes, when people learn of these atrocities, they say "that's what they are raised for. But how can we, as supposedly compassionate and intelligent human beings, explain that it's okay for us to put these creatures through the horrors of smelling death, having very young calves taken away so that they can be raised for veal? These little ones live in a stall that is so small they cannot move. They are not allowed any light. Light will put iron in their blood. This changes the color of their meat. Dark meat isn't as good as light meat. So baby calves never see light. They are purposely raised to be anemic. I think people don't think they have the power to do anything. It takes an effort to make changes, but with more education and enlightenment, we CAN change things. It might just be a small change. But any change for the betterment of these innocent creatures is positive.
If you've ever seen those cattle cars going down the highway? Most of the time, they are packed full of bovine. These animals are being sent to slaughter houses. Sometimes these animals are transported for almost a week. NO food or water. No movement. They are literally packed in like sardenes. Many don't make the full journey alive. And certainly, once they reach their destination, they are still treated with no human compassion of any kind. After all, they are just dumb animals and we are going to be eating them anyway.
Some small farms still concern themselves with the health and well-being of their animals. They are raised with room to roam outside and are given good food. Unfortunately, this is NOT the normal practice of large corporations. Their bottom line is profit. Although some commercial farms try to use humane methods of raising stock animals for meat, most farms don't succeed. Knowing about the truth behind those farms might help to change the laws so that these animals have to be raised in more humane conditions and killed humanely.