No, I'm not a vegetarian. Many people would say that my views are hypocritical....whatever. I believe that there is a humane way to handle the slaughter of animals to be used for food. Would I rather not see this done? YES. Am I going to give up eating meat because of it? NO. I have been to a slaughter before because I felt that I should know how it is done in order to justify the outcome. If done correctly, it is fast and painless, with little trauma associated with the act. There. Enough said about that. However, I believe that domesticated animals have the right to be respected, the same way that humans do. I am sickened at the treatment that many animals receive from their owners/caregivers. These creatures are living beings, and if you take ownership of them, you better be damned well ready to step up to the responsibility of owning them. If you aren't ready for a 20 year committment, don't get a pet. Hummm? Funny...it's very close to the same amount of time it takes to raise a child to adulthood. It should be treated with the same seriousness too!
I have been reading many articles on the awful abuse that many animals go through at the hands of their owners. This includes pets, as well as "test" animals. Like I stated earlier, if you don't want to own up to responsibilty of owning a pet, don't get one. If you find out after the fact that it's too much to handle, at least be decent enough to find that animal a good home elsewhere. I do not believe in any animal testing at all. I think there are enough low life humans out there rotting in jail, that they could be used for these so called tests. Wanna see how excessive smoking effects the lungs? Why don't you hook old "Butch" up to the smokilator for a couple years and see how he turns out? I'm sure it would be sweet justice for the parents of that 5-year old girl he kidnapped, raped, and strangled to death.
Shelters. Ahhh, where to begin. These are the facilities that have been established to handle the irresponsibility of the pet owners that decide they don't want their animals any longer. In general, I think these places have the good of the animal at heart. I wish they could all be No-Kill shelters, but realistically, this is not the case. Most animals that are brought into shelters are given 3 to 7 days for adoption. Do you know what the statistics are for YOUR pet being adopted if you bring it to a shelter? Do the math. Hundreds of animals, three days. Sick, sick, sick. And to top it all off, many of the animals that are brought to the shelter are babies. No more than four weeks old. It's heart breaking. These poor little things don't even get a chance at life because they are sentenced to death the moment they are brought in. This leads me to the last point on animal abuse....There are already enough unwanted, unloved animals in the world. PLEASE BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR PETS SPAYED AND NEUTERED! This is the only way we will be able to begin to get a handle on the pet overpopulation problem that exsists today.
On the same lines, I'd like to remind everybody that this is OUR EARTH and we need to take care of it. That goes for wild animals, the oceans, the forests, pollution, littering, and of course, each other. This is our chance to do something right for once. Are you ready to step up to the challenge?
Next, Child Abuse....This is an issue that is unacceptable in today's society. There is no reason that this problem should still be affecting our society. My heart breaks for those innocent little children out there that endure the constant hell of emotional, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. Anybody convicted of such a crime should immediately be hooked up to the smokilator. No therapy, no chance to be let out of prison, NOTHING! If the punishment fit the crime, I think people would think twice about what they are doing.
I guess my philosophy comes down to this. We are all people, and we all know right from wrong. While the wrong thing may bring the outcome we ultimately want, we know it is wrong. Don't give in to this pressure. Be a person that people want to remember for the good things you have done, not the rotten things. I am lucky enough to say that I have not had many "hard" times in my life. I have not really had the temptation to turn to the "dark side". I attribute this to the wonderful upbringing of my mother and father. They have always been loving, helpful, and supportive. No, they did not shelter us. However, they did protect us when we needed it, but always gave us the freedom to make choices (and mistakes) when it was appropriate. That's what growing up is all about.
Well....those are my thoughts and views. Agree, disagree...that's up to you. I am happy with the person I am, and that, ultimately, is the goal of life.
Interesting Quotes:
Following is a listing of some pretty funny (sometimes serious) quotes that I've come across.........
"Character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking." - Dan Lungren, California politician
"I believe in God sometimes. This is one of those times."- Unkown, man in Key West when asked why he was staying on the island during Hurricane Georges
"There are many ways to victimize people. One way is to convince them that they are victims."- Karen Hwang
"You've got to the top of the ladder and found it's against the wrong wall."- Joseph Campbell in THIS BUSINESS OF THE GODS
"There is a theory which states that if anyone ever discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why is it here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened."- Douglas Adams
"There is a necessary place in the process of healing where you do take the victim position, but to stay there, to get stuck, doesn't help you as a human being."- Joyce Nelson
"Whenever governments adopt a moral tone - as opposed to an ethical one - you know something is wrong."- John Ralston Saul
"It is always the best policy to speak the truth, unless of course you are an exceptionally good liar."- Jerome K. Jerome
"We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse."- a bumper sticker
"TIMES ARE BAD. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book."- Cicero
"Only the mediocre are always at their best."- Jean Giraudoux
"It's easier to believe in God than to accept the blame ourselves."- Unknown
"If we don't change our direction, we'll end up where we're headed."- Chinese proverb
"Everything is controlled by a small evil group to which, unfortunately, none of us belongs."- Unknown
"Money still talks, but it has to catch its breath more often."- Unknown
"Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggy!" until you can find a rock."- Wynn Catlin
"We learn from history that we do not learn anything from history."- Unknown
"If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?"- Unknown
"To err is human, but when the eraser wears out ahead of the pencil, you're overdoing it."- J. Jenkins
"An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup."- H. Mencken
"Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."- Unknown
"Aptitude tests show that you will succeed in a business where your father is boss."- P. Seiler