by cat hanna

"The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men." ¾ Alice Walker, author of The Temple of My Familiar, and The Color Purple

I was sitting in my car by the ocean in Morro Bay, listening to sea lions honking. The ocean was right there, but the sea lions were not free; they were captives in a small pool where people paid to see them, an aquarium. I certainly did not pay, but I was able to see a bit inside, to see what it was about. I found what I saw distressing. Animals, sentient beings, right at the ocean yet never being allowed to swim freely, only enough space to entertain the humans. Slavery of the animals is what I saw. This slavery is so commonplace that most humans think it is totally fine. It seems that a large percentage of the population thinks zoos, aquariums, circuses, and rodeos are acceptable. Some people laud zoos, saying they keep endangered species alive. This is sometimes true, but is it truly life if the animal no longer has access to its natural habitat, or its inherent way of life?

Consider the slavery of factory farms, and the ongoing abuses and constant murders occurring at all slaughterhouses. These things are supported as normal, standard business practice by much of the population. I am told I am too sensitive. But for me, whether it is a sea lion, a chicken, a cow, a pig or a fish raised in a tank, or any other being forced to live an unjust and inadequate existence solely for the use of human desires, I find it unacceptable, quite repulsive, and an absolute form of slavery. Here are just a few examples of animal abuse.

In order to produce the hormone drug, Premarin, female horses -pregnant mares- are attached to urine collection bags. They are forced to remain in their stalls for much of their lives, constantly pregnant and rarely, if ever, free to roam. Often their stalls are so small that they cannot lie down comfortably. Every drop of their urine is collected to make the drug. The horses are artificially inseminated and then their baby is taken from them to be sent to Europe and raised for meat. The irony is that scientific tests have shown that the synthetic form of the hormone is actually more predictable and stable, therefore better for the woman taking the drug. But still these powerful and magnificent animals are enslaved, chained to their catheters, never free.

Pigs are highly intelligent, sensitive, friendly and gentle animals, but in factory farms they have been so crowded that they bite each others tails from madness. According to John Robbins, "tail-biting is the industry's term for the deranged and desperate actions of powerful animals driven berserk by the frustration of every single one of their natural urges. The industry's response was not to give them some space, but to cut off their tails, known as tail docking. Now many pigs are being raised in individual stalls so small they cannot move, each cage being seven square feet of living space, (roughly the size of a third of a twin bed), and stacked many pigs high. The waste products of the higher up animals routinely drop onto the lower animals, assaulting these very sensitive animals in yet another way. Approximately 80% of all pigs die with pneumonia in their lungs, from the never-ending stench of ammoniated urine and feces.

There are those who believe that supporting the dairy industry is acceptable, believing that the animals are not abused. Consider this. "USDA"s agricultural statistics show that in 1960, the average cow produced 3.5 tons of milk per year; in 1990 she produced 7.4 tons. In 1993, the FDA approved Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH/BST), which causes cows to produce even more milk. Some BGH-treated cows have recently produced more than 30 tons of milk in a year. This is far from normal, it is highly abusive to the animals. Consider as well what happens to the cow's male calves. They are never allowed to bond with their mother, they are taken at birth to become veal calves. They are never allowed to move about or even turn around. Movement would develop muscles, and that would negate its prized tenderness. They are also fed a deliberately anemic diet to insure the tender white flesh that is so prized. Supporting the bulk of the dairy industry supports the abuses that lead to veal.

Torture, abuse and slavery of sentient beings are what all this is. I’ve just barely scratched the surface. There is so very much more to know, and to be outraged about. I haven't even mentioned the enormous environmental impact from factory farming.

So am I too sensitive to animals and too harsh toward humans? As I see it, humans can speak up, but the animals need our voices to speak their truth. Maybe we can all develop more sensitivity. World peace begins in all our hearts and minds. Supporting abuse is not an effective means to peaceful coexistence. Whether it's animals on exhibit for the amusement of humans, or animals raised from birth to death living only in cages, never allowed any life of their own, living only for the desires of humans, to all the many other abuses occurring every moment, we are all responsible and can collectively choose to heal our planetary being. Supporting fairness and justice for all beings is the way to peaceful coexistence with all our relations. O