And now, for a serious post

My friends, you know me. You know I love animals, perhaps more than human beings. Don't criticise my animal rights activism. Please, if you feel so inspired, go out and work for your cause, be it children, poverty, world hunger, the environment, and so on. For me, this is what makes me want to act.

I received the following notice from Paws for Life yesterday: Subject: PLEASE HELP SAVE THEIR LIVES!

WE HAVE MANY DOGS AND CATS THAT RISK BEING EUTHANIZED SEPT 5 AND 7TH! THEY ARE AT A MUNICIPAL POUND AND THEIR TIME IS RUNNING OUT! WE DESPERATELY NEED YOUR HELP TO SAVE THEIR LIVES! PLS CONSIDER ADOPTING OR FOSTERING THE FOLLOWING ANIMALS:


1- GERMAN SHORTHAIR POINTER MALE UNFIXED 1YR OLD

2- PYRENEES MALE 7 YRS OLD

3-BOXER/PITTIE 2YR SOLD FEMALE BUT NOT GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS OR CATS

4-STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER MALE FRIENDLY WITH ALL

5-GOLDEN/COLLIE 1YR OLD FEMALE VERY PLAYFUL WITH ENERGY

6-8YR OLD CAT WILL BE EUTHANIZED ANY DAY

7-BABY KITTEN 2month old FOUND OUTSIDE TIED IN A BAG

8-5MONTH OLD KITTEN NEEDS A FOSTER

9&10- KAMOUI AND RIMOUSKI have lived together for the past 2 years they are very attached to eachother. their owner has been indefinitely hospitalized and they will be euthanized this weekend!

11-GOLDEN MIX MALE FOUND TIED TO A HYDRO POLE UP NORTH HE IS VERY GENTLE ABOUT 2-3YRS OLD

12-SPRINGER SPANIEL F 3YR OLD RESCUED FROM PUPPY MILL, POOR THING HAS BEEN DEVOCALIZED

Please open your hearts and your homes to help these animals have a chance at life. Pls email http://www.facebook.com/l/;paws.for.life@hotmail.com for further info or if you can help!

thanks!"

Reading some of their stories made me weep:
"7-BABY KITTEN 2month old FOUND OUTSIDE TIED IN A BAG" WHAT??? Who does this? What the hell is wrong with you? I have been fostering dogs for about 5 years for Sophiesdogadoption.com, and some of the stories, no, most of the stories I hear are pure horror. Just ghastly. What makes someone do the things they do to an animal. But not just an animal ... to a child, to a fellow human being? I don't understand at all. Who just ties a dog to a pole up north? What the hell is wrong with people?
One of the first dogs I fostered was a beagle that I named Hermione. I was in a major Harry Potter phase/faze at the time. She had a bleeding pussing wound all around her muzzle because her "master" thought the best way to deal with her barking was to wind a wire around her nose to shut her up. The wire embedded itself into her flesh. She had some serious behavioural problems after that. She made me cry -- she was so sweet and starving for love. She eventually found a home.
I was criticised (it's okay, I can take it) for a recent post. I called Chris Brown a "douchebag" a self-entitled little prince who seemingly showed no remorse for his actions, as evidenced by him going out partying after his sentencing. The commenter took issue with my abusive -- according to him -- language: "I disagree with the attitude you take towards Chris Brown. Calling him names is an abusive response to his already abusive behaviour; as a Buddhist-leaning vegan you should probably be aware of such hypocrisy!"
Calling an abuser out apparently is now abusive as well. This just feeds into our culture of "victimisation." Perhaps Chris Brown is -- in a way -- a victim, as he witnessed his mother being beaten. But I am sorry. I don't buy that. He witnessed the pain, the agony that this treatment caused. Then why does he continue it if he is so well aware of the damage? He can think. He can reason. He chose to react, rather than act and t he best way for him to act was with his fists.
Another comment by the same commenter: "This attitude is nevertheless symptomatic of the villification abusers are subjected to by our culture. What many of us do not understand is that abusers were not in control of the discrepancies which led to their abusiveness. Most abusers were victims of a form of neglect or abuse in their formative years. This led them to develop an unhealthy relationship with themselves, which in turn prevents them from having healthy relationships with others. Abusiveness is an emotional illness. Although abusers are not to blame for their circumstances, they nevertheless can and must be held responsible for their actions. We must not condone abuse; we must, however, be sensitive to its nature."
This comment, while I respect your extremely erudite response, does tacitly excuse their behaviour. I too am a victim. I don't remember why I did what I did. If people like this seriously want to change their stripes, then they start to speak out against the very violence they have perpetrated. They do NOT go out to clubs, throwing out priviledged rich boy gang signs as they are photographed leaving a club, surrounded by a bunch of idiot fake boobed bimbos who just want to get their own reality shows.I don't know if I believe him but at least Michael Vick is trying to make reparation, and own up to his damaging behaviour. Lord knows if he is sincere. But at least he is doing something, not just making a world tour trying to get people to still buy his shitty record.
I don't want this response to impede people from responding. Please do keep reading and responding and writing your opinions. I respect them. We may respectfully agree to disagree. At the very least, we keep keep the dialogue open and that is THE ONLY thing that changes the injustices -- the oh so many injustices of our world. Stand up to the bullies, to the people who want to convince you with their PHYSICAL POWER.

And if you feel so inclined, adopt that little kitty that was left in a bag, like so much garbage. She will love you forever. And you will never regret that.