Thousands a day are scared, suffering in pain, and left alone to die.
Some by natural causes, some by homelessness, some by starvation, some by environmental catastrophe, many by vehicular homicide, and it is those, left to die alone, I’d like this weeks blog to speak and be a voice for.
Residing in the country, I’ve seen so many animals on and along the roads struck and killed by passing motorists and I always wonder about its last moments of life. Did it die instantly? Did it lay and suffer? Was it scared as it lay there unable to move? Did it have young ones? Did the person driving the vehicle try to avoid it, or try to hit it? Could the driver have slowed down or stop rather than kill an innocent animal?
I read an article about a year ago of a study a college student performed. He placed a fake turtle on a road, and video taped motorists passing by. I found the results revolting. The majority of the drivers never slowed down, and a high number of other drivers actually tried to hit it, the minority of drivers swerved to avoid hitting it, yet not one driver stopped to move it to a safe place. This pretty much sums up the level of compassion of today’s human race. And so, I am convinced that many of the poor creatures I see laying on or along the roads dead, were purposely killed by vehicular homicide. I’m not talking just about wild animals…this includes family pets as well. A family pet dog or cat struck and killed by a driver that couldn’t, or wouldn’t, slow down or stop long enough to save an animal’s life. Animals have feelings, they are sensitive, they have young to care for, and we as human beings do not have the right to take their innocent lives just because we have no common decency, compassion, or respect for life.
That seems to be the problem with today’s human race. They have no sense of common decency, compassion, and don’t have any respect for life…human or otherwise. You’ve read the newspapers and watch the news. The news media constantly sensationalizes the shootings, abductions, and murders every day, and it’s all becoming more frequent. All due to a human beings not having common decency, compassion, or respect for another human beings life. We don’t grasp the value of life. Such is the same for animals that are homeless, starving, beaten, abandoned and abused. They’re shown no compassion by people. No respect for life. Not just dogs and cats, but wild animals as well. They all have souls the same as us. The deer, raccoons, rabbits, groundhogs, opossums, squirrels, turkeys, every animal that walk this earth has feelings and emotions and actually show more compassion and a respect for life than we as humans do, and we are supposed to be superior? They also have to make homes, raise their young, worry of finding food to survive, and they too, fear death.
So the next time your driving and you see that dead animal laying on or along the road, take a moment and visualize the trauma it must have experienced while it struggles breathing its last breath and the excruciating pain and suffering it must have endured. Put yourself in its place and the thoughts that would run through your mind as you lie there in pain, suffering, the fear running through you when you hear another vehicle approaching, waiting to be struck again. You’d think of your family and children, who would provide, how will they survive? And moreover, you’d hope and pray for help, that someone would have common decency, compassion, and enough respect for life to stop and be there so you wouldn’t be left laying there . “Alone To Die”.
I may not have had a family to call my own,
I may not have always had a full tummy,
I may have never felt the warmth of a human hand caress me,
I may have never felt the comfort of a blanket,
But….
I do have a life,
I have a heart,
I have blood running through my veins, just like you,
I have a desire to be alive, to be happy, to be accepted.
“The idea that
some lives matter less
is the root of all that is
wrong with the world.”
-Dr. Paul Farmer/One Voice for Animal Rights
Seniam Nevets
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I agree totally with Dr. Farmer… I have a soft spot for all animals… wild and tame. The fact that people have no feelings at all for any animal leads me to the belief that they do not have any feelings for human life, either. It may sound silly–especially to those who do not have respect for the lives of animals–but, whenever I pass a dead animal along the roadway, I always pray that God claims its soul and takes it to be with Him in Heaven. With that hope, I picture the animal playing in a beautiful meadow with the many other animals that–for whatever reason–have found themselves there in Heaven, too.
Read the newspaper… Watch the news on TV… Listen to the news on Radio… Most of what you will hear is about the terrible things that humans have done to each other. Murder… rape… torture… Even incest among families. When does it ever stop? These humans are not better than the animals and humans that they ignore; kill, torture. maim, and God knows what else. And, if you think about it, weren’t the animals one of the first things that God created. Don’t they have MORE right to be here than we do? The fact that the animals and humans cannot co-exist shows just how much humans think they are BETTER than the animals. “It’s just a dumb animal. Trap it; put it somewhere else where we don’t have to put up with it. OR just kill it; get rid of it; then we will have the area all to ourselves!”
That same sentimentality was used on the Native American. And, yes, I am of that decent. No, I am not going to use this blog as a filibuster to air my grievances about that. That is another story for another day. I am merely pointing out that some humans believe that they are better than animals AND humans. Whether it is because they were raised that way; or that they themselves were “ruled” by that same hand and were left to fend for themselves… You know, left alone in the streets; no parents, no one to care for them… Yeah, you know… No better than an animal….”
I have heard it said, “That money–the lack of; or overabundance of–is the root of all evil.” I believe that could be true, depending on the degree of the persons want of or need of it. I applaud the person with the overabundance of it; that puts it to good use for his fellow man AND animal. I also, applaud the one who is penniless; who still finds the time to help out a neighbor in need or an animal that is lost, hurt, or homeless.
I feel sorry for those who have not felt the need to touch the soft fur of an animal. Hold a puppy or a kitten in your arms and let it nuzzle your ear; lick your face; or keep that animal close and care for it for the rest of their lives. You’ve no doubt read about the animal that sits and waits for his owner to come home from war, the store, work, etc. What must that say about the feelings and emotions that animal feels for his “owner”. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all humans had that same loyalty to all animals and each other?
Yes, Dr. Farmer… “The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.” No truer words were ever spoken.
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