others' lack of empathy toward non-human animals

[raincloud]

I have owned five rats and they are wonderful pets. I, too, am familiar with all the snake jokes. And the plague jokes.

 

[thelonegamer]

I love animals. Period. Snake, cat, dog, rat, bird, ants, antilopes, spiders, cockroaches, animals. As a kid, I was taught about dangerous animals: lions, tigers, sharks, snakes, spiders. Today I watch documentaries. It's heartbreaking seeing so many animals being mistreated by humans. I've seen this documentary about dolphins in Japan. I cried when I saw a dolphin come up to the surface in the water then go down and died. It's sad. That being said about feeding your pet rats to snakes, I guess you can take it as a harmless joke: I don't think people actually considered it. You can't see it the other way around 'cause you love them and it's impossible to when you love them as much as you do. But chill, it's just a joke. But if it's not, then we have a problem mate. I have three dogs. One female, two males. The female is grandmother of one of the males, and great grandmother of the other one. She was given to me by my dad's friend on my third birthday and she was three as well. One day last year I was so sad I was sitting in a corner, she'd come next to me and cuddle. I just laughed so hard. She could actually understand 'cause she's known me since I was three (lol) and that's beautiful. I find people who disrespect animals unhumans

 

[TheRealCallie]

...I have 5 pet rats. They are lovely, sweet, clever, affectionate beings, all with distinct personalities. I love them all dearly. But when I mention them, other people will not hesitate to to joke about feeding them to snakes...

I understand not wanting to hear that kind of joke, but I'm curious as to how you feel about people who have pet snakes?

I used to be the proud owner of a snake. I didn't like feeding him though, so I made my ex do it. It's really no different than a human eating a cheeseburger. Snakes eat rats (and anything else they can squeeze down, including humans, on occasion), it's just the way of life. Food chain and honeysuckle.

 

[johnny196775]

Animals in zoos die at an earlier age and i think it is because they are so depressed.

 

[fox]

Oops.. I forgot about this thread after I made it. There are a number of posts I want to respond to, but I will do so in a bit. For now I just want to say I agree very much with this one:

What people say about animals is a very big indication of what is inside that person's heart. Its a gage I use, just like if someone was racist or homophobic or whatever other hate they showed. Its a measuring stick of who that person really is.

 

[MTrip]

How about penalties? Mandatory minimum sentenced time on the whipping post & forced sodomy with a rough-surfaced stick for meat consumption, for example. Repeat offenders could be executed by impaling, perhaps? It would be quite the deterrent if televised on the evening news. If cruelty to animals is that great an evil, then the power of government should be used to stop it no matter what else happens, as long as it's stopped.

Yes, because government force always solves things! Right?

...right?

Or maybe we can attempt to educate people to embrace empathy. But no, that'd be too difficult. Let's use force.

Right?

Well, hey, people in general are that well disposed to whatever education you suggest, obviously. After countless wars in Europe--the Reformation, Counter-Reformation, etc.--the era of secularism dawned with the ideas of human rights, regardless of race, color or creed. The US went to war with itself & the proslavery side lost, women got the right to vote, religious violence was no linger justified. So by your lights the world was heading toward a new era of peace & universal empathy...

Right?

Wrong.

I don't need to list the counterevidence; we all know the more infamous examples. You put way too much faith in the common people, Badjedi. After all, the two biggest genocidal butchers of the 20th century were elected. By mostly meat-eating people who wore leather garments, I might add.

You may not like overwhelming gov't force upholding an ethical code, & it is by no means foolproof as a solution, but it would have a better chance of success. It would have to be a one-world regime, though...separate nations implicitly allow for the possibility of war, not to mention carnivorous dietary choice. The fact is that people will eat what they want, treat animals however they want, & be selfish & shortsighted unless they are restrained from doing so.

 

[HappyYogi]

Yes. Ever since I was a kid I felt this way. I've been veg for close to three decades and vegan for probably over two. Most do not understand the depth I and others like you feel. You need to connect with others who are sensitive as yourself.

 

[johnny196775]

I have had two very dramtic events involving the death of family pets. One i killed myself because of my adhd. I cried for weeks about him and still do. I was about 8.

 

[edgecrusher]

I guess I relate in a way too. I get it as I am similar. I often find it easier to have more compassion towards animals than towards humans. When an animal does something "wrong" it doesn't really know any better. Humans do know better and we still choose to dumb honeysuckle that hurts others. I find the company of my cat or of a dog to be preferable over a human at times.