As I was scanning the front page of reddit this morning I came across a TIL post where someone shared that they recently learned about a bizarre historical fact. Early in the 20th century when Prussia instituted bans of nationalistic displays by native Danes in the Southern Schleswig province near the Danish border, pig farmers decided to stage a subtle protest. They selectively cross-bred pigs that had certain traits for reddish or white skin coloring on various body parts. This resulted in animals that were genetically manipulated to produce offspring which would have an overall reddish skin coloration with wide vertical white bands and a trace of a horizontal white belt.
So for generations, pigs were produced to be living, breathing flags of Denmark!
Well I'm sure the pigs were used for other reasons, of course, but how arrogant are we as a species that we feel we have the right to do whatever we want to other animals and, as in this example, sometimes for the most fucked up reasons?
Listen up humanity! Let me point out a few facts as I see them. Oh, this'll rankle many idiots but hear me out and then go do your own research and come back and tell me I'm wrong...I dare you.
Humans are animals. No, really. We are as "animal" by definition as ANY OTHER ORGANISM classified as such. That is, we are all multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia.
Since all life on Earth (that currently exists) stems from a "last universal ancestor," we are thus essentially all related. Your mother, your pet dog, the flea on your dog, and the parasitic bacterium inside the flea. We are family.
Ownership of other organisms, though not defined technically as "slavery" since that is human-on-human ownership specifically, is essentially the same thing. No judgement on the morality of the practice here, just stating a fact. I acknowledge that by being human I am an omnivore and not only is my body able to devour and utilize the energy stored in animal flesh, I like it. And it's far easier and efficient as a species to own our food stock than to rely on hunting or tracking of game. What's more, ownership of another species of animal isn't restricted only to humankind. For example, ants herd aphids much like humans herd sheep.
But mammals are quite highly-developed organisms and creatures such as pigs and dolphins and dogs seem to exhibit behavior akin to what we would define as intelligence. Based on the study of our own mammalian brain, we can assume that there may be biochemical or electrical triggers for emotions such as fear, pain, pleasure and love in other organisms like us.
Is it right to keep pets that have emotions in "kennels?" Are we kidding ourselves by calling cages kennels? How are they not cages?
Should we, simply because we have the technological know-how, genetically manipulate animals to grow human ears on their backs? Glow in the dark? Make for a docile yet defenseless pet to sit in our lap?
What if our "beloved" owned animals are enjoyed in our homes yet they have unrefined, undesirable biological traits like sharp claws, droopy ears, and sexual reproductive systems?
Declaw them?
Crop their ears?
Neuter them?
I googled "Is pet ownership slavery?" and found a recent general debate forum thread where a poster asked this question. Man, were they ever torn to shreds by an incredibly over-the-top defensive pet "lover" community. You can't tell them that they're oppressing their beloved cat or dog. They love them! And he/she loves them back! They protect them!
Really?
Neck collars, torso harnesses and muzzles made out of the chemically-tanned dead flesh skinned off of other mammals' carcasses. Animals that also were bred and raised by man with the sole intent of being slaughtered.
Invisible fences defining a locked in, escape-deterred area for a pet. If the pet ignores audio cues, an electric shock is delivered into it's skin from an electronic collar.
What if Fido or Pussy gets loose? Why on Earth would they want to "get loose?" Don't they know they can't fend for themselves? Their life would be far worse off if they went wild or feral. A night or two of hunger should find them at the doorstep again.
Better put up those Wanted Posters, er, I mean Lost Posters just in case. Other "massas" in the neighborhood will find Pussy, capture her and return her to the plantation, er, I mean home.
Oh, oh, Pussy done got herself knocked up during her night on the loose and now she's birthin' a litter of twelve! Oh well, gotta do the "humane" thing. We can't keep the kittens and no one wants them.
Hi Pussy, just gatherin' up your little ones into this canvas bag. Don't look at me like that. It's gotta be done. I'll make it quick and painless.
Meow, meow, meow....gurgle, gurgle.....MEOW!! SCREECH!! MEOW!!.. .gurgle, splash, gurgle.
Swing low, sweet chariot...
So for generations, pigs were produced to be living, breathing flags of Denmark!
Well I'm sure the pigs were used for other reasons, of course, but how arrogant are we as a species that we feel we have the right to do whatever we want to other animals and, as in this example, sometimes for the most fucked up reasons?
Listen up humanity! Let me point out a few facts as I see them. Oh, this'll rankle many idiots but hear me out and then go do your own research and come back and tell me I'm wrong...I dare you.
Humans are animals. No, really. We are as "animal" by definition as ANY OTHER ORGANISM classified as such. That is, we are all multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia.
Since all life on Earth (that currently exists) stems from a "last universal ancestor," we are thus essentially all related. Your mother, your pet dog, the flea on your dog, and the parasitic bacterium inside the flea. We are family.
Ownership of other organisms, though not defined technically as "slavery" since that is human-on-human ownership specifically, is essentially the same thing. No judgement on the morality of the practice here, just stating a fact. I acknowledge that by being human I am an omnivore and not only is my body able to devour and utilize the energy stored in animal flesh, I like it. And it's far easier and efficient as a species to own our food stock than to rely on hunting or tracking of game. What's more, ownership of another species of animal isn't restricted only to humankind. For example, ants herd aphids much like humans herd sheep.
But mammals are quite highly-developed organisms and creatures such as pigs and dolphins and dogs seem to exhibit behavior akin to what we would define as intelligence. Based on the study of our own mammalian brain, we can assume that there may be biochemical or electrical triggers for emotions such as fear, pain, pleasure and love in other organisms like us.
Is it right to keep pets that have emotions in "kennels?" Are we kidding ourselves by calling cages kennels? How are they not cages?
Should we, simply because we have the technological know-how, genetically manipulate animals to grow human ears on their backs? Glow in the dark? Make for a docile yet defenseless pet to sit in our lap?
What if our "beloved" owned animals are enjoyed in our homes yet they have unrefined, undesirable biological traits like sharp claws, droopy ears, and sexual reproductive systems?
Declaw them?
Crop their ears?
Neuter them?
I googled "Is pet ownership slavery?" and found a recent general debate forum thread where a poster asked this question. Man, were they ever torn to shreds by an incredibly over-the-top defensive pet "lover" community. You can't tell them that they're oppressing their beloved cat or dog. They love them! And he/she loves them back! They protect them!
Really?
Neck collars, torso harnesses and muzzles made out of the chemically-tanned dead flesh skinned off of other mammals' carcasses. Animals that also were bred and raised by man with the sole intent of being slaughtered.
Invisible fences defining a locked in, escape-deterred area for a pet. If the pet ignores audio cues, an electric shock is delivered into it's skin from an electronic collar.
What if Fido or Pussy gets loose? Why on Earth would they want to "get loose?" Don't they know they can't fend for themselves? Their life would be far worse off if they went wild or feral. A night or two of hunger should find them at the doorstep again.
Better put up those Wanted Posters, er, I mean Lost Posters just in case. Other "massas" in the neighborhood will find Pussy, capture her and return her to the plantation, er, I mean home.
Oh, oh, Pussy done got herself knocked up during her night on the loose and now she's birthin' a litter of twelve! Oh well, gotta do the "humane" thing. We can't keep the kittens and no one wants them.
Hi Pussy, just gatherin' up your little ones into this canvas bag. Don't look at me like that. It's gotta be done. I'll make it quick and painless.
Meow, meow, meow....gurgle, gurgle.....MEOW!! SCREECH!! MEOW!!.. .gurgle, splash, gurgle.
Swing low, sweet chariot...