Sena picked up a movie from the library, called Blackfish, which she had read about in a newsletter from Cetacean Society (her whale friends). The movie is a documentary about Orca Whales held in captivity at SeaWorld and other such parks, and about the heartbreaking lives they are forced to live in order to put on a show for people, and bring in a profit. I highly recommend the movie.
Coincidentally and totally separately, yesterday, I also saw some pictures of bullfighting in Spain, in which bulls are purposely set up and provoked and forced into an unfair fight with several bullfighters on foot or horseback. They are made to suffer and eventually killed in what seems a very painful way, for the entertainment of spectators and for the sake of making money.
When I went to bed last night I felt empty, on the verge of tears and of throwing up at the same time. Seeing how much suffering we cause for these creatures, and knowing that this is so vast, it's not only happening to whales, or dolphins, or bulls, but to so many other creatures, it just leaves me feeling hopeless and hollow.
The only thing I could do as I lay in bed is cry and pray for them.
Part of me feels like as long as I know that there is such cruelty and suffering out there, how can I be happy, unless I purposely shut myself out and bury my head in the sand, which I sometimes chose to do.
My experience with animals has taught me that above all they are pure. They are who they are, and they don't pretend to be anything else. Some are gentle, some are aggressive, and so on, but whatever their nature, they are true to it and they usually let us know where we stand. Why can we not treat them with respect and dignity?
I understand that some of us need to or want to eat meat, or other animal products, and I feel OK with that if the animal is happy and raised in conditions suitable to its nature, and if it is slaughtered quickly and without unnecessary suffering. But to use animals for entertainment / profit-making, to take them away from their natural environment and make them suffer, that I cannot get over. It's more than intellectual, I feel it in my body, how awful it is.
Today at milking time, I gave Jasmine and Opal extra thanks, and some extra treats as well. I also did some research on Tilikum the Orca still held in captivity at SeaWorld 30 years after being kidnapped from the wild. I was very excited to find a group of young people working to help Tilikum and other whales and cetaceans. These teenagers give me hope, and Sena will be very happy to know that other people her age care. Already last night both she and Aiyana were asking me "What can we do to help"?, and I couldn't say much because of the state I was in. But I have some ideas today.
So, please don't go to SeaWorld, or bullfights, and don't let your money support that kind of cruelty. And teach your children to respect the dignity of all creatures, human and non-human. That can make a difference.
Peace
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