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A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 


The Escalation of Violence – 8 August 2006
By Mary T. Hoffman

There are people who believe and teach others that we should avoid negativity, dwell on happy thoughts, look for the good everywhere and in everyone, etc. And, as would be expected of those who believe everyone is basically “good,” use of the word “evil” is avoided.

While to some people these teachings may seem to have merit, I wonder if it is fair to the victims of the perpetrators of cruelty. Such wishful thinking plays right into the hands of those individuals and industries who abuse others, both human and non-human, either for personal gratification or for profit. How will cruelty be brought under control unless it is exposed and brought to the attention of the public? Factory farm concentration camps that are hidden from view and advertise “happy” animals, in order to fool the consumers, will only proliferate if someone doesn’t expose the truth.

To pretend that cruelty doesn’t exist is to allow it to escalate. At what point would these people, who hide from the truth, admit that evil does indeed exist? When they or their loved ones become victims? When violence is totally out of control in this world? It certainly appears to be heading in that direction!

Whether we want to admit it or not, violence is on the increase; and looking the other way will not make it disappear. Isn’t it interesting that the escalating worldwide demand for animal products appears to parallel the increase in demand for violent video games, pastimes, and “sports”?

An interesting study on violence and teenagers showed that girls were more influenced than boys by viewing violent wrestling scenes. It appears that women are fast playing “catch-up” in the realm of cruelty once thought to be mostly the domain of men. In humans, this seems to be the rule rather than the exception: The oppressed soon becomes the oppressor.

I will close with these words: The sooner other animals are granted legal rights and respected as individuals, the better off we will all be.

See also:
http://www.all-creatures.org/anex/index.html 

Go on to: Locally Grown Produce – 9 August 2006
Return to: American Wild Mint – 7 August 2006
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