Dear Frank and Mary,
The following letter was sent to protest the slaughter of a young lamb, hand
raised by students at a grade school, Marcus, ordered by the head mistress to
teach the children 'reality'. In this instance there was a partially positive
outcome, the head mistress Andrea Charman, resigned her position due to threats
of violence from angry individuals who were so offended by her lack of
compassion (see attachment below):
To: howardm@parliament.uk
CC: dtletters@telegraph.co.uk; stletters@telegraph.co.uk
Subject: Marcus: Teaching Children to Kill
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:08:01 -0400
Dear Mr Howard,
Marcus, a young lamb, was slaughtered as a lesson in 'reality'.
Marcus is not the first victim of religiously sanctioned abuse in the United
Kingdom, as the predominant Christian view of animals states that man has
dominion over them and may harm or slaughter them for his own benefit.
A few years ago in Skanda Vale Wales, Shambo, a beautiful young bull, showing
no signs of illness was put to death because he tested postive for bovine TB.
His story was especially poignant as he was being cared for in a sanctualry run
by Hindu monks. Though the monks fought an intelligent, courageous and
non-violent battle to save Shambo, which drew attention from around the world,
the Welsh government, egged on by angry farmers, decided that Shambo must die.
Despite the fact that the monks had arranged travel for Shambo to India where he
would be treated for TB and allowed to live out his days in peace, government
officials broke through a puja honoring the lives of ALL beings in progess at
the Hindu sanctuary and dragged Shambo off to be killed. In so doing they
violated the religious view of 'reality' of the Hindu monks whose religion
teaches them to cherish and respect all lives.
Shambo had a Hindu organization to campaign for him and still he was not
saved.
Marcus had only young school children, whose sense of compassion was more
highly evolved than that of their head mistress, Andrea Charman. Their hearts
were broken as they had hand raised Marcus and cared for him. They will learn
with time that the views of a predominantly Christian nation do not allow for
compassion to animals. They will also assimilate the message that despite the
love and affection one may have for another living being, it is appropropriate
to kill this being for your own gratification. They did not learn, what the head
mistress, termed 'reality'. Instead they learned the Christian view of reality,
that there is nothing wrong with killing a cherished friend for your own
benefit.
"No society that feeds its children on tales of
successful violence can expect them not to believe that
violence in the end is rewarded"
--Margaret Mead
When we teach children to kill a living being, viewed as lesser, we are
sowing the seeds of future acts of violence both to humans and animals. We are
teaching them a view of 'reality' that often leads to future acts of gratuitous
violence. We are in effect teaching them that life is NOT sacred and that one
may kill for any number of reasons, from anger, to gratification, to revenge
It is irresponsible and cruel to teach children to kill.
There is much to be learned from a view of 'reality' which honors and
respects the lives of ALL beings. It is time to consider whether the Christian
concept of dominion has outlived it's usefulness in a world so filled with
violence.
Respectfully,
Ruth
| 