From All-Creatures.org

Animal Rights Poetry and Prose By Heidi Coon

"But my kid loves fishing"
By Heidi Coon

‘But my kid loves fishing with their grandpa, and I don’t want to ruin that bonding time. Plus, they just catch & release the fish.’
What’s worse?
A. Deriving pleasure from another beings suffering?
B. Remaining indifferent to another beings suffering?
C. Defending a human child or adults pleasure from another beings suffering?

I’ll break this twisted shit down for your feeble & unremarkable speciesist brains:

A fish swims in a pond/lake/quarry/stream/river/lagoon/ocean
A human child or adult (in a boat or on a dock or on a bridge or on land) tosses a line into the water
The line is equipped with a barbed metal hook, or a lure with multiple hooks, or a double or triple hook
The barbed hook(s) are concealed with a live worm, live diminutive fish, live minnow, crayfish, dobson, or some other food to tempt & ‘lure’ the fish
The fish, who doesn’t have a local grocery store or all night Denny’s restaurant, sees the food & most likely is hungry and will proceed to ‘nibble’ [taste]
The human child or adult feels gentle ‘tugging’ on the line, or, even sees their ‘bobber’ bob under the water
The human child or adult then ‘sets the hook’… translated? They quickly jerk the line to rip the barbed hook(s) into the fishes fucking face
The fish immediately beings to struggle, thrashing in attempt to be free from the metal hook causing them pain & controlling their movements
Yeah
….’but, fish don’t feel’….whine the numb, mindless drones, comfortably inert. (Fück you. Fish sentiency has been proven & their ability to feel pain is WELL documented, moron)
The fish, in pain & panicking, now is in full fight & flight mode
The fish desperately swims while the human child or adult ‘reels em in’
Yeehaw
The fish jumps out of water in an attempt to dislodge the painful metal object that’s tore through their mouth
The human child or adult may ‘let out a little slack’, ya know…’tire’ the fish out
[Tire the fish out? Yes, humans…fighting for your life is a rather exhausting fucking feat. ….may someday you require the need to….]
The fish continues to struggle to be free & to fight for their life
[is the human child or adult smiling at this point? Perhaps, giggling with excitement? That’s the thrill for ya…inception.]
The fish is obviously suffering & in pain as demonstrated in their struggling to be free.
[Yo…if ya enjoy watching their suffering, are indifferent to their suffering, or, defend their suffering, it shows your depravity.]
The fish, now thrashing even more violently, is pulled closer to the surface of the water with the line
While futile against the power of a human child or adult, the fish continues to fight for his or her life
The fish is lifted out of their home (the water) by their face…the full weight of the fish is now bearing down on the barbed metal hook(s), which causes even more pain
[but, hey, man…suffering fish?? No biggie, cos the human child or adult is enjoying themselves!]
While the fish is being lifted, they continue to thrash, twist, flap in a continuing effort to free themselves from the predator
Now, out of water ( much to the delight of the savage) exhausted, distressed & in pain, the fish now gasps for breath
…they got gills, people. Ain’t gotta be a genius to know that gills are not designed function outta water.
Duh.
Question your acceptance of the above…research our gilled cousins, educate yourself & then educate others.
If y’all ain’t okay with a couple of guys doing that to a shark…why are y’all okay with a couple guys/gals/kids doing the same to a sunfish, or trout, or salmon?
Like, really?
It ain’t nothing more than humans exacting their dominance over a weaker being, & deriving pleasure from it.
Hiding behind the guise of personal enjoyment is pathetic….like, how debased ya wanna be?
46% of caught/released fish die within days.
Once you learn, ya cannot unlearn.
If you are merely a wastrel on this planet, & lack capacity in your itty bitty brain cells to take in new information, well….
I suppose just go put on another episode of whatever morally eroding bullshit you are currently addicted to in an effort to stay all cozy in your oblivion.
Or, take another selfie, ya fucking self-made barcode.
Look…
To be vegan is to unplug from the system.
You either accept animal exploitation, or you do not.
You are either a part of the masses & adhere to demented practice, or you do not.
You are either a speciesist, or you are not.
You are either an animal abuser, or you are not.
You are either a human supremacist, or you are not.
There it is…
What do you want?
The beautiful lie?
Or, the hideous truth?
Be an Anarchist
Think for yourself
Be kind
Do the least amount of harm
Be a voice in the revolution
Advocate for sentience to replace humanness as a basis for rights
And, most importantly kids….
If the masses are doing something, you probably ought not be doing it.
Do I rub ya the wrong way?
Well, I suppose you could flame me, or, better yet;
reflect on your apathy instead.

©Heidi Coon, 2022

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