I am almost silenced by the on-going atrocities man commits against himself, animals, and earth. And again, appalled by how man successfully glorifies each and every act of violence.
gen•o•cide
– noun
the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.
National, racial, political, or cultural? It seems as though genocide is, by definition, restricted to the human race.
If this is so, what is “the deliberate and systematic extermination” of animals called?
One of the following perhaps?
* Dinner
* Fashion
* Entertainment
* Culling
It seems as though the deliberate and systematic extermination of animals, for whatever purpose, has been renamed by people so that the mere idea of genocide isn’t even applicable. There’s something in our human culture that fulfills the definition of genocide but is also called something completely different: war. Granted, both sides usually have the ability and resources to engage in combat. Still, is it not the deliberate and systematic extermination of a certain national, racial, political, or cultural group of people?
It is, but somehow we’ve even disconnected ourselves from blatant, systematic destruction of humankind.
It seems as though the term “genocide” is excused when at least one party has a superior desire to engage in combat. Human greed, anger, and hatred are three emotions responsible for the displaced connotations associated with genocide. In other words, we use these emotions to justify and rationalize violent actions – and do so successfully (i.e. the slaughter of animals for human consumption, fashion, entertainment, etc. and war).
In the end, the only difference between the deliberate and systematic extermination of people and deliberate and systematic extermination of animals is one hell of a manipulated word.
Chase Morgan (2 comments)
preaching to the choir brother now try to get a carnivore to see it that way
Rooibos (3 comments)
Chase, I’m in favour of forcing people to do the right thing since too many are either too stupid or too selfish (or both) to change.
Round up all the carnists, stuff them into the cages, shackles and boxes that the former farmed animals, vivisection subjects and other incarcerated animals were forced to inhabit – and leave them there.
If they agree to a plant-based lifestyle, they are returned to society. If not, let them starve. It’d lower the human population, weed out the morlock flesh-slurping gene, and end inhumane treatment of other species *on the spot*.
Sound mean? Horrible? Violent? Radical? Terrible?
I don’t think so (and no longer care if it does, either). Compared to the eternal Treblinka that animals are forced to endure, it’s a relative slap on the wrist.
Good article, thanks for posting it.