A Solution

They would make great pets.

It occurred to me that there is a solution to a couple of problems that I feel strongly about.  I have gone on, at length, here about how I feel about procreation, and that it is an act of cruelty when humans bring people or animals into this world of violence, pain, and misery.  So instead of bringing babies into this world, how about adopting a pet?  They bring great joy.  Some of my happiest memories are playing with dogs I have known.  Pets improve one's quality of life.  They reduce stress.  All you have to do is pet them and cuddle with them.  People who have pets live longer than those who don't.  They make life better.  And, unfortunately, there are tons of unwanted dogs and cats languishing in shelters.  There's another way of looking at that, though: as an opportunity.  They deserve good homes. 
Perhaps adopt an unconventional pet.  I love it when people have pigs as pets.  It shows people how pigs SHOULD be treated: with love and kindness: not cruelty and violence.  I read that hens make great pets, because they are soft to the touch, and they don't peck.  God knows they have a right to peck us, considering what we've done, and continue to do, to them.   
Of course, you should only adopt a pet if you, and everyone in your home, are willing to treat that animal as well as you possibly can for the rest of his or her life.  If you want to get a pet, but you live with someone who doesn't want one, then that is a problem.  The person who doesn't want the pet could end up being abusive toward him or her if you went through with the adoption.  There's always the possibility of getting rid of the person.
And, obviously, there is the option of adopting a human kid who needs a home.  While I believe that biological parents are selfish, I think that good adoptive (non-biological) parents are heroes.
And the sound of a barking dog just reminded me-be a responsible pet parent.  I was walking by a park the other day.  A couple of proud Canadian geese parents were watching over their babies.  It was a beautiful sight.  But then I saw 2 small dogs, off leash, approaching the area were the baby geese were.  I almost said something to the pet parents.  I hope the dogs didn't' bother the geese.  The poor parents were probably scared as hell for their babies.  I imagine that the goose parents could have scared the dogs away if they needed to, but the pet parents shouldn't let them bother the geese, and that's the point I'm trying to make.   

Leave the Rabbits Alone!

baby groundhog

I had seen some kids playing around here.  They were chasing and terrorizing wild rabbits.  I never saw them hurt any rabbits, but I saw them poking at them with sticks.  Obviously, you would be terrorized if you were being chased by giants, and you couldn't understand what they were saying or what they wanted.  They can play amongst themselves, and not be living nightmares for little wild animals.  I haven't hesitated in the past to intervene in such situations, but I regretted not saying anything the first time I saw it.  I had another chance today.  I said something, but it wasn't loud enough, so they didn't hear me.  I saw a girl throw a tennis racket at a rabbit.  The next time they came around, they heard me.  All I said was, "Leave the rabbits alone!"  And they did.  Unfortunately, it's only natural for humans to want to make life miserable for animals.  If protecting them is the right thing to do, then do it.  I certainly wouldn't have touched those kids.  All I'm willing to do is talk to them or yell at them.  Heroes of mine include Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr, both believed in non-violent resistance.
On a more positive note, I have come to realize there are at least five baby groundhogs living right next to my building.  So far, Veronica is my choice for mother of the year.  She was out grazing with one of her babies.  Suddenly, she ran toward the family hole in the ground.  That's something I've seen groundhogs do plenty of times.  This time was different.  On her way to the hole, she made several high-pitched noises with her mouth.  It was instantly obvious why she did that.  It was for the sake of her baby, who immediately followed her mother to the hole.  What was all this about?  I looked around and saw an animal I had never seen around here before: a large raccoon.  Veronica watched the raccoon carefully from her position, which was right at the hole.  It's possible she had never seen one before.  Even after the raccoon had been gone for several minutes, she continued to look around cautiously.  Her baby even helped out.  She stood on her hind legs and looked around.  I'm not sure if she even knew what she was looking for, but her intentions were good.  Baby groundhogs are among the cutest animals I've ever seen.               

You Are an Animal

Just like us, bald eagles like to go to the beach.

And so am I.  Don't you see all the things we have in common with animals?  Many of them, like us, have 4 limbs.  I could go on forever: nose, mouth, eyes, ears, blood, heart, lungs, drink water, eat food, sleep, excrete, breathe and so on.  We're animals.  We just happen to be the worst this world has ever seen.  What species of animals has done more damage to the world than we have?  Some of us have been greedy, selfish, and vicious to a point that any other animal couldn't even imagine, let alone match.
They belong here as much as we do.  There's a whole food chain, and all of us fit into it.  Of course we keep messing it up by introducing invasive species to places where they don't belong.  We just do what we want: usually only thinking of ourselves.
People who love animals are merciful, gentle people.  If we weren't, then we would be terrorists.  We'd be shooting up steak houses, butcher shops, and fur stores.  I watch the news often, and I've heard about a lot of shootings and terrorist attacks, but never one that was perpetrated in the name of animal rights or liberation.  Sure, I've heard about Animal Liberation Front members breaking in to labs, rescuing the captive animals, then burning the place down to the ground after all the animals had been removed.  That's my idea of a hero.  I've read about how animals are treated in labs.  They are maimed, tortured, and killed.  It's 100% wrong to experiment on live animals.  If you don't have a problem with it, then I don't have a problem with scientists experimenting on your children.  Educate yourself on the subject.  It is wrong to torture animals: period.  They should have the right to be free and live natural lives.  Ever put yourself in the place of the animals being experimented on in labs?  If so, your life would likely be a complete nightmare. 
They say the pen is mightier than the sword; I hope so.  I haven't seen many sword-wielding animal rights activists.  Those of you who aren't vegetarians, and feel no need to make any sacrifices on behalf of animals (my brothers and sisters), just realize how angry us real animal lovers are at selfish people like you.

So Much Pain

A Young Groundhog

My god, there's so much pain on this planet.  You couldn't possibly measure it.  Life is so hard.  Maybe it isn't for people who have inherited a lot of money, but, for the rest of us, it can be.  For instance, I used to have cable, and I used to watch nature programs.  I still do, on PBS, but it depends.  I don't want to see animals ripping each other apart.  I know it's going on; I just don't need to see it.
This is a violent, brutal world.  As far as I'm concerned, parenting is the big lie.  When humans bring another human, or animal, into this world, I believe they have committed an act of cruelty.  It's so funny to me how backwards it is.  You're supposed to respect and obey your parents.  Why?  Because they brought you into a world of pain, brutality, and misery?
I have to make a distinction here.  Adoptive parents are heroes.  When a couple of people get together and say, to themselves, I refuse to bring someone into this world, but I want to raise a kid, and they adopt as a result-giving a home to a kid who needs one, well, they are certainly heroes as far as I'm concerned.
I hate breeders: for example-of dogs.  There are so many dogs languishing in shelters that deserve loving homes.  They are betrayed by breeders, who bring more dogs into a world that already has tons of homeless dogs, so they can make some money.  Shame on them.  I'd spit in all their faces if I could.  They are human garbage.
But it's even harder to live in this world if you care about animals more than the average uncaring human does.  You try to watch a little TV, and you're bombarded by things that offend you: like commercials that show smiling people eating meat.  We don't need to eat meat.  Those that do, do it out of selfishness.  They refuse to limit their food choices at all.  They don't care at all how many pigs, chickens, cows, turkeys, fish, and so on have to suffer so they can eat whatever the hell they want to.  I'm disgusted by people who eat meat.  I think the murder of an animal, any animal (with the possible exception of bugs, even though I don't harm bugs in my home or elsewhere, I just don't feel as strongly about them as I do about other animals), should be punished as though the person killed a human being.