Why do so many people feel the urge to torture or alleviate pain and suffering to other species who are sharing the earth with us? Why are we so cruel in our dealings, so selfish to care? Are our needs really above theirs? Do we need to give in to material whims?

I once witnessed a young boy and his little brother trying to shoot rubber bands at a nestling of young mynahs who are in the nest. I have walked past the nest almost everyday. I have seen the love and attention the mynahs give to their babies. They would stand guard and swoop down at anyone who came too close to the nest. Their fierce dedication to their young puts us to shame.

It is at the young age like these boys that we need to inculcate the idea of sharing our home with our feathered, furred and finned friends with understanding. Many parents don't seem to see that they have to cultivate a sense of compassion and kindness in their children. In fact, many people seem oblivious that we're sharing space with other beings (ie, the animals, duh!), who have accomodated to our whims for more shopping malls, golf courses, roads, skyscrapers, etc...

It seems really hard to talk to people who refuse to see and listen to the cries of animals in pain.

Yeah, we're a generation of self-centred, greedy individuals who have refused to open our eyes and ears.

Empathy is a word to be scorned. It's every man for himself!

Crap.

I think animals are so amazingly resilient.

If we were forced to live in tiny cages, have our hair ripped off, our mouths sewn up, our vocal cords ripped from our throats, have chemicals poured into our eyes, chemicals to burn our skin and other horrendous acts of cruelty done to us, we wouldn't be able to survive a week. If we did, we would be heroes, praised to the sky for being a living example of the human spirit.

What bullshit!

I don't see the presidents giving out bravery awards to lab animals who have gone through all that terror and survived?! No siree, these animals would be killed, hopefully quick enough to end their suffering, and discarded, just like a piece of garbage.

Specism...

Whoever came up with the idea that we're more superior to animals who can see, hear, smell, taste, run, pounce, jump, swim, etc, better than us? Compared to them, we're wimps! We won't be able to last a week in a normal foodchain without weapons.

Oh no, we've got all these technology. Yeah, that makes us smarter!

Right, so smart we are, that we have paved a way to our own destruction by depleting so much of our natural resources. *roll my eyes*

I'm just sad that many have chosen to remain ignorant of the plight of other species.

It's hard to talk to people who don't want to listen.

When will we have the capacity to care?