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Guest editorials
Scimitar-horned oryx resting peacefully, only to be struck down by a hunter
By Ruth Eisenbud
By Ruth Eisenbud
“God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you shall rest on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the air, on everything that creeps on the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and just as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.'” Genesis
OPEN SEASON IN TEXAS…
On June 10 20/20 aired a segment of hunting ranches in Texas where, for a fee, men with self esteem issues can hunt down exotic animals at close range with high powered rifles:
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Pro-dominion
This violence to harmless animals is justified as conservation. The root of the word conservation is to conserve. It means to preserve, not hunt down and kill. The reason for the confusion can be traced to the biblical edict of dominion, which grants man the right to benefit from animal cruelty, as long as the proper labels are used. Hence managing herds of exotic animals, so that they may be hunted down is labeled conservation. It is considered good stewardship of one’s resources… to breed them, so that they may be killed for their trophy value. Before harming another, compassion considers the harm to the victim, not the benefits to the exploiter. There-in lies the corruption of the term conservation: the animals are conserved, so that they may be exploited and killed.
[pullquote]“The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men.” Leonardo da Vinci [/pullquote]
Such a distortion of conservation is consistent with the double speak of dominion, where cruelty for the right price is mislabeled as righteous for it is good business. The right to kill for a price, as guaranteed by dominion aka stewardship is reflected in this comment on the 60 Minutes webpage, from a staunch dominionite:
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“With regard to ‘animal rights’ I am ‘pro-dominion’ that is to say I believe we as humans have been given dominion over all the creatures on earth and therefore are responsible for the stewardship of these creatures. If the facts/numbers are correct as reported then it appears the private sector has been successful at conserving and multiplying the endangered species. The private solution/compromise has also providing a profitable, job-creating service to hunters. And those hunters have contributed to the conversation of the endangered species. In my view this is good stewardship and apparently good business. Obviously, I am also a capitalist.” ChrisB321
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Such an unambiguous defense of dominion, is a a clear indication of the profound harm it causes. This view fails to recognize a universal truth of compassion: the life of an animal has inherent worth which cannot be measured by its value to man.
Love and sacrifice…
Still using the language of dominion, the ranch owner, Charly Seale, claimed it was necessary to sacrifice some animals, so that others may live. Sacrifice is nothing more than an antiquated excuse to kill. It orginated as a means of sanctifying slaughter, so that meat could be consumed. Animal sacrifice (aka slaughter), no matter what the justification, is always cruel and unusual punishment of beautiful animals that grace us with their presence when they are alive, not as body parts hanging on a on a wall. If there were no profit in this cruel charade, all efforts of this mockery of conservation would cease. The animals are not conserved for their own interest, but for interests of insecure men who do not understand the sanctity of life. The need to prove one’s prowess by bagging a defenseless animal and displaying the carnage has nothing to do with conservation.
Continuing with the double-speak of dominion, the owner of the ranch noted his love for the animals he auctions off to be killed… This fundamental contradiction perverts the very meaning of love. Love is not consistent with killing. There is no love in violent the taking of a life. Such violence, considered love, is a mark against the religious doctrine that encourages it. It fails to take into account the view that animals exist for their own interest, not as a supply of body parts over impressed by their own righteous importance.
Conservation
Another religious tradition, indigenous to India, is based on ahimsa – the idea that ALL life is sacred, worthy of respect and conservation is expressed as follows:
“For there is nothing inaccessible for death.
All beings are fond of life, hate pain, like pleasure,
shun destruction, like life, long to live. To all life
is dear.” Jain Acharanga Sutra.
All beings are fond of life, hate pain, like pleasure,
shun destruction, like life, long to live. To all life
is dear.” Jain Acharanga Sutra.
“All things breathing, all things existing, all living beings whatever, would not be slain or treated with violence, or insulted, or tortured or driven away. This is the pure unchanging eternal law, which the wise ones who know the world have proclaimed…” Jain Acharanga Sutra
In India, where ahimsa imbues the view on animals, there are no canned hunts or culls . Animals are not made to pay the price for human incursions in to their traditional habitats. Instead evey effort at true conservation is made. Animals who stray into human habitats, even if they create havoc and accidentally harm humans, are not killed. They are instead returned to sanctuaries or a safer habitat, where they will not be a threat or be threatened by humans. These animals are not kept in sanctuaries to be shot down with high powered rifles as a demonstration of man’s dominion over the animals. The root of the term sanctuary is the same as for sanctity: that which is holy and sacred. When life is sacred animals are not bred to be killed, but to allow them to thrive.
The distortions and confusion of dominion are not accepted in india, where a kinder message towards animals is understood. There is a bear sanctuary in Agra, India, where bears are brought to recover from the trauma of human exploitation. They are allowed to live out their lives free from human harm:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=166684720010055:
The consequences of dominion extend to humans as indicated by another comment to the Sixty Minutes segment:
“Priscilla needs to be “CULLED” out of the herd. She wants to save these 3 species from extinction but would rather see them extinct than hunted in Texas. She needs to be down right slapped for her “Idiocy” and “Lunacy!” She is an uneducated (on the problem at hand) person and needs to know the facts before she opens that mouth of hers.” Justin Smoot
In this case Smoot is referring to Priscilla Feral, of Friends of Animals, an advocate for animal compassion, opposed to the canned hunts sponsored by undeducated individuals impressed with their supremacy over animals. Priscilla has brought a law suit to end the hunting of three species, on Texas farms, where conservation is used as a front for cruelty and greed.
Using the vocabulary of dominion, if you dont agree with an opinion – ‘just cull that person out of the herd’. That person is no longer granted the human right to compassion, but is treated with the disdain for animals, so cherished by dominion.
Playing god with animal lives, with the righteous pretense of conservation is a perversion of the golden rule.
When did love become brutality?
How did destruction become conservation?
When words are incorrectly redefined to promote exploitation, they reflect the cruel intention of dominion. In this case there is neither conservation nor love.
Until dominion is relegated to the pile of antiquated views that have no place in a civilized society, there will be men who insist that on their right to kill for profit or an illusion of power, then call it conservation. Until that time it will always be open season for hunting down the weak and defenseless among us.
Ruth Eisenbud is an indefatigable defender of animals, and a fighter to abolish human supremacism.
