Image Credit: Huffington Post Images
Can you imagine a world where we don't kill animals for sport, for fun, for trophies, or for greed?
Can you imagine a world where we treat each other with respect and dignity?
Can you imagine it?
It's hard to imagine it when the news is constantly filled with so many examples of human-rights violations, hatred, intolerance, and genocides over things such as race or religious differences.
It's hard to imagine it when treaties that are designed to protect wildlife are not upheld.
For example, the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling some 30+ years ago. Yet, Norway, Iceland, and Japan continue to unlawfully murder hundreds if not thousands of whales, dolphins, and other cetaceans each year.
At the recent CITES (CoP17), an opportunity was presented to fully ban all sales of ivory. Sadly, too many nations, including the United States failed to vote for this ban, sentencing another 30,000 elephants to death each year for the next three years until they meet again, hastening their extinction.
From videos I've seen of rhinos, dolphins, dogs, and other animals being brutally murdered, there is NOTHING humane about the way any of these animals are killed in cold blood.
More than that, though, I am so tired of hearing the excuse of "culture." Culture is no excuse for cruelty.
In this day and age, when there is absolutely no need to consume any wild animal (or even domesticated) for food, trinkets, entertainment, or any other reason, to continue to prey on them out of greed is immoral and inexcusable.
To abuse, maim, or murder any wild sentient animal, is a blight on humanity.
There are hundreds of millions, and likely billions of people who are against these cruel atrocities on both animals and other people; and yet, too often, it is the few truly heinous and evil people in the world who do more damage than the right-minded ones can prevent.
This balance has to stop. The ongoing slaughters, murderers, genocides, greed of the few need to be stopped, prevented, ended by the masses of us who care.
Everyone says it must come from within. For example, within one's own country. Within one's own soul.
But, when we have corrupt government officials, who do not act in the best interest of the people who elected them, out of greed or whatever you want to call it, how can you possibly win this fight?
I feel betrayed by my own government. My own government decided not to list elephants in the top tier of protection. Rhinos thank goodness are already there (and need to be with only 25,000 remaining).
When will governments stop putting special interests or their own greed first. When will we start putting the greater good's interests, our children's interests, the world's interests first?
Almost every day I cry. I cry over our election coverage, I cry at dolphin slaughters, I cry at elephant slaughters, whale and dolphin murders. I cry about where our Earth is headed, and destruction that we have unleashed.
Sometimes, the only thing that helps, is knowing that there are hundreds of thousands of people just like I am, who cry, who feel sad about these issues. On the Dolphin Project's Twitter page, and the Cove Guardian's Twitter page, there are thousands of like-minded people, who grieve, cry out, are angry, and desire actionable change on a lot of these issues.
Now, we just need to un-harden the hearts of those who cause the most destruction. Whether it's government officials, poachers, murderers, or industry types, we need to find a way to get through to them, and show them that saving lives, protecting lives, is worth so much more than what they do.
It's becoming harder and harder to believe that we will be on the right side of history. That "Taiji can rebrand itself." And that there is hope. But, I keep trying.
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