Wednesday, January 18, 2006

responsible living is tough

the woman's vegetarian friend in australia sends her a Save Babe postcard and it reminds her that she has a lot to learn about living a responsible cruelty-free life. she hasn't even begun to scrap the surface.

already, based on whatever she knows, which is little, the task at hand is daunting, almost impossible. no shark's fin, no veal, no fur, no pet trade, no IAMS is easy. but BAN

* all Procter & Gamble products P&G Kills
* factory-farmed pork products Save Babe
* KFC KFC Cruelty
* all fish Fishing Hurts and
* all meat Case Against Meat

altogether, and she's wondering if life is worth living without Paulaner Brauhaus pork knuckles, salmon sashimi and Hot & Spicy chicken.

it's not just about missing the food, she is also exasperated by the divide that already exists between her and a lot of the people around her. friends and family are thinking what's with the compulsive recycling and saving of cats. so pushing the envelope further by going vegetarian or something will probably invite more well-intentioned concern about the woman's mental faculties. their diagnosis: histrionic, obsessive-compulsive, bleeding heart, too much time on hands.

quite la. and arrested development, i might add. but in this anthropocentric world, animals can't be choosy about who our champions and avengers are. right now, she works for me so i much like to keep her that way.

but conversely, if she doesn't push the envelope on animal cruelty issues, the same people cry hypocrisy. bring up animal welfare issues to them only, they say care so much about cats, what about the hainanese chicken rice you are eating? chicken not life meh?

human, you really a lot of excuse not to think about things much. i'm a cat and i know there is nothing to life but a constant striving. you strive for your luxuries and comforts, let others strive for what's important to them. nobody is asking them to save the whole world tomorrow and die trying. all the animals ask is for people to start somewhere and keep on going. if you choose not to be involved, is ok, just shut the fuck up then!

but all that is secondary. as the woman is finding, the struggle to live responsibly remains a gruelling personal one. when confronted with a new piece of information, she has to decide how she can best act on it, or not, weighing all her human baggage of circumstance, practicality, resources and priorities with her conscience.

i hope for her sake and mine that she is of strong mettle to carry through her convictions.

(Photos from Save Babe & GoVeg)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"..just shut the fuck up then!"

way to go, Tooty!! you're one feisty little kitty :D

 

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