Spooky

In the news, you might have read that Wisconsin recently passed a puppy mill bill that requires people who sell more than 25 dogs to get a license.

Here is another part of that adventure. One of the people at the signing ceremony by the governor, had a heart attack and died, her name was Joyce Kitsemble.

http://www.wrn.com/2009/12/adovocate-for-puppy-mill-bill-dies

Joyce, who had a lung problem, had been given just 6 months to live – that was 5 years ago, but she said that she would live until the bill was signed, and she did.

http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/article/20091203/WRT0101/912030692/1982/Advocate-lives-just-long-enough-to-see-puppy-mill-legislation-signed

A true type of true grit.

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On boy, Oh boy, Oh boy

Wow. I repeat this under the theory that he who forgets history is apt to make those same mistakes again. I’m not sure that I believe that, but why take chances, when the cure is a short bit of reading?

Have you read the wikipedia entry on Animal Rights? It is long. (wikipedia changes it’s ‘posts’ with constant editing), so go, read, save.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_rights

Scroll down, and read where Carl Cohen says that animals can’t be given rights because they don’t know the difference between their own interest and what is right!

Well, if that is the test of getting rights, some of the people I know, are going to loose theirs.

Heck, friends are going to loose their rights!

What happens when you loose your rights? you become an outlaw, correct? The law will not protect you anymore, people can use you, you become (legally) like a wild animal – except that we do protect wild animals now, so that there will be enough wild animals for OTHER PEOPLE to hunt.

Are people declared “outlaws” anymore? “Wanted Dead or Alive”? I don’t think so. I think that would be called “murder” now.

I think now, you have to be in court to be tried. Courts can’t convict you, sentence you to death, and send people after you.

But if “knowing what is right” even over your own self interest, is necessary to get (human) rights, and presumably “knowing” is defined by “doing” then, just how many people are going to flunk?

Maybe I have hung out with too many competitive dog show people, but I believe a load of people would flunk his test for getting rights. Lots of people who don’t raise dogs, and who don’t even have a dog, would flunk.

And plenty of dogs would pass the test.

That animals can’t voice their altruism in words, doesn’t mean it is not there in them.

Animals have often shown altruism in tests -even cage raised animals that haven’t been raised in a normal society of their kind, but who have been kept in conditions which would dive many people insane.

Plenty of dogs are altruistic. They will even fight to save their people from other dogs. There are parents who flee when their child is attacked. Dogs are often more loving, and protective than friends and family. And dogs are happy to do it, expecting nothing special in return.

Did you ever read “The Heathen”? (Jack London?) Afterwards, the teacher asked “Who was the heathen, in the story?”

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OT – altruism

Are people basically good, nice, helpful, and loving, or are people basically selfish, cold-blooded, greedy, and mean?

Are we basically nice but taught competition in our schools and taught mistrust and hatred in our churches?

Are we basically born sinners, taught discipline in our schools and taught love and compassion in our churches?

If we are all born good and taught good – then our society would be nice, good, kind – and it is not.

If we are all born mean and nasty and taught hatred – then our society would be a social wreak – but it is not.

What are we, as a species? Are we a blend of good and bad. Are some of our teachings from good people, and other teachings from bad people?

Here is an article about how helpful even very young babies are – so do some of us loose our niceness, or are we taught to be cold, competitive, and unfeeling?

(Good article by Nicholas Wade of the nytimes)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/science/01human.html

Because we can change what the next generation is taught. (Actually, we can now also change what genes the next generation has!).

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Animal Rights?

Just another human? Or, Just another dog?

I understand that in pre-Columbian Mexico, it was believed that God gave mankind 4 special animals. These 4 animals were not to help mankind with his work, or to be used by mankind, but to teach mankind.

One of these 4 gifts, was the dog, whose role was to set an example of love. We are to learn about love from watching and mimicking the dog.

Hmm, that may well work with Mexican Chihuahuas and Mexican Hairless dogs, but I don’t think you can learn much about love if you watch pit bull fights. I guess it had meaning in the times and place that it was meant for.

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