Irreparable Cruelty

I think that Michael Vick is a total douche. I've got very little love for people who mistreat animals. Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated," and I think that's very true. Stephon Marbury defended Vick saying that dogfighting is just another sport and compared it to deer hunting. At first I dismissed his statements as more idiotic bullshit coming from another person that ought not to have such a lofty platform. But then I started to really think about it. Do we accept hunting as a legitimate sport and not dogfighting because that's how, culturally, we've been conditioned to think? After all somebody is profiting from deer hunting, and hunters are certainly being entertained and enjoy it. So what is the difference between a deer being stalked and shot with a bow, and two dogs fighting to the death all for the purpose of entertainment, sport and profit? Aren't the end results the same? Animals die and people are rich and happy. This is the position that PETA would take, which, right there, should be a red flag. But maybe not.

Today, my dad called to let Anne and I know that their dog died. My mom adopted this dog, last year, from an organization that rescues puppy-mill dogs. These dogs live their lives in tiny cages just large enough for them to lay down. The only attention they get is from the brutal people who take them out when they are in heat to breed with a stud. Their only purpose is to make babies. As you can imagine, this cruel, inhumane treatment irreparably damages them psychologically and socially. Suzie, the dog my parents adopted, was virtually catatonic, and my mom was the only person whom she responded to and gave any sort of evidence that she wasn't a dog that my parents owned ten years ago that they had freeze-dried. I think that she even might have actually liked my mom, but that might be pushing it. Thursday my mom, aunt and their friend took a short vacation to New York, leaving Suzie alone with my dad. Apparently, she immediately stopped eating, drinking and going to the bathroom. Today my dad took her to the vet and she dropped dead on the vet's table.

Both of my parents feel responsible. My dad was pretty upset, and I imagine my mother is devastated. My hope is that they stop blaming themselves and start blaming those who are responsible- the puppy-mill owners. The only reason Suzie shut down is because of the irreparable psycho-social damage done to her the first five years of her life. She was traumatized in such a way that the absence of my mom caused her to go into a depression that killed her. Human cruelty is so destructive and powerful, that it can kill animals not only with physical abuse but psychological abuse as well.

So, what does this have to do with Vick and Marbury besides cruelty to dogs? Well, as I pondered Marbury's statements I found that he is essentially saying that killing an animal is killing an animal. It's all the same, one way is called a sport and the other is called cruelty. This got me thinking about my stance on hunting. I started thinking about what is considered noble hunting over what isn't. I don't consider trophy hunting noble, and the hunting that is done in the shark fin soup industry is the epitome of waste, greed, and barbarism. On the other hand I'm reminded of how Native American buffalo hunting is romanticized because of their deep respect for the creature, and their use of the whole animal. I agree that this is good and noble hunting.

We (humans) are relational beings. And not only are we in relationship with God and each other, but we also have a relationship with creation. We depend on creation to live and creation depends on our good stewardship for it's survival. Of course, not only is our relationship one of dependency, but also of companionship such as with our pets. It's interesting how, in our relationship-making, we humanize pets. We are appalled that the Chinese eat dogs, because, to us, dogs are like little people. Likewise Hindus might be appalled that we eat cattle, but I digress.

Like most moral quandaries, this too boils down to a theological truth. Humans are in relationship with creation, and our role in that relationship is good stewardship. The puppy-mill owners relationship with Suzie was one of abuse, neglect, malapropism, greed, torture and exploitation. My mom's good relationship with her, ultimately, could not restore her. Michael Vick's relationship with his dogs is also one of barbarism, abuse, exploitation etc... I would add that many people who own pit bulls do so for status and macho ism, but that's another post. Many hunters eat their kill and are conservationists. They hunt partly for sport, but also because they have a deep reverence for creation, and feel closer too it by sitting in a tree for hours on end covered in deer urine. Therefore, I would argue, hunting- excluding the aforementioned bad forms of it- represents good stewardship and a good relationship with creation.

Hopefully, this bad press about dogfighting will raise awareness about animal cruelty. I'm no PETA advocate, but sometimes I think they're right, and I affirm their overall dream of people living in right relationship with creation. Even though Vick allegedly converted, I still think people who fight dogs are douches, and it would be nice if he'd publicly come out against it, get his peeps in the hip-hop community to do the same and help the police bust up dogfighting rings. For some reason I'm not too optimistic about that. Words usually speak loud enough in these cases where action isn't necessary. But one can hope.