Rants and Raves 54 - Power and responsibility

[Guest guest]

POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY

 

I'm one of those weird people who believes humans are animals. We

might be a bit smarter than most of them, and we're certainly more

destructive and violent, but in the end we're just animals. If there

is such a thing as a soul, then I believe animals have it too - from

the greatest whale to the smallest bug that crawls across the ground.

 

But although we are animals, we are also something quite different. We

have the ability to think and reason, and plan our actions, and we

have the ability to understand the consequences of those actions.

Although many of the more intelligent species on this planet can push

a button to receive a serve of food, we're the only species with the

ability to build the button and the machine that does the serving.

 

In other words, although we are animals, we are something unique and

special as well. Our combination of brain, language and dexterity

gives us control over our surroundings in a way that no other animal

can match.

 

There's this great line in one of my favourite movies, SpiderMan.

Uncle Ben is talking to Peter Parker (a.k.a. SpiderMan) and he says:

" With great power there comes great responsibility. "

 

I believe that we, as the dominant species on the planet, should live

by these words. We should - we must - take these words into our hearts

and minds, and live them daily in every way possible.

 

Unfortunately, when it comes to responsibility, humanity isn't doing

too well.

 

I could go into reams of statistics about the environment - about land

degradation, about our ancient rainforests disappearing, about our

oceans being overfished, about the Barrier Reef dying. I could talk

about the Ozone layer, or the millions of plastic bags we use and

throw away each year.

 

I could talk about these things, but I won't. You already know the

details, unless you've been living under a rock these last few years

with our old mate George Dubya Bush. There's no point in restating the

obvious.

 

I also don't want to come across as all preachy. Vegans are good at

doing that - I'm one of the best preachers in the trade (or worst,

depending on your point of view), so I should know!

 

What I will say is that, in order for us to advance as a species and

as a civilization, we need to learn to be responsible. We need to open

our eyes and look about, and see what we can do to change the world.

 

Some people say that there's not a lot one person can do. I reckon

that's rubbish. Saying there's nothing one person can do then

proceeding to do nothing is giving away both our power and our

responsibility. It's throwing this beautiful, fragile, glorious planet

into the too-hard basket. It's giving in; it's saying that being a

loser is acceptable.

 

I'm sick of losers. They're a pitiful, sniffling bunch. I can almost

hear them whinging from here: " But I don't want to give up meat! I

don't want to stop smoking! I don't want to be bothered with

recycling, or re-using, or with ethical shopping, or with living

within my means. "

 

" After all, " they say. " Life is short. "

 

Well, I believe life is too short for whinging, for making excuses,

for copping out, for refusing to take responsibility for our actions.

If life is short, and this is all there is to it, and there is no

heaven or afterlife, then that makes this life, this world, even more

precious. And if there is a Goddess or God up there, or down here, or

in some parallel Universe, do you really think She/He would want to

waste Her/His time on a pack of whingers who couldn't be bothered to

take care of this planet, the most precious gift of all?

 

Just imagine - for a moment - that the Rapture isn't going to happen

any time soon. That there is no afterlife or reincarnation. That this

short, wonderful life is it. Then consider all those items you

purchased bulk-discount. All those steaks you have eaten. All those

gallons of fatty milk you have drunk. Have they made you a happier,

more complete person? If your honest answer is yes then go on doing

what you're doing, and stop reading this rant now because I probably

don't have anything more that you would want to hear.

 

But if you, like me, know that true happiness comes from loving

others, taking care of our families and friends, being kind to

non-human animals, and preserving our ancient wildernesses - if you

know that happiness can't be bought or sold in a box, no matter how

well that box is presented or which deluxe store it came from - then

we might have something in common. And there are millions of people

out there, just like us, who have this in common with us too.

 

I'm asking you to stand up and be counted. Make a vow to yourself, or

to God, or to your family, or to whatever or whomever you hold dear,

that you will seek to fight the good fight. Stand on the side of the

earth, and the animals, and the generations to come. They all depend

on you to do so.

 

With great power comes great responsibility. But responsibility can

also be a gift. We are Caretakers of this planet, Guardians of its

flora and fauna. We are Stewards of its high mountains and scorched

silent deserts and blossoming valleys and quiet creeks and deep blue

oceans.

 

Open yours eyes. Look around. And be proud to take responsibility for

this shining planet Earth.

 

====

You can read more Rants & Raves at the VeganForLife website

http://www.veganforlife.org

[Guest guest]

Ya know as I was reading this I was somewhat irritated that I would read it

on a vegan list. Guess I figured that vegans has stepped outside the box on

their thinking.

 

Sure humans can build things some pretty complicated things but I don't

think we are unique or special. I've also found that animals are just as

capable of thinking, reasoning, planning and knowing the consequences of

their actions. No to the unth degree as humans and perhaps not all animals

but they do just about everything humans do, just specific to their own

needs.

 

To this day the dams that beavers build will last as long and sometimes

longer than those humans build with machines.

 

If you want to see thinking, reasoning and planning, I'd invite you to come

and watch Tuff-Enuf Mugwump and her on going wars with the squirrels.

 

Or watch her when she is playing with DH. He teases her, sometimes she

teases him. He sometimes frustrates her and she'd like to take a big chunk

out of him. Instead she bites the comforter on our bed.

 

She also doesn't like having a second dog in the house. However, she knows

that if she hurts Hurrican Cali that she will be in trouble. So instead she

knocks her over and snaps and growls and threatens to tear open her belly.

When she has her over on her back it would be beyond easy for her to

actually tear a whole in Cali. She doesn't because she knows she would be

in trouble.

 

Or perhaps watch our old Arab stallion, Mah Riif, who had been abused. When

the woman we bought him from would visit the ranch he would hide, watch

around a corner until she was relaxed and within easy distance of his

pasture. He would flatten his ears, bare his teeth and wait. Then he'd

charge the fence, slide up to it bumping it with his chest and snake his

head over the top board. She'd scream, jump and then run a distance from

the fence. He'd rear up, spin around and then " dance " around his pasture

waving his head, tail up high. There is no doubt whatsoever that he was

tickled pink with himself and laughing like a loon at her.

 

Now, I know he thought the whole thing through including the consequences of

his actions. He could have just as easily broken the fence and actually

gotten to her. He knew he'd have been in deep doggy doo if he'd done that.

He had gotten in trouble and been locked in his stall and turn out pen for a

week once because he'd broken a fence. He never did it again. Consequences

and he didn't like them.

 

While some folks are all for saving animals, I still think they are into the

whole human superior think. Some animals are dumb. Some are just plain

stupid. but then so are some humans <g>

 

Lynda

-

Leanne Daharja Veitch <daharja

 

Thursday, June 30, 2005 3:43 PM

Rants and Raves 54 - Power and responsibility

 

 

> POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY

>

> I'm one of those weird people who believes humans are animals. We

> might be a bit smarter than most of them, and we're certainly more

> destructive and violent, but in the end we're just animals. If there

> is such a thing as a soul, then I believe animals have it too - from

> the greatest whale to the smallest bug that crawls across the ground.

>

> But although we are animals, we are also something quite different. We

> have the ability to think and reason, and plan our actions, and we

> have the ability to understand the consequences of those actions.

> Although many of the more intelligent species on this planet can push

> a button to receive a serve of food, we're the only species with the

> ability to build the button and the machine that does the serving.

>

> In other words, although we are animals, we are something unique and

> special as well. Our combination of brain, language and dexterity

> gives us control over our surroundings in a way that no other animal

> can match.

>

> There's this great line in one of my favourite movies, SpiderMan.

> Uncle Ben is talking to Peter Parker (a.k.a. SpiderMan) and he says:

> " With great power there comes great responsibility. "

>

> I believe that we, as the dominant species on the planet, should live

> by these words. We should - we must - take these words into our hearts

> and minds, and live them daily in every way possible.

>

> Unfortunately, when it comes to responsibility, humanity isn't doing

> too well.

>

> I could go into reams of statistics about the environment - about land

> degradation, about our ancient rainforests disappearing, about our

> oceans being overfished, about the Barrier Reef dying. I could talk

> about the Ozone layer, or the millions of plastic bags we use and

> throw away each year.

>

> I could talk about these things, but I won't. You already know the

> details, unless you've been living under a rock these last few years

> with our old mate George Dubya Bush. There's no point in restating the

> obvious.

>

> I also don't want to come across as all preachy. Vegans are good at

> doing that - I'm one of the best preachers in the trade (or worst,

> depending on your point of view), so I should know!

>

> What I will say is that, in order for us to advance as a species and

> as a civilization, we need to learn to be responsible. We need to open

> our eyes and look about, and see what we can do to change the world.

>

> Some people say that there's not a lot one person can do. I reckon

> that's rubbish. Saying there's nothing one person can do then

> proceeding to do nothing is giving away both our power and our

> responsibility. It's throwing this beautiful, fragile, glorious planet

> into the too-hard basket. It's giving in; it's saying that being a

> loser is acceptable.

>

> I'm sick of losers. They're a pitiful, sniffling bunch. I can almost

> hear them whinging from here: " But I don't want to give up meat! I

> don't want to stop smoking! I don't want to be bothered with

> recycling, or re-using, or with ethical shopping, or with living

> within my means. "

>

> " After all, " they say. " Life is short. "

>

> Well, I believe life is too short for whinging, for making excuses,

> for copping out, for refusing to take responsibility for our actions.

> If life is short, and this is all there is to it, and there is no

> heaven or afterlife, then that makes this life, this world, even more

> precious. And if there is a Goddess or God up there, or down here, or

> in some parallel Universe, do you really think She/He would want to

> waste Her/His time on a pack of whingers who couldn't be bothered to

> take care of this planet, the most precious gift of all?

>

> Just imagine - for a moment - that the Rapture isn't going to happen

> any time soon. That there is no afterlife or reincarnation. That this

> short, wonderful life is it. Then consider all those items you

> purchased bulk-discount. All those steaks you have eaten. All those

> gallons of fatty milk you have drunk. Have they made you a happier,

> more complete person? If your honest answer is yes then go on doing

> what you're doing, and stop reading this rant now because I probably

> don't have anything more that you would want to hear.

>

> But if you, like me, know that true happiness comes from loving

> others, taking care of our families and friends, being kind to

> non-human animals, and preserving our ancient wildernesses - if you

> know that happiness can't be bought or sold in a box, no matter how

> well that box is presented or which deluxe store it came from - then

> we might have something in common. And there are millions of people

> out there, just like us, who have this in common with us too.

>

> I'm asking you to stand up and be counted. Make a vow to yourself, or

> to God, or to your family, or to whatever or whomever you hold dear,

> that you will seek to fight the good fight. Stand on the side of the

> earth, and the animals, and the generations to come. They all depend

> on you to do so.

>

> With great power comes great responsibility. But responsibility can

> also be a gift. We are Caretakers of this planet, Guardians of its

> flora and fauna. We are Stewards of its high mountains and scorched

> silent deserts and blossoming valleys and quiet creeks and deep blue

> oceans.

>

> Open yours eyes. Look around. And be proud to take responsibility for

> this shining planet Earth.

>

> ====

> You can read more Rants & Raves at the VeganForLife website

> http://www.veganforlife.org

>

>

>

>

> To send an email to -

>

[Guest guest]

Lynda

 

Those are my feelings too. I don't have as much experience with animals as

you, but those I have watched certainly show the ability to affect their

surroundings. Even our little budgies had differing abilities - one used to

like to weave the strings of his dangly bells around the side bar of his

swing. They all had a sense of humour, and knew how to get various

reactions from us and how to make us laugh.

 

Jo

 

> Ya know as I was reading this I was somewhat irritated that I would read

it

> on a vegan list. Guess I figured that vegans has stepped outside the box

on

> their thinking.

>

> Sure humans can build things some pretty complicated things but I don't

> think we are unique or special. I've also found that animals are just as

> capable of thinking, reasoning, planning and knowing the consequences of

> their actions. No to the unth degree as humans and perhaps not all

animals

> but they do just about everything humans do, just specific to their own

> needs.

>

> To this day the dams that beavers build will last as long and sometimes

> longer than those humans build with machines.

>

> If you want to see thinking, reasoning and planning, I'd invite you to

come

> and watch Tuff-Enuf Mugwump and her on going wars with the squirrels.

>

> Or watch her when she is playing with DH. He teases her, sometimes she

> teases him. He sometimes frustrates her and she'd like to take a big

chunk

> out of him. Instead she bites the comforter on our bed.

>

> She also doesn't like having a second dog in the house. However, she

knows

> that if she hurts Hurrican Cali that she will be in trouble. So instead

she

> knocks her over and snaps and growls and threatens to tear open her belly.

> When she has her over on her back it would be beyond easy for her to

> actually tear a whole in Cali. She doesn't because she knows she would be

> in trouble.

>

> Or perhaps watch our old Arab stallion, Mah Riif, who had been abused.

When

> the woman we bought him from would visit the ranch he would hide, watch

> around a corner until she was relaxed and within easy distance of his

> pasture. He would flatten his ears, bare his teeth and wait. Then he'd

> charge the fence, slide up to it bumping it with his chest and snake his

> head over the top board. She'd scream, jump and then run a distance from

> the fence. He'd rear up, spin around and then " dance " around his pasture

> waving his head, tail up high. There is no doubt whatsoever that he was

> tickled pink with himself and laughing like a loon at her.

>

> Now, I know he thought the whole thing through including the consequences

of

> his actions. He could have just as easily broken the fence and actually

> gotten to her. He knew he'd have been in deep doggy doo if he'd done

that.

> He had gotten in trouble and been locked in his stall and turn out pen for

a

> week once because he'd broken a fence. He never did it again.

Consequences

> and he didn't like them.

>

> While some folks are all for saving animals, I still think they are into

the

> whole human superior think. Some animals are dumb. Some are just plain

> stupid. but then so are some humans <g>

>

> Lynda

> -

> Leanne Daharja Veitch <daharja

>

> Thursday, June 30, 2005 3:43 PM

> Rants and Raves 54 - Power and responsibility

>

>

> > POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY

> >

> > I'm one of those weird people who believes humans are animals. We

> > might be a bit smarter than most of them, and we're certainly more

> > destructive and violent, but in the end we're just animals. If there

> > is such a thing as a soul, then I believe animals have it too - from

> > the greatest whale to the smallest bug that crawls across the ground.

> >

> > But although we are animals, we are also something quite different. We

> > have the ability to think and reason, and plan our actions, and we

> > have the ability to understand the consequences of those actions.

> > Although many of the more intelligent species on this planet can push

> > a button to receive a serve of food, we're the only species with the

> > ability to build the button and the machine that does the serving.

> >

> > In other words, although we are animals, we are something unique and

> > special as well. Our combination of brain, language and dexterity

> > gives us control over our surroundings in a way that no other animal

> > can match.

> >

> > There's this great line in one of my favourite movies, SpiderMan.

> > Uncle Ben is talking to Peter Parker (a.k.a. SpiderMan) and he says:

> > " With great power there comes great responsibility. "

> >

> > I believe that we, as the dominant species on the planet, should live

> > by these words. We should - we must - take these words into our hearts

> > and minds, and live them daily in every way possible.

> >

> > Unfortunately, when it comes to responsibility, humanity isn't doing

> > too well.

> >

> > I could go into reams of statistics about the environment - about land

> > degradation, about our ancient rainforests disappearing, about our

> > oceans being overfished, about the Barrier Reef dying. I could talk

> > about the Ozone layer, or the millions of plastic bags we use and

> > throw away each year.

> >

> > I could talk about these things, but I won't. You already know the

> > details, unless you've been living under a rock these last few years

> > with our old mate George Dubya Bush. There's no point in restating the

> > obvious.

> >

> > I also don't want to come across as all preachy. Vegans are good at

> > doing that - I'm one of the best preachers in the trade (or worst,

> > depending on your point of view), so I should know!

> >

> > What I will say is that, in order for us to advance as a species and

> > as a civilization, we need to learn to be responsible. We need to open

> > our eyes and look about, and see what we can do to change the world.

> >

> > Some people say that there's not a lot one person can do. I reckon

> > that's rubbish. Saying there's nothing one person can do then

> > proceeding to do nothing is giving away both our power and our

> > responsibility. It's throwing this beautiful, fragile, glorious planet

> > into the too-hard basket. It's giving in; it's saying that being a

> > loser is acceptable.

> >

> > I'm sick of losers. They're a pitiful, sniffling bunch. I can almost

> > hear them whinging from here: " But I don't want to give up meat! I

> > don't want to stop smoking! I don't want to be bothered with

> > recycling, or re-using, or with ethical shopping, or with living

> > within my means. "

> >

> > " After all, " they say. " Life is short. "

> >

> > Well, I believe life is too short for whinging, for making excuses,

> > for copping out, for refusing to take responsibility for our actions.

> > If life is short, and this is all there is to it, and there is no

> > heaven or afterlife, then that makes this life, this world, even more

> > precious. And if there is a Goddess or God up there, or down here, or

> > in some parallel Universe, do you really think She/He would want to

> > waste Her/His time on a pack of whingers who couldn't be bothered to

> > take care of this planet, the most precious gift of all?

> >

> > Just imagine - for a moment - that the Rapture isn't going to happen

> > any time soon. That there is no afterlife or reincarnation. That this

> > short, wonderful life is it. Then consider all those items you

> > purchased bulk-discount. All those steaks you have eaten. All those

> > gallons of fatty milk you have drunk. Have they made you a happier,

> > more complete person? If your honest answer is yes then go on doing

> > what you're doing, and stop reading this rant now because I probably

> > don't have anything more that you would want to hear.

> >

> > But if you, like me, know that true happiness comes from loving

> > others, taking care of our families and friends, being kind to

> > non-human animals, and preserving our ancient wildernesses - if you

> > know that happiness can't be bought or sold in a box, no matter how

> > well that box is presented or which deluxe store it came from - then

> > we might have something in common. And there are millions of people

> > out there, just like us, who have this in common with us too.

> >

> > I'm asking you to stand up and be counted. Make a vow to yourself, or

> > to God, or to your family, or to whatever or whomever you hold dear,

> > that you will seek to fight the good fight. Stand on the side of the

> > earth, and the animals, and the generations to come. They all depend

> > on you to do so.

> >

> > With great power comes great responsibility. But responsibility can

> > also be a gift. We are Caretakers of this planet, Guardians of its

> > flora and fauna. We are Stewards of its high mountains and scorched

> > silent deserts and blossoming valleys and quiet creeks and deep blue

> > oceans.

> >

> > Open yours eyes. Look around. And be proud to take responsibility for

> > this shining planet Earth.

> >

> > ====

> > You can read more Rants & Raves at the VeganForLife website

> > http://www.veganforlife.org

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > To send an email to -

> >

[Guest guest]

Very well said Lynda!

 

Nikki

 

 

 

, " Lynda " <lurine@s...> wrote:

> Ya know as I was reading this I was somewhat irritated that I

would read it

> on a vegan list. Guess I figured that vegans has stepped outside

the box on

> their thinking.

>

> Sure humans can build things some pretty complicated things but I

don't

> think we are unique or special. I've also found that animals are

just as

> capable of thinking, reasoning, planning and knowing the

consequences of

> their actions. No to the unth degree as humans and perhaps not

all animals

> but they do just about everything humans do, just specific to

their own

> needs.

>

<<SNIP>>

[Guest guest]

> Sure humans can build things some pretty complicated things but I don't

> think we are unique or special. I've also found that animals are just as

> capable of thinking, reasoning, planning and knowing the consequences of

> their actions. No to the unth degree as humans and perhaps not all

animals

> but they do just about everything humans do, just specific to their own

> needs.

 

This conversation reminds me a bit of Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy...

(paraphrased as I haven't got the book to hand)

 

" Humans believed that they were the most intelligent species on Earth,

because of all that humanity had achieved: cars, bombs, war, and so on.

Dolphins believed that they were the most intelligent for precisely the same

reasons. "

 

Incidentally, the quote " with great power comes great responsibility " might

have been knicked by Spiderman, but it's way older... I can't quite remember

where from, but I've never seen Spiderman, and I know the quote from a very

long time ago.

 

BB

Peter

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

Yes - I think the quote ('with great power comes great

responsibility') is far older too. But I knew the quote was in the

movie SpiderMan, and that most of my readers would be familiar with it

from that movie.

 

It's a fantastic quote - and it's so relevant to today's society,

which is why I wanted to focus on it for the 'Rant'. It's interesting

that this egroup has focused on the animals as builders & animal

society aspect of the piece, though, and the criticism is welcome and

valid.

 

I absolutely believe that humans and non-human animals are far closer

than most people would like to believe - and this is born out in study

after study that finds animals capable of abstract reasoning ( e.g.

primates and cephalopods), understanding morality and fairness (most

larger mammals), love and lifetime pair-bonding (e.g. galahs and other

birds), tool-manufacture (e.g.various rodents and birds), building

long-lasting structures (many animals right the way through from

molluscs to primates), language (too many animal species to count),

'written' language (e.g. honeybees), highly organised social

structures (most herd and colony animals), mourning the dead (e.g.

elephants and most pair-bonded animals) and so on. I can't think of a

single human aspect that other animals don't possess, except, perhaps,

the ability and willingness to wage war on others of our species that

pose no threat to us and who we haven't even seen!

 

A lot of humans find this threatening - instead, I find this

liberating. Man is not 'the measure of all things' - we never were and

never will be. What we are, I believe, is a wayward species with the

capacity for greatness as caretakers and guardians of this wonderful

world. That's what I was really trying to get across in my 'rant'.

 

Cheers,

 

Leanne

(author, 'Power and Responsibility')

http://www.veganforlife.org

>

> Incidentally, the quote " with great power comes great

responsibility " might

> have been knicked by Spiderman, but it's way older... I can't quite

remember

> where from, but I've never seen Spiderman, and I know the quote from

a very

> long time ago.

>

> BB

> Peter