Seeking Our Own Humanity (WAS: Help! Our school is planning pony rides!)

October 27, 2009

I find it fascinating that all you people, who would have others believe you are so concerned about the welfare of creatures, cannot abide so simple an idea as simply talking with the owners of THIS pony ride. How hard can this be?

Throughout this entire conversation, I've never expressed whether I personally believe this pony ride is a "good" or "bad" thing. I hold no such opinion, nor would I choose to hold such an opinion even after knowing the pony ride owner/operator. I would not choose to fill my own mind with such judgments.

Instead, I would prefer simply inform myself. Only then would I form an opinion, and then only as to whether I wanted that ride at that event, nothing more. I must admit, I am finding it difficult to comprehend why such a step, which seems to obvious, straightforward, and simply to me, seems foreign or even incomprehensible to some others. Perhaps I am really missing something. ???

Is anyone here really so pure as to sit rightfully in judgment of others? Does anyone here really wish to live out his/her life making all sorts of harsh judgments about people we've never met and and about whom we know nothing whatsoever? What kind of people do we wish to be, anyway?

I urge some of you to grab hold of your own humanity and snap yourselves out of living in a world of gross and completely impersonal generalizations. Whoever owns this particular pony ride is not a generalization. He or she is someone, a man or woman (or both) of flesh and blood, just like each of us here. And right now, we have exactly zero knowledge about THIS pony ride owner/operator ... THIS man or woman. Does not such a creature, whose inherent worth equals that of each of us here, deserve at least a modicum of respect and an opportunity to speak, just for being?

Everyone here is aware that many firms, which use animals in commerce, abuse those animals. But this does not mean that they all do, and it certainly does not mean that THIS particular firm does. Each of us desires to be treated as an individual. Why are not these people, whoever they are, entitled to the same treatment, the same fairness, the same equality of process and just plain consideration?

Sarah, just go talk with these people, and do it with an open mind. Just come from a place of pure curiosity. Pick up your phone, that's all it takes to begin. For if you don't, you'll likely harbor whatever ill feelings you presently hold for years to come. In other words, you will harm yourself. Why?

Best,Elchanan

On Behalf Of cay snowTuesday, October 27, 2009 7:17 PM Subject: Re: Help! Our school is planning pony rides!

I have read some of the posts regarding this issue, and strongly feel that pony rides are a form of animal exploitation. Unlike a mother who "for fun" carries her kids on her back, the ponies have not consented. For childrens' rides, ponies are often not watered or fed all day to prevent them from urinating or defecating in the circle as they walk endlessly around and around. Animals in petting zoos spend their lives being roughly handled by an unending series of sometimes ignorant and unsupervised youngsters. I have two children of my own, and although we love animals, would never visit them under these circumstances.

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