Let Lucy Be Moved To A Sanctuary

 Most, if not all Elephants who once lived in the confinement of a Zoo begin to flourish and thrive once in an environment more suited to their natural habitat. Anybody who honestly explores the potential health challenges of allowing a sentient being like Lucy to be confined to a Zoo, will likely come to the same conclusion as I have. Lucy is destined for a far better life in an environment where she can freely roam on the grass and earth, where her feet will not become diseased from standing on hard cement, where she can forage for food, shake trees and trumpet to other elephants across the hundreds of acres of forest that would be her home in a place like The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.
For the Edmonton City Counsellors and community Lucy is a novelty. A magnificent foreign elephant to observe and use as a tool for education and entertainment purposes. The Edmonton Zoo will use Lucy is a main attraction to attract tourists and their dollars to an outdated dynasty of hoarding various exotic species. 

However for those of us who love her and her extended Elephant family we strive to protect them from human neglect and abuse. She is not an object to perform for us. She is not some 'thing' we value, she is some 'one' we value. She is not here for our pleasure, but rather has an intelligent life with needs of her own. She is a deeply feeling and emotional being who desires to live on her own unique terms. But humanity has destroyed the possibility of her living out her life in freedom. Human beings are responsible for destroying her habitat, poaching the tusks of many of her relatives and stealing young babies away from their families so that they can use these magnificent animals for their personal entertainment.

When one stands back and looks at this situation without financial or entertainment gain, one can truly see that what Lucy truly needs is a home, not an enclosure. And after a little contemplation and research it would be fairly logical to conclude there is nothing but benefits for Lucy in moving to a Sanctuary where she would be surrounded by many acres of forest, earth, elephants and loving people who have not their own, but Lucy's best interests at heart.

Lucy needs to be in a place where she is both loved and respected. A Zoo is a holding cell for animals to be peered at through iron bars. No matter how much the public loves her they are not respecting her by forcing her to stay in a place that is so unnatural for a being of her magnificent size, delicate nature and shattered spirit.

From someone who deeply respects the life of all sentient beings.

Women Who Wear Fur

Never before in civilization has the human being lived with the far ranging choice of luxury she does today.  She lives with the choice to purchase apples from China and water from Fiji.  She can purchase a home made of wood from the rainforest, stone upturned from the depths of the earth. She can by moon stone, diamonds, gold, silver, amber, amythest.  She can live off Kayobi cow from Japan, tofu, vegetables, Dijon from France or wine from Italy.  Her choices are infinite in every single luxurious decision she makes.  Why then, with Gortex, Mountain Equipment Coop and Lulu lemon is she choosing to wear fur?
What an elite position to be in. The fortune to make such delectable choices from around the globe in an instant.  Walk into any store, go onto any online store and the choices are withering.  There is a great cartoon from Raeside.  A woman wearing a fur coat and behind her is the blood dripping from the animal that was slaughtered for her gluttony.  This is the choice of every fur wearing woman.  Behind them is a trail of blood so painful that it stains the earth, the steely traps and the filthy mink cages behind them.  But worse:  an estimated 80% of North American fur comes from China.  In china pets are stolen from the streets in order to contribute to the global market of fur trade.  Cats and dogs, that were once pets and are often trapped with their collars still on are sent to the warehouse where they are sliced open from anus to throat while still alive.  Chances are, the woman next to you is wearing somebody’s pet.  Next time you see somebody with a fur collar on or trim of any kind, take a look, you will see the multi coloured layers of dog fur lacing their warm down jacket.
Nov 28th was International Anti Fur day.  Over 30 countries participated around the globe to condemn the horrifying practice of this long outdated and unnecessary practice.  In Vancouver, the Vancouver Hotel was targeted with it’s Gucci and Snowflake store which is full of fur from every corner of the globe.  Local animal lovers from 5 different organizations showed up to take a stand for the animals that have lost their coats to the greed of consumerism…..And I would ask you, there lives are stolen for a mere few pennies at the bottom line…is it really worth it? http://animalsaviors.org/

Whale Wars Premier November 9th

About the two coolest things you can do right now to be not only involved in, but ahead of the environmental movement is to become Vegan and to support the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.  Both are grass roots societies that have deep roots in the protection of our earth’s fragile ecosystem.

Every second word I hear now a days is about being green.  Yet the hardest, but most effective choice in actually being green is to halt the use and abuse of all animal products.  This is one of the cornerstones of environmental teachings and has now become a United Nations guideline for the optimal choice in living green.    Somebody driving their gas guzzling Hummer around all day still doesn’t come close to the C02 emissions that a meat eating human being does.

In the same way that eating meat is just not hip or cool, Greenpeace is also sliding in popularity among the modern activists.  Greenpeace has done a lot of great things and continues to do so, but their multi million dollar industry doesn’t get close to the activities and accomplishments that Sea Shepherd does.  Paul Watson immediately turns their small and limited funding into direct action against illegal fishing operations.  But Greenpeace has their hands tied with their multi million dollar beneficiary’s.  Greenpeace, cofounded by Captain Watson himself, became too much about publicity and politics for Paul, so he started fresh by becoming a Shepherd of the Sea, so named by The Georgia Straight in the 1970’s.  

Paul Watson, Shepherd of the Sea, advocates for the animals of the planet and specializes in the unregulated, unchartered areas that are ocean bound.  Captain Watson is also a Vegan.  So are his crew and so are all of his working ships while out on the frigid Antarctic waters.  Captain Watson supports Veganism because he loves life.  He loves this planet and lives his truth as he risks his life repeatedly while protecting the whales,  dolphins, seals and all the other unknown species that still have some remaining habitat left.  If you want to get a glimpse into the life and work of this legendary, yet still largely unknown man tune into Animal Planet on November 7th  IN the US and November 9th in Canada. . This 7 part series called Whale Wars shows the real life adventures that he and his crew endure and live through in dealing with the mofia and corporate style fishing industry.  This is no movie.  This is real the thing:  http://animal.discovery.com/tv/whale-wars/

Beijing Olympics~ Under The Covers

I am very curious about where the average world citizen stands on “the stage” of the 2008 Chinese Olympic Activities.  I have always been an advocate for human rights, but in the last years I have decided to educate myself on the existence of animals around the world.  This has brought me to a whole new level of understanding…..a level of understanding of the carnivorous, voracious and merciless appetite that human beings have for eating, destroying and utilizing animals in every form possible from meat, clothing, medicine, entertainment and companionship.   And animals being the most vulnerable, disrespected and unprotected under the “reign” of our human consumption are the ones that I now speak for:  the ones who have no voice, no freedom, no protection and no power.   So, while a few concerned citizens around the world set aside their t.v. sets in order to boycott the merciless killing that has been endured under this regime, I wonder how many are lulled into the commonplace sense that all is well in the world while watching New China emerge from the dark age of existence.  Media exploits our senses like an electronic diagram or a system of emotional switches with complete ease, embracing our naivety as a new born in the palm of their hand…or a butterfly about to erupt into freedom…and this is exactly how China wishes to be seen.   The butterfly cascading from it’s long sleepy cocoon.  And our presidents, prime ministers, politicians and media play right into this dream. But the truth is the premeditated, merciless cruelty that occurred pre China Olympics is on such a colossal scale that it would bring the hardest of hearts to his or her knees.   Behind the scenes of this poetic view of the Olympics is a street swept, dog culled, human evicted catastrophe. China allows us only to see what it wants us to see, having complete control not only of it’s own people, but of those minds and hearts around the world who peer in through it’s discriminating lenses.  China wants to be accepted as a big player now, but it doesn’t want to change it’s inhumane tactics in order to do.

Although China refuses to play by the rest of the world’s rules, they do know what the world needs to see in order to be accepted: dog meat on the menu is not one of them.  It has been temporarily removed from the menus.   The most horrendous part about dog meat is how the dogs are killed.  They are intentionally beaten and forced to observe other dogs being killed in order to flood their bodies with adrenaline.  This apparently makes the dog tastier.  Sometimes, the meat is removed from their bodies while they are still alive.   Both cats and dogs have been brutally taken from their loving owners over the past 4 years in order to clean up the streets for the Olympics.  Then they are handed over to the fur trade industry where they are crammed into small crates, thrown around until their necks and backs are broken and skinned alive.  There is a reason they are skinned alive….it makes the removal of the fur much easier….and if you are brave enough to watch one of the many video clips of this happening you will notice the smiles and laughter of the men and woman doing their work.  However, this is only the tip of the iceburg in animal cruelty.  When I think of the horrors and exploitation of animals everywhere, I realize I don’t actually live on a blue and green planet called earth…I live in a merciless civilization called Hell.  And behind the doors of tranquility of these Olympics lies the cradle of cruelty that exists around the world and in our own backyards.  
"The world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing" Albert Einstein.

If anybody would like to find out more about what can be done please contact me at intotheeyesofgod@yahoo.ca or daniellamanda@yahoo.com
My website ~ mostly a collection of poetry, images and articles at this point is http://www.intotheeyesofgod.org

http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/cruelty_issues_around_the_world/dying_for_fur_recent_investigation_shows_cruelty_at_chinese_fur_farms.html
http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/cruelty_issues_around_the_world/dying_for_fur_recent_investigation_shows_cruelty_at_chinese_fur_farms.html
http://www.newswithviews.com/Devvy/kidd144.htm
http://www.furisdead.com/
http://www.furisdead.com/feat_anti-fur_video_vote.asp
http://www.freewebs.com/dogsinasia/index.htm
http://www.freewebs.com/dogsinasia/thecarpetofcruelty.htm
http://www.admh.org/
http://www.petatv.com/
http://www.animal-protection.net/furtrade/chinafur.html
http://www.darfurolympics.org/

Landlord Tenant Feudal System

Landlord is a term of property ownership that can be traced back as far
as the Roman Empire where peasants were bound to their feudal lord.
The relationship between owner and tenant is still very important
symbolically, financially and emotionally.   Yet how far should the
term 'landlord' be used to justify the terms and conditions of those
who are renting?  Not always, but often, those with disposable incomes
are able to purchase a large percentage of the available housing
thereby dictating the terms of the tenants' circumstances.
When these  rules extend to where people can and cannot live, it
can be a very emotional situation.  Today’s family extends far beyond
human/human interactions and into inter-species interactions.
Companion animals such as cats have a traceable lineage back 10,000
years in Egypt, where they were so revered they were often mummified or
buried with their owners.  All types of companion animals are not only
an integral part of the family, but an integral part of society. And
they should be treasured as the vital element of our complex society
that they are.
As man's best friend, a dog should be right there beside his friend in
every instant.  A cat is a complicated social creature requiring a
significant amount of attention and care.  A bird taken away from its
sky is completely dependent on the caretaker, the guardian of his or
her life.
Although current law states that the landlord sets the terms and
conditions of rental properties with regard to pets, morally and
ethically I don’t know if this is fair.  Considering the huge
contribution animals make to our physical, emotional and mental health
it is devastating to see these family members tossed aside due to the
lack of accommodation available for our animals.   I wish our
relationships with animals were as valued in our financial investments
as they are in our hearts and souls.  It is heartbreaking for the
family or individual to lose animal companions; it is often the end of
a life for an animal who loses it’s family, either through a broken
heart or through the euthanasia they are sure to receive in the animal
shelter where they end up.  I believe attitudes and legalities need to
progress on this issue.  Our laws protecting animals are nearly as
antiquated as the medieval understanding of a “Landlord.”  Our
relationships with animals have far surpassed what our tenant laws allow
for, thus creating a huge disparage between availability and need.  If the
laws are not yet ready to stand up for animals, perhaps human ethics and
a developed sensitivity towards human and animal needs will.