metaphortunate son (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
metaphortunate) wrote2014-04-08 09:59 pm
metaphortunate) wrote2014-04-08 09:59 pm
Entry tags:
set the captives free
I went to the pet store today to buy fish food for the fish in the day care aquarium.
I nearly threw up. There were like a million catatonic bettas there, nearly motionless in their three quarters of a cup of water which is all they give them. There was one chinchilla all alone which no one will ever buy because it was all grown. So many animals in tiny little boxes.
I know, I know, I eat animals. But the truth is that I’d be moving towards vegan if that wouldn’t end up with me getting divorced. But also true is that me being vegan on my own, like even if I were a real vegan rather than, y’know, making gestures in that direction which is what I would even have the energy for, wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference to the amount of animal suffering in the world, not a drop in the ocean’s worth. Not even to the animal suffering caused by humans, which, can you compare it to the amount of animal suffering caused by other animals?
Henry Mitchell (on whom more anon) writes, “Nature is endlessly ingenious and, of course, unspeakably vicious and barbaric. Any complaints should be sent not to me but to the designer of the universe. I never minded the fact that the whole system rests essentially on death, and who eats whom, but surely a kinder, gentler means of death could have been devised for bugs, bunnies, and so forth. The only good thing about the system is that from time to time nature is beautiful beyond dreaming, and nothing can be done about it.”
I mind. I mind, I don’t know why. Probably I was raised wrong without enough contact with death. Probably we should be taking the Junebug, and Rocket when he is old enough, to tour an abattoir and teach them to kill chickens and butcher cattle. It’s too late for me, I mind. And nothing can be done about it. Sometimes it seems to me that the definition of life is just matter having gained the capacity to suffer. I used to think it was sad that as far as we know there is only life on this one tiny planet in the universe, and the rest of the whole thing will have no one to appreciate it, ever. The more I think of it, the more I think of the universe as an amazing system of beauty infested with one bit of perverse filth in one tiny corner. At least it is on its way to wiping itself out. Let matter set itself free.
I nearly threw up. There were like a million catatonic bettas there, nearly motionless in their three quarters of a cup of water which is all they give them. There was one chinchilla all alone which no one will ever buy because it was all grown. So many animals in tiny little boxes.
I know, I know, I eat animals. But the truth is that I’d be moving towards vegan if that wouldn’t end up with me getting divorced. But also true is that me being vegan on my own, like even if I were a real vegan rather than, y’know, making gestures in that direction which is what I would even have the energy for, wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference to the amount of animal suffering in the world, not a drop in the ocean’s worth. Not even to the animal suffering caused by humans, which, can you compare it to the amount of animal suffering caused by other animals?
Henry Mitchell (on whom more anon) writes, “Nature is endlessly ingenious and, of course, unspeakably vicious and barbaric. Any complaints should be sent not to me but to the designer of the universe. I never minded the fact that the whole system rests essentially on death, and who eats whom, but surely a kinder, gentler means of death could have been devised for bugs, bunnies, and so forth. The only good thing about the system is that from time to time nature is beautiful beyond dreaming, and nothing can be done about it.”
I mind. I mind, I don’t know why. Probably I was raised wrong without enough contact with death. Probably we should be taking the Junebug, and Rocket when he is old enough, to tour an abattoir and teach them to kill chickens and butcher cattle. It’s too late for me, I mind. And nothing can be done about it. Sometimes it seems to me that the definition of life is just matter having gained the capacity to suffer. I used to think it was sad that as far as we know there is only life on this one tiny planet in the universe, and the rest of the whole thing will have no one to appreciate it, ever. The more I think of it, the more I think of the universe as an amazing system of beauty infested with one bit of perverse filth in one tiny corner. At least it is on its way to wiping itself out. Let matter set itself free.
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I've had to dramatically up my meat intake recently for health reasons, after being nearly vegetarian for 15 years. I'm coping with it. It actually helps that we're in a rural college town, so there are plenty of people interested in free-range/grass-fed meats and plenty of farmland nearby to raise them on. So I get my eggs and chicken from Sarah & Jason and my beef from Josh, and I can take a little drive out of town any time I want to go visit my future dinner. I can truly say that they are happy, healthy animals... until I eat them.
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Or the Dr Dolittle novel in which the Doctor and Jip and many other animals break and enter a Very Bad Pet Shop and free the animals?
I grew up in
* I am imperfect.
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I have not read those.
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And yes, I would eat SO MUCH LESS MEAT if I weren't married to a committed carnivore. R has recently been complaining about people "hurting nature" (chopping down Xmas trees, hunting animals) and we are talking about creature comforts and ethical tradeoffs a lot. Though you're right, the individual's impact is so tiny it almost seems negligible.
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The good part about taking comfort in the death of us all is that, well, it will happen! That is one we can count on! Is it really so weird to think it won't be a tragedy?
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I think about the only fish more poorly treated than bettas are goldfish. It's really frustrating as a fish lover. I've received shipped fish and gone to auctions where the fish for sale are packaged similarly (although usually in much bigger containers, but still about 1/3 water, 2/3 air because having sufficient oxygen is most important) and while it is stressful for them, it's also temporary. The big problem is the people that think that this is how bettas should live long term. I probably won't keep a betta in anything smaller than a 10 gallon tank anymore. they just have so much more personality and verve in a larger environment. Yeah, their home conditions are a lot different than stream and pond fish, but for all that the rice paddies they're from are shallow, they're also HUGE. It makes a significant difference.
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I know what you mean, but for me it's about capitalism: UGH, CAPITALISM, YOU MAKE EVERYTHING TERRIBLE AND YET I AM ENMESHED AND CONTRIBUTING.
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