Opposable thumbs
Humans point to this physiological development as reason for their unchecked dominance of the global food chain and furthermore as justification for their exploitation of other species and even one another. Humans who do this fail to recognize the validity of other evolutionary pathways like that of my own people, who have never lived in trees and therefore never developed the digits designed for clasping tree branches. Instead we developed a body shape and exceptionally strong hind legs that allow us to propel ourselves forward laterally at exceptional speeds. We also developed powerful incisors so that we may cut through the grasses we eat efficiently. But you don’t see us constantly congratulating ourselves on these physical traits, do you? You humans act like it’s a big accomplishment to have an opposable thumb. YOU’RE BORN THAT WAY. What do you want, a medal?
While opposable thumbs and articulated fingers certainly serve useful functions in the modern world such as opening containers of food pellets and typing blog posts, they are also used to oppress and inflict serious indignities even on my kind such as confining us within barred pens, clipping our toenails, and dropping pots within range of our sensitive hearing. It is the gravest logical and ethical fallacy to presume that ability proves right or humans fond of rhyme often put it, that “might makes right.” Simply because one CAN does not prove one SHOULD.
The Kentucky Derby
Yet another example of how humans exploit non-humans for their amusement and profit. Horses who are little more than the human-equivalent of pre-teens are “trained” to accepted cold metal in their mouths, “saddles” and human riders on their backs, to run grueling distances at dangerous speeds so that humans can declare a “winner.” I place these words in quotation marks to emphasize that they are purely human constructs which humans nevertheless force onto our equine kin. Humans control every stage of domestic horses’ lives from birth until death. Racehorses are bred for speed rather than the sound health that comes with genetic diversity; throughout their “careers” they are whipped, prodded, filled with performance-enhancing drugs; if they are not irrevocably injured on the track and “humanely” euthanized, they MIGHT live for some years as breeders. But most who cannot perform well enough to have value (to humans) are sold at auction. Perhaps they are lucky and arrive at sanctuaries where they can live out their lives away from the track, but the majority end up in slaughterhouses to be killed for human consumption in foreign markets or pet food. For every Seabiscuit, there is a Barbaro. For every Barbaro, there are a thousand nameless horses whose story is yet sadder.
As I bunny, I feel a particular kinship with my equine brethren. We have much in common: we rely primarily on our flight response for safety, we enjoy hay, and we cannot vomit. But often human behavior makes us want to.
Luxury apartment buildings
Why do humans insist on constructing these blights upon the land? Not only do they block the sunlight and destroy the heterogeneity of human communities, their construction alone pollutes the environment with atrociously loud noises. I know because Horatio and I live across the street from a development that has been disturbing our calm for the past thirteen months as large men and even larger machines bang and blast and whir and whine. Rabbits make much more sensible and economic domicile choices; Horatio and I for example construct low-cost bunny housing out of recycled cardboard boxes.
Learn more about Archie, Horatio, and disapproval here.
3 Comments
May 3, 2008 at 4:05 pm
While I fear reprisal, I have to partially disagree with Archie on the luxury apartments. They can be a blight on the city, but I prefer that to a sprawling landscape of cookie cutter houses built upon what was once nature. If we’re lucky, the inhabitants of these complexes might even mingle with the masses on public transportation, as opposed to relying on personal transportation via automobile or SUV.
May 4, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Hey, Jere,
Archie couldn’t be reached for comment (napping), but I’m sure he would agree with you that sprawling cookie cutter developments are unacceptable. Being the urban rabbit that he is, he more often encounters new apartment complexes rising where independent businesses and lower-cost housing once stood. Would he prefer that new construction go up in already developed areas? I think so. But bunny ethics rarely admit choosing the lesser of two evils.
And cars? Archie would disapprove us right back to 1880.
Take care, thanks for the post and the picture!
May 19, 2008 at 4:45 pm
-or a “city park” might be nice!