A Few Animal Thoughts by Others

 

 

Historically, laws regulating cruelty to animals are a fairly recent thing. Gardens for bull-baiting and dog fighting and other animal blood sports were not closed down in England until 1835.

Paraphrased from "The Best Nature Writing Of Joseph Wood Krutch”

Has God, thou fool! work'd solely for thy good,
Thy joy, thy pastime, thy attire, thy food?
Is it for thee the Lark ascends and sings?
Joy tunes his voice, Joy elevates his wings.
Is it for thee the Linnet pours his throat?
Loves of his own and raptures swell the note.
The bounding steed you pompously bestride
Shares with his lord the pleasure and the pride.

Alexander Pope, "Essay on Man"

One of the greatest villains for animals for all time was that great thinker Rene Descartes, who though he had one of the greatest minds of all time firmly believed that animals had no consciousness, no emotion, could feel no joy or pain. According to him animals other than humans felt nothing.

Paraphrased from "Introduction to the Best Nature Writing of Joseph Wood Krutch"

All things are artificial since nature is the art of God.

Sir Thomas Browne

Isak Dinesen firmly believes that animals have a highly developed sense of humor. In "Out of Africa" she swears that her Scottish Deerhound named Dusk has a lively sense of humor and never fails to gesture toward a certain tree and chuckle when she and Dusk pass it together. It started when she nearly shot her cat out of the tree thinking it was a dangerous wild animal one night while Dusk was doing her best to prevent the shot. Isak finally failed to pull the trigger and Dusk now always reminds her owner of one of her more idiotic moments when she passes that tree.

"Nothing can make a pig look sad; his face is built wrong for it”

poet, Fred Lape

 

Just thought I'd share those with you.

 

Love,

dad, grandpa , ami