Protect the four-legged, not the two
My goodness, how the headlines have changed over the past many years! It seems that America has become obsessed with protecting animals from abuse, while the act of euthanasia as a way of dealing with ailing human beings has grown in popularity.
In Polk County, Florida, animal lovers were recently invited to a local meeting so that the subject of reducing “the number of pets euthanized by Polk County Animal Control” could be discussed.
In Houston, a woman was reported to be distressed because her pet cat was the victim of a veterinarian’s error, resulting in the cat’s death. It seems the cat was scheduled to get a regular vaccination and instead was vaccinated with a euthanasia drug. According to the article: “The animal hospital responsible for the incident would not comment on the situation at the advice of legal counsel.”
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In Niagara Falls, New York, the local SPCA was the subject of an external audit that revealed animal abuse on the part of those caring for the animals in their care. A 44-page report explains incidences of animal euthanasia that violate the SPCA’s no-kill policy.
In addition, we see headlines about rehabilitating green sea turtles as well as mini-pigs that would face euthanasia if not rescued.
Clearly our fellow countrymen respond emotionally when four-footed creatures are abused or killed. Needless to say, we all have had pets or known of special animals that are near and dear to our hearts, and that can be a beautiful thing. So you would think it would be logical that this same type of heartwarming emotion would translate to concern for our fellow humans as well. But that does not seem to be the case.
Take for example, California’s Governor Newsom. He has called for the state to be a no-kill state, which means that euthanizing animals would be against the law. However, Newsom is an avid supporter of abortion, having recently signed a bill that mandates free abortions at all state colleges and universities.
Sadly, Newsom is not alone. Across this nation the public appears to be split on subjects like abortion and euthanasia — acts that kill human beings. Yet we seem united in our disdain for animal cruelty. In fact, according to one poll, 1/3 of us think that animals should have the same rights as human beings.
Astonished? Well, don’t be. The true story here is that propaganda really works.
For nearly 50 years we have lived in a nation where aborting a child has been legally condoned. America talks about the “abortion issue” — a term that immediately dehumanizes the child who dies as a result of the act of abortion. Abortion has never been an issue! It is a crime.
We hear much about the compassionate treatment of the ill and the dying, but as far as policymakers are concerned, that compassion translates into a form of palliative care that literally puts patients to death. Such acts are forms of euthanasia, but that is rarely reported honestly.
In Texas, there is a 10-day rule that allows a hospital to overrule parents and take actions resulting in the death of a newborn infant with physical challenges. Where is the outrage?
All this is happening in a cultural vortex of disinformation that has lulled the public into complacency. Perhaps this is why millions of dollars flow to groups that truly do care about animals, such as the SPCA, but when it comes to pro-life groups on the front lines caring for the children and their mothers, those groups scrape by.
That is what I call an upside-down view of human dignity versus care for animals. Yet, veterinarian Jo-Anne Pontone gets it, writing:
Animals should be appreciated as being wonderfully different from us. Further, if we consider animals as God’s gift to man in creation, we are bound in responsibility over them. Fulfilling this responsibility requires that we first must affirm man’s true nature and dignity. It is only then that we can strive to imitate God’s compassionate care for the animals and all of creation.
Indeed, God created us in His image and likeness, and our first concern must always be of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Only with persistence in this teaching our pro-life message can we engage folks and challenge their thinking.
Judie Brown is the president of the American Life League.
