The mortal enemy of life: Selective Compassion

Virus and infection levels are raging in animal agriculture, causing severe illness, killing both animals, as well as humans. Some would say that this solves half of the problem. Less humans, less damage to other life forms, less damage to the planet. Certain individuals believe that a massive pathogenic outbreak amid the human population would be a welcome solution to the issues that plague our world. Whether one believes in this as a “welcome” solution or not, is subjective, at best (I personally don’t, as all life is relevant to me).

Animal agriculture doesn’t worry much about an increase of lethal pathogens showing up in many animal products. There are 7 billion human beings on the planet to extort, with no viable sign of population decrease. To them, “so be it” if people die from some horrible illness and at a younger age. It matters not, so long as their pockets are full. They are not concerned in the slightest. They are at their happiest when humans remain uninformed, addicted to everything that they add to animal products and continue reproducing more humans to exploit. As a vegan, it is actually quite incredible to view it all from the outside. The current philosophy that animal agriculture conglomerates seem to rely on, simply asks the public to “please do not forget to hand me your wallet prior to entering your casket” and it really is working well for them.

Seeing as the majority of adults are more prone toward maintaining the specific “brain-washing” that they have acquired as children, our main goal should be to educate people whilst they are still young enough to be open to the truth. It is unfortunate that parents feed their children the same poison (literally and metaphorically) that they themselves, have been happily ingesting or force-fed for their entire lives and with a range of new, improved illnesses, we are actually “digressing” in life expectancy. We are seeing people lose their parents to a myriad of diseases brought on by the “dirty-dealings” of animal agriculture at younger and younger ages. The same will happen to their children if nothing is done to throw the proverbial “monkey-wrench” into the animal exploitation machine.

This is where we must begin, through the dismantling of selective compassion. Basically, selective compassion can be exemplified by stating that a dog is not meant for food purposes, however, a pig is. Selective compassion can also be explained through any form of negative “ism”. For example, racism, sexism, bigotry and homophobia are all major symptoms of selective compassion. We may care for one being or group, yet not another and it is not rooted in thought patterns which have any rational or logical basis.

The Nazis employed the tactic of teaching their soldiers that Jewish people were not even human during the holocaust. United States troops were taught the very same thing about Native Americans when it was time to strip them of their land. The Native Americans are still being oppressed, as we speak in a number of inhuman ways. Please read: Lakota Indians Block ‘Keystone XL Pipeline’ Trucks in Six-Hour Standoff. The Brazilian government is currently set to do something quite similar to the indigenous tribes of the Xingu river. All forms of genocide, displacement and injustices inflicted upon other lives have their roots in selective compassion.

So, how does the average human being come to a place of selective compassion? Again, it is a learned, ingrained behavioural pattern. It is a fear-based programming that is handed down, usually from family members, schools/society/state, a temple/church, ect… and the corporations feed off of this. Animal agriculture, pharmaceutical companies, banking conglomerates, the hunting industry, insurance companies, military, the government itself, are all advanced through the employment of selective compassion.

By the time selective compassion solidifies in the mind of an older child, he or she is usually too indoctrinated into the system that is killing them to understand an alternate message. Like a drug addict looking for the next fix, they just can’t be bothered to hear the truth and are no longer equipped to listen, as selective compassion has already taken root, imposed by a society that does not believe in equality. This is why industries target young people in advertising campaigns and they always have. From Camel cigarettes to McDonald’s hamburgers, the message has always been geared toward youth.

So here lies the dilemma. How do we throw the proverbial “monkey-wrench” into the gears and cure humanity’s selective compassion? Obviously, both a pig and a dog can feel pain, as well as register emotions. Animal agriculture begins brainwashing children at a young age to believe that one gets to live and the other is food. The majority of children and young adults don’t question the logic, eventually becoming part of the reliant agenda, addicted to chemicals that have been injected into animals that their parents have fed them as infants; parents who are also addicted, brainwashed by propaganda. The cycle continues. Corporations get richer, children become more unhealthy and animals continue to suffer, all because humanity is comfortable in its selective compassion.

Marla Stormwolf-Patty
Vice-president of AELLA