"A Real Endangered Species!"

I own two dogs named Simon and Garfunkel. These two animals are trapped in my home. I feed them and give them all the veterinary care they require. They sleep on my sofa, chairs and in my bed. They bark at the neighbors and any other animals that walk past my house. They beg for food at the table, and are usually fed. They get turkey on Thanksgiving and roast beef on Christmas. I bathe them regularly. They are rescue dogs who now are practically owners of my house. They follow me around like I’m some kind of a god (I think it’s all about the food).

Do you remember the names Simon Legree or Ramses II? I guess if you own a dog, cat, bird, fish, hamster or small lizard, you can connect your name to the above gentlemen. They were famous slave owners! Simon Legree was the owner in the novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and Ramses II was the pharaoh who chased the Hebrew slaves into the Red Sea, only to have God turn the tables on him and destroy his finest troops. The difference between Legree, Ramses II and us is that they tried to own PEOPLE!

In America, it is illegal to own PEOPLE! On January 31^st of 1865 our Congress passed the 13^th amendment abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude; we can’t have slaves anymore.

These facts that I have stated above apply to people only, although I would hardly classify my dogs as slaves; they are much more like my children. Now comes the point to all this rhetoric; P.E.T.A. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) recently filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld stating that they are “enslaving” killer whales at the facility. For a long time, P.E.T.A. has been trying to cover animals under the Constitution in the same way human beings are covered. The judge has already dismissed this case, as it is ridiculous on its face.

I don’t like animal abusers, and I support organizations that try to stop animal abuse; but animals are, in most cases, not human. This is why groups like the S.P.C.A. try to find homes for abused animals; they are not being sold into “servitude”. I sincerely doubt that SeaWorld is abusing those killer whales. I believe that those animals are probably receiving a well balanced diet and good medical care. All those fish have to do is swim and eat in front of a crowd; not a bad gig!

If P.E.T.A. really wants to get upset, perhaps they could concentrate their efforts on another abused mammal; unborn human babies. Every year, hundreds of thousands of human babies are murdered because of the inconvenience of their existence. It is disturbing that we live in a society that seems more worried about birds, frogs, fish and chipmunks than children! The idea that a case like this goes before a judge, when legalized murder happens on a daily basis without much comment, is a terrible indictment against our society.

The next time you look over at your dog, or cat, as they tear up your rug or get hair all over your furniture, try to think about how many children aren’t given a second thought when a woman goes into an abortion clinic.