"Love animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harass them, don't deprive them of their happiness, don't work against God's intent. Man, do not pride yourself on superiority to... animals; they are without sin, and you, with your greatness, defile the earth by your appearance on it, and leave the traces of your foulness after you--alas, it is true of almost every one of us!" - Fyodor Dostoyevsky (novelist)

the problem with our current state legislature is that too many conservative (hardly!) republicans are in the pocket of corporate America which includes the farming INDUSTRY...and that they always vote along party lines...check their voting records...the majority in the house and senate cares not about animals...animals do not have country club memberships or provide perks or travel opportunities to these people except by the circuitous route of brown-nosing republicans voting against their welfare and getting brownie points to see I. U. ball games and fly planes and hob-nob here and there...it is a given.my husband and I attended humane lobby day and waited for hours for our senator to acknowledge that we were even standing in the hallway...and 5 paper messages were handed to him as we watched and he still "acted" surprised...to this moment he appears to be brown-nosing the people who can get him even farther up the chain than state senator status...vote for progressives...until the democrats are the majority, the kow-towing "conservative" opportunistic faction will never be sympathetic to animals...not good for their "careers" in politics.the irony is that you and I are paying their salaries...time to speak up about what truly ails this state/country. ...campaign for a change in legislators so that our state is no longer the provincial embarrassment that it currently is. recruit democrats to run against these fat cats...(and I love real cats...)now, to the core of the greed problem...pigs/hogs are feeling, intelligent, gentle living beings...and they are discussed in terms of "pork", "ham", and "bacon" and being bred and harvested and grown...evil incarnate...now they are written about as CASH COWS...now there's ANOTHER issue...except all of these "issues" are the same...one species (homo sapiens) over-producing and murdering living beings and putting human hands out for plenty of cash to grasp. totally tragic for all concerned. elanco-eli lilly are pursuing this cash trail BTW!(as for pharmaceutical companies, no, the "benefits do not always outweigh the risks"...especially when the actual "risks" involve quickly produced, expensive "combo" drugs "tested" on helpless, throw-away victims and those "tests" occur not only during the RESEARCH - "experimental" phase but also during the PROFIT-making - "experimental" phase. Pharmaceutical drugs are RISKY business.)I am not nor have I ever been a fan of "Corporate America"; why should some folks enjoy country club memberships and all the perks of big cash stashes while the rest of us are being poisoned by their "products"?a greased pig wrestling contest here in about a week...so diseases can be transferred to the people who are planning this? hmmmmm. swine flu could happen...I cannot believe how provincial and embarrassing and cruel this activity is...wishing god would visit the planners in a dream and advise them to stop because this is the 21st century...a rodeo held in this small town last summer for 4-H attendees...a calf was injured and dragged off to be put into a truck and children were so dismayed...such a bad idea. no rodeo this year...hoping the greased pig wrestling will be called off. how insensitive and cruel...for "entertainment"?...and then we are regaled with lots of photographs in case folks are too civil and horrified to attend...and the people look barbaric and gleeful at the same time. How can this be protested I wonder? Just so sad to anyone who has a brain and a heart. Is it illegal?"Swine Flu Cases in Indiana Increase to 12" A local headline tonight. This greased pig wrestling contest is planned for July 16th just on the edge of our community, basically in town. Recommendation: handling pigs is unwise and could lead to an outbreak of illness. Indianapolis official and friend spoke with me concerning the dangers posed not only to pigs during these wrestling events but to humans as well...she spoke of swine flu. She was so correct.wondering why such an "event" exists...certainly now this would be even more foolish than the concept is already in the 21st century...and actually right in town for all intents and purposes. why risk an outbreak? maybe the health of humans resonates if not the humane treatment of animals? after all, empathy seems never to factor in.especially in a Christian community with a church on every corner back in the days when Sunday School and Bible School were a vital part of any kid's summer childhood -- I do not recall such an event years ago...wondering who originated it and why?BTW, indiana gov. pence could not even manage to give our regiment the time of day during our humane lobby day...he wishes to be president one day...animals do not matter to the powers that be in my home state. that must change. we are barking up the wrong tree. we are laughed at as tree-huggers...I know this for a fact. tired of mincing words. time for a change in what is so loosely referred to as leadership...we have no leaders...we have a bunch of toadies interested in political "careers"!even goof-balls are pursuing the greener grass on the other side of the fence...weary of them all. ayn rand... whom the republicans claim to have read but have not? well, she was right...people should wear the dollar sign on necklaces and in their lapels...that is THE OBJECT OF WORSHIP...and IF the word "god" needs to be bandied about, in most instances HE is being used to kiss the RIGHT butts...I see that on FB all the time. which church to network at in order to feather the nests? so flagrant it's embarrassing. as a matter of fact, in small town America, the pole barn churches are the country clubs for the climbing masses.I admire those who face the truth and make this a better world...depression is actually a super attribute. I don't take happy pills for it...I use it as motivation._________________and if we stop the over-reproduction and artificial insemination of farm animals, there will be enough grain and wheat remaining (and not imported by us to perpetuate our pork and beef industries) in the third world countries to feed the sweet children there...we are causing children to starve with our voracious fast-food desires and our gourmet affectations. stop eating beef and pork and chicken...and fish... and stop consuming dairy products NOW...for the animals...for your health...FOR THE STARVING CHILDREN (in other lands) whom we ourselves are starving literally to death.clashes among humans? animals are victimized by such petulance time and again. utterly ridiculous! of all the -isms, species-ism is the most volatile to find common ground for...I do not believe we can be anything but determined though...both the apathy and the ignorant hatefulness block what we wish to accomplish for the animal kingdom...half-way goes nowhere...just a sigh of relief that we have veered on to some other topic which sometimes I wish to do...but THEY PULL ME BACK IN...it is a roller coaster ride that will become smooth one day...but persistence and an iron will are crucial. I cannot be moved on that score. I do realize it is a chess game...too bad because lives get lost due to human vanity and pride and absolute stupidity and game-playing....speaking of religious mindsets! ;) I truly believe that animals are politicized in the current philosophical climate...as in only "liberals" hug trees and stand up for animal "rights"....and conservatives love teaching their multi-babies to hunt and to eat moose soup and the only rights available are for tea partiers. sorry, but it is the idiotic truth. and it needs to be told. I voted for Reagan...so I am free of bias!_________________Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available (click the title to order from publisher Open Books' website). Also available in both formats at Amazon.com , or download from iTunes Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't