Tendency for cruelty

It’s hard to believe that not too many years ago, most humans: (a) believed that animals could not feel pain or (b) did not care if they did. Either case did not bode well for animals. While the concept that animals felt no pain has surely ceased to exist, the indifference to their pain has not. Our historical lack of concern for animal well-being makes an oxymoron of the word humankind.

The list of animals still extant that have suffered badly from humans is long. Listed here are but five.

1. The elephant. Still being mercilessly killed by trophy hunters and ivory poachers for their precious tusks that have been used for items such as piano keys and billiard balls. The fact that John Wesley Hyatt developed in 1869 a substance called nitrocellulose, that with further refinements became an acceptable substitute for ivory in billiard balls, has not helped much.

2. The American bison. Killed almost to extinction for hides, to deprive the plains Indians of their primary food source, and just for “sport.”

3. Bears. The fact that Arkansas was once called the Bear State says a lot about the fate of this animal. The cruel activity of bear-baiting was popular in England until the 19th century.

4. Whales. What ivory keys and billiard balls were to the elephant, lamp oil was to the whale. Relentless hunting through the centuries has endangered several species and almost drove the North Atlantic right whale to extinction.

5. The horse. It might seem strange to list the horse since it is revered by many, but just think of the millions that have been forced to participate and suffer in mankind’s wars.

It is pretty well established that the tendency to be cruel to animals and the tendency to be cruel to humans march in the same parade.

JOHN McPHERSON

Searcy