[Si] TV

I just watched the Kentucky Derby. Before it started I was talking to my friend and said, "I feel so anxious, I don't want the horses to get hurt." Well they did. The one filly in the race, Eight Belles, finished second and then... as she was slowing down, she fell... and never got up again. She broke both front ankles and they put her to sleep on the track. It's so horrible. I can't stop crying.

I've always just felt sad about animals in sport... greyhounds, race horses, polo horses, even animals in old movies.... when I was growing up there was a dog track on the way to both of my parents jobs, Tampa Greyhound Track. Every time I passed the track, I would really fast say prayers for the dogs. (Remember the blog where I talked about being a very pious kid?) Looking back I'm not sure what made me start doing it. I don't think anyone told me that dog racing was a gross, sad, inhumane past time I think I just knew. It's pretty obvious, even to a little kid. I feel the same way about horse racing. It just doesn't feel right to me.

All these rich people breeding animals so they can race them against each other. It seems as barbaric as the romans fighting gladiators in the Coliseum.

I know all the arguments... I took Animal Ethics in college. All the arguments about eating meat, and animals in sports and even zoos. That if cows weren't farmed for food there would be no cows. That horses like to run around tracks. That by raising animals for food and sport we're actually creating reasons for them to live...  It just doesn't seem right.

I just feel sad and confused about it all. I don't eat animals and I don't want to raise animal-gladiators for my amusement. I do however keep pets... Is that a contradiction? Sniffy (my rat), is healthy, happy, responsive and a really important part of my life. Her life is better. Was that filly's life better? She got the best food, regular exercise, better health-care than most humans, luxurious baths, a clean beautiful warm stall... her trainers loved her.

I will never go to an animal race track. I will however go pet my pet rat.

Non-gross-out animal ethics, stuff to think about...

Philosophical Discussion of the Moral Status of Nonhuman Animals

The Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing

Ethics and Animals

National Organization to Abolish Zoos

Oh! And something strangely exciting from PETA (no scary pics on this page)

Test-tube Meat Research!

What to do? Think. Come up with alternatives. AND be compassionate. To all animals, even the human kind.

Oh. And build up... not wide.

ko