Pet Peeves

by
Suzann Darnall

I have some real pet peeves with the secular-progressives. One of them is actually concerned with pets. As in "Animal Rights." I am also intensely annoyed with the so-called environmentalists. But, I still can't quite decide if these people are just stupid or actually evil. I do know they abound in ignorance. Ignorance about critters and about Mother Nature. I do know we need to get their support system of secular-progressive politicians as far out of office as possible!

Now, don't get me wrong, I love animals and I love trees. I just don't love idiots and this is what far too many of the secular-progressives' fringe element have become when it concerns animals and nature. And, I don't mean idiotic in the harmless manner of cooing at puppies … I am talking about actually doing stupid things that bring about more harm than good, not to mention just being plain useless and silly.

I have a whole lot of animals. Very pampered, beloved, and spoiled animals. They are also extremely healthy animals. I own two Mustangs, two Great Danes, two indoor Siamese Cats, one barn cat, two indoor Tropical Fish aquariums, and two outdoor Koi pond fountains. Sometimes, like now, my husband's office Tropical Fish tank is also at my house. I also have a herd of deer that come by morning and night to get their bit of deer corn. So, y'all should realize that I really like animals.

According to some of the very far left animal rights' activists my animals are suffering from being forced into servitude to me. Suffering? Servitude to me??? Excusez moi? As far as I've seen they neither suffer nor serve. They all fed twice daily, in addition to free-feeding-at-will options they all have available. We groom them, clean-up after them, care for their medical needs, and pet them. Lots and lots of petting! I've even had fish that liked to be petted! Beta Fish and Goldfish are very sociable.

Extremists in organizations like PETA think all domesticated animals, including pets, should be released into the wild. Huh? With the exception of one of my Mustangs, these are not wild animals that came from a history of fending for themselves. And, my Mustang mare has lived a longer and healthier life than she probably would have had in the wild, especially with them gathering wild horses to feed to France! If secular-progressives want to go after someone about animal rights, look at some of the rest of the world's eating habits!

My Great Danes don't even like to eat raw meat. What would happen to them if expected to actually have to kill something to eat? My indoor cats are pampered couch potatoes who panic if a cricket gets inside. I can't see either of them as the great hunter living off the land. And, really! Dump all my fish into the local river or something? They are then going to be fish food instead of being fed fish food! Not even my Mustangs would do well out of captivity. My gelding was born domesticated and my mare was gathered at the age of seven months. Neither of them knows about foraging and defense to the extent required out on the range.

Now, do I think we can make strides forward in animal protections? Yes. I think we should ensure that all domestic animals are protected from abuse. I am appalled at dog or cock fighting. We need to step up and get that done away with once and for all. We need to make sure livestock is not maltreated. Healthier animals mean healthy food products. It is to our benefit to care for them properly. Crimes against animals should carry steeper penalties. Poisoning, starving, beating, burning, and all other forms of torture or death are unacceptable or should be.

But, I draw the line at lawyers for animals in court. And, I don't want my animals to be taken away from me and set free. Nor do I want someone telling me how many I can have or what kind I can have. There's enough legislation that needs to be enforced, like immigration laws and protecting our children! Go protest something useful for once.

What about animal hoarders? This would be a perfect project for people truly concerned about the welfare of domestic animals. There should be some limits related to the land and facilities available. Nothing unreasonable, like only one or two pets per household, no matter the space available. But, regulations to stop little old ladies from having 57 cats in their three-bedroom homes. Or the backyard breeders with 24 brood bitches and five stud dogs who are churning out hundreds of puppies per year without any adequate kenneling. These are situations where government should be involved to judge whether or not the housing, care, and feeding are sufficient. Because of the … ummm … "cleanliness issues" involved in large numbers of critters, it is a health issue for the both the animals involved and the people in the nearby area. If y'all wanna help maltreated animals, go after these kinds of offenders, while leaving the happy, healthy pets and owners alone!

And, as for the tree-huggers, they do not seemingly understand Mother Nature at all. If they did, they wouldn't implement some of the dumb policies they install all over our country. My father and my husband were in the Air Force, so I've lived coast-to-coast, Alaska, and Hawaii. I've seen some pretty silly practices by so-called environmentalists or conservationists. Going green often seems to be similar to going crazy!

We have a lovely river that runs through the nearby town. When we arrived 12 years ago it was so clear you could see to the bottom almost anywhere you looked. It has always been popular for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and tubing. The environmentalists decided to "protect" the river. It is now pretty much illegal to do anything to clean it up. It used to be an almost annual ritual to remove the excessive weeds and grasses that would clog it. Many of them non-native plants that were dumped in by college students emptying out aquariums. It is also now illegal to dredge out the buildup of silt or gravel that can happen from time to time. Consequently the beautiful clean river of 12 years ago is now a weed-infested waterway that is impossible to navigate except through narrow channels.

I've seen other examples of worshippers at the altar of the green goddess doing stupid harm. Not clearing out extreme underbrush and deadfall in forests can literally add fuel to the fire. Lack of fire breaks and fire roads endangers both homes and forests. Refusing to clean off brush from around housing areas is deadly. If you are going to live in close proximity to nature, you need to learn a few rules for survival and greenies seem bent on ignoring all of them!

Hunting is a topic that runs across both my pet peeves with the secular-progressives about animals and nature. The existence of man in an area changes the habitat for animals. Humans usually drive away or kill off the predators, which can mean explosions in the populations of the prey. If left unchecked, these populations become diseased, run out of food, become bothersome to communities, etc. The wise and simple solution is hunting! But, secular-progressives have apparently bought waaay into the Bambi-Thumper style myths touted by Walt Disney and others. PETA and the gang seemingly believe in the communication skills and harmonious societies of critters as explained in cartoons. Ummm … I think not!

As much as I love animals and find them to be extraordinary, they are not human beings. Which, I admit, is sometimes the greatest gift they have to offer. My critters are quite intelligent and communicate very well. But, they are not four-legged or finned people in coats of fur or scales. They are animals! Domesticated animals at that. They deserve kindness and consideration, but they do not deserve lawyers or freedom. They deserve my care and protection. They deserve exactly what they have. ME … and all I offer them every single day. Love. Food. Habitat.

I find a certain irony that the secular-progressives harbor both the groups who would free my animals and the groups who would limit my freedoms. According to their philosophies I should not be allowed to provide for the needs of my critters, but I should submit to the nanny-state idea of having all my needs provided by the government. I don't think so!!!

So, I ask that secular-progressives encourage the so-called animal-lovers and tree-huggers amongst them to forgo the Disney cartoon marathon in the interest of studying real life animals and eco-systems. Learn what domestication means. What wildlife really needs. How to truly protect the environment. And, when it is time to step back and let nature take its course. You will learn what a really wonderful world we have and how amazingly happy a place it can actually be!

© Suzann C. Darnall, OCTOBER 2010