I want to thank Patrice, for sharing with us what her organisation does. Please check it out, and let’s think of what we can do over at our end:
As the owner of a 9-year-old rescued corgi mix, I add my thanks to you for the amazing work you are doing. I work for a nonprofit that works to eliminate health disparities in underserved communities. As I wrote today on our blog, our outreach includes the health of our four-legged friends! I thought you might be interested to take a look — here’s the link: http://schweitzerfellowship.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/animals-al-and-amy/ Thanks again for the amazing work you do.
I have always been a fan of Albert Schweitzer as far back as my schooldays when I learnt about this “jungle doctor”, humanitarian, animal-lover and Nobel Prize winner. One of my favourite quotes from him, which I use in the talks I give is in the slide above.
It is so true what he says, that many people prefer not to know because by knowing, it would disturb them and they feel uncomfortable about it. So, ignorance is bliss? Perhaps so, but for whom?
When I tell people to reduce their meat intake and show them pictures of what happens in the slaughter-houses, they do not want to see. I ask them why. And the answer is, “After seeing, I won’t feel comfortable eating meat again, so I had better not see.”
Humans are such strange creatures, aren’t they? They know, yet they want to pretend they don’t know so that they can continue doing what they do.
So, in my previous posting, I put up the “Letter from a shelter manager”. I wonder how many people would prefer not to read it because they would rather not know. To ask any compassionate person to go to a shelter and witness euthanasia is too much, I agree. Even I would spare myself the cruel sight and sounds. I think I would be extremely traumatised for the rest of my life. I am sure most of us would quickly intervene the cruel act, and say to the vets, “Please, stop this, I’ll take this animal over from you.”
I hope you’ll read the letter from the shelter manager. At the same time, I hope you’d be inspired by what Patrice’s organisation does.
Many organisations do wonderful charity work for humans – this is of course, laudable. I hope they would think of the animals too, and include a bit of their charity for them. It need not be creating an entirely new chapter for animal charity if that’s asking for too much. Just think of them once in a while, and do something for them.
For example, in the process of helping orphans, homeless hungry people, old folks, needy people in poverty-stricken countries, why not spare a day or two to feed the stray animals in our neighbourhood, promote adoption from the shelters and pounds, or organise an awareness talk on the importance of spaying/neutering?
Every bit helps.
Response from Patrice:
Wow, thank you so much for responding to my comment with this wonderful post about Albert Schweitzer and compassion for animals. What you said about humans being such strange creatures — “They know, yet they want to pretend they don’t know so that they can continue doing what they do — really hit home for me, and is very much in line with the Schweitzer observation you highlighted at the top of this post. We are all connected — animals, nature, and people — and if one of us is suffering, on some level we ALL are.
There’s a great book with more observations in this vein called “Animals, Nature, and Albert Schweitzer” by Ann Cottrell Free that you can read for free on Google Books at this link: http://books.google.com/books?id=ueWzV_3tujgC&dq;=”animals,+nature,+and+albert+schweitzer”&printsec;=frontcover&source;=bl&ots;=GmIHyOVCdw&sig;=PL5qx4BAqSRShgRW7IGR6f9x1hg&hl;=en&ei;=cWymSvyjCYKolAfo1OCPBA&sa;=X&oi;=book_result&ct;=result&resnum;=5#v=onepage&q;=&f;=false
I’ve found it to be very moving and illuminating, and very eye-opening according to people I’ve passed it along to.
Thanks again for everything!
There’s a great book with more observations in this vein called “Animals, Nature, and Albert Schweitzer” by Ann Cottrell Free that you can read for free on Google Books at this link: http://books.google.com/books?id=ueWzV_3tujgC&dq;=”animals,+nature,+and+albert+schweitzer”&printsec;=frontcover&source;=bl&ots;=GmIHyOVCdw&sig;=PL5qx4BAqSRShgRW7IGR6f9x1hg&hl;=en&ei;=cWymSvyjCYKolAfo1OCPBA&sa;=X&oi;=book_result&ct;=result&resnum;=5#v=onepage&q;=&f;=false
I’ve found it to be very moving and illuminating, and very eye-opening according to people I’ve passed it along to.
Thanks again for everything!
Comments
2 responses to “Beyond Boulders: The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship”
I want to share an old story with quote from Shoba :
"This lack of compassion among the municipal councils in Malaysia is common. Remember Mr Eng's case where the Seremban municipal council went to his house and massacred his beloved dogs? Just gunned them down in front of his eyes and neighbours.
There was blood everywhere and on the walls etc. The Chinese papers covered this better as the mainstream papers are heavily controlled by the BN govt.
That was so, so sad. The dogs were like his children and he took so good care of them, even took them for rides in the car and full medical check-ups. He picked them off the streets and loved them. And this is how the council rewards him!
And the list goes on. In Ipoh the council shot a stray dog in a school compound and while it was still wailing in pain and shock, an officer used a meat hook to stab the dog and carry it away, screaming. One of the students wrote to the Star saying how all the students were so horrified and the officers only waved to them and smiled as if nothing was happening. Evil!"
We need to create more awareness on loving and compassion towards animal,they do not choose to be born in this form, but we can offer them help.
Hong Yee
Wow, thank you so much for responding to my comment with this wonderful post about Albert Schweitzer and compassion for animals. What you said about humans being such strange creatures — "They know, yet they want to pretend they don't know so that they can continue doing what they do — really hit home for me, and is very much in line with the Schweitzer observation you highlighted at the top of this post. We are all connected — animals, nature, and people — and if one of us is suffering, on some level we ALL are.
There's a great book with more observations in this vein called "Animals, Nature, and Albert Schweitzer" by Ann Cottrell Free that you can read for free on Google Books at this link: http://books.google.com/books?id=ueWzV_3tujgC&dq;="animals,+nature,+and+albert+schweitzer"&printsec;=frontcover&source;=bl&ots;=GmIHyOVCdw&sig;=PL5qx4BAqSRShgRW7IGR6f9x1hg&hl;=en&ei;=cWymSvyjCYKolAfo1OCPBA&sa;=X&oi;=book_result&ct;=result&resnum;=5#v=onepage&q;=&f;=false
I've found it to be very moving and illuminating, and very eye-opening according to people I've passed it along to.
Thanks again for everything!