An Invisible Soul - And a Stingy Heart

We may have started out great... At least our ideals were worthy of admiration. Mankind ever in pursuit of the rational way to live. With goals of fairness, justice, equality and all the other things to which the "GOoD" species should aspire to. We took responsibility to become civilized and ethically consistent. It seems that would be the minimum effort to make, given what was bestowed to us.


Regardless of the circumstance of how we got on this very special star called planet Earth, no other species has been so able to manipulate the star's contents to its own benefit as we Homo sapiens. We're able to discover and influence all matter. And to define it in relation to us. No other creature can use mind or might like us. We could evolve to improve and preserve. Or degrade and destroy. I'm always sad to see we're on the latter course. We could do so much better!


It's tragically disappointing that our species has thus far failed to rise to the challenge of genuine greatness. With these "gifts" of intelligence, and conscience we even gave ourselves the notion that we possess a  soul that uniquely exalts us above the rest. All the more cause to be generous to others not so "special." In this vast, unlikely universe -  We alone can determine fairness to countless others by the simple act of what we choose to put in our shopping carts. Still - We humans are so stingy and petty to those who aren't in charge of even the smallest portion of their fate.


While seeing ourselves better and "blessed," we use these reasons of "exclusive privilege" to take from those who have no defense at all... We needlessly take their freedom.  Their sexuality. Their chosen mates. Their children...  


We hunt them.  Enslave them.  And torture them. 


We reduce them to objects and instruments... Products and commodities... Goods and consumables... Breed them. Tag them. Brand them. And eat them. Most of the time because we can - Or we want to - Or because it's inconvenient not to. Barbaric cruelty has become a justifiable habit for us. It's not even killing for survival. It's killing for gluttony.


Nonhumans can be owned as property. Bartered as profit. They are widgets to be marketed. Things to be caged, "harvested", trapped, trained, skinned, dressed, cleaned... They live in a state of constant flux - Being adapted to fit our intent. They are appropriated and subjugated and "processed"  to the fullest extent of our wants. Those pitiful ones whose existence for our benefit is their only recognized purpose. Yet they are, as we call them, the souless ones. And without a soul they have no claim to our humanity... We owe them nothing, save a "humane" passage on the way to being "utilized". In the scheme of things - The sincere concern and respect most humans give to other species looks something like this:

So while it may be true that man is the possessor of a soul - That invisible attribute that no one can prove or disprove... I'm here to say that the symbol that represents the values of kindness and compassion - The one meant to illustrate abundant love and life is sadly absent in our species. A heart.  Oh we may have a physical one that ticks and beats - But our intangible heart -- the one that's supposed to feel for others -- is that's hollow, puny and incomplete.

And then there are those who have chosen a different way - To help not harm. To give not take. To expand love not in a miserly, cheap and exclusive kind of way... But in an inclusive, magnanimous, bounteous way: 

Mankind will not suffer if it chooses to be kind.  

Please if you haven't already done so - Unflaw your heart. Widen it to include all others. Be generous. Extend your empathy to every living being who would benefit from it. Leave the bodies and minds of others alone. Let them live. Open the universe of Earthly possibilities to them! Go Vegan. And thank you to all who have done so already! <3 xox