Acts of Cruelty

Edit: Seriously now, if you're going to argue with me, make sure you read and understand what I have written below before you do so. Some people seem to be getting the wrong idea.

Also, if you're going to disagree, that's fine, just don't be an asshat about it. If you're going to call me every name under the sun, that makes you an asshat. If you are going to present your opposing argument with sensible reasoning, that makes you look like an intelligent person. Make the right choice for you.

What I am not saying below:
- It's ok for animals to kill each other, but not for people to kill animals.
- Nature is pretty and fluffy and loves you.
- Someone who defends themselves needs a good beating.

What I am saying below:
- Predatory species need meat to live, and many just can't wait for some carrion to pop up - they gotta kill something to satisfy that rumbly tumbly, and it's not pretty. Besides, it's not like we can communicate with them and tell them that "killing is bad, mmmkay?"
- I, personally, am fine with killing animals for meat, fur and other uses - as long as it's not "just for funzies!"
- There is no justifiable reason to beat a man, woman or child unprovoked. It doesn't matter if you just got made redundant, or you stepped on a lego or whatever. Just don't fucking do it!
- If you're going to harm someone, prepare for the consequences.

Hope that clarifies =/


There are exceptions to everything of course, but allow me to explain:

Animals run on instinct and learned behaviour. In the wild, there is no place for cruelty, only survival. Some examples of things you may think are cruel (but aren't really):

Some animals kill or eat their babies.
This is true, and although we may not always understand it, there are a variety of reasons. Many animals, for example hedgehogs, hamsters and other small mammals will eat their babies if their nest is disturbed. This is because the babies are helpless and will attract attention from the predator, so the mother covers several bases - she reabsorbs nutrients from the young, she rids the area of their smell, and she rids herself of their burden. Sad but true peeps, I've seen it happen first hand with hedgehogs during my animal care course :'C

There are vicious breeds of domestic dog.
Animals work on instinct and learned behaviour. We have bred these animals to be vicious, made them learn to attack. Then we've tried to make them fuzzy-wuzzy widdle pets again, and not everyone can understand that hundreds of years of genetic programming is pretty difficult to undo. They are doing what comes naturally, and we need to be sensible with them.

Some predators play with their food.
True, but then again so do many prey species. Play is an important part of growth and learning, as is food. Why not combine the two? Orca whales have been known to hunt in packs, catching a seal and tossing it from one family member to another before it is even dead. Sure, the seal's not having a great day, but the baby orca out on his first hunt is - he's learning a whole lot, and honing his reflexes!


People, on the other hand, are a much more complicated subject. We still have our roots from the wild - the drive to feel pleasure, be comfortable and procreate etc. However, at a certain point in our lives, most of us become aware of this concept of "good and bad". Of what is socially acceptable, and what is not.

Some people are abused when they are young, it's all they know. They can't help their behaviour.
There are two types of people who have been abused. Those who continue the cycle because it is all they know, and those who break free and say "I don't ever want my family to feel the way I did." It's circumstantial, and I'm not saying that everyone is even going to be capable of that thought, but it would be so amazing if everyone who ever had a glimpse of it saw it through.


I am very much a fan of leaving others alone - IF they are doing no harm to you. But when someone is clearly capable of saying to themselves "Swinging a cat round by its tail is cruel and wrong... But I'm gonna do it anyway for shits and giggles." - I would very much like to knock them the fuck out. If I wasn't so afraid of the consequences of my actions, I would indeed like to track down some of these perpetrators of cruelty to people and animals, and give them a taste of their own medicine.

Getting way too tl:dr now, but I'm happy to discuss and debate further, so chat away and enjoy :3