[ Voices For Peace ]

[Previous Message] [Next Message]

Date: March 30, 2004 at 15:13:37
From: Tama Herman, [64-132-49-146.gen.twtelecom.net]
Subject: Peaceable Kingdom


I recently had the privilege of attending the New York premier of a film called "Peaceable Kingdom", produced by a small production company called Tribe of Heart. I want to bring this film to the attention of the people who maintain and frequent this site, because I believe those who seek to proliferate peace will recognize the larger message carried by this important work: All living beings are inextricably connected.

This fundamental truth is something we are encouraged to lose sight of in this world. We've all bought into the same big lie. The vast majority of peoples--from the neediest to the most fortunate--have one belief in common, which is that we are taught to regard "livestock" as the same as any other commodity, not unlike metal, but not nearly as precious as gold.

This is especially true in industrialized nations where factory farming has met the short-term, short-sighted and avariciously growing human desires for food, clothing and fertilizer. What we are starting to learn, very harshly, is that these same highly-efficient industrialized farming practices have resulted in epidemics that not only wipe-out enormous numbers of farm animals but are also causing rampant outbreaks of cancers, other systemic diseases and hyper-sensitivities among humans.

The crippling maladies suffered by livestock are being passed on to us in many ways, not all so obvious as in the case of mad cow disease. Our efforts to control such outbreaks result in farm animals being administered excessive doses of antibiotics, to which they and we are also developing increasing immunity.

These same practices are ravaging the grasslands and polluting the water. As is stated on the Tribe of Heart website, http://www.tribeofheart.com/pk.htm: "At a time when the public is more concerned than ever about the health and environmental problems associated with large-scale factory farming, Peaceable Kingdom explores another angle of this unfolding story: the interconnected life journeys of farm animals, former farmers, and animal rescuers struggling against an out of control industrial system."

Through the example portrayed in this beautiful documentary, we can clearly see how the scenario extends to every life form on earth and how each one contributes to or denigrates the overall health of the blue planet, which in turn impacts every facet of our individual lives. What is also made evident is the horrible reality of what multi-billion dollar industries and ad campaigns such as "the other white meat", have been devised to disguise, and how all these facades are part of a cycle that is ultimately harming every living creature, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Instead of repaying these sentient, smart, yet non-human beings who give us the incomparable gifts of food, clothing and fertilizer, we greedily degrade, torture and abuse them, denying them any semblance of real living. Most of us bury our heads in the ground when it comes to actually thinking about what it actually took to get that hot and juicy burger in between the bun. “Peaceable Kingdom” shows us without blaming us, and helps us to see that we can change the horror of it, if we would only put our minds to the task.

What the movie does not embark upon, but is a perfect example of our bizarre sense of values can be illustrated by the recent indications that there could have been and may still be life forms on other planets in our solar system. When we humans identify what resembles a microbe on Mars, we revere it. There's something unduly skewed about that concept considering the lack of value we place on the majority of life on earth, and awareness of this imbalance should be a wake-up call to those of us conscious enough to care.

Putting aside the apparent considerable harm to humans resulting from over-industrialization and commoditization of intelligent non-human life, we ought to also consider the philosophical, karmic ramifications. As is made clear—without resorting to Disney-like fantasy or overly graphic slaughterhouse footage—the animals featured in "Peaceable Kingdom" suffer in the same unimaginable way as we ourselves would under the same unthinkable conditions and likewise, these creatures are also cognizant of their fate as they line-up for an inhumane death.

Fifty-two million such innocent creatures meet this end every single day. Surely the interminable flow of fear and pain emanated by these warm-blooded creatures who are at the mercy of merciless ubiquitous business practices, underlies much of the violence we then perpetrate upon each other. How could it not be?

I urge anyone reading this to please see "Peaceable Kingdom". We need to awaken from the long-standing illusion foisted upon all of us by the multi-billion dollar corporations who make-up this deceitful fiction in order to assure that they have their own abundant supply of creature comforts, not only at the expense of every being on earth today but also of those in the future as well.

If we are to attain a truly sustainable peace on earth, we have to halt these abominable practices and put our collective energy toward applying both age-old knowledge and modern technology to heal the damage done by this deep, self-inflicted wound. Nothing less than a radical change in consciousness is called for to literally save the world, and I see “Peaceable Kingdom” as a catalyst toward such transformation.

If every country devoted its best minds and resources toward these ends, we could safeguard our planet and its future. And besides, we’d be so busy there would be no time left to fight each other.

  • View entire thread
    		•
    Posted with TalkShop version 2.75
    [Previous Message] [Next Message]


    Replies:


    [ Voices For Peace ]

    TalkShop 2.75, updated: 27-Feb-2004 09:38:54, 100818 Bytes