BSE - THE HUMAN MADNESS

If I were a cow I would also go mad. For 7000 years cattle served the humans - whether as a pet, as a symbol for prosperity and patience or as Holy Cows - and now 2 millions of them shall be slaughtered and burned in Europe.
What a madness. (Not because they are diseased but to stabilize the meat market.) What humanity does to animals is not bearable any longer! Did anybody ever observe the high spirits of cows running onto the pastures in springtime? But the calf's of today's fattening factories never run on pastures. From the moment of artificial fertilization via separation from the mother via their vegetarian intestines being stuffed with animal-meal to the moment of automatic execution and the disposal of their bones fattened cattle and milkers are treated as things - like machines for the production of food.
But they are not things.
No living being is a thing.
BSE triggered more public reaction in Germany than the whole animal protection movement- unfortunately only panic and short-circuit reactions.
The violence and ruthlessness which human kind does to other beings falls back on it as fear.
BSE is the animals exclaiming "Foul!" to the humans; and their message is: Animals do have a soul. They feel pain, have curiosity, desire for contact and social behaviour, they look after their young ones and communicate and think on their level. BSE says: Beware of the right of every soulful being, its right of free movement, of free choice of food, of unfolding its curiosity, of contact!
What happened to us human children that we are able to ignore the suffering as if it would not exist and happily enjoy our steak or yoghurt? What happened to our own souls that in discussions we talk only about profitability and never about what the soulful glance of cow eye stirs in us? To whom did we give away our political representation that the perception of the heart is considered apolitical?
There is no deed more political than to listen to the outcry of a tortured being and help it!
What humans do to animals they are ready to do to other humans as well. The torture chambers and concentration camps on this planet demonstrate that. The chain of fear and violence will only be solved when a profoundly new ethics towards the whole of life is developed. Leo Tolstoy said: "As long as there are slaughter houses, there will be battle fields."
What actions can we undertake? We came up with the following suggestions and images.
Partly they are reality already; partly they could become reality quite quickly with your help.

1. More and more people find a new diet. Cooks create more and more delicate vegetarian and began recipes. It is chic to eat began. Committed pop-stars started the love-food-movement. Who cannot or does not yet want to change fully to vegetarian, reduces his/her meat consumption and buys from a source without animal cruelty.

2. More and more farmers quit the industrialized agriculture and meat production and work out alternatives that suit the animals. They come together for demonstrations with banners saying "Stop animal cruelty!".

3. Political actions against inhumane conditions of animal keeping grow into a mass movement for animal and human rights, a movement for life. Drivers of animal transports are made aware of the animals conditions, friendly but firmly. Visitors of restaurants leave small stickers on the menus like: "Animals are our friends. And our friends we do not eat!"

4. The media cover new projects where the trust between humans and animals is rebuilt as an example. Wherever that takes place, healing takes place.
Please help! Take the consequences which are possible for you. Spread this information. In the name of all which has skin or fur, in the name of all animals and children.

Dieter Duhm, 2001