Animal Rights/ Racism

Parallels of History and Present

 [0]

When I looked at the date in which Am I Blue was published (1986), I was surprised it wasn't written in, or before, the Victorian era.  In the story, there are stark parallels between our history of treating animals and slaves , which are quite possibly alluding to a call for a higher moral code within 1986's time and setting. That is, if we're taking a parallelistic approach. . .  In this particular story, it blends both slavery and animal rights as a way to achieve the moral of the story as the reader is left conflicted.  Walker concludes the story with a short paragraph, "As we talked of freedom and justice one day for all, we sat down to steaks. I am eating misery, I thought, as I took the first bite. And spit it out" [1] Walker mentions 'freedom' and 'justice' before he alludes to misery in the same paragraph. Our country's system of justice entailed a whole lot of suffering-- the suffering of slaves who were treated like animals for their labor. Therein lies merely one parallel that can be drawn from this inhumane treatment. Just the other day, I was watching a media program and the news caster was talking about the achievements we've made as a country because Barak Obama, a black man, would be inaugurated. Below we can see a brief summary of this and how it relates to today and how suffering came before "freedom" and "justice". 

 [2]

Even after the United States' freedom and justice was established, our society still had prejudices, racism and mistreatment of African Americans and other "non-white" Americans.  Racial minorities and women suffered through a great deal throughout our history, and they still suffer from our history to this very day. I've heard the historians argument being they were well-fed and not all of them were beaten if they complied with their slave master.  Some of them even worked alongside the slaves, they say. And while that argument may be true, it's still a slap in the face to anyone who'd enjoy their freedom. It seems we live in a fantasy we live in is animals want to be slaughtered, as long as we treat them nicely and led them roam our nice green field--before their trip to the slaughter house.  We assume, perhaps falsely, that animal are here to serve us; and we often don't think about their suffering for our needs atop of the food chain. Walker makes an effective analogy between speciesism, racism and sexism all within a short paragraph. I found her writing to be quite obscure, but also effective at getting a tough message across within a short story. 

They are the great-grandchildren of those who honestly though, because someone taught them this "Women can't think," and "niggers can't faint." But most disturbing of all, in Blue's large brown eyes was a new look, more painful than the look of despair; the look of disgust with human beings, with life; the look of hatred. And it was odd what the look of hatred did. It gave him, for the first time, the look of a beast. And what that meant was that he had put up a barrier within to protect himself from further violence; and all the apples in the world wouldn't change that fact. [3]

In the documentary Earthlings,  Joaquin Phoenix refers to people who reply "don't tell me, you'll spoil my dinner" when informed what the animal went through before it got on their plate. [4] It seems similar to the reasoning I often hear when I confront a racist with just why it is they are racist. They may even offer "proof" by citing college admission rates and standardized test scores. Phoenix says, "We've bitten the hand that feeds us; we've stomped and spit on it." [5] Like an ungracious lion, indeed we have bitten the hand that feeds us. 

 [6]

Today, I think we've made "progress" in the most positive sense of the word. Sure, racism still exists and I was alive in 1986. I've been around since Hip Hop first began in the Bronx. I still remember the days when I went to Catholic School in Lima Ohio and our elementary school was segregated. There was no attempt on the teachers' part to integrate or assimilate the African-American kids into the classroom. I've read the history and studied the issue of slavery as a means of understanding history and society--to seemingly make sense out of a chaotic world. When I consider all that we've gone through as a country, on one hand I'm happy. On the other, my thoughts alarm me that we must not forget history--nor try to re-write it to suit selfish needs. Rather, we should embrace where we are now. Yet at the same time, we should bear in mind just what Bentham was saying when he wrote,

Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do as well to determine what we shall do.  On the one hand, the standard of right and wrong, on the other the chain of causes and effects, are fastened to their throne. 

Fortunately, the causes and effects have led us to somewhat of a positive point. Though I argue there are tough times ahead as a country. The causes of the past, i.e. slavery, have not thus effected the present effect. Because while we may not be making many strides as far as animal rights, we have indeed made some positive steps towards overcoming racial barriers by electing Barak Obama. 

Personally, I'm glad we've moved on. I laughed when I read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and felt like asking our previous president a quote directly from the book, "What do you do, roam around killing people and telling yourself they're androids?" [7]

[8]

George W. Bush pretty much screwed the pooch over the last 8 years. All we can do now is hope.  As of now, I remain skeptical because of Obama because he is a politician within the bipartisan system and is part of Washington. But as far as who he is, I believe if his intentions lie in the right place that he can indeed make a change for the better. When I voted for him, his color wasn't even a factor. I believe he was the better-suited candidate. Yet I hope as I remain skeptical, given my past, given our past. . . . 

[9]

[0]http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q269/existens77/BzAnimalRightsCartoon07.jpg
[1]Course anthology, p 245F

[2]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AydvldZvnOE

[3]Course anthology, p 245E 

[4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39R2mvifdjE&feature=related

[5] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39R2mvifdjE&feature=related

[6]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/31/88924283_740240f5c3_o.jpg

[7] Phillip, K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (New York: Ballantine Books, 1996), p 110

[8]http://plison.agora.eu.org/blog/files/images/bush_looking_stupid.jpg

[9]http://www.socialsignal.com/system/files/u4/obama_hope.jpg