While I agree with Kathi to some extent I do think she crosses the line
of expressing opinion to believing that she has the facts, while those
who disagree with her are idiots. Phrases such as “supposedly educated”
only weaken Kathi’s credibility with the implication that if anyone
really is educated then they would think like Kathi. She has
single-handedly decided what is “nonsense”. “Time for a reality check”
and Kathi is the one who can tell us all about reality. I take such
people with a grain of salt.

Let’s just keep an open mind. Animal welfare is a learning experience
for all of us. We humans have always seen animals as beneath us, objects
for our convenience and amusement. We’re only just starting to ask
ourselves what our position in creation really is, relative to other
species. It always bothered me that the SPCA has purported to speak for
those who can’t speak for themselves. If that’s true, there have been a
lot of animals with suicidal tendencies. In my opinion – and it is only
my opinion, not necessarily truth – we don’t know enough about them to
speak for them. My point, and I’m getting to it, is that we humans
suffer from crippling arrogance that allows us to think we have the
right and the insight to make any decisions we like. We are answerable
to absolutely no one expect perhaps God, and anyone can make the
argument that God would back them up. A closed mind is a dangerous mind
– in my opinion. We have determined which lives are valuable and how
valuable they are. We have decided how other species want to be treated
and how much of that consideration they deserve to have. We have decided
what makes them happy and what doesn’t. We have decided how, when and
why they will die. We have taken ownership of their lives.

I don’t wish death upon that poor little 4-yr-old that Kathi refers to.
But do we humans have the right to sacrifice other living beings in
order to save human lives? I suspect most humans would say yes. No
surprise there. Me, I don’t know. But I feel very strongly that it
should not cause suffering, and there’s got to be another way. And could
I refuse medical treatment that would save my life because it comes at
the expense of another life? I won’t know until I face that situation.
All I know right now is that I’ll trust someone who keeps an open mind
and can sometimes say, “you have a point” and actually change their
behaviour in response to what they learn far more than I’ll ever trust
anyone who pontificates in a self-righteous, condescending tone about
who’s right and who’s wrong. You betcha!