On Loving Animals...

Pretty good answer to a very common question. Somehow, our self-proclaimed dominion over animals, the we'll-decide-what-happens-to-you, also translates to a my-good-before-the-animals' mentality. We know that one of the fallacies out there is that human concerns preempt animal concerns. How is one's suffering more important than another? We're all sentient beings. We object to all forms of animal cruelty no matter what exists on the human side of the equation. Animal welfare is our infinite passion and there is no substitution or subrogation to others.

The battle rages on over Mali , the lone elephant at the Manila Zoo. In 1977, she was taken there as a a goodwill gift from Sri Lanka to Imelda Marcos. She was still a child back then. Yes, I refer to animals like they were humans. It is never "it," but always a he or she. Surely, a mind-shift whose time has come. When we relegate animals to a form of "it," we open the door to all sorts of abuse and liberties upon them. "It" makes them subhuman. What an incredible thought---something lower than a human. Below is my response to an editorial  that appeared in a local newspaper in Manila. The writer, obviously, supports the Stay Mali movement as opposed to the Free Mali movement. The former favors extending captivity while the latter favors freedom. We want Mali transferred to a sanctuary in Thailand where she can socialize with other elephants and live in an environment that may not be perfect but closer to reality. She has not been with another elephant...