Thanks for the article. I love it when people give me new things to think about and explore.

When I saw the name Andrew Vachs, it sounded familiar. After reading the article, I'm still wondering where I've read his stuff before. It'll come to me eventually.

Let me say this, I am hesitant to subscribe to Mr. Vachs line of reasoning. There are some definite incongruencies there. First off, the animal kingdom is far less morally inclined than we are. Any animal behaviourist will tell you that rape, incest, murder (including infanticide) and general violence are far from unheard of in the animal kingdom. Yes, there are systems of behaviour in place for different species, but let's be realistic. I think it's very easy to idealise animals. Especially when we are so far removed from nature these days. It's easy to forget how harsh it can be. My second issue with his argument is that only recently have we as a society begun to report incidents of abuse, etc. We have no idea how many cases of incest occured in the America of 1768, and we never will. It's hard for me to believe that these are recent phenomenons.

I guess how you deal with abuse all comes down to what you really want in the end. I see the "eye for an eye" approach to be something of the stone age. Sure, it feels good to have immediate retribution but will it solve anything in the long-term? Undoubtedly people deserve to be punished, but at what point will a society ask "why do we have all of these problems in the first place?" Could it be our values? Could it be the depression and hopelessness of unemployment? My opinion is that until you remedy the larger causes of crime, you will only continue to create more monsters, regardless of how many offenders are locked up.

On the issue of humanity, I believe that while we are members of the animal kingdom, we are separate and capable of much more. I don't believe that nature (without civilisation) is necessarily horrible, but there is a general amoralness about it that hinges upon survival. Therefore, I see civilisation as something to aspire to as it transcends mere survival and works to better the lives of everyone in as equal of a manner as possible. Being "humane" is not an impossibility to me, I continue to believe that most people aspire to living in communities and societies that are reasoned and humane. Otherwise, we might as well not have bothered in the first place.


*Mugsy*

I see your point about your pets in the fire, but I think that's a separate issue as it only involves you and your pets. This seems like more of an issue of proximity. Would you die for a racoon stuck in a burning house? Probably not...