Purrs 4 Peace Week 34: ANIMAL TESTING IS AN ANTIQUE WE DON'T WANT TO BUY

“I am not interested to know whether vivisection produces results that are profitable to the human race. The pain which it inflicts upon unconsenting animals is the basis of my enmity toward it, and it is to me sufficient justification of the enmity without looking further.” – Mark Twain

According to the statistics that I have been able to discover online, the vast majority of the cruelest animal testing is conducted to satisfy requirements mandated by governments around the world, primarily in the United States and Europe. While these requirements, at one point in time, were probably well-meaning in that they were intended to make sure that products are safe for human use, these requirements make us, the citizens of these countries, unwilling accomplices to unspeakable torture. These regulations are antiquated. As I posted on September 27, 2009, much of the testing is repetitive and unnecessary. There are alternatives to animal testing and worse, these tests are not reliable due to the anatomical and psychological differences between animals and humans. Therefore, these tests do not in fact serve their stated purpose...they do not give us accurate data on the effects on human beings.

If we cut up beasts simply because they cannot prevent us and because we are backing our own side in the struggle for existence, it is only logical to cut up imbeciles, criminals, enemies, or capitalists for the same reasons. ~C.S. Lewis

Fortunately, for most consumer products we can vote with our currency...we can boycott companies that utilize animal testing. However, since we are required to pay taxes we do not have that option with these NASA backed experiments on Squirrel Monkeys. I am appalled that as taxpayers my family is forced to fund the kind of cruel and inhumane treatment that is against the very core of our beliefs. And where exactly are all the politicians who are crying out so loudly about the deficit when discussing the health care reform issues. Why are they not screaming as loudly about this unnecessary and cruel use of public funds.

Let your representatives know that you will be talking this issue into account the next time you are in the voting booth. Write a letter to the editor of your newspaper. E-mail the white house....

................and Purrrrrrrrrrrr.

2:59 p.m. Get ready to Purrrrrrrr.

SET.

3:00 p.m.

Confucius Cat say: GO!

Purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr,

Purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr... See the love, compassion, empathy and peace inside you

grow.

Purrrrr, purrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, Purring.... See that love and compassion touching each and every suffering animal, soothing their pain, comforting their fears.

Purrrrrrrrrrrrrr. See that compassion and empathy invading the hearts and minds of politicians, scientists and other decision makers. See them turning away from cruelty and turning toward humane treatment of animals.

Purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrr,

Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. See the NASA revoking it’s grant and abandoning testing on squirrel monkeys and other animals.

Purrrrrr.purrrrr, purrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr...Imagine the headline: Scientific community declares animal testing obsolete. Government bans antiquated practice.

Purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, ........... purr compassion, purr protection, purr safety, purr love, purr empathy, purr understanding, purr peace.

Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......

I would like to add an extra minute of purring for our beloved friend Fluffy Stanley- a valued participant in the purrs4peace project- who was suddenly taken over the Rainbow Bridge at only 13 months. A sweet precious kitty gone too soon from this world. Please send purrs love to comfort his family that we may in some small measure try to ease their pain at his loss.

3:04 p.m. You may stop purring now.

Purrs 4 Peace Week 24: Announcement - Hunting for Peace not Animals

I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls. They always say because it's such a beautiful animal. There you go. I think my mother is attractive, but I have photographs of her.
-- Ellen DeGeneres

In the midst of deer season, we devote the purrs this week to ending the barbaric practice of hunting animals.

"Of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel. He is the only one that inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it." - Mark Twain

I understand the overpopulation argument for some hunting activities. To that I say, can we not deal with such issues without killing animals? The U.S. is one of the most technologically advanced in the world. We have some of the greatest brains on the planet. The answer to our problems doesn’t have to be killing or torturing.

I was appalled to discover that more than 100 million animals are killed during the “sport” of hunting each year. Just as shocking, is that for every animal killed two others are hurt and not recovered by the hunter. Many suffer slow and painful deaths by blood loss, infection or starvation. Others suffer permanent injury.

And what of the cost to the humans involved in this activity? There must be a price to the SOUL of a person who enjoys killing an animal. Certainly, we know that serial killers of human beings begin by practicing their cruelty on animal victims. I am not saying that all hunters will become serial killers, but there is a certain resistance within to the taking of life. When one takes the life of an animal, part of that resistance is chipped away. It is easier to take human life once a person has killed an animal. Therefore, why do any human parents think it is a good idea to train their children in such blood sport?

"Killing animals for sport, for pleasure, for adventure, and for hides and furs is a phenomena which is at once disgusting and distressing. There is no justification in indulging is such acts of brutality"

Week 24 of Purrs 4 Peace details are as follows:

• Week twenty-four’s appointed time is Sunday, November 22, 2009.
• Participants should purr for three minutes commencing at 3 p.m. EST (U.S.) which is 8:00 p.m. (20:00 hrs.) GMT in the U.K.
• The cat’s human staff should assist their cats with the project by stroking and nuzzling the cat at the appointed time.
• Please post your cat name and the country you purr in at www.confuciuscat.blogspot.com as a COMMENT if you are participating in this historic project. (posting a link to your own website-if you have one-is encouraged.) Or let me know by message on twitter or facebook.
• Posting purrs on facebook ( Acolytes of Confucius Cat or as friend to Alley Mason) and twitter (@ConfuciusCat) is encouraged, since it inspires purring in others, but not required. On twitter please use #purrs4peace in your tweets.

This week we purr to end the barbarity. We purr to sustain life. We purr for the emergence of love. We purr to spread peace.