In my point of view, humanity is a disease on the face of the earth. But all being said I am a part of the disease. Humanity is evil, but people are nice, humanity is self destructive and seems single minded in its self destruction. The world, animals, never asked for chemical warfare, toxic polution and neuclear generators. Disaster after disaster humanity doesnt seem to learn. We teach our children its ok to cut up living frogs in science class, millions of living frogs across the world day after day. Animals were on this world long before humans, yet because we can "think" we deem ourselves superior. We all die, human, animal, vegetable, but what dignity do we have while we are alive? What quality of life do we have? Do we humans as the superior life form have the right to remove all quality of life from the animals we breed for our own use? The difference between humans and animals is that we have a choice, we are aware of this yet instead of seeing this as a responsibility, we use it to make us feel justified in the tortures that we condone on lower life forms. Animal testing may be a necessity but repeating the same tests hundreds of times all over the world year after year when we know the result is depraved. People see animals as objects, possessions rather than creatures that live and feel.
Ive seen the dark side of humans, the sick depraved abuse of innocent children by parents for self gratification, Ive seen self destructive behavior ending in insanity and death. Ive had to face the degradation of my own childhood, loss of innocence, Iv'e seen the dark part of my own soul and nearly ended my life in despair.
Yet everyday you see signs of hope, people organising to reduce, even stop the suffering of animals, slowing down the destruction we as a race produce. I volunteer for the Cat Haven, I take in unwanted and dumped cats and kittens and hold them until the Haven picks them up and cares for them, try to find them a new home. Many animals are surrendered to me because the animal doesnt fit into their lifestyle anymore. A female cat with kittens are brought to me because people thought that allowing the cat to have them was a growing experience for the children, and it would make the cat a better cat. Thirteen thousand cats go through the Cat Haven every year in West Australia, thats not counting the ones dumped in the bush, surrendered to other animal welfare organisations and veterinarians. A lot of despair when you are witness to it, yet I see people who barely have enough money to live, spend hundreds on their pets medical fees, spend money on strays, feed them and have them sterilized. I know a pensioner who for years has taken in small old dogs, loves them, feeds, them and gives them veterinarian care, only for them to die a few months down the track of old age.
But getting back to the subject matter, computer games are fun, we can kill, maim and destroy without hurting anything, we can be evil or good and it doesnt affect anyone. Yet computer games (same as books/movies) must have a semblance of the real world, give us something to relate to. So it must be inevitable that many contovesial subjects are brought up and dealt with in the environs of the computer world, its what keeps them intersting. As a consumer we should take these subjects as part of the whole, a piece of fiction. We can deal with the issues however we like, after all the whole subject I believe, wether its anti-animal testing, the right of a self destructive life style, or animal rights or moral sublimal messages in CRPG's is the fact of choice. It's what we as individuals do with that choice is what matters.
Actor Larry Hagman had a lung transplant, being an alcoholic he continued drinking and destoyed the new lung, now dying he has said that if he was offered another lung he would refuse, he had chosen to live his life the way he has, had a second chance and thrown that away, it wouldnt be right to take another lung. Others might not agree with him, but it is his choice.
We all have been taught right from wrong, we have a choice to act on our moral values, if we see an injustice we can choose to act on it, animal testing is one of these subjects, if we wish to change something, us as individuals can act as a group and change things, it's called progress and doesnt always have to be bad. At least animal testing can be addressed, many social human injustices are not so easily dealt with. Someoneonce once said "you can judge a society by how they treat their animals" and with that I dont want to look any deeper at how we treat each other. Sorry if this became a soapbox subject, but I've been following this thread for a while.
