... and I'm already having to say something that has nothing to do with feminism or being a nerd. I've been driving for a good long time now, and something finally happened: I hit and killed a possum. It happened as you might expect - totally by accident. My friend and I were on a drive in the night and we were laughing and talking and, it was my fault, I wasn't paying as close of attention as I should. I still feel terrible. I'm not looking for your sympathy, though. I'm looking for help.
We cannot teach wild animals that roads are dangerous things. It's just not going to happen. So, I feel it's up to us to make the world a little safer for them. I have read about things like wildlife fences and critter-passes, little passageways under busy roads to make crossings safe for animals. A lot of people don't know these things exist, and people can't care if they don't know. I encourage everyone who reads this blog to do their research. Start writing local transit authorities and road managers - always start local. Yes, it's going to come down to money, but if we all pitched in as much as we could, I'm sure funds could be found to make the world a bit safer for animals.
Here's what really bothers me: people have been telling me "It was only a possum, so it's okay." No, no, and a world of no! If it had, gods-forbid, been a dog or a cat or even a bunny or something, people would have been crying with me. Critters like possums and armadillos (especially down here in the South) have people trying to run over them on purpose. I'm not even going to start on how people go out of their way to kill reptiles with their cars. One, this is psychopathic behavior - cruelty to animals is part of the homicidal triad. So remember that next time you see that big scary snake on the side of the road - ask yourself "Am I a psychopath who kills animals that are not doing me a bit of harm?" I pray the answer is no.
My point is, you can't just get bent out of shape over the creatures that mainstream society deems cute and cuddly. If you really care about the natural world, you aren't picking and choosing. Well, we all hear things like "Possums are just mean!" and "Those awful things carry rabies, so go on and kill 'em!" Hog-fracking-wash. There is no animal anywhere that is "just mean" and you can easily spot a rabid specimen if you (again!) just go do your homework and look it up. In general, you should leave any wild animal you see alone, no matter how cute it is in a Disney movie. Even if you loved The Lion King, you wouldn't go up to a lion and try to pet it, would you? Well, any animal can bite if it feels threatened, even if it's not "King of the Jungle." And just because it's not a creature that is not aesthetically appealing to you doesn't mean it's "mean" or "evil" or anything of the sort.
Animals need our help - all of them. I actually just got a custom T-shirt made (BangOn in Little 5 Points in Atlanta, Georgia - support local business!) that supports this statement. It's got the silhouettes of a catfish, an armadillo, and a vulture. Underneath is the legend "Ugly critters need love too." If you'd like the graphic so that you can have a similar T-shirt (or other item of clothing) made just for you, please contact me and I'd be glad to send it to you. Honestly, you don't even have to give me credit. I'm not making any money off it and the message needs to go out there. It's so true - the animals society deems "creepy" and "ugly" - I feel - actually need MORE love than the cute ones. We'll always have pandas and elephants and lions and gorillas because people want them here. Every animal has a place in the Circle of Life, so let's do our part to make it safe!
Marigold/Hyper-chan, in memory of Steve Irwin, over and out!
We cannot teach wild animals that roads are dangerous things. It's just not going to happen. So, I feel it's up to us to make the world a little safer for them. I have read about things like wildlife fences and critter-passes, little passageways under busy roads to make crossings safe for animals. A lot of people don't know these things exist, and people can't care if they don't know. I encourage everyone who reads this blog to do their research. Start writing local transit authorities and road managers - always start local. Yes, it's going to come down to money, but if we all pitched in as much as we could, I'm sure funds could be found to make the world a bit safer for animals.
Here's what really bothers me: people have been telling me "It was only a possum, so it's okay." No, no, and a world of no! If it had, gods-forbid, been a dog or a cat or even a bunny or something, people would have been crying with me. Critters like possums and armadillos (especially down here in the South) have people trying to run over them on purpose. I'm not even going to start on how people go out of their way to kill reptiles with their cars. One, this is psychopathic behavior - cruelty to animals is part of the homicidal triad. So remember that next time you see that big scary snake on the side of the road - ask yourself "Am I a psychopath who kills animals that are not doing me a bit of harm?" I pray the answer is no.
My point is, you can't just get bent out of shape over the creatures that mainstream society deems cute and cuddly. If you really care about the natural world, you aren't picking and choosing. Well, we all hear things like "Possums are just mean!" and "Those awful things carry rabies, so go on and kill 'em!" Hog-fracking-wash. There is no animal anywhere that is "just mean" and you can easily spot a rabid specimen if you (again!) just go do your homework and look it up. In general, you should leave any wild animal you see alone, no matter how cute it is in a Disney movie. Even if you loved The Lion King, you wouldn't go up to a lion and try to pet it, would you? Well, any animal can bite if it feels threatened, even if it's not "King of the Jungle." And just because it's not a creature that is not aesthetically appealing to you doesn't mean it's "mean" or "evil" or anything of the sort.
Animals need our help - all of them. I actually just got a custom T-shirt made (BangOn in Little 5 Points in Atlanta, Georgia - support local business!) that supports this statement. It's got the silhouettes of a catfish, an armadillo, and a vulture. Underneath is the legend "Ugly critters need love too." If you'd like the graphic so that you can have a similar T-shirt (or other item of clothing) made just for you, please contact me and I'd be glad to send it to you. Honestly, you don't even have to give me credit. I'm not making any money off it and the message needs to go out there. It's so true - the animals society deems "creepy" and "ugly" - I feel - actually need MORE love than the cute ones. We'll always have pandas and elephants and lions and gorillas because people want them here. Every animal has a place in the Circle of Life, so let's do our part to make it safe!
Marigold/Hyper-chan, in memory of Steve Irwin, over and out!
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