In September, the San Francisco Commission of Animal Control and Welfare passed a resolution that will add the phrase "and/or guardian" to the municipal code wherever the concept of "owner" is mentioned. A similar measure is under consideration in Marin County. Both actions are the result of the campaign, "They Are Not Our Property, We Are Not Their Owners" launched by California-based animal advocacy organization, In Defense of Animals (IDA).
What a stroke of genius. In a world where thousand of activists devote their lives to halting millions of atrocities committed against the earth and all its inhabitants, the folks at IDA have found a way to address the fundamental issue of abuse at its root.
Language is a powerful tool. It both reflects and defines our culture, our lifestyle, our values. Many Native American languages have no word for "religion" because their culture does not separate spirituality from the rest of life. Changing the language we use fosters a subtle shift in the way we think. It's subtle but powerful, because it reaches us at a symbolic level, molding the subconscious to change perceptions and the position we take in relationship to the rest of the world. When the white man's world stopped referring to women and slaves as "property", those human animals took the first step toward acquiring freedom from legalized and socially sanctioned abuse.
When we stop calling ourselves "owners", we begin to undermine the justification for atrocities against that which we claim to own. If we can stop thinking of land and trees and animals as property and accept the responsibility of guardianship, we will obliterate anyone's excuse to abuse and destroy anything that cannot on its own behalf file a lawsuit.
And when animalsÑor trees, or streamsÑare no longer the property of anyone, they may one day be accorded the right to thriveÑthe company of human animals notwithstanding.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Seems like the birthright of all sentient beings.
Contact Jan at the MEC to obtain additional copies of the pledge, or to support the "They Are Not Our Property...." campaign in this area.
Contact In Defense of Animals, 131 Camino Alto, Suite E, Mill Valley, CA 94941, (415) 388-9641 for more information about this issue and other actions on behalf of the animals.
Add your support to In Defense of Animals' "They Are Not Our Property, We Are Not Their Owners" campaign by signing the pledge form below, and return it to the MEC, 106 W. Standley St., Ukiah, CA 95482, ATTN: Jan. Make copies of the pledge, have your friends sign them and return those as well. All signed pledge forms will be forwarded to IDA.
PLEDGE
Whereas, I believe that all animals deserve to be treated and respected as individuals with feelings, needs, and interests of their own, and whereas I believe that animals are not commodities or property to be bought or sold, disposed of, exploited or killed, I hereby pledge:
¥ to live my life with an ethic of respect and consideration for all animals, rather than one of ownership in which animals are considered mere property;
¥ to adopt and rescue rather than buy or sell animals;
¥ to represent myself as a caretaker, guardian, companion, protector and friend of animals rather than their owner or master;
¥ to strive at all times to make the world a more just and compassionate place for all beings, human and non-human alike.
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Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 1999
Permission granted to excerpt or use this article if source is cited