Wake Up, Fellow Earthlings

So, I thought about writing this blog and then debated it for a week or two. I guess I was concerned about offending somebody or something. But then I realized - Hey this is my blog and I'm supposed to be honest and express myself. I have something that's important to me to share, and therefore, why would I keep it from you.

A friend from work was talking to me about a documentary she saw called Earthlings. She gave me the general idea. I told Ryan about it. He wanted to watch it first since he knows that I have nightmares from television and movies. He told me he didn't think I should watch it. He let me know about it and admitted that he barely made it through the hour and a half....watching it in various sittings and wiping tears from his face. Well. Well. I guess the curiosity got me and I watched it. It took me two different sittings a week apart, but I pushed myself through the documentary knowing that "Ignorance is not bliss."

Earthlings is a free documentary that you can watch online. We went to www.freedocumentaries.org and found it by typing in the title Earthlings or go to the site and click on animal abuse and then find the title. Now, I probably lost a bunch of you when I just mentioned animal abuse. But wait. I too toss the mail I get from animal abuse organizations not wanting to take a glimpse at the horrible treatment people do to animals. I mean, our dog, is so spoiled she sleeps in the bed with us at night. So, that's not me, and I don't want to see it is my usual thought process. That's NOT what this documentary is necessarily about. Here me out and then decide to watch it or not.

The documentary discusses the 5 ways that humankind uses animals: Pets, Food, Clothing, Entertainment, and Science Testing. They use undercover cameras to show you where your meat comes from, animals at shelters, exactly how the leather sofas or shoes we wear become shoes, the infamous circus and zoos we pay to go to, and how, as a consumer of products, animals get to test our crash ratings for vehicles and on and on.

Here's the argument I hear from most people who don't want to watch this documentary. "I don't want to know where my meat comes from. I like my chicken and burgers. I don't want to give it up." And here's my response. It's not fun to watch the movie, but people know in the back of their minds that things aren't nice in "those places." But how not nice??? Ignorance my friends isn't always bliss. Just because you choose not to look at it doesn't make you any less responsible. You're still a consumer; why would you not want to know where it comes from. You're feeding it to your families. You take your families to these places for fun and entertainment. You buy these products for yourself and the ones you love. In my opinion, you're crazy not to want to know. It doesn't mean you have to give up everything if you don't want to. But at least educate yourself to what you pay for and how it affects others. Be an informed consumer.

Ryan and I are still working through what having watched this documentary means for us as a family. It is life-changing...No Doubt. But I would rather be figuring it all out than to try to play dumb to it all when I'm not.

Please watch this documentary and then make an informed decision about you and your loved ones.
Remember -We are all Earthlings!

Video Link: Earthlings