Compassion

Beverly Sills, in a speech thanking people for their generous contributions at a charitable fundraiser, was quoted as saying: "Compassion is what separates us from the four-legged animals." To which I responded, "WHAT??"

The next day the press reported the story of the stray dog that found an abandoned newborn human baby, picked it up, and crossed a busy street, where she nestled the baby in with her newborn puppies.

I like it when the universe rights itself.

HUGE warm fuzzies!!!

Thx for that post, Chatterbox!!!!

(((C)))

~Rose~

Animals display far more thinking abilities and emotions that what "scientists" realize.

I had a golden retriever named "Tucker". While my five children were out playing, they took their eyes off the youngest who was a toddler. Justin got near the street where an 18 wheeler was approaching at a high rate of speed. Tucker got in front of Justin and was barking franticallly. Sadly, the truck never slowed down. It could have been my son that was killed had that brave, loyal, dog not perceived the danger and taken necessary action to protect my youngest son.

I had a standard poodle named "Ebony" who was a certified pet therapist. She thought. If a patient had an arm that was paralyzed, she would put her head under the hand and move her head as if she were being petted. She instinctively knew what to do to brighten the lives of my nursing home patients. She was incredible and I would say had the intelligence of a eight year old child.

Animals display far more thinking abilities and emotions that what "scientists" realize.

I had a golden retriever named "Tucker". While my five children were out playing, they took their eyes off the youngest who was a toddler. Justin got near the street where an 18 wheeler was approaching at a high rate of speed. Tucker got in front of Justin and was barking franticallly. Sadly, the truck never slowed down. It could have been my son that was killed had that brave, loyal, dog not perceived the danger and taken necessary action to protect my youngest son.

I had a standard poodle named "Ebony" who was a certified pet therapist. She thought. If a patient had an arm that was paralyzed, she would put her head under the hand and move her head as if she were being petted. She instinctively knew what to do to brighten the lives of my nursing home patients. She was incredible and I would say had the intelligence of a eight year old child. Such loyal friends.....

apparently beverly sills has never met a four legged animal, a two legged one for that matter. such a statement shows beverly sills know nothing about compassion.

I agree, what an ignorant woman.

There are so many stories similar to the 2 wonderful dogs that peggylsnyder told us about. I once saw a program on pbs about elephants. One of their members died, and the rest of the herd clearly showed their grief. If I remember right, some actually had tears. And then, one of the babies floundered in this mud pit.... and I was amazed how the adults actually created a ramp of sorts for the baby to climb up on and out of the pit.

Humans and animals can display amazing compassion and amazing cruelty.
I think what "separates us from the animals" is that we can say something really stupid and then spend an indefinite amount of energy kicking ourselves, apologizing, and explaining. Wouldn't life be easier if we could just give a lick and a nuzzle then expose our belly to show how sorry we are? :D

I agree, what an ignorant woman.

There are so many stories similar to the 2 wonderful dogs that peggylsnyder told us about. I once saw a program on pbs about elephants. One of their members died, and the rest of the herd clearly showed their grief. If I remember right, some actually had tears. And then, one of the babies floundered in this mud pit.... and I was amazed how the adults actually created a ramp of sorts for the baby to climb up on and out of the pit.

I saw that one too.... I LOVE those National Geographic programs! That elephant one had me grabbing for the kleenex.

~Rose~

Humans and animals can display amazing compassion and amazing cruelty.
I think what "separates us from the animals" is that we can say something really stupid and then spend an indefinite amount of energy kicking ourselves, apologizing, and explaining. Wouldn't life be easier if we could just give a lick and a nuzzle then expose our belly to show how sorry we are? :D

"Kick a dog while it's down" came from who/what other than....? *siigghhh* :(

~Rose~

Aren't animals amazing??!!!! My 8 month old boy kitty is the most loving creature I have ever known!! He is so smart.......he sleeps with me every night, snuggles up to my face as close as he can get - usually ends up laying across my neck at some point through the night. Then in the morning if I don't wake up to my alarm, he will start meowing in my face!! How smart is that!!

That lady is missing out big time........

"Kick a dog while it's down" came from who/what other than....? *siigghhh* :(

~Rose~

I don't undertand what this means, Rose?

I'm thinking that maybe Bev was referring to 'Four legged animals" in the context of those four legged animals that are the cold, viscious, etc. type(s) ie. hyena's, and the like?

I really, really, really hope?? :o

~Rose~

I don't undertand what this means, Rose?

You had said: "Wouldn't life be easier if we could just give a lick and a nuzzle then expose our belly to show how sorry we are?"

It reminding me of the analogy: "Kick a dog when it's down." Meaning, those (humans) that like to zero in on other's that are ovbiously down already, and for whatever reason, enjoy driving them down even further. What other animal outside of the Wild Kingdom would/could be guilty of doing that?.... Humans.

~Rose~

edit: also, those that exist that make it impossible to EVER be sorry enough for have hurting/slighting... whathaveyou. Roll over, give a lick, and show your belly for them means to them you must just need more kickin' ta be done.

Ahhh, thanks for explaining!!! No, I think she "mispoke" herself or was misquoted or she's totally misinformed. OR she did something that is so totally HUMAN (and one of my personal pet peeves): in order to point out the good in something she searched for something "bad" to compare it to. She just really blew it!

And you silly - hyennas are canines and primarily scavengers. They aren't cold or viscious!! :p

Ohhhh, not according to the documentaries I've seen on animals, Rose. They can be real nasty to each other, too. Pack animals have a very rigid heirachy and, if you're the "omega," the pack can be very cruel. Also, chimpanzees attack monkeys, tear them apart while they are still alive and eat them. There is no evidence that they do this for any other reason except that they hate monkeys.

Again, in the animal world, it is almost unheard of for one animal to expose their stomach and throat in submission/"apology" and be attacked! THAT's more of a human thing, like you said in one of your post's "kicking a dog when it's down".

Ohhhh, not according to the documentaries I've seen on animals, Rose. They can be real nasty to each other, too. Pack animals have a very rigid heirachy and, if you're the "omega," the pack can be very cruel. Also, chimpanzees attack monkeys, tear them apart while they are still alive and eat them. There is no evidence that they do this for any other reason except that they hate monkeys.

***balls up her list of options for 'what to make for dinner', and shoots it into the trash*** LOL!

I hear ya... my daughter caught one of those episodes, and I had to talk her through 'vivid beast' nightmares three nights in a row. A week after that, she even had a nightmare about a Giraffe after having visited the zoo with my brother that afternoon (apparently the zoo thing was too soon after THAT episode)!

For a half-a-sec, at that time, I thought maybe she was talkin' about the the Toys-R-Us mascot (Geoffery the Giraffe?)... and I'd be home free, from havin' ta go to THAT zoo again....LOL!

~Rose~

Ewwwwww, that chimpanzee/monkey thing got ugly, didn't it? Sorry. I was trying to use an example to show that animals are not perfectly wonderful anymore than humans are perfectly awful - both are capable of heart-warming compassion and heart-breaking cruelty.

Maybe I didn't make myself clear in my ORIGINAL post: Beverly Sills (a retired star of the New York Metropolitan Opera who now devotes herself to charitable works, a beautiful, cultured, intelligent woman that possesses great charm and inner beauty) made (or was quoted as having made) a REALLY stupid remark about four-legged animals not being capable of compassion like humans are, and I was blown away that she said it and that the Associated Press would pick-up on it and it would be printed in the newspaper. It had a strange, off-kilter effect on me. Then, the next day, the story about the dog saving the baby was picked up by the same media and it felt, to me, that balance had been restored.

Balance. It was all about balance. [She repeated, falling to her knees, then crumbling to the floor in a little ball as the curtain falls on her little mini-drama. The end. :D ]

Chatterbox, you are TOO cute!

Thank you so much, Peggy! [Accepting the bouquet of red roses. Deep bow and a curtsy and blowing kisses.]

In truth, I am a very large woman of 52, but in my mind, I am still just a little girl putting on plays for her own enjoyment and just hoping some passer-by might enjoy them a bit as well. :D

A touching post, Chatterbox.

I love my two puppies as my children for their inconditional love.
I absolutely agree with you, Trish, our domesticated animals are far more capable of loving than we are.

You're right, it's great when things get right by themselves.

Beijos
Paulo

True, true, true, Trish and Charming Paul our animals give us soooo much!
And not only compassion and love, but humor! I have a dog and a cat and there is not ONE DAY has passed in 11 years that they haven't made me laugh!

I saw a poster from pre-war Germany, forbidding Jews from owning pets. The Nazis knew how much pets give us, how much we love them, and how dehumanizing and demoralizing it would be to the Jews to deny them the joy of living with a pet. I live in South Florida and it is very, very hard to find a place that allows dogs. Even my condo does not allow them, but I bought before the ban so I am "grandfathered" in but my neighbors in the condo hate me for having a dog. It amazes me that these, otherwise nice, caring people, resent me and want to deny me this bond.

One of the many, many, things I loved about Europe was the way dogs were incorporated into the daily lives of their owners.

I loved going for a coffee in the afternoon in Salzburg and there would be dogs in the Cafe with their owners. It was beautiful and the mutual love of animals was a natural conversation starter.

One of the great pleasures of my life was to take my dog for a walk and then stop in an outdoor restaurant or cafe to have a cappuccino or a cold drink and listen to some music. My dog enjoyed the excursion. The server would bring her a paper cup of water. People smiled at us. So pleasant.

Then Broward County passed a law that a dog cannot go anywhere - even on a sidewalk - where drinks and food are served.

Hmmmm, between the national politics, the local politics, and the condo politics - maybe I am supposed to figure out that it's time for me to find someplace else to live. :(

We had a birthday celebration at the restaurant I used to work at. A party of ladies, with a table in the back diningroom. At the end of their dinner they gave the birthday girl her gifts. One of the ladies went outside, then came back in with a small dog-carrier with a newly weaned Jack Russel Terrier inside.

This gift was so warmly received, and even those in nearby tables were oohing and ahhing over it, even wishing the lady a happy birthday. But one table of 3 people began to complain about *gasp!* a dirty dog in the restaurant!!! :eek:

I told them it was just a puppy, and it wasn't being placed on the table, but held in the arms where it stayed, quietly. They didn't leave a tip, and complained to the management. It's people like this that help the system create more restricting laws on its citizens. :mad:

Amen, Lynn!

Now, here's my question --- the latest buzzwords in the U.S. is "we're the majority so we make the rules." Aren't pet owners the majority in the U.S.?
Why do we let them push us around?