I am Avowedly Hateful of This Olympics

Obviously, the big issue for me is the criminalization of homosexuality by the Putin government.


This is some heartbreaking stuff.

But did you know that Sochi was the site of a massacre about a hundred and fifty years ago? And that people were massively relocated to make this Olympic village happen? And that the previous residents couldn't even take their animals, so the very tame and amiable strays that are now alleged to be relocated also but are probably being killed, were pets?

I can have a giggle about the shambolic clusterfuckery  of the Potemkin-1st worldliness that is being fronted, here, but seriously, even the threat to the athletes from bad courses and accomodations is nothing compared to the human rights and animal rights abuses on display here.  Even the possibilty of terrorism is less disturbing to me.

I just can't say anything but "Screw this noise."

Something really inspirational about a dog--Oogy!

I'm both seriously disgusted with people when I can fathom the idea of a fellow creature being used as a "bait" dog, and then warmed right back up to humankind to know a dog with the serious drawbacks Oogy had could find a "forever family" to rehabilitate him and let him have a happy doggy life. I kind of hope there are more nice people in the world, who would take in Oogy's, than the kind of people who would make a dog like Oogy suffer, hurt, be alone, and even let them die that way.

There are two things that actually make me feel violent--and those things are the injury to innocent animals, and to children. I just think mature, well-adjusted people shouldn't ever want to see any sentient being suffer. And that people who abuse the helpless are bullies--and to me that means "Scum of the earth". You are among the worst of people living if you feel better knowing someone or something is beneath you, and especially so if you act from that. And my experience with dogs mostly tells me that dogs are pretty good "people". They are honest, they are loyal, they are empathetic, and considerate. They try to get along, they show courage, and always return affection.

There are humans who really don't get all that I think dogs know instinctively. They don't get that they are their brothers' keeper, the way guidedogs know. They don't understand that they are a part of a pack--which every dog I ever knew knows.

It's funny--I feel happy for a dog like this who is rescued from certain destruction, but I know people get used, too, and also need rescued. And do we hear those stories, too? Or those of used and abused people, rescued, and called back to our gentle world?

But we understand a dog so much better--how he was misused, and how he was rescued.

And we might let our recognition of what it truly means to be used like a dog, let alone be talked about as one, simmer for another day. Once we grasp what that might mean. And how awful it can be.