Sometimes when I looked at my dog Stanley, it
seemed because of his expressiveness that he could almost talk. I found myself wishing that he could. If I could create dogs anew, I would give
them this added ability—the ability to talk and be the spokesmen not only for
themselves but for all “dumb” animals. Humans
often get away with unspeakable cruelly to animals primarily because animals
lack a voice. They cannot say, in no
uncertain terms, that they too have rights based upon their sentient existence. They too have feelings and perceptions, but
lack the language to be heard in no uncertain terms. And mankind is so willfully
dense and prejudicial that he runs roughshod over animals simply because of
their silence. Unspoken evil becomes
hidden evil. The ultimate power of
language is that it can explicitly address the conscience; and when it can’t do
so directly, it can help marshal forces (such as organizational ones) to force
recognition. It is primarily language
that gives mankind ascendancy. Constant
verbal reprimands by my dog Stanley would have jeopardized my peace of mind and
tranquility of conscience. At the very
least, I could not have so easily patronized him and taken his goodwill for
granted. My best friend would have found
a voice and with it the power to challenge my assumptions of superiority and
rectitude. The self-righteousness I
share with the rest of mankind would be cast in new relief. The next time you look down at your dog and
wish he had the ability to speak, you might well consider the long list of ramifications
that would entail.
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