wisdom
the cost of life is heavy, human and
animal alike
The same force that keeps us apart brings us together. And in our quest for survival, consider that we, too, have harmed him. We have eaten his food. We have trampled his home. We have robbed him of security. In fear, we have simply struck him down. I myself have been complicit. But do not think of me as a fool – for I do not mistake reciprocity for equality. Yes, the scales of our conflict are uneven, but we cannot weigh the value of life in checks and balances. Especially when it is the most vulnerable among his kind whom we punish. Those whose only fault lies in circumstances beyond their control. We could hate man, but what would that achieve? Justice lies not in revenge but in preserving balance, taking only what we need from the land and each other. It is up to us to
show him the way home. Compassion is a tough seed to sow, but it yields the sweetest fruits. And though we may never know peace, balance remains a noble goal to pursue. If the key to our collective survival is forgoing unchecked freedom, I beg you to accept it. For freedom is not the ability to do as one pleases, no matter the cost. It is in experiencing the world as it’s meant to be. So let him raise his fences. Leave him to his crops. Savour the space he fights to save for us. For although in doing so, he has his best interests at heart, I assure you, his best interests are not so different from ours. The cost of life is heavy, human and animal alike.
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