The Cyberactivist

I remember when I was growing up there used to be a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Animals. Back in the day, the struggles against animal abuse and child abuse were linked. Many, many of the earliest animal protection organizations also were devoted to protecting children.

What happened? Why did that change? Somebody should study that. In the meantime, we need to get back to a unified understanding of violence. We need to see that violence against women, children, animals, and the environment all are linked.

At the Eastern Shore Sanctuary, we think that the problems of animal abuse and child abuse are linked. We wish that animal welfare associations would get back to taking action for children and that child abuse agencies would get back to taking care of animals too. Or, at least, we'd like to see them working together.

We can all do that in our own way. Those of us who are primarily animal advocates can make it our business to speak up for children whenever we can, making it clear that we are doing so as animal advocates.
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I couldn't agree more, pattrice. Violence is violence. whether it is directed at animals, children, or even destruction of the environment the whole planet calls home, it is wrong and should be stopped. One of my goals has been to reach out to other organizations and find that common ground on which we agree, putting any differences we may have aside to reach it. If we did this, with all of the different organizations out there, we really could make a difference. A big one! And so much faster than working alone on different issues when they are all truly interconnected.