On Not Hiding Your Eyes

I've been thinking a lot lately about the word "cruelty" and how we use it, not least because of the annual dolphin slaughter in Japan that's only recently made international headlines thanks to Caroline Kennedy.

Looks like the photo credit belongs to Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project. I reposted this Facebook photo, horrible as it is, because the previous poster makes an excellent point. Our notions of animal cruelty are astonishingly inconsistent, aren't they?  Nobody would ever stand by and watch a dog get kicked by its owner, and yet no one seems to notice or care when a woman boards the T dressed in an ankle-length fur coat. When I see this I want to say, Have you ever considered how many dozens of animals were anally electrocuted so you could wear that? How would you like it if somebody put you in a cage for months or years before doing the same to you?I don't say it. But I want to. We see some acts as cruel, and other facts and behaviors we turn a blind eye to.So the next time you're about to buy anything—anything at all—I encourage you first to ask, Where did this come from? Was anyone harmed or in any way exploited in the making of it? (And yes, I do want to refer to an animal as "anyone" rather than "anything.")Take cosmetics, for instance. Look for the "leaping bunny" logo.  One more point on the subject of animal cruelty: it makes my skin crawl whenever I hear someone refer to "cruelty-free" meat or dairy products. Friends, there is no such thing. Eat it if you're going to eat it, but don't pretend you're being fair to the animal.That said, I don't want to come off too much like an angry vegan here, so I will leave you with a shot of the funniest item in my January Vegan Cuts beauty box:  This made me smile. I'll have to let you know if it works as well as North Coast Organics!