Civilizing, Slowly

ROBERT HEINLEIN intimated that the degree to which a culture, a society, a civilization is civilized is indicated by the level of cleanliness in its public restrooms. According to that standard, America is in deep doo doo, so to speak. One might suggest other standards of measurement. One possibility is to measure the treatment of the infirm, the poor, tne very young, and the very old. Precisely how do we treat the vulnerable, the least among us? How do we treat animals, including those that we raise in factory farms and slaughter wholesale for our own consumption? Many things can be measured in many different ways. In Islamic countries, cats are considered sacred animals. The prophet Muhammed was in danger of being bitten by a deadly poisonous snake. A cat killed the snake, but not before being bitten itself. The cat died, but not before the prophet stroked its back gently, after which all cats were destined to be beautiful for all time. Henceforth all cats would have a special, priveleged place in Islamic society, to this day. Islamic cities, like all big cities, are filled with stray cats, due to human irresponsibility, and human compassion. But in Musli cities they are not ignored and regarded as nuisances, they are cherished and respected, regarded amost as special heavenly angels. They are cared for by the public in general. Anyone who brings harm to a cat on an Islamic street is in serious trouble. In the USA we don't do quite as well, but are evidently doing a bit bettter. There is a growing movement in America to stop murdering cats systematically because nobody wants to care for them. Why not let the live, free and loose on our streets, having been spayed neutered, and vaccinated? If nothing else, give them a chance to live. Let American culture emulate the nobility of Islamic cat life. At my local senior center I pointed all this out, and for my trouble some self righteous Christian nitwit left on my desk a couple of brochures and pamphlets lecturing me on the unique truth of the Christian faith. Wow. Talk about missing the point. I was talking about culture and cats, not religion, for heaven's sake. We in the United States have a long ways to go, but we can get there. We can become more compassionate towards the vulnerable. We should, arguably, begin to build a better society, one in which stray dogs and cats do not have to get their meals from dumpsters. A society in which all citizens feel not only obligated, but eager to render whatever assistance they can to those in need, including animals. We here in proud, arrogant, individualistic America should, it can be argued, not only do a better job of taking care of each other, but a better job of respecting cats, dogs, and all animals. Anyone who thinks that this is an advocacy for a vegetarian lifestyle is quite correct. Hypocriically, when I dine at the senior center, I eat meat, because meat is served. When in Rome. At home, where I make out the menu, I go vegetarian. Today's meat substitutes are of excellent quality. Albert Einstein was asked to make a contribution to a time capsule, to be opened in one hundred years. His contribution was a message to future generations. Paraphrased, it said: "If you people of my future have not become kinder, more compassionate and tolerant than we were, may the devil take you". Seventy years after Einstein's death, we still have a ways to go. Our progress towards becoming civilized has been, and remains, slow and tortured. But we are trying. Humanity is less violent now than it ever has been in history, hard as that seems to believe. We are evolving upward from savagery, lurching towards civilization. The Ohio Supreme Court recently ruled that stray dogs and cats have the same legal protections as pets. California has passed a law prohibiting the barbaric and cruel practice of declawing of cats. Maybe there will come a day when all animals receive proper, compassionate treatment, and American public restrooms are all spiffy clean. But for now, they, like all of us, like our culture and society, could still stand a bit of sprucing up.