Whenever we, as activists, quote profound passages written and spoken by noted icons throughout history, we become inundated with critique in regard to certain verbiage utilized by said figures. Please keep in mind that individuals in the past were working with languages that have not only been translated over many decades and centuries, but sometimes even millennia. Their choices of reference also did not share the same nuances that our language currently does. Even the English language of 30 years ago did not possess some of the words or phrases that we utilize today. A good example of what I am speaking of would be French historian, Jules Michelets “Animal life, somber mystery. All nature protests against the barbarity of man, who misapprehends, who humiliates, who tortures his inferior brethren”. Our animal rights activist peers will ofttimes become angry in regard to the inferior reference and this is understandable, however, in the 1800s, this may have been the very best way that Michelet could have relayed the extent of nonhuman animal plight in the language available. I simply ask that we cut these noted figures a bit of slack. In retrospect, they were obviously way ahead of their time.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Nov 2013 15:35:26 +0000
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