Of all cultures, we here in the US anthropomorphize the most.
My son was up today from BYU. We discussed Utah's wild horse population that is devastating the desert because it has no natural predators.
We also discussed how science is showing that the connections of life are not far off from the animist beliefs depicted in "The Avatar."
Science is discovering amazing intelligences and connections in many animals and even plants. Plants actually sense, see, plan and have relationships.
But everything has to live in balance. Without balance every living thing within the sphere of that dissonance suffers.
The Potawatomi or Ojibwe language does not refer to the flora and fauna as "it" but embraces life in a language that elevates it as our kin. The native american woman that explained this said it causes you to be more connected to our world.
However, this connection to life does not mean one of naivety or holding a simplistic or unrealistic view of the circle of life.
What does that have to horses? They were not native. They have no natural predators here and at their and other animals expense, are over populating the land. They are not playing a part in xanadu but are creating the opposite and are losing their connection to life because they are out of balance.
Yes, I think they are majestic beings. I felt this magical connection the first time I encountered a wild horse. But all life is precious. Don't elevate one species of life over others just because we have found a way to domesticate it for our own purposes. Antelope, desert sheep, deer etc are as intelligent and as valuable as horses.
It's time to have a rational discussions about how balance must be established in our deserts. Perhaps we need to anthropomorphize less, view all life as our brothers and sisters and realize xanadu comes at the price of balance.
Loren M. Lambert © May 12, 2014
My son was up today from BYU. We discussed Utah's wild horse population that is devastating the desert because it has no natural predators.
We also discussed how science is showing that the connections of life are not far off from the animist beliefs depicted in "The Avatar."
Science is discovering amazing intelligences and connections in many animals and even plants. Plants actually sense, see, plan and have relationships.
But everything has to live in balance. Without balance every living thing within the sphere of that dissonance suffers.
The Potawatomi or Ojibwe language does not refer to the flora and fauna as "it" but embraces life in a language that elevates it as our kin. The native american woman that explained this said it causes you to be more connected to our world.
However, this connection to life does not mean one of naivety or holding a simplistic or unrealistic view of the circle of life.
What does that have to horses? They were not native. They have no natural predators here and at their and other animals expense, are over populating the land. They are not playing a part in xanadu but are creating the opposite and are losing their connection to life because they are out of balance.
Yes, I think they are majestic beings. I felt this magical connection the first time I encountered a wild horse. But all life is precious. Don't elevate one species of life over others just because we have found a way to domesticate it for our own purposes. Antelope, desert sheep, deer etc are as intelligent and as valuable as horses.
It's time to have a rational discussions about how balance must be established in our deserts. Perhaps we need to anthropomorphize less, view all life as our brothers and sisters and realize xanadu comes at the price of balance.
Loren M. Lambert © May 12, 2014
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