While walking to the lab yesterday, I recalled an event that transpired on a school excursion sixteen years ago. I was in the eighth grade at the time and the seniors at my high school had gone on a trip, which was, however, marred by an incident which was to become infamous and the subject of discussion in NSW State Parliament.
Said the Honorable R. S. L. Jones: "It is with regret that I have a very serious matter to report to this House. Last week approximately 100 year 12 students from Normanhurst Boys High School were taken on a field study excursion to Broken Hill. They were led by social science master Peter Plant, and science teacher Philip Blackman. The boys came across a baby goat, and I am informed that they were given the options of leaving the goat alone, taking it into town and selling it, or killing it. One of the boys, whose name I have but obviously do not intend to publish, took the goat and threw it down a cliff. The goat survived and the boys scrambled down the cliff, picked the goat up and threw it down again. The goat was still alive. Another boy, whose name I also have, then proceeded to stone the goat to death. If these facts as I have stated them are true, and I am reliably informed that they are, I ask the Minister for Education and Training to instigate an immediate investigation into the behavior of the boys and into the part played by the teachers. Did the teachers encourage these actions? If not, why did they not stop them? Why did the other students not stop the boys? I am absolutely horrified by this alleged gross cruelty to a baby goat. I seek an assurance from the Minister that he will order an immediate investigation."
Well, an investigation did happen and we ended up getting new geography teachers (not that it affected me since I hated geography and dropped it as soon as I could!). But the damage was done - not only in terms of the appalling suffering of the goat, but also with respect to the School's reputation. Our School motto of "Know Thyself" had been jokingly reworded by some to "Throw Thy Goat".
Yogis have five observances (yamas) that we, well, observe. Arguably the most important of these is non-harming (ahimsa). Regardless of whether we're vegans or vegetarians, omnivores or a carnivores, we are all human. And as long as we practice ahimsa, we can all be humane.
P.S. I was reminded of this event when I turned the clock back three three years to my arrival in Champaign. After having my granola one morning, I noticed a lady beetle in my house, which I frantically tried to trap. It eluded me for ten minutes, after which it was finally caught in between my mug and a wall. I slid a piece of paper in between the mug and wall, so I could move the critter, open my window and let the little guy fly into the big wide world, where it would have food to eat and other bugs to meet and greet. After arriving at work late, I was told by a co-worker that these orange bugs were invasive pests. Apparently, the real ladybugs were red, or something like that. But I didn't regret my actions and at least I learned something along the way. I've since trapped and released several spiders of late, which might not sound like a big deal, but given my arachnophobia I'm proud of myself. Come to think of it, I'm scared of any animal with more than four legs (*recalling incident where students laughed at me for running away from a moth while TA-ing*) but I don't mean them any harm.
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