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2003-04-11 - 1:19 p.m.
If you've ever seen The Thin Red Line you'll remember a couple of scenes where the camera focuses on a bird, or some other wildlife while the battle rages on around them. I don't remember the scenes clearly, or even if there were more than just a bird, it's been a long time since I've seen the movie.
I remember coming away from that movie thinking about the effects of war on the wildlife in the battlefield. It made me feel very sad. Call me a misanthrope (and you'd be right), but it makes me feel much sadder to contemplate the plight of animals caught in the crossfire of war than it does people.
And there's the scene with the machine gunned cows in Saving Private Ryan.
At least people know why their leg has just been blown off. And usually they had a choice of leaving the area (not always, I know).
What's even more disturbing, and just infuriates me, are the animals that are shot for "play" by soldiers. That ought to be grounds for court martial.
I think I've heard there's some kind of psychological illness, or state, where the person can feel empathy only for animals, not humans. I'm not quite there , but close. But of course I get all teary-eyed when I see people mourning their lost sons & daughters, wives & husbands, etc. during the war coverage. But at least they know what and ...well, the reasons given our leaders, if not the why.
So, if you're the prayin' type, the next time you give a moment of silence for the men and women killed in this war, think too of the camels, and goats, and chickens, and dogs, and cats, and gerbils, and birds.
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So, how do you like them apples?