Animal Rights

In my host house, the television is always tuned to a telenovela (soap opera) channel that fills the kitchen with violent arguments, men threatening women, men brandishing weapons a other men, women plotting against one another, weddings and funerals and masses interrupted by empassioned lovers and mortal enemies. The opening sequence for a particularly insipid telenovela set on an agave ranch in Mexico features a spectacular shot of a horse taking a fall from a full gallop, making a quarter-turn in the air and throwing its rider before landing hard on its side and slamming its head against the ground.

Having just watched this disturbing footage for about the seventh time. I turned to see that my host mom, Daisy had also taken it in. "I always feel sorry for the horse," I remarked. "You don't like horses?" Daisy responded, evidently deciding that I what just said couldn't possibly have been what I meant to say. "Well," I explained, "the man is just acting, but the horse isn't acting. It doesn't what is going on." For a moment Daisy was silent. Then she said, "Yes. The poor thing. He doesn't know how to act. Horse can't talk. Poor horses, they can't even think."

I don't think she got what I was trying to tell her.

Participating in an activity during one of our youth group activities