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I had a Moth flying around in my house. It was bothering me. It landed and I killed it.
I now mourn the death of the Moth, even though it was a Non-Sentient Creature. I tried to make excuses for my actions. Since this Creature was a native and innocuous life form, the right decision should have been to capture it and release it unharmed.
Reminds me of a certain fly I found.
I heard someone say there was fly in a cup of water, and an hour later I did the dishes. I poured the water with the dead fly into the garbage disposal. But before I activated it I saw that the once thought dead fly was alive, and though soaked with water, was slowly climbing his way out of the garbage disposal. I watched the little creature, literally claw his way out of what was nearly certain death. Though unable to fly and climbing up a slippery nearly ninety degree angle sink, he slowly made his way up. And fell down into the sink. But once again climbed on up once again. Though constantly slipping and still soaking wet, he made his way all the way up to the top of the sink. I then dubbed him "Salvage", the fly. I watched Salvage climb to the top of the faucet, and slowly dry his wings. Through strength and my choices, Salvage avoided a near certain death. That little fly made me really think about how much power we actually have over the lives of others.
There's your problem - trying to dictate that others are "ignorant" for not following your own personal path.
Tell you what... next time you go to a farm ask them how many animals get killed when the veggies are harvested. Then talk to me about being "ignorant" of how your lifestyle affects other animals.
btw yes animals are killed during veggie harvests... you just don't see them. which is why it's so easy to pretend it doesn't happen.
Same reason why many vegans don't use homemade tooth paste and use regular stuff from the store. You don't see the animal matter used to make it, so it's easier to remain ignorant of the fact that an animal still died to make the product. (Glycerine mist comes from cows... in fact it's in a lot of personal hygiene products).
So before trying to play "i am the law" on what is right and wrong, it's best you review your own actions. Otherwise you might end up like that guy Todd the Vegan who lost all of his superpowers because he didn't really research what was in the foods he ate.
Let me see, ok first of all if you killed a small animal by accident that's fine, you didn't see it and it died a quick death, I'm no vegetarian or vegan but I disapprove of animals being used for fashion.
If vegans use animal toothpaste, who cares? The animal is dead and the toothpaste is made, they can't do anything about it so if anything it would be ignorant not to use the toothpaste, but most do anyway.
It happens, I've done worse. At first, when one of the traps at home caught a mouse and we didnt notice untill hours later when he was dead( I think it was a he?). I felt really sad and even held a funeral and I burried the mouse but as time past by there where more and more. I tried to save them but by the fourth or fifth one it bit me (I was wearing gloves though) and then I felt so used even though I tried to rescue them it bit me!! I stopped trying to help them and I still felt terrible and still do when I think I didnt rescue them or at least burried them.. so I try not to think of it and move on basically get over it. but if you cant just so you know I've done worse. :c
Hmmm.. It makes me think. I'm actually okay with killing bugs and spiders, I do it all the time or I let someone else pick them up and take care of it..
But I'm not okay with killing mammals, like mouses, rats or bigger animals.. Why is that? A lot of my friends think the same about it. Why is it okay to kill bugs and spiders? But not mammals?
First of all, it is not okay to kill bugs and spiders,( more precisely insects and arachnids ) UNLESS they are an exotic and invasive specie, OR are detrimental to our survival ( either directly or indirectly ), OR are parasitic to Humans, OR are killed accidently.
Secondly, most people that have an aversion to killing larger animals, is usually due to a closer genetic affinity to them. For instance, mice have approximately 80 per cent genetic content as we do.
Please note: The plural of mouse is mice.
It's okay, don't fret!
Whenever, a moth used to die, I would get rather sad. I have this thing about them flying near me and I much as I like them, this phobia often gets in the way. I end up having to hit them or try to get the out of my room. I feel bad for them, but I don't feel bad for spiders or flies. Those things are some horrid buggers.
For some reason this reminds me of one of the Five Precepts: "1. I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from harming living beings."
I think you're a extremely compassionate person and I wish that there were more people like you in the world:) Mourn as long as you need.
Thank You for all the excellent responses on my story, as I can relate to much of them. What it is, is an Ethical standard that we should live by. Too often, we know very little about the other life forms we share this planet with. Even the best informed and most well intentioned of us do things like this every day.
We need to ask ourselves, what is the proper Ethical Decision?
In the case of the Mouse or the Fly, it is okay to control them ( kill ) where they become a pest since they can spread disease.
In the case of the Moth, sometimes they can be a pest ( eat clothing or be destructive plant pests ), but how was I to know? I'm not an Entomologist and I can't spend the rest of my life identifying every plant and animal specie around me. Perhaps, I could have asked someone or researched it myself, time allowing.
A reasonable solution to this dilemma is to keep a 'top ten' list of both beneficial and harmful plants and animals. We should all take better care, so as we do not introduce further exotic and invasive species into the Environment around us, and try to be more respectful of the ones that belong here.
It's good you feel guilty, so in future you don't take the easy but violent solution over the more difficult but harmless one.
I'll only kill mosquitos, or wasps if they're attacking me. Even then I feel bad. But moths are about the most harmless winged thing around.