Horse racing involves the slaughter of tens of thousands of horses every year, across the globe perhaps hundreds. The fact that people are completely unaware of this, and the other ethical issues surrounding horse racing, prompted me to write this piece for Animal Liberation Queenslands newsletter.
A human being is a part of the whole, called by us the 'Universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.
I had been vegan for a few years, done some volunteering for Animal Liberation Queensland, and read some of Peter Singer's other works before I finally read his classic Animal Liberation. I didn't really see why I needed to read it, after all, I was vegan and very much believed...