Slimming the crowd?

For perhaps those small few who may happen upon this blog or even read semi-regularly, I find no way to cleverly mask my own manner-of-being, who and how I am, those elements in which I believe and live toward passionately. I realize I am attempting to keep this blog anonymous, which conflicts a tad with my last statement. Nevertheless, as an ultimately unique life, I see no point in remaining "politically correct," but rather perceive much use in existing as a transparent soul, into which one can see and ask easily.

That being said, I must address an argument imposed upon other living beings (humans and other animals alike). That is, I tire of being informed of the "overpopulation" of some creatures. As some may realize, this frequently arises within the context of the hunting season, which for some creatures and some regions exists incessantly. "We are really doing society a benefit here, there is just too dern many of them," they state. Thanks for the favor guys. Nonetheless, I continually fail to find killing other living, soulful beings for sport a favor for any loving piece of this thing we call life. This is, however, not my argument...

My argument resides in the utilization of the concept of "overpopulation." It simply does not work and breaks down rapidly. Overpopulation implies the existence of a "correct" population. If such is the case, who determines the correct population? Us humans, the reigners-supreme of the world? Unfortunately, such an approach rests upon an unfounded assumption of superiority. From what source did we gain the keys to Gaia's kingdom? Even from a theological perspective, about which I am very interested, such an interpretation is either literalism or is a questionable reading of Biblical text. For instance, many translations utilize the word "steward" in regards to the relationship between animals and humans. Utterly regardless, though, humans have received no formal statement of the proper balance of humans:animals. There is no "objectively correct" ratio. For Christian individuals, look to the compassionate St. Francis of Assisi as a model. He treasured animals as God's children, preaching them, giving thanks for them, caring for them, and instructing that they too give thanks for their existence.Let us lightly put down the theological/biblical element for a moment, though.

Let us pretend we are wandering, random humans. As our suburbs devastatingly move into the surrounding countryside, we realize, "Oh no! The deer, they are eating all of our flowers!" The response? "Clearly, there is an overpopulation problem." I inquire, what does that mean? There are too many? That, again, implies an objectively correct or preferable number of animals, an optimal number at which animals properly exist. Anything beyond this is just being greedy on their part, right? Rubbish. Do deers exist merely for our sport? Do cows exist simply to provide the ingredients for steak? Are puppies bestowed upon us by the universe to entertain us and obey us. Spiritual or not, I challenge such thoughts. (If I don't have you on board with this, read below entries) From a purely scientific lens, if we have been "lucky" (for randomness/chance is all then it could be, scientifically) enough to exist as humans and not the fly you swat, there still remains no universally correct number of animals. If it is all a universal mistake, how could there be any Truth, any "correct" manner of living, in which animals must be regulated? If you find faith in a transmigration-based belief, then again, is not your humanness a blessing? If you were once the annoying fly, would you wish to be casually swatted out of existence?

We, humans, continually pilfer land from them, decrying their trespassing upon our new backyard when they need to search farther for food. "Overpopulation" remains a human-made, a socially-constructed, concept. It is not real, it is an abstraction, behind which absolutely nothing exists. Animals are more populated than we would most benefit, or like them to be? What a dangerous world would unearth if all annoyances were instantly acted upon, yes? To animals, I am sure we are overpopulated, for we steal land, hunt for pleasure, farm, control, imprison animals without remorse. Planet of the Apes regularly seems silly, as dirty humans are kept in zoos. If you view the reality of what we do to other living, feeling, loving creatures, it is actually rather harrowing.