London Freepress, London, Ontario, Canada Letter to the Editor from International Children's Conference on the Environment-Jade Morningstar Please print this very important letter to inspire our readers to be the best they can be.
Dear Readers, My name is Jade Morningstar. I am the 11 year old who protested the circus at the University of Western Ontario earlier this month. This protest resulted in my views being published in your paper. This week I am a delegate proudly representing Canada in the 'International Children's Conference On The Environment'. It is the largest United Nations event ever to bring children from around the world to talk about & learn about our roles as caretakers of the Earth. I am representing Canada, having been nominated by 'Roots & Shoots', a program for youth founded by my mentor, Dr. Jane Goodall. Having read via the internet comments inclusive of false assumptions that I eat meat, opinions regarding my protest 'tactics' and lastly, treatment of animals being humane, I feel I must take this time to respond. My protest 'tactics' I use are tactics of simply sharing knowledge. I do so with respect, kindness & steadfast hope. I wish to inspire love, compassion & empathy within others. I have been a vegetarian for approximately 7 years. I choose not to eat meat for reasons of compassion, health & environment. I take comfort knowing that not an animal nor my environment has suffered for something which my body simply does not need. I choose not to partake in such sadness. This choice empowers me with a feeling of peace & clarity. The last topic I wish to address is that of the treatment of animals. One reader writes that the animals are treated well by a particular circus. I do not doubt that there are many wonderful people within the animal 'entertainment' industry who love these animals and perhaps do believe the animals which they care for have a decent life. After all - it would be difficult for one not to love such beautiful animals of the wild. Their beauty is overwhelming. That said - this gives us NO RIGHT to take these animals out of their own natural environments and away from their families for our own selfishness. It is unnecessary, unethical & flat out wrong. Do you truly believe a mother elephant loves her baby any less than your mother loved you when you were an infant? I don't. If we truly love these animals, let them live their lives as nature, our Mother Earth intended. Wild animals are not meant to be the property of anyone. Not that long ago man thought he was very much entitled to own a life that was not his to own. This was called slavery. Today we see this as barbaric & unacceptable which proves to me that the future holds hope for change & enlightenment. If these animals could choose whether to live their lives as their own, free, in their own natural habitat, or if they could choose to stay in the animal 'entertainment' industry, which do you truly think they would choose? You already know the answer to that question. So why do we feel we are entitled? It is wrong to exploit any life form to which we are all responsible & privileged to both respect & protect. Have we become so far removed from nature that we are desensitized? Is this our legacy to future generations? I think not because I continually manage to somehow meet beautiful, inspiring people who are making great differences. You can be part of this change. You can be one of these people. Today. To better the world for ourselves & all life we must first start with ourselves. The choices we make on a day to day basis each have a ripple effect. Each positive choice made has the potential to ultimately create great change on a large scale while each negative choice contributes to the suffering & plight of life & environment. We must come to realize that life is life. All life is to be respected. With compassion, respect, empathy & understanding we will find truth. In this truth we will find global peace. Apathy, if it is to prevail will surely lead to our own self destruction. Let me leave you with a message as read to me earlier today by a story teller. His name is Raouf Mama from Benin Africa. It is sent with great love & a wish for peace & harmony. "May we be instruments of peace in this world. Where there is war & destruction, may there be peace & harmony. Where people are hurting, may we be healing. Where there is hunger, may we bring nourishment. Where there is ignorance, may we bring knowledge & understanding. Where there is darkness, may we bring light.
Proudly representing my beautiful country, Canada, Peace, love & understanding, Jade Morningstar ICCE Delegate 2004 / Forever Activist
