April 9, 2013 Class discussion led by Snowshoe Hare RESEARCH ANIMALS

April 9, 2013Class discussion led by

Snowshoe Hare

RESEARCH ANIMALS

Weekly Routine•Best/Worst•Practicing empathic listening (pg. 81)•Quiz!

Transfer of Power

Today’s Symbols:• Red string•Manacles• Shell of Pilgrimage

Red String“The red string carries the stone hand raised in the expression of ahimsa, the ultimate sign of nonviolence in Janism and Hinduism, and the hole in the hand is in the shape of the heart, the symbol of Love in the West. This necklace was brought back from India to us by Prya Shaniar. Added to that on the red string now is their silver symbol of Om, the ultimate ONENESS.”

Manacles“The manacles represent the "mind-forged manacles" described by William Blake in his poem "London." In this class they represent the unexamined ideologies and beliefs that keep us in unconscious slavery. In this regard, our goal is represented on the Tower: “Ye Shall Know The Truth And The Truth Shall Make You Free””

Shell of Pilgrimage“Brought to us by Ben Glick who walked the last hundred kilometers of The Way to Santiago de Compostella in Spain to bring this back to us, symbolizing our pilgrimages to the Truth That Will Set Us Free”

Goals for Today’s Class•[2A2c] To experience more directly the ethical dilemmas presented by speciesism, especially cruelty to animals.

•[2A2d] To become aware of real-life ethical choices made daily by all of us involving cruelty to animals.

•[2A2f] To practice replacing fear and greed with love, compassion, tolerance, and the sympathetic imagination.

Selected Readings/Storiesfor Discussion

•White Tiger’s personal struggle•Bear

pg. 580 “But, Can they suffer?”•Snowshoe Hare

pg. 399 Speciesism Definitions•Mountain Lion

“Animal Holocaust”April 8- Holocaust Remembrance Day

•Dolphin’s imagining of Lebron as one of the animals

Earthlings Cliphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJUNqTPpJnU

As painful as it may be, practice using your sympathetic imagination while watching this short clip of the documentary we have already watched in class.