They Breed
Feb 1st, 2010 • Posted in: What They're Saying“My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed! You’re facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don’t think too much further than that.”
– South Carolina lieutenant governor Andre Bauer, speaking about poor people receiving government assistance at a town hall meeting last week. Bauer, who is running for the governor’s seat being vacated by disgraced philanderer Gov. Mark Sanford, later said he regrets his choice of words, reports the Associated Press.
Source: AP, Jan. 25.
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Thinking of people as animals is a common distancing tool for people who do not want to consider the personal ramifications of poverty, disease, and disaster. These same people will generally be quite upset when these same problems arise in their backyard. In order to understand this phenomenon, Consider that it can be overwhelming to think of every person in the world as an individual . Most of us prioritize–the more like us, the closer in proximity, the more real and worthy people become to us. In the case of Andre Bauer, his sense of connection with all of humanity is quite underdeveloped. BTW, do you ever discuss the scales of moral development that have been around for a few decades? I’m not well informed about them, but I have seen them and found them interesting.
The irony of this quote is that he admits he is taking advise from a “not highly educated woman”. As if that gives this concept some down-homey credential, instead of revealing the ignorant statement that it is. Education and sound nutrition are fundamental to helping people rise about such ignorant ideas, but it doesn’t prevent some politicians from using them as a platform to rail against the very organization they are seeking to join.
Well, actually, Andre Bauer’s grandmother was correct–technically. The Catholic Church’s position on birth control is the classic example of a failed policy. It has led to overpopulation in countries such as Haiti, where a natural phenomenon leads to the disaster it was. Lack of population control is also rampant in Muslim countries, where a few years ago a relatively mild earthquake caused massive loss of life in Pakistan. The examples are legion. It seems to me that nature is screaming at humans to get our act together. Earthquakes happen from time to time. So do hurricanes. But we’re more interested in the five P’s: Profit (money), Power, Prestige, Possessions, and Pleasure. As far as Susan DeVaney’s comments are concerned, the highest stage of moral development is to step aside and let people endure the consequences of their actions.
This comment pains my heart. Bauer admits that his doctrine is to cut-off “ample food supply” from those who are already disenfranchised. He is not a public servant but a mindless drone promoting a Utopian agenda. He represents an extreme wing of his political party that believes in tough love rather than scrambling to find market-based (or even private-sector charitable) solutions to the war between classes.
It is vexing that when an individual says as did Andre Bauer, what is a self apparent truth, that the do-gooders step up to the line and convince them to retract. If you make the statement, then have the conviction and courage to stand by it. I, as will millions of other people agree with the statement he made. I also would add that the net effect of ‘Band-Aid’ and Somalia is greater poverty resulting from the largess given by the western world to assuage their collective and individual consciences. Very short sighted, and as a direct result of their having had a ‘warm’ moment much more suffering for many more Somalians.
There was one component to what she said which has been overlooked, but is the kernel of truth – the word “stray”. Without integration into some network of support and role in the community, all aid does is lead recipients to dependence. There are only two ways to handle strays – euthanize, or adopt. I think the moral imperative is clear.
Joshua