COWS

“Cows

are amongst the gentlest of breathing creatures;

none show more passionate tenderness to their young when deprived of them;

and, in short,

I am not ashamed to profess

a deep love for these quiet creatures.”

~Thomas de Quincey

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THE ANIMAL SPIRITS ON FACEBOOK

MY LIFE WITH THE ANIMAL SPIRITS (INTRO)

My name is Gerean (pronounced “Jer-ee-uhn) Pflug.  That has not always been my name.   My genetic grandparents were Cherokee, Canadian French Indian and German (respectively)  My genetic mother was Cherokee and my genetic father was a full-blooded German immigrant.  I was born in the United States and named Ronna Marie Bouvier Schinhofen.  My genetic parents could not care for me, so at birth, I was relinqueshed to Children’s Home Society in Southern California.  My parents, The Lillibridges adopted me and raised me in much love.  I later was married, thus the name Pflug and although the marriage didn’t last, I kept the name.  So, my full name is actually:  Ronna Marie Bouvier Schinhofen, Gerean Lillibridge, Pflug, but you can just call me Gerean.

I love creativity, art, poetry, music, conversations of significance and wit, gardening, and above all ANYTHING to do with animals.

I have always believed that my love and connection to the animals began before I was born.  My soul knew the connection before my body did.  My connection with the animals has only grown stronger over the years.  My mother to this day, rolls her eyes and says to me, “Oh, I swear you love animals more than people.”  To which I nod my head and respond, “Yeah . . .for the most part, that’s true.”

I began this blog intially to write about my lifetime experiences with the animal spirits.   But my own soul short-circuited those stories by injecting me with passion to write of issues of more international urgency . . . such as:

• Endangered whales being slaughtered inside of protected sanctuaries
• Endangered elephants and rhinos being massacred for profit for the ivory trade & aphrodesiacs
• Abused and neglected circus animals
• U.S. Wolves and other wildlife being completely obliterated from their natural habitats
• Millions upon millions of animals being tortured and slaughtered daily by factory (and free range) farming corporations
• Our oceans wildlife being taken from their habitats to be held captive in unspeakable environments for profit from ticket sales
• Horses being slaughtered in unimaginable ways
• Millions upon millions of sentient, living beings being subjected to unneccessary laboratory testing at the most evil of levels

And the list of “hits” just goes on and on . .  and on.  The unbelievable inhumanity that has been imposed upon the animal spirits at the hands of man, absolutely sickens me.  I will not stop writing about these issues of global spiritual injustices until the day I take my last earthly breath.  But, just in case that last breath comes sooner, rather than later, I wanted to get at least a few of my many stories down on “virtual paper.”  This post is simply an intro with more to come.

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MY LIFE WITH THE ANIMAL SPIRTS

An Introduction

by Gerean Pflug

I was raised by VERY loving parents who were old-school ranchers.   I  lived the early parts of my life on a 1,000 acre cattle ranch in an Oregon wilderness area and from a very early age experienced amazing relationships with ranch animals as well as wildlife.

My father was a hunter who provided the family meat via deer, or we ate chickens that we raised on the ranch because back in the days . . . we were so poor, we could not afford to eat our own beef.  I began crying and begging my father not to kill the animals by the age of 4 yrs. old.  His answer was gentle, but always the same, “Honey, this is the way we make our living and we gotta eat, so thank the good Lord for providing us with the means to survive.”

Later, my father moved us to land in the center of the Dairy industry in Southern, California, where he raised grain-fed beef.  My job was to care for all of the animals, including the baby calves.  Every time a new group of baby calves were delivered, I carried them around in my arms like human babies, they suckled my fingers, I bottle fed them and loved on them excessively.  My dad would continually say, “Don’t go namin’ those calves, Honey.  ‘Cause you know, they’re gonna  become meat soon.”  I ignored him each time, and named every one of the calves.

On the days that the butcher trucks would pull up, the men would get out with their rifles and begin to don their rubber boots and overcoats and position the wenches on the trucks.  I’d start to cry hysterically, begging my father to spare the lives of my animal friends.  My dad would tell my mom to keep me in the house.  I’d hear the cattle bawling as they drug them to the spot to be killed.  Each loud crack of the rifle would slice through my body and into my soul. I would sob in loud, endless heaves, while my mother held me and tried to soothe me.  “Honey,” she’d say, you are so very sensitive, but you have to face the reality that the world eats meat and we make our living raising cattle for meat.

Eventually, my parents would tell me in advance when the butchers were coming, and my dad would have me pack a lunch, go down to the stable to  ready my horse, then he’d tell me to ride out and not come back until late afternoon.  Although I cried while I was gone, I didn’t have to hear the bawls and the rifle shots and it took an edge off of the soul-shattering agony, but in it’s place was still an overwhelming feeling of guilt for turning my eyes and my back and for the inability to save the lives of my animal friends.

After the butcher trucks left, in an attempt to perform a funeral of sorts, I’d walk to the site where my friends lives were taken.  The dogs would be there, eating the remains from the blood-soaked ground, of what was left of a once innocent, sentient, living being and I’d cry to the sky where I believed that God was, and ask “Whyyyyy?”

It was in those days that I developed my-own-child’s mechanism for letting go and saying “Goodbye.”  I’d pray to The Creator of ALL, that he would place a special blessing on the soul of the animal spirit (by name) now passed on to the ‘nother places.  I’d ask God to whisper to my animal friend’s soul, and tell him that I was deeply sorry that I could not protect or defend him from harm.  And then I’d say outloud . . . “___________(name of the living being) You mattered to me.”  I still do this and say this at every loss of an animal spirit that my soul becomes aware of, including those that humans refer to so insensitvely as “roadkill.”  Every single one of them . . . mattered to somebody.  They did not live their lives without significance.  They ALL matter to me.

These days, I continue to whisper to all animals, I intentionally send my soul thoughts to them, I pray for them, I feed them, I give them continual attention and affection, I write on their behalf, I adopt when I can, I donate what I can and . . . I DO NOT eat them.  In return, they consistently show their appreciation by guarding over me and by offering me their consistent friendship.  The birds that I feed tell their babies that I am their friend.  Horses and cattle make significant eye contact and scratch their heads against my body.  The deer bring their newborns to sleep directly below my bedroom window.  The dogs sleep wherever I sleep and watch every move I make.  Animals in need find me.  The stories are so numerous ~  It will take more than a natural lifetime to write them all, but in future posts, I plan to write some of the most memorable.

To those of you who have been following my writing . . . to those of you who have encouraged me . . . to those of you who tirelessly and passionately take action . . .to those of you who understand and share in this love for our brothers and sisters the animal spirits, I thank you and wish for you the highest level of blessings in this earthly life and beyond.

Blessings on all

who from a place of empathy and compassion,

take action to protect, defend,

provide shelter to, feed,

love and lend voice

to innocent, sentient, living beings

who cannot speak for themselves.

~Gerean Pflug for “The Animal Spirits”

~~~~~

GEREAN PFLUG,
Author: “The Animal Spirits”

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WHY I DO IT ~ LYRICS BY IFEEL

WARNING!  This post is rated R for ADULT subject matter, images and graphic language.  I have obtained permission to post the following lyrics  from IFEEL directly.  None of the images included in this post are from the IFEEL campaign, but all images have a link encoded to their location.  Reblogs are permitted and encouraged.  Copies, reprints and alterations must be approved by IFEEL (links provided below).

Today we are witness to literally millions of sentient beings being taken from their environments against their will, they are:  exploited, mistreated, abused, tortured, maimed and killed.   According to Animal Welfare Institute (ADI), EVERY HOUR, some 1,000,000 chickens, 13,000 pigs and 4,000 cows are slaughtered for human consumption in the United States. It is a process that takes place far from public view, and one that few know very much about.  Although all sentient beings feel in equality, there is certainly no equality in the manner in which the human species treats the animal species.  I cannot stand it anymore.  I have decided to lend voice to innocent, living beings who cannot speak for themselves, thus this blog was created.

IFEEL, a hip-hop/rap artist  has appeared on the animal rights scene with fury.  He pulls no punches, minces no words and does not hold back one iota of passion nor intention in the delivery of his message.  He works from his heart and soul using the tools of his talent, his words and his influence.   I admire his music and his honesty.  The lyrics to “Why I Do It” are bold and without apology, as all of our words should be as we strive to right this gross injustice.

Blessings on those who lend voice to living beings who cannot speak for themselves!

~Gerean Pflug for The Animal Spirits

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WHY I DO IT ~LYRICS BY IFEEL

“I DO IT WITH A PEN, NOT A KNIFE OR A GUN

I TALK THE TALK, I DON’T WALK I F*CKIN RUN

AND IF I COULD I WOULD BURN IT ALL LIKE A SUN

ASHES TO ASHES – THAT DAY WILL COME

I DO IT COS IT’S SAD TO SEE WHAT WE’VE BECOME

I DO IT COS THERE IS MUCH MORE TO BE DONE

I DO IT FOR YALL WHO CARE – F*CK MASS APPEAL

IF YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR HEART THEN YOU KNOW THAT IT’S REAL

I DO IT COS THE MONEY RIPS THE HEART OUT WITH STEEL

SO THEY CANNOT HEAR THE PAIN AND THE FEAR THAT THEY FEEL

I DO IT COS IT’S SO DAMN EASY TO KILL

BREED IT FEED IT CUT IT SHIP IT –

SERVE A HAPPY MEAL

~~~

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I DO IT COS THEY

STEAL EM BEAT EM BREED EM

AND BLEED EM TREAT EM

LIKE TRASH –

THROW EM AWAY WHEN THEY DON’T NEED EM

~~~

THAT’S SICK –

NO COMPROMISE (NOOOOO)

NOTHIN BUT THE FREEDOM

YES WE GETTIN EVEN –

NOTHIN BUT THE FREEDOM (NOOOOO)

~~~
THIS AIN’T ABOUT THE FAME, THIS AIN’T ABOUT THE BITCHES

IT’S REALLY SIMPLE, LET ME

SHOW YOU SOME PICTURES

THIS IS WHY I DO IT – THIS IS WHY I DO IT – THIS IS WHY I DO IT

~~~

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I DO IT FOR THE CALF IN BOX 44

HE CAN ONLY STAND UP AND FALL ON THE FLOOR

I DO IT FOR THE DOG SKINNED ALIVE FOR FUR RABBIT IN A BAG

– SCARED –

WAITIN TO BE SERVED

LITTLE PIGS WHOSE CRIES WILL NEVER BE HEARD

I DO IT FOR THE MICE AND EVERY SINGLE BIRD

I DO IT FOR THE CHICKEN WITH A HEAD CUT OFF

EVERY SLICE F*CKIN BURNS TILL THE HEAD COMES OFF

I DO IT FOR THE HORSE CHOPPED UP FOR A SAUSAGE

IT’S SAD HOW SOME PEOPLE NEVER LEARNED NOT TO BE SAVAGE

I DO IT FOR MY DOGS AND CATS

IN EVERY JAIL

WITH NO CHANCE OF BAIL –

IN THIS MAN MADE HELL

I DO IT FOR THE CHICKS GETTING GROUND UP ALIVE

COWS IN THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE TERRIFIED BEFORE THEY DIE

I DO IT FOR THE DUCK GETTIN STUFFED TO DEATH

I’LL DO IT TILL I DIE – TILL MY LAST F*CKIN BREATH AHHHHH

~~~
THIS AIN’T ABOUT THE FAME, THIS AIN’T ABOUT THE BITCHES

IT’S REALLY SIMPLE, LET ME

SHOW YOU SOME PICTURES

THIS IS WHY I DO IT – THIS IS WHY I DO IT – THIS IS WHY I DO IT

~~~

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I DO IT COS I’M PISSED AND SICK OF ALL THE LIES

I DO IT COS I CRY WHEN I LOOK INTO THOSE EYES

I DO IT FOR THE DOLPHIN SLICED UP ALIVE

I DO IT FOR THE PITBULLS FIGHTIN TILL THEY DIE

I DO IT FOR THE NAMELESS BODY ON THE PRODUCTION LINE

EVERYDAY A MASSACRE – PAIN IS HEINOUS ALL THE TIME

I DO IT COS I HEAR EM SCREAMIN WHEREVER THEY HIDE EM

AND EVEN IF THEY SHIP EM AND FLY EM – WE STILL GONNA FIND EM

~~~

I DO IT FOR THE BIRDS IN THE BATTERY CAGES

I DO IT FOR THE MODERN-DAY SLAVES IN THE CAGES

CHIMP IN A SEAT WITH A SKULL CRACKED OPEN

CAT WITH NO SLEEP WITH A MOUTH WIDE OPEN

I DO IT COS OF WEAK-ASS HUNTING LITTLE BITCHES

BIG GUNS

NO BALLS

SNAPPIN THEIR LITTLE PICTURES

KILL EM WHILE THEY CAN –

TILL WE GET SOME GLITCHES

F*CK THE BANDAID –

WE GONNA NEED SOME STITCHES

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dead-wolf-flickr-commons.jpg

~~~
THIS AIN’T ABOUT THE FAME,

THIS AIN’T ABOUT THE BITCHES

IT’S REALLY SIMPLE, LET ME

SHOW YOU SOME PICTURES

THIS IS WHY I DO IT –

THIS IS WHY I DO IT –

THIS IS WHY I DO IT
WHY DO IT

WHY DO IT DO IT.”

~~~

In factories, thousands of baby chicks are ground up alive.

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Credits:

ANIMAL IN ME ~ Released November 2012.

Written and performed by IFEEL

Produced by Freek van Workum 2012

All rights reserved. www.MusicIFEEL.com

Why I do it ~ sound track by IFEEL

http://ifeel.bandcamp.com/track/why-i-do-it

IFEEL on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ifeel/192685487497183