The myth of the human supremacist

By JOANNE WASSERMAN AND DAN BRINKERHOFF

The annual EagleFest is a wonderful attraction. It gives people a break from the winter doldrums and provides a much-needed off-season boost to the local economy. This year, the streets of Narrowsburg were filled with awe-struck tourists looking to catch a glimpse of the majestic bird. But it is easy to objectify these birds and other animals. We don’t so much need to learn about them; we need to learn from them.

Why are people always amazed by non-human intelligence? Is it arrogance to think we are so special and superior? This attitude causes us to disconnect and feel separate—apart from nature rather than a part of nature. It is exclusionary and we lose the sense of being connected to the web of life. And from this disconnection, we feel entitled to take what we want at the expense of other beings. We can then justify all sorts of oppression and exploitation of nonhumans.

The egocentric attitude of believing humans superior is often due to the dogma of organized religion, which justifies such behavior, giving humans “dominion” over the earth and teaching that only humans have souls. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image… and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” (Genesis 1:26)

On one hand, we hold events such as EagleFest to glorify non-humans and, at the same time, some of our local schools hold “turkey-bowling” contests at Thanksgiving time, where frozen turkeys serve as bowling balls to knock down pins of plastic soft drink bottles ((en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_bowling)). We are so disconnected that we can’t even see the irony in this.

Ideally, we would be as thrilled by the “common” worm as we are by the “majestic” eagle. The term “eco-porn” comes to mind, objectifying nature for the cheap thrill that leaves the truth unexplored. If we can see that we are not separate beings and that all life is connected, if we can feel the energy of wholeness that allows for life’s cycles to continue on with their rhythm, we can then appreciate the gifts and contributions of each being and we would honor them rather than exploit them. The earth would become a truly different place.

(Joanne Wasserman is a resident of Milanville, PA and Dan Brinkerhoff is a resident of Galilee, PA.)