Old Jules, do you consider a busload of gang-bangers and a room full of Sarah Palin fund raiser attendees of equal value? As human beings, I mean?
I do, though I’d prefer the company of the gang-bangers.
Old Jules, how do you personally value the life of an animal compared to the life of human? Does an animal’s life mean as much or nearly as much to you as a human’s, or do you feel animals are insignificant/worthless in comparison? Also, do you believe it is ever morally right to harm/kill animals? What about humans?
My personal bias is in favor of those chunks of living, animal or human, with whom I have what I consider a contract. A personal responsibility or obligation. My four cats with whom I have contracts over, say, feral cats that come around here bothering them and sometimes injuring them. My flock of free ranging chickens over skunks, fox, possum, coyote and coon.
I don’t draw a line between human and animal in this respect. The same cartridge will take care of the entire range of threats to those with whom I have a contract.
Old Jules, what makes a person deny truth?
Human beings haven’t reached a consensus concerning the nature of truth. Just about anything is up for grabs, waved around as truth and accepted as such by someone or other. Those who choose something else will deny it.
Then there’s the huge amount of bald-face lying human beings prefer when the issue is something concrete involving their own motivations, behaviors and words, sometimes only a few minutes earlier. I honestly don’t understand this, but it doesn’t require my understanding it to exist [and be a truth].
Old Jules, what would be the Best Man-Woman relationship applicable to entire Universe? Is it One Man-One Woman or can we have a bunch of best friends in our life with whom we can share everything?
Any relationship not involving ownership and dependency would be an improvement in my opinion. My personal view is that most male/female relationships get serious a bit prematurely and that sets of unspoken expectations result. Assumed agreements never agreed to by both parties, frequently never even verbalized, which eventually lead to accusations, misunderstandings, more unspoken resentments and guilts.
I think human beings would do better in relationships if they sat down when they saw something serious coming down the pike, each carefully thinking through how much and what he/she expects of a partner in a meaningful relationship, writes it down and thoroughly discusses every aspect and nuance, short-term and long term.
Probably even something in the form of a written contract each can draw out in future times, examine what he/she actually agreed to and whether behavior has actually fallen short of it, or whether ex-post-facto expectations have crept in and become a source of problems.
Of the countless failed relationships I’ve observed [and experienced] over the past decades I believe most wouldn’t have developed at all beyond something temporary and pleasant, or wouldn’t have failed eventually had this been part of the early process.
Edit: But I’ve also observed that during the early stages both sides are hiding, holding back, avoiding all manner of matters and expectations which will later become important. Tacit dishonesty based on the ‘I don’t like this about him/her, but I’ll work on changing him/her after he/she is ‘hooked’.
That, though probably nobody consciously comes out and directly articulates it to himself/herself.
So Far From Heaven 