I love Martin Luther King Junior’s
saying, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things
that matter."
I know I’m everything but silent about
things that matter. This is probably a given, considering I’m a
journalist and so form part of the press, who are the watchdogs of
society, but I feel proud about not keeping quiet about things that
matter.
We always hear people around us complain
– about bad service, poor service delivery by government departments,
the state our town is in, abuse at nursery schools and so the list goes
on and on and on.
My question is – what are you doing
about those things that bug you? Are you complaining to your friend and
mom and everyone who does nothing but agree with you? Are you one of
those people who "just leave it for the people who are supposed to fix
it?" Are you living or just existing?
Or are you a member of an organisation
that addresses certain issues? Do you make donations to CANSA, to the
old age homes or the SPCA? Do you take up problems with someone on as
high a level as you can possibly reach so the problem can be solved? Do
you report crime and abuse?
There’s an article in our paper this
week about a puppy that was tied up in a bathroom with a piece of string
around the foot and just left to die in Greenspark.
I can’t begin to describe the anger and
bitterness that boils inside me as I look at the photo of this poor,
innocent animal. I will not be able to publish the words I would like to
use in describing the kind of person (or thing) that does this to an
animal.
Animals are a big issue and their
wellbeing does matter. It is one of those things that matter and that
you cannot just keep quiet about.
I am, therefore, challenging all the big
businesses, businessmen and women and mines who always have funds
available for various projects, to start considering our animals. The
SPCA can SO do with anything extra.
I have heard the theories about people
donating money to the SPCA but never seeing it put to use. Well unless
you go there and see to it that the animals are excreting the food
bought with that money, how will you know whether it was used?
The SPCA’s one single worker, Joseph,
cannot possibly cover Westonarea, Greenspark, Kokosi, Fochville,
Carletonville, Deelkraal, Welverdiend, Western Deeps, Driefontein,
Elandsrand, Khutsong and Carletonville without some assistance.
If millions can be stuffed into various
projects, the SPCA could surely be given a small second-hand vehicle and
some petrol money to get through every month? Someone could volunteer?
I have now spoken about something that
really, REALLY matters, and hope that everyone who calls him/herself an
animal-lover, will start doing something (no matter how small) to better
the state of our animals.
Call the SPCA at 018 788 6262 to report animal abuse or
stray animals. Or is your life beginning to end?