Winston Churchhill said:
‘Dogs looks up to you,
Cats look down on you,
But pigs treat you as an equal.’
Everyone deserves to be treated with respect
no matter what their station or condition in life.
Morality would have it
that we treat one another
as we would wish to be treated.
Growing up, we learn compassion from those around us,
and from the margins of our suffering.
We have become highly socialized as a species,
beginning with the origins of self-awareness,
language, and art.
Yet, we are intolerant and quick to judge.
In our evolutionary past, it has been necessary
for our survival to make quick assessments of others.
Today it seems less necessary.
It does not require much effort to treat family and friends,
neighbors and strangers with a measure of dignity,
even if their values are different from our own.
Give your dog to a friend.
Send your cat on holiday.
Keep the pig.
The Chicken and the Egg 