(So I wrote this blog a few weeks ago, and received a few comments on it. I haven’t been on here for sometime, but came back to WordPress to find this post in my drafts….not sure how that happened, but here it is again.)
Wherever we live in the world, I’m sure you are aware of the inhumane way is which a black man was killed. Because of that it has caused many to stand up and fight for justice, to fight for peace. This black man was held down and killed like how an animal would kill another animal.
After what I witnessed in the wild yesterday, it brought to my mind the video showing how George Floyd was killed. It then caused me to take a closer look at how animals will kill other animals and I came across this article.
Throat clamp is method of subduing often seen in predatory felids and occasionally canids and hyaenids. It involves the predator grasping the throat of the prey and clamping tight so that the windpipe is either crushed or blocked. Cats use this to kill prey while dogs and hyenas use this to weaken the prey before eating it, generally alive. It’s more often used than the muzzle clamp and is generally safer, though slower. It is usually and most effective when positioned as near to the mandible as the carnivore can get. Between the larynx and the jaw, the windpipe is surrounded with less cartilage and is more malleable, while lower down, near the chest, the passageway would be increasingly harder to collapse, so the throat clamp is usually positioned high up on the animal’s neck.
If the prey is on the ground and pinned, most predators position themselves behind the animal to use their body’s weight to help control the movements of the prey and reach around to grab the throat, usually twisting the head around, aiding in both their grasp and the blocking of the windpipe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throat_clamp
While the events with George Floyd may not have been exactly the same, you can see how similar they were.
Nature Can Be Brutal
While out enjoying the beauty of nature, I would also witness just how brutal it can be. It’s still springtime and many of the animals are having babies, or they have already have them. The ducks have their ducklings, the geese have their goslings and the swans have their cygnets. The marsh is a big enough place where they should all be able to co exist and live in harmony, however this doesn’t seem to be possible.
Aggressive Behaviour:
I would dare to say many of us love swans. They are beautiful and elegant, and they look so graceful as they sail along on the water. The female mute swan was sailing on the marsh with her cygnets trailing behind her and also with some distance between them, a family of geese was also sailing along with their goslings. The male swan took it upon himself to go after the male goose. He glared at him and kept sailing behind him making sure to put more distance between his family and the family of geese and goslings. Eventually there was a lot of flapping of wings as the swan chased the goose around.
Taking A Stand
At some point the swan stopped chasing the goose and went after one of his goslings that were near by. He dunked the gosling in the water and proceeded to hold it under the water. The father goose instead of now running away confronted the swan. The swan in turn let go of the gosling and went after the father. The goose by confronting the swan, gave the gosling a chance to live.
We at time may also have to take a stand, and confront difficult situations giving our younger ones a chance also to live.
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This is a powerful comparison from nature. There was definitely a beastial element to the way Mr. Floyd and others have been treated.😭 So sad to see humans treat each other in such a terrible way.
Yes, it’s very sad. Animals in most cases act that way for their survival but we don’t need to do it. I pray for the day when there will be an end to sin and evil.
Me too, sister. Me too. And I do my best to love and support my black brothers and sisters until then, showing kindness and striking up conversations with strangers in stores in the hopes of showing Christ’s love in small, daily ways. Meanwhile, I grieve for this evil in our world and for people I love who are affected by it.
Amen….and it’s so true, the small things really do go a long way…..just a friendly smile or a kind word will speak volumes, and they don’t cost anything to give.
Beautifully written composition. I loved the comparison you made between the 2 kingdoms. It goes to show how similarly related the 2 spices are in some aspects of behaviour when speaking in anthropological terms. The fact remains that as a species we posses superior intellect over the animal kingdom, however, are still ruled by the flesh. The bible is clear that things of the flesh cannot understand things of spirit. Therefore, God is the only factor that can keep us centered. While we are experience the racial injustice again the black community, let’s not let rage consume us but tap into the power the holy spirit. I believe change will only come when Jesus returns because is clear that his messsge will cause war not peace. Meaning he came the first time, to beaks down political, physical and mental strongholds.
So true in all you say Ace. I too believe that lasting change will only come when Jesus returns and finally separate the good from the evil.
Leola, I remember this post, and it bears reading again. We need to treat others as we would treat ourselves.
We really should Richard, and it’s such an easy thing to do.