Greetings of love and gratitude from
Judy Carman
Physicians Committee for Responsible
Medicine (PCRM) has filed a criminal complaint against the University
of Toledo, Ohio. When Edmund Cooke wrote his famous poem,
“Rags,” all medical training programs mutilated and killed animals to
teach physicians. Thanks to PCRM and other activists, 86%
of U.S. emergency medicine residency programs now use non-animal
methods to train doctors. However, the University of Toledo still
harms animals even though they already have alternative, cruelty-free
technology with which to teach students. Although this poem is
painful to read, it is a powerful story for us to use to help people
awaken.
“Rags” by Edmund Vance Cooke
We called him “RAGS.” He was just a cur, but twice on the Western
Line,
That little old bunch of faithful fur had offered his life for mine.
And all that he got was bones and bread or the leavings of soldier grub,
But he’d give his heart for a pat on the head or a friendly tickle and
rub.
But we mustered out, some to beer and gruel, and some to sherry and
shad,
And I went back to the Sawbones school where I was still an undergrad.
One day they took us budding M.D.s to one of those institutes
Where they demonstrate every new disease by means of bisected brutes.
They had one animal tacked and tied and slit like a full-dressed fish,
With his vitals pumping away inside as pleasant as one might wish.
I stopped to look like the rest, of course, and the beast’s eyes
leveled mine;
His short tail thumped with a feeble force, and he uttered a tender
whine.
It was Rags, yes, Rags! who was martyred there; who was quartered and
crucified,
And he whined that whine which is doggish prayer and he licked my
hand—and died.
And if there’s no heaven for love like that, for such four-legged
fealty-well!
If I have any choice, I tell you flat, I’ll take my chance in hell.
This Week’s Prayer in Honor of all the
“Rags” who suffer so horribly in medical schools that are still in the
dark ages of animal torture. We give profound and endless
thanks to PCRM and all those who have worked so hard and so effectively
to put an end to the abominable use of animals in medical training. We
give thanks for all the medical students and physicians who have
protested these cruel practices over the centuries and for all those
who have developed non-animal methods of training. The light and
the love you have brought to earth lifts the consciousness of
humanity. All of you have taken the oath of “Do No Harm” for what
it truly means. We ask forgiveness for humanity from the millions
of animals who have suffered and died in the name of “healing.”
We ask forgiveness from Rags. And yet we know, as the poet made
so clear, there is no need to ask, because these precious beings love
us unconditionally. It is love like that that can change humanity if
only enough hearts will open and enough people will look into their
eyes and see the Divine looking back at us. This week we
especially hold a clear and bold intention and prayer as we see the
University of Toledo Medical Center.closing the doors of their animal
torture chambers forever, finding loving homes for all the animals, and
joining the growing movement of compassion. We see liberation for
all UTMC animals happening very soon. May Rags’ message of Pure
Love never be forgotten.
As always, with tears of gratitude, I send my thanks to each of you,
dear Prayer Circle members, for joining this circle of compassion and
shining the Light of Truth for all to see, so that one day soon, all
beings will live in peace together.
May compassion and love reign over all the earth for all beings
everywhere.
Thank you all for your devotion to truth, love, liberation and peace
for all beings.
With Love, peace, and gratitude from Judy Carman, and greetings from
Will, Madeleine, Tara and the Circle of Compassion team
If you haven’t already done so, please join us at the Prayer Circle for
Animals
Facebook page. You can share ideas and prayer requests
there. These updates will be posted on Facebook and on
www.circleofcompassion.org so that you can share them if you
wish. Thank you.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/prayercircleforanimals
To support our work and help us expand this ministry, please go to
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