Day Eight

A Photo That Makes Me Angry

So I've been thinking about what kind of picture I could come up with that actively makes me angry. As someone with a number of anger issues that have yet to be fully dealt with, there are plenty of people and things that cause those angry and upset feelings. But when it comes to real photos of people, things, events, etc., I was having a hard time coming up with something that really ticks me off.

Then I remembered the pictures that kept running in the papers and on the internet in the weeks following the Gulf oil spill. Pictures like the one above, showing animals that were experiencing the after effects of one of humanity's biggest screw-ups in history.

Now, I'll be the first to admit, I'm not the greenest person there is when it comes to taking care of our homeworld. I don't recycle at home. I live in an apartment with one dumpster for all waste. So I just don't think about it when it comes to dividing paper from aluminum cans from plastic bottles. I'm sure if I did the research, I could take one for the team and drive my recyclables out to a specific drop off point. But the sad fact is, I'm lazy.

Despite my lack of motivation in saving the world, those pictures did make me angry. And honestly, I'm not sure exactly why. Obviously, the whole disaster was, and still is, a ridiculous situation that should have been avoided. I'm assuming that it very well could have been avoided. I don't know the details since I tend to avoid the news.

Maybe I got angry because of the animals that were pictured. They're defenseless. They're innocent victims of our mess. But really, that reasoning doesn't make sense when you look at my feelings toward animals historically. I mean, it's not like I'm a vegetarian. I don't fight for animal rights. I think animals are delicious and were created for mankind's benefit. But that doesn't mean I want to see them killed off in a senseless accident of mankind's creation.

Great. I'm gonna get letters from PETA now. I just know it.