(Think its too heavy?)
"Our friend stood still for a moment, and throwing his head a little back said, 'Do you know why this world is as bad as it is?'
'No,' said the other.
'Then I'll tell you. it is because people think only about their own business, and won't trouble themselves to stand up for the oppressed, nor bring the wrong-doer to light. I never see a wicked thing like this without doing what I can, and many a master has thanked me for letting him know how his horses have been use'" (Sewell, 164).
This quote made me sit and just think. Made me question how I was like in life and what I did to help people and animals out. It is easy to say that we all respect animals and would try to do anything to help them, but you get a better affect if you actually do those things and have a story to say to others to help get them motivated. In the 1800's horses were beaten, abused, killed, and not thought of as anything other than a man's property and could be done with in any way they wanted. Horses started getting more rights and police were allowed to arrested people for not treating their horses with respect and pushing them to the point of death. These points are brought up a lot in the book and are there to make sure that the reader understands what is happening in society and that laws and people should be standing up for the rights of animals, especially animals that are being worked to near death. Drivers say it's not there fault because they need the money and they have to work just as hard to pay for renting the horse and carts and just don't have the money to take care of there family. They are working just as hard as the horse to make sure they stay alive in this world.
"Of course it is not always so bad as that, but you know it often is, and I say 'tis a mockery to tell a man that he must not overwork his horse, for when a beast is down-right tired there's nothing but the whip that will keep his legs agoing-you can't help yourself-you must put your wife and children before the horse, the masters must look to that, we can't. I don't ill-use my horse for the sake of it; none of you can say I do" (Sewell, 167).
I just can't help to feel for this man. He doesn't want to abuse his horse; he has respect for his horse, but at the same time he has to look after himself and he has decided that his family has to come first. Who wouldn't think to do that?? People get rid of pets on harsh times because they can't afford to buy food to take care of the animals. It is human nature to look after oneself then to think of any one else in this world. We can't help it. Could anyone possibly say that they would not look after their family when in rough times and try to do the best work for the horses when you know that if you don't make a certain amount of money that day then you are going to be paying more to the master then to yourself. I don't think so. We would try our hardest to make enough to support and make some profit and if it was at the expense of an animal or even another human being I think at some point we would just decide to do what is best for us.
