Listening to White Bird, by It's a Beautiful Day (1969), I recalled Melvin, a parakeet owned by my grandparents. Spending his life in a small cage and learning to mimic the words and whistles of my grandparents, Melvin was the first non-human animal in my life.
Seventy years later, I mourn the fate of that bird; physically able to soar across the varied landscapes of our planet, he was confined to a wire cage. Of course, animals have long suffered at the hands of humans, especially since the rise of domestication, some 12,000 years ago. While the warehoused production of meat is perhaps the most egregious form of torment, zoos, circuses and ranches have also played a role. One might argue that keeping a dog in a condo is also abusive, no matter how tasty and nutritious its food might be.
Essentially all non-human mammals are hunted or confined in some manner. Even wildlife parks and nature preserves enforce artificial boundaries and human "development" continues to obliterate natural habitat. We humans are solidly in control and all other animals pay the price of our dominance.
