Animals Are People

A chapter from Animals Are People by Peter Morville

Chapter 9

The sun brings me to life. Until now, I was too cold to move, despite the body pressed against mine. I stretch my legs, then gaze out the window. There’s a light dusting of snow. The weather turned so fast. I’m happy to be inside. The warmth of the sun feels so good. But I’m hungry. I need to eat now. Heavenly scents waft in the air. I smell breakfast. But it won’t come to me. Time to make a move.

I lift hard forewings, unfold my fragile hindwings, and soar into the air. The world is a blur. I can’t see where I’m going, until I land on the smooth leaf of a tiger lily. I fold soft wings under hard. My antennae detect the delicious smells and vibrations of an aphid. And so the hunt begins. As I approach my target, I see the gray aphid is feasting on sap from the black stem of the lily, just below the white flower.

A vibration alerts me to a presence nearby. I freeze. If it’s a spider, I’ll retreat to the leaf, emit a sample of my bitter, toxic body fluid, and play dead. I adjust my antennae and realize that it’s only another ladybug who’s hunting my prey. It’s a small male. Not a threat. I step forward. He steps back. That’s one problem solved. Now I’m close. The aphid smells delightful. And she doesn’t even notice I’m here. I pause, and then, lightning fast, I pounce. I grasp her soft body with my claws and mandibles, and I chew.

I lick my lips, smile, then realize I’m still hungry. Breakfast smells delicious. But it’s not something I can eat. Dad’s frying bacon. I remember devouring bacon sandwiches together back in Ann Arbor. We did it whenever Mom traveled for work. I miss those days. It was our secret.

Then the memory of yesterday surfaces like a jagged rock at low tide. Fuck. I can’t ever go back to Fox Holler. I can’t face Gage. I can’t even get out of bed. My life is a mess. I wait until I hear the front door swing shut. Dad’s off to work, and Mom’s busy in her office. The coast is clear.

I wander into the kitchen and fix a bowl of granola with nuts and bananas. I sit down at the table, slip Ghost a few banana slices, and wipe oat milk on my shorts. As I use my mandible to crunch granola, I pull yesterday’s newspaper from its dusty plastic bag, turn the page, and I’m in shock.

There’s a photo of Mom’s Subaru. It’s clear as day. Bodhi’s ex-neighbor must have a doorbell camera. Thank God the Go Blue bumper sticker isn’t visible. The bold headline reads Animal Terrorists at Large. I think I’m going to be sick.

The article warns that the Animal Liberation Front is stealing people’s cats, dogs, backyard chickens, and other beloved pets. The police say that the FBI has been notified.

Bring your animals inside. Lock your doors. Do not attempt to apprehend. The terrorists may be armed and dangerous. Call the police. We are working tirelessly to recover the stolen pets before they are injured or killed.

I cut out the article. I’ll hide it in my room. I stuff the paper into the garbage and pour soggy granola on top. I’ll tell Mom I spilled breakfast. Not that it matters. I’m going to be caught. I’m going to prison. Maybe it’s for the best. I’m sick of lying. I’m tired of shame. I hate my lunatic visions. I mean, come on, a goddamn ladybug? When I think of eating that poor aphid alive, I want to vomit. And now I feel bad for all the ladybugs that I flushed down the toilet over the past few weeks. What in the hell am I supposed to do? It’s a ladybug invasion. They’re all over the house. So shoot me. I’m guilty as sin. Crazy too. I go back to bed with Ghost. I simply don’t know what else to do.

I hide out for a while. Then I bumble through chores in a stupor. It’s cold. My fingers are numb, but I really don’t care. All too soon, it’s time for class. I should skip, tell Inari I’m sick, but now it’s too late.

“Thomas Hobbes says our natural state is ‘continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.’ Jo, what do you think?”

“Hobbes is right. Life is solitary, poor, nasty, and brutish.”

I knew class was a mistake. I can’t do this. I’m tempted to shut my laptop. Instead, I burst into tears, and I tell Inari everything. I describe my dreams. I confess to stealing Ghost, Buffy, and Bodhi. I read the article out loud. I’m so angry the cops lied. Armed terrorists who may kill the animals — it’s bullshit! I tell Inari about Gage. I’m sobbing, and my nose runs. But it feels good to let it all out.

Inari listens. My outburst ends. I realize they haven’t said a word. I hope that this isn’t a horrible mistake. I can trust Inari. Right? I wipe my eyes and my nose with a blanket. Ghost edges closer, and I stroke her. Inari takes a deep breath. I realize I’m holding mine. At last, Inari speaks.

“Jo, I am sorry to hear all that. It’s horrid to see you suffer. I’m also angry. You’ve put me in a right muddle. Legally, I should tell your parents and the police. Emotionally, I want to hug you and help you. Ethically, I don’t have a clue. I need to think. Jo, let’s take a break. Say an hour.”

I pass the time outside with my chickens. I don’t want to bump into Mom. Normally, I’d be off to Fox Holler by now. Buffy and Bodhi will be okay for a while, but I can’t abandon them. I suffer for an hour, just worrying around in circles. And then, too soon, it’s time for my sentencing.

“Now, Jo, I want you to listen until I’m done. As I said, I’m angry. I’ve spent my adult life being careful. As a nonbinary person, I walk a tightrope. Now I’m at risk because of you. So are your parents. When you act, it affects those around you. That being said, I know your heart’s in the right place. Let’s discuss the dreams later. I won’t dismiss the possibility of visions, but I’m inclined to a simpler explanation. Either way, I know you’re trying to help animals, and I feel responsible. In teaching that animals are people, I failed to see that you might act on that idea. So I’ve decided to keep your secret, on one condition — Jo, you must promise not to steal animals.”

“Inari, I don’t want to get you into trouble. It’s all my fault. Maybe I should confess now, before they catch me.”

“No! Based on all you’ve told me, Jo, you’re unlikely to be caught. You took precautions. You live on a farm in the countryside. The police and the FBI have bigger fish to fry. And Gage will keep his bloody trap shut. If all this came out, he would be in even more trouble than you. Go back to work. I bet he avoids you. Keep calm and carry on. And, from here on out, let’s dedicate some time in each class to talking about your relationship to activism. I know philosophy isn’t enough. You need to act. I want to help you chart a safer path. But first, Jo, I need that promise.”

“Okay. I promise not to steal any more animals, cross my heart. Thanks for listening, Inari, and for having my back.”

“I care about you, Jo. It’s rare to love animals the way we do. And you don’t simply understand philosophy. You are a philosopher. You area free thinker. That’s also rare. My hope with our class is to bend your energy towards the good. But our project is not without risk. Ideas are dangerous! That’s why fascists burn books and libraries. They are threatened by truth, freedom, and diversity. As we peel the layers of a culture that’s cruel to animals, compassion stirs anger. I get it. But I beg your patience. In each class, we dissect a philosopher; that’s analysis. Yet the intent of the course is synthesis. We work towards a whole greater than the sum of its parts. So let’s proceed. Do you really agree with Hobbes that life is nasty and brutish?”

“No. I mean, fear and violence are part of who we are. But so are joy and love. Hobbes says the natural state of humans is war of all against all. He claims that for the ‘savages’ in America, right and wrong don’t exist and nothing is unjust, not even murder. He says we are all driven by a natural lust for power. I had to think on it. I’m sure it’s true of some, but most folks aren’t like that.”

“Jo, did you know that the tiger in Calvin and Hobbes is named after Thomas Hobbes?”

“No. I love Calvin. Dad has a bunch of his comic books. But I never made the connection. That’s pretty cool.”

“The tiger shares Thomas Hobbes’ dim view of human nature. When Calvin wonders aloud about our purpose in life, Hobbes says, ‘we’re here to devour each other alive.’”

“Hobbes isn’t all wrong. In my last vision, I was a ladybug. I ate an aphid who was still alive. Inari, it’s fair to say that I was nasty and brutish. Nature is brutal. So Hobbes says we need Leviathan to keep us in check. Originally, Leviathan was a Biblical monster, but Hobbes uses it to mean the State. A mechanist like Descartes, Hobbes says that God created automata in the form of man, who then created Leviathan, an artificial man we call the State, to enable humanity to escape from the violence of nature.”

“How does a society create Leviathan?”

“We use a social contract to grant absolute power to one man. Individuals explicitly or tacitly surrender freedom to the Sovereign in return for protection by the State. And only those who understand and consent have moral rights. So children, animals, and foreigners are totally excluded.”

“Yes. Hobbes invokes holy scripture by proclaiming the dominion of master over servant and of parent over child. Hobbes claims that it’s morally okay for parents to sell or kill their children. Jo, how about animals?”

“Hobbes says God gave us the right to use and kill animals. He says it’s the natural order, due to man’s superiority and strength. Also, since beasts can’t understand our speech, they can’t enter the social contract. Then he explains why ‘irrational creatures’ such as bees and ants are able to live in peace without a social contract. Inari, it’s a steaming pile of self-serving bullshit if you ask me.”

“Yet Hobbes was canonized as one of our greatest political philosophers. Why do you think that is?”

“Leviathan is useful to rulers. Obey the State, or else!”

“Exactly. Hobbes uses fear of chaos to defend the authority of the State over individuals. In his autobiography, Hobbes claims he was born prematurely when his mum panicked over news of the Spanish Armada, and he says, ‘my mother gave birth to twins: myself and fear.’ Leviathan is proof that fear never left him. Amidst the English Civil War, the beheading of his King, and accusations of heresy, Hobbes fled for his life twice, first to France, then back to England. In claiming monarchy to be the best form of government, he chose sides. And it worked. Hobbes was granted protection and a pension by the new King. Later, our founding fathers used his ideas in the Declaration of Independence and in the social contract that we call the Constitution. They ignored Hobbes’ advocacy for the divine right of kings. But his denial of moral rights to foreigners came in handy. Thomas Hobbes greenlit the genocide of the Native Americans. Speaking of which, I asked you to read Seven Sacred Teachings. What did you think, Jo?”

“After Hobbes, it’s a breath of fresh air. The teachings, passed on orally by elders for centuries, are humility, honesty, respect, courage, wisdom, truth, and love. In the chapter on Humility, it says, ‘Look to Wolf – Ma’lingan – for humility. Observe how Ma’lingan does not live for himself but for the pack.’ In Respect, it explains ‘If you want to live in peace with all our relations, you will be able to do so when you treat all creatures alike with respect. Give them all the same kind consideration. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. All our relations were made by the same Great Spirit. We are all sisters and brothers, after all.’ In Love, it says, ‘You cannot love another until you first learn to love yourself. Love is worth working for. Love is worth waiting for. Love is the key to life.’ Inari, the Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers are so damn beautiful.”

“Yes, Jo, beautiful and sad, for our culture is blind to the teachings. Instead, we have the social contract. Our civilization chose power and wealth. Yet the values of our ancestors are in our bones. We long to belong. That’s why the colonial compatriots of Thomas Hobbes were in the habit of ‘going native’ to such a degree that the colonies made laws forbidding men and women from running away to join indigenous tribes on pain of death. But might makes right, history is written by the victors, and now there’s nowhere to run — dark, I know, but it’s how I feel.”

“In school, we read The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin. I recall thinking Omelas is us, only our prosperity depends on the misery of many, not just one child in a dark basement. And you can’t walk away. There’s nowhere to go. So we must stay and fight. But, Inari, now I see that the odds are stacked against us. Activists are simply no match for Leviathan. It’s so fucking depressing!”

“Keep your pecker up, Jo!”

“Say what?”

Inari smiles. “Pecker is British for nose. So it means be cheerful, hold your head high. You know, Jo, slang wasn’t invented in the South of the United States. England has more colloquialisms than you can shake a stick at.”

Now it’s my turn to smile. Inari has the oddest sense of humor. And I am here for it.

“Seriously, hang in there, Jo. You’ve had a rough week. And Hobbes is a cynic. As you said, love and joy are who we are too. Give yourself a break. Forget about social contracts and ecoterrorism for a bit. Tomorrow is Christmas. Spend time with your mum and dad and your animals. Alright?”

“Yes. Thanks, Inari. For everything. Merry Christmas!”

As I sit down to Christmas dinner, I’m still mulling over our conversation. I never agreed to a social contract that denies moral rights to outsiders. It’s like being in a violent gang or cult. Our rule of law is a cover for might makes right. It’s awful. Yet I do kill ladybugs. Or I did. In future, I’ll take them to the wood pile, so they have a safe place to hibernate. I don’t need a contract for cooperation. Nor do elephants, whales, or chimpanzees. All social animals, including humans, can act ethically via instinct and culture. We don’t need Church and State to tell us what’s right and wrong. Anyway, Inari is right. I should relax and be happy. It’s our first vegan Christmas: avocado sushi rolls, miso soup, edamame, sesame soba noodles. Yum!

“Here, Jo, I forgot to give you Inari’s present,” says Mom, as she joins us at the table. We did the whole family gift thing this morning. No big presents this year. Mom says money is tight. But I do love the enormous green emu egg that Dad got for me from his friend at Church Hill Farm.

The gift is surprisingly heavy. I tear off the reindeer wrapping paper and gently open the black box. Inside, I discover a beautiful, white stone fox. A handwritten card explains the fox is a kitsune, a messenger of the goddess Inari Ōkami. According to Japanese folklore, kitsune serve as guardian spirits and possess the power to ward off evil.And just like that, love wins the day. I am eternally grateful to have Inari in my life, and to be with my beloved interspecies family on Christmas Day. Ghost is right. The wolf teaches us humility. We live for the pack.

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A chapter from Animals Are People by Peter Morville