DO GOODERS AND BLEEDING HEARTS

The internet is full of bad logic and terms such as bleeding heart and do-gooders that people use without thinking what they actually mean.

As discussed in a previous blog post, the internet and especially social media thrives on division.

A while back an ex-Facebook employee explained how Facebook algorithms pushed posts with disagreements to a higher number of Facebook users than other posts — in other words, the Facebook algorithms are fostering division.

Need documented proof of that fact?  Please see this blog post.

In the horse community, there is a division between people who love horses and who don’t want to see them abused, scared or slaughtered…

AND

Those who see slaughter as a necessity.

Those who see slaughter as a necessity like to place the blame on breeders for producing too many horses. This is true, except one can believe that breeders produce too many horses, without thinking that slaughter is a necessity.

Those who think that slaughter is necessary have come up with a whole lot of derogatory terms to describe horse lovers. (Of course, they consider themselves horse lovers but they claim to be ‘realistic’, or ‘practical’.)

Among those derogatory terms?

BLEEDING HEARTS & 

DO-GOODERS

Those terms are a way to characterise people who don’t believe in horse slaughter — by those who believe that horse slaughter  is necessary.

Those who believe in slaughter claim Do-gooders and Bleeding Hearts are unrealistic.

It doesn’t matter if the thinking of those who believe in slaughter has reasoning that is illogical and consists of BINARIES.

So what is a binary?

A BINARY is a way of seeing the world, it is seeing things in black or white. It refuses to allow more than 2 ways of seeing an issue.

Examples include:

Male or female

Brumby protection OR environmental protection

Scientific mindset OR emotional mindset

You are either objective OR subjective.

It is extremely important to recognise how prevalent BINARY THINKING is on social media.

Now, getting back to the horse world.

People who love horses and who don’t believe in horse slaughter are often derided as do-gooders or bleeding hearts.

Do-gooders are often criticised and belittled and as a result, may often be discouraged and may become afraid to take a stand or bring about changes.

For example, when people were horrified about injured horses going to Laidley (to be sold at auction) and when those concerned for the well-being of injured horses made sure that inspectors from Biosecurity were there, those same caring individuals were described as do-gooders and bleeding hearts to deride them.

One of the reasons?

Apparently, according to some, injured horses at the Laidley sales were great for horses – again according to some – the thought process was that it draws extra attention and is a great way to raise funds for those rescuing horses.

If animal welfare agencies were notified and took action, then there would be fewer people on social media contributing to rescue efforts and having a “feel-good” moment.

Of course, not all the horses in need were ever rescued – even if welfare authorities were NOT called.

Apparently, do-gooders are not supposed to worry that more horses were getting purchased by doggers and going to slaughter than horses who funds were raised for – and saved.

So-called do-gooders and bleeding hearts are not supposed to worry if horses were being deliberately starved or injured to get the attention of the social media crowd, the people who complained were simply ‘do-gooders’ reducing the success of rescue efforts.

Yes, really.

This is how social media works, by ascribing a pejorative label to a group, they can be derided without ever considering the group’s point of view.

And again, social media thrives on division.

In some cases, there seems to be an inherent contradiction between people who want to rescue a horse and have the option of going to sales, and then in the next breath, those same people claim that others are bleeding hearts and do-gooders if calls are made to authorities charged with protecting the well being of horses.

In cases like that some people are most definitely being divisive by calling those doing their best to protect horses names like Do-gooders or Bleeding Hearts. It feels like those who care about horses can’t win.

Recently Adrienne Moss directed the following comment on Facebook to Harmony Hooves Healing Hearts.

“Harmony Hooves Healing Hearts if *not, all those that really need helping will either go straight to slaughter or die in the paddock.

But the do gooders that never actually buy a horse will be pleased.”

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*NOTE:  For clarity, we added a comma after “if not”.

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Apparently, and sadly, Ms. Moss is not alone in not realising that doggers go to this sale and scoop up huge numbers of horses in one place.

A few poor horses might get saved by private individuals or rescue organisations —  but it is not realistic to think that all horses are saved.

It’s our opinion that in some cases people who are critical of those who do their best to make sure horses are in good health while at a sale – and report abuse cases –  again in some cases – might be motivated by social media applause when they purchase an injured or starved horse — rather than the actual good of all horses.

Horses go directly to doggers either way.

It’s a fact that auctions play into the hands of doggers because they can purchase large numbers of horses in one place instead of having to drive many kilometres buying horses one or two at a time.  Horses are victimised by doggers. Horses are seen by doggers and some others – only as a money-making commodity.

Sales/auctions also provide the opportunity for doggers to GOUGE people.

Often, when people know the dogger purchased a horse or horses, they will scramble to raise money to hopefully buy them before they are hauled off to be slaughtered.

Doggers take full advantage of this and will charge large sums after they have owned a horse for an hour or two.  Often the resale price of the horse – before it has even left the auction grounds – is several hundred percent higher.

Again, in some cases, do-gooders who report abused horses are maligned by people who love to get applause on social media for having ‘saved’ a horse from doggers.  We hope that this saving of horses – of getting them out of the hands of doggers continues but we think it is unfair to malign those who want wellness laws protecting horses to be enforced.

Sadly horses are being transported and sold at the auctions that are not fit to be transported and sold there. Laws are being broken and until advocates for horses can all get on the same page and collectively take action and report cases as they happen, horses are going to continue to suffer.

Here’s an example of what is currently happening at auctions.   After a horse with a broken pelvis who could hardly walk was transported to an auction and sold to a rescue he was examined by a vet and euthanised.

By law, the horse should not have been transported to auction – but the poor horse was and was accepted by the auction.

It appears that a certain live auction in Queensland regularly accepts horses that are injured and/or starved and that certain scoundrels know that social media will promote the poor horse — and those who run and own the sales will profit from their cruelty.

Do-gooders want the law enforced and some anti-do-gooders want the auction with starved and broken horses to continue. It seems that whatever pain the horse is put through is seen by anti-do-gooders as worth it — so 1 or 2 horses can get saved and those saving them receive applause on social media.

So what can we each do to combat binary thinking?

We’d like to suggest that instead of feeling injured or insulted when someone refers to you as a do-gooder or a bleeding heart you accept that label and wear it with pride.

That goes along with feeling proud when anyone refers to us as “woke” or a “snowflake” or a keyboard warrior.

We wear those labels with pride and stand up for what we believe to be right.

You may need to reach out to a friend for a bit of moral support but please continue to stand up for what you believe to be right.

PLEASE join us and keep reporting cases of neglect, abuse, starvation or injuries, etc. – including when horses are at an auction.

Please don’t be shy about joining us on our mailing list, and our social media accounts (scroll down) and tagging us when we can help you stand up for what you know to be right.

And thank you for being you.