[The Outlaw]

Of course they would be better off wild and free. That's a no brainer. However, that doesn't mean that every bird in captivity is deprived. In a perfect world, we would have them flying free and visiting us at bird feeding stations. The ones that were curious enough would no doubt come forward and interact. That is probably how the first ones were "tamed" in the first place. Throughout history, wild things have come to humans for either food or shelter and formed strong bonds.

However, not everyone is "good" with animals and can instinctively read what they want and need from us. I suppose its the fact that we find them so interesting and beautiful that we emotionally invest ourselves in them in the first place. If not appreciated for their pet potential, many would likely wind up on dinner tables with their feathers simply a by product.

Not being a believer in the principles of PETA, I'm not gonna say that we shouldn't have pets. I see far more pets that are loved and treasured family members. However, for anyone who thinks they have dominion over all living things and translates that to dominance and control, they are simply cruel and no doubt treat humans the same way. In many ways, our pets, all of them, teach us how to be more HUMAN. They don't tell us when we screw up, but rather they reflect the treatment that they get.

Since we can't control all of the variables in nature, we can't just let them fly free with any assurance they will be safe. It would be like bringing home a litter of puppies and making no attempt to keep them away from the highway in front of our house. We ARE responsible for that which we tame. The bigger question is whether or not its likely that we can ever meet the needs of animals that will likely outlive us.

THE OUTLAW