A Biker's Tack on the Alabama Supreme Court Ruling

One Biker’s Take on the Recent Alabama Supreme Court Ruling

“Life isn’t fair. Get used to it.”

That was my dad’s “advice” when my eight-year-old self went to him with some sort of unperceived injustice.

“Dad! That kid cut in front of me!” Or “Dad! That kid didn’t pick me for their team!” Which I always followed up with, “That’s NOT fair!!”

In trying to tell his daughter that the world can be a mean and scary place without really explaining all the bad things that happen to millions of people around the world every single day, that was what my dad came up with.

Life isn’t fair. Get used to it.

My Father and Half-Sister standing in front of a house, sometime in the 80's — My Dad & Half-Sister -sometime in the 1980s

Now, as an adult, I do understand it a bit better. Which is why, when youth sports started handing out awards and trophies to both teams, no matter who won or lost, I became incensed. It is a GAME!! The very nature of the game means that there will be one team who wins, and the other team who won’t.

Let’s keep in mind that we, as a people, tend to learn more when we “loose” or “fail” than when we win. And yet, the negative implications that those two words come with, make it so most people try to avoid them all together. And, in their avoidance of loosing and failure, in trying to be perfect, they often end up even more anxious and depressed for never meeting that goal.

It is Nature’s way. There is a Sunrise and a Sunset. There is Good and there is Evil. There are two sides to every coin. There is a Winner and there is a Loser. There is Life and there is Death. Not once in my half-century on this glorious Earth has Nature shown me fairness.

Life isn’t fair. Get used to it.

My son playing Baseball in a youth league, at bat. 2007 — My Son at Bat, playing for his Youth Baseball Team. 2007

In June 2011 David J. Slater, a wildlife photographer who wanted to bring to light the declining population of the Crested Black Macaque, was taking pictures in Indonesia when one monkey stood in front of his camera and took a “selfie.” Slater sold the pictures to newspapers and they were published the following month. Then two other groups used the same picture without paying.

That led Slater to file suit, saying that – since he set up the camera and the pictures wouldn’t exist without him being there in the first place – he owns the copyright and those who take his product without paying should be made to pay. The groups he was suing said that, since it was the Macaque who actually took the picture, the image should be free to use by anyone.

That prompted PETA to interject – because Slater set it up so that the Macaque could take the picture, the Macaque should be the one who owns the copyright.

How far is too far?? Even if it is for the ethical treatment of animals, is it right to assign them rights and benefits under the law as if they were cognizant human beings? After all, we do have laws in place for when animals are abused and/or neglected… to hold the humans that do that to them accountable. Isn’t that enough? Or is that not enough??

Life isn’t fair. Get used to it.

Crested Black Macaque Selfie — One of the monkey selfies at issue in the dispute ~Wikipedia

The reason I’m telling you about that legal precedent brings me to the issue of this blog: the Alabama Supreme Court Ruling that Frozen Embryos are to be considered the same as Children. And those that destroy them - whether by accident or design - can be dragged into court for “wrongful death.”

At the barn where my Horse is stabled, the Owner has about 15 Hens and a Rooster. I’ll often bring special snacks for them to eat (mealworms, end pieces of bread, etc.) and they’ll show their love by following me around & cooing.

One time, when the Owner was collecting eggs, she accidentally dropped one and it broke wide open. Right in front of the Hens. Their reaction surprised me – the Hens were visibly pissed off!! The looks, the STARES, their body language, all communicated how upset they were. Imagine what they’d do if they knew/understood what some Humans (me included!) do with their eggs… Cracking them open, scrambling them up (my preference anyways), and then dumping them into a searing hot pan to be cooked so that we can eat them!!

But it’s okay for us to do that. It’s legal for us to eat the unborn chicken. After all, it’s an egg. It only has the potential to become a Chicken. It is not subject to the same laws that protect the Chicken from cruelty, abuse, neglect or torture.

And, even though all 50 states have laws that make animal cruelty a felony, animals themselves are considered property. Of course, despite the laws, dog fighting, laboratory testing on animals and puppy mills continue to exist. The bad still happens.

Life isn’t fair. Get used to it.

Me at the barn with a chicken on a hay bale — On the Hay Bale behind me is Goldie, waiting on treats!

For me, this is no different than the patient who accidentally dropped Frozen Embryos. The three couples already had successful births thanks to their IVF treatment and had agreed to “store” the remaining embryos indefinitely, according to court documents.

Yes, the patient shouldn’t have been allowed access to the cryogenics nursery. Yes, the clinic had the responsibility to secure the area, just like patient records are kept secure. Yes, what happened was a tragedy. However, were the embryos actual children, to be given the same rights and protections as a living, breathing child??

I’ll give you my dad’s answer: Life isn’t fair. Get used to it.

In 2015 a New York Judge granted two Chimpanzees would get their day in court. They were at the heart of an animal cruelty case, “living” in a University Laboratory. Except for the fact that the courts have ruled on numerous occasions: Chimps do not get the same treatment as Humans do. The Judge quickly amended the writ to say that the Chimpanzees in question will get representation in court, and their personhood was not up for discussion.

To do so would open all sorts of legal ramifications. Just as it has for IVF Facilities in Alabama.

clipart of a court with justice scales and judge ruling over eggs with faces — With Embryos now considered children in the eyes of the law, is it not “child abuse” to keep them at sub-zero temperatures for months, years, even decades, without being allowed the potential to become a Human??

If we cannot “grow” a child outside of a woman’s uterus, and “life” begins at conception, is it considered torture to fertilize an egg in vitro??

The Chickens at the barn did get over the horror of seeing one of their eggs destroyed after a couple of days. They continue to produce eggs on a regular basis, for which I am thankful. Mainly because I enjoy eating eggs for breakfast.

Sometimes.