I've always wondered about the people that moved the roadkill. To all of you that do, I'd like to say thanks. Someday I'll try to do this. Right now I don't drive. Nobody I ride with would be willing to stop to move dead animals, especially since they are mostly skunks around here.

Bless all of you who do this. My family has done this for as long as I can remember, and as soon as I get my own car, I will do the same.

My dad once found a dead cat in the middle of the road. He told me the story: He picked it up, put it in a box, and took it home. We live near a lake with trees, so he got a very soft blanket, wrapped the poor girl in the blanket, named her Heather just to give her an identity once more, and buried her under the trees. A woman saw all this, and told him how nice it was of him to do that, since she had seen the cat just laying there in the street for a week.

It killed me to know that she drove by every single day, just like everyone else, and didn't do a thing about the poor baby.

When I see dead animals, I say a prayer, usually to Yinepu, to guide their spirit safely to where they need to be.

I'll be damned if I don't do everything in my power to help living animals, however. I foster cats and kittens. I've turned in my own friends to the SPCA and cops for abusing their animals. If that means I'm ruthless, so be it. I won't have an animal's life in danger as long as I can help it.

That is what baffles me too - when people express shock and sadness over the poor creatures that THEY.THEMSELVES.LEFT.SITTING.ON.THE.ROADSIDE.

I think some people are simply afraid to feel sadness or pain by exposing themselves to someone who is obviously dead. For them it may seem easier to feel sadness for a dead creature, and even sadness over the fact that said dead creature has been in the road for a week, than to actually pick up a body. A lot of people are terrified of death, or at least made very uncomfortable. My mother won't even say the word "died" - her pug who died recently is referred to as having "cashed it in" or "gone to sleep".

To me it's kinda like people who say "I love animals. I feel so bad for all the homeless animals in the shelter. But I can't possibly go visit them because it would make me feel SOOO SAD." Aw, poor little you, can't possibly disrupt your peace of mind by visiting a homeless animal. To me it's like if a family member is in the hospital. Say you don't like the hospital and it makes you uncomfortable. Well, too bad; you go visit them anyway because you know it will help THEM. It's about THEM, not you. I feel the same way about the animals... but realize most people think I am a flat out loon.

(Obviously, my comments do not apply to those who were unable to stop because of safety issues and stuff like that.)

I do not like being compared to people who don't care about live animals just because I don't pick up dead ones.

My comments don't apply to you as you haven't driven past a dead animal for a week, then said how horrible it is that nobody picks them up. (Please see Diamond's story above ...) That is what I was talking about... if it is not your mission to pick them up, no worries. I am not trying to make it everyone's mission. But if you are going to take the time to tell me how sad it made you when you drove past an animal for a week on the roadside, I will, yes, likely suggest that you do something about it instead of simply "feeling bad" about it.

I am sorry if my comments offended you. They certainly were not directed at you or anyone in particular - just those who claim to care but do nothing. (And, as noted earlier, there are instances when it is unsafe to do so and my comments are not directed at such instances either.)

Again, if it is not your mission to pick up dead animals, that is fine and I would not hold that against you. But if you are sad when you see them by the roadside, and start wondering "Why doesn't somebody do something?", that is the point where It Is Up To You, or all the sad feelings in the world become but hypocrisy. If a person is physically unable to help, or does not feel called by Netjer to do so, that is one thing. If one is simply weak of will, uncaring enough to take a few minutes out of the day, or apathetic, that is a different matter.

Setkheni, I hope you will take the time to read my post and that it will make clear my heart to you, that I am not condemning you for not picking up dead animals. What I condemn are people who make loud laments but can never be found doing anything to help.

I did not respond that way because I thought you were specifically referring to me, as I was not a part of this conversation. I do, however, see a fair bit of unfair judgment toward people you don't even know. Whether you think someone is a hypocrite or not, there is a huge difference between leaving a dead animal at the side of the road--laments or not--and refusing to help a living, breathing animal.

As a personal aside, this is not my spiritual need. I don't get particularly sad when I see roadkill because death is a part of life. I wouldn't be so quick to assume it's anyone else's spiritual need, either. Even if they're openly sad about it.

I understand what you are saying here. Please understand that I am probably not as mean as I sound. I would not condemn any individual for their choice or lack thereof, though I may think of them as hypocritical. I myself am hypocritical on some levels. But I must point out that this tendency on humanity's part, to be hypocritical, to proclaim that we care about something but doing nothing practical *about* it, overruns our society and is the root of many ills.

If everyone who said "Oh how sad that little animal is dead by the roadside" would actually 1. help out one of those animals, and 2. take a little more care when driving, I'd wager we'd see less roadkill.

To me it is the same with people who are in need. For instance in my hometown we have a lot of folks who are "homeless" or use whatever other term you like. Many people acknowledge that it's a problem and most everyone has a word to say about the poor folks who find themselves in such situations. But very few people will step up to actually do anything of assistance.

It is the same with every social ill and this particular issue, of animals, happens to be the one I focus upon. Insert your issue of choice and you too may be angry about hypocrisy.

To me, again it comes down to: if you are sad about something, do something about it. If you have the ability to walk up to a neighbor and say, "Thanks for picking up that dead animal. I was sad to be driving past it," the only logical response is "Why did you not pick it up then?"

That is what I would ask. And though you may now think of me as a [censored], I would ask that in a kindly manner. And if the response was something like, "I am afraid of death. I wanted to pick up the animal but it made me cry too much," believe it or not I would not condemn that person. I would probably say (again kindly), "Well I understand; if you see any other dead animals on the road, here is my phone number, please call me and I will come get them asap."

Nor have I assumed anywhere about anyone's spiritual needs. But if you are sad about something, do something about it. Call it whatever you want; for some it may not be spiritual at all. But don't tell me how sad you are about something and expect me to not ask why you have done nothing about the situation. Not out of judgement, but out of, well, what I consider logic.

Edited to add: I have tried really hard here to communicate and to explain that I was not judging ... just trying to point out some hypocrisy I have seen, not from an individual, but rather certain tendencies. I have apologized for any offense I might have caused, both publicly and in a PM. Now it is up to you, Setkheni, as I have no more time to revisit what I have already clearly stated. I would like for us to understand one another. I believe that I understand you and that I have done my best to make my points clear. If, after all of this and multiple apologies on my part for whatever I have done to offend you personally, you still want to think of me as dispensing unfair judgement... you will surely not be the first person to dislike me.

And lest anyone get too offended here, let's all remember that we have our lives. We have not been run down by a two-ton piece of steel and left lying on hot asphalt to die, and later to have our guts strewn over the road because people can't operate a steering wheel. That is what's offensive to me.

For me, I have an extreme love for animals. I have had dogs all my life and have always had a profound connection to creatures great and small. I do get sad when I pass animals that have been killed along the road, I do cry, I am emotionally affected by it.

Do I pull over and do something about it? No. Is it because I am heartless or because I do not have respect for the dead? Absolutely not. The reason why I do not do anything is simply because I DO love animals so much. That roadkill, those dead animals alongside the road- they are no longer there. Their spirit, their essence, has moved on. The only thing I would be doing by burying an animal I found alongside the road is putting my health in danger (diseases are always a possibility) and depriving scavenging animals such as birds of a needed food source. I think if someone runs over an animal, they should move it off the center of the road onto the side, that way scavenger animals do not endanger themselves trying to feed.

This may sound "gross" or "crude" but it's the natural way of things. Animals die, and other animals feed on them. I've even pondered the possibility of a tibetan burial for myself- carry me up to a mountain and let the birds take care of me, feed their young, continue the cycle of life (if that's even legal :P). With death, comes life. It is sad, it makes us feel pain and grief, but it is a natural process.

Just my two cents.

Tepta, that seems very logical to me! You have thought about the matter and you are doing what is true to your beliefs and perceptions of the spirit. I respect that a lot.

As for myself, when I die, I'd like to be eaten by wild tigers, but suspect I will be too tough and gamey, lol!

Tepta, i like the idea of the Tibetan burial as well. i believe it may also be called "sky burial", though i could be mistaken about that. unfortunately, i doubt it's legal anywhere in this country.