Back in 2020 I wrote the poem I will be sharing in this post. Although it pertained to some different circumstances, it is still very fitting today. I could have edited it and put in new words to go with the current year but I didn’t think it really mattered. The message is still the same.

You may already know about this, but I recently learned about the death of a young woman who had her own animal rescue, with a focus on foxes. I never heard of her or her rescue until I learned of her death. But now, her story is popping up everywhere. Her death was by suicide and it is said it was due to online bullying that just became too much to bear (she also struggled with mental illness).

My main mission has always been to bring awareness to others feelings, obviously with the focus on animals as feeling beings too. All that takes is some kindness. Animal advocacy and rescue work of any kind is mentally and emotionally exhausting. Add bullying to that and well…here we are. That being said, I think there is nothing wrong with researching rescues and even visiting them to find out if they are an organization you want to support. And by all means if they are not actually helping animals but instead harming them or just in it to make a profit, then yes maybe even take some action to change that and help the animals. Sometimes that may entail exposing them online to make others aware. But I don’t see how bullying and being down right cruel is necessary.
*Note: I am not in any way saying Save A Fox was doing anything wrong. As I mentioned, I never even heard of them until I heard of Mikayla’s passing.

Here is the poem I mentioned I would share.

LET ALL OF THE HATRED BE DONE

There has been so much happening
It has all been so very maddening
I blame you, you blame me, we blame them
Rather than love, it’s been easier to condemn
Yes, this year has been a tough one
Everyone is surely glad to see it done
But when the mask comes off what will we see?
Will our mouths be cursing because we can’t agree?
We teach kids to not speak unless it’s something nice
Well maybe we should be taking our own advice
While nothing wrong with trying to make a change
It must be done without the hatred exchange
When we realize there is no them vs. us
When instead of fight we can be open to discuss
We might actually gain a new perspective
This is when true change will be effective
So when we say goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021
Also let the hatred we’ve been harboring be done

©Animals Are Feeling Beings Too/LeeAnn Johnston

In case you haven’t seen anything about Mikayla Raines I am sharing one of the many videos out there. Please check it out.