The Grumpy Vegan has long thought that a particularly tragic side to human nature is our ability to cause suffering in others after we’ve been the target of similar misery. This cycle of violence is difficult to stop. But it is possible to do so with appropriate, professional assessment and treatment programs.
It is increasingly recognized that companion animals are also at risk in domestic violence. Abusive partners threaten or actually harm and kill family dogs and cats to demonstrate power and control over their spouses, children and other family animals.
Sue Coe is an artist whose creative eye shines a compassionate spotlight on those who are at risk. Her new series, “Through Her Own Eyes,” looks at the lives of six women in the Texas prison system who are HIV positive.
One of these women, Victoria, describes how her partner “shot my dog Ziggy for barking too much.” “I knew he would go after my son next,” she adds. Imprisoned for murdering her partner, Victoria could rarely recall a time when he was not waving a gun in her face.
Whether it’s her studies of animal abuse, HIV patients, war, racial discrimination or the effects of capitalism, Sue’s “artistic activism” illustrates the commonality of oppression when we exert power and control over others.
