809 Reading Log

  • The Grapes Of Wrath - John Steinback

Saturday, February 1, 2014

“The Ivory War” by Patricia Smith Upfront Magazine February 3, 2014

     It’s certainly strange how much we as a human race have not grown. In more ways than one we rely on animals, and doing so we threaten their lives. In the article, The Ivory War from Upfront Magazine, African Elephants are in danger of becoming extinct because of poaching for their Ivory Tusks.
     According to the article, “tens of thousands of elephants are being killed each year for their ivory.” To think that they have been killing African Elephants since the 19th century! Imagine how many African Elephants have been killed for just money. In the article, it says that one can gain up to one-thousand dollars per pound of ivory, and with Asia killing more than 10 thousand African Elephants per year, I don’t know what could be done with that much money.

Ivory is etched deeply into Chinese culture. Popular lore tells of emperors who believed ivory chopsticks would change color upon contact with poisoned food. In Chinese medicine, ivory powder is said to purge toxins from the body and make the skin beautiful.

     Notice that when writing this the author did not once say, ivory DID make the skin beautiful, or “[it purges toxins from the body]” in the text it says, “ivory powder [IS SAID] to purge toxins from the body.” Most likely implying that she doesn’t believe that it does. She might just be giving reasons to why they are feeding this “elephant ‘holocaust’.”

     I love Elephants, and there is no specific one, I just love them all. One time when I went to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, I was on a Safari, and there was music playing quite loudly from the truck and two Elephants looked our way and slowly started swaying side to side as if they were dancing. At first I didn’t really think about it but, I do now realize how graceful these creatures are, and harmless they are. I don’t mean to sound cliché but surely it will, but I do wish we could live in harmony. We as Humans along with the other creatures of Earth, there is no reason not to, even considering the circumstances I think we could.

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