Format: video with audio
Running time: 2 min 27 sec.
Summary: An ant from Pinky's AntFarm™ reads a statement from the rest of the ants.
Transcript
[ant walking to podium]
Ant: [clears throat.] I am ant 14c, a representative from Pinky's AntFarm™. I have a message for all human beings willing to listen to an ant perspective.
Consider this typical situation: an ant is walking across a tabletop, or maybe across a sidewalk. Without hesitation, for no apparent reason, a human being will often reach out with their finger or foot, and smash the ant.
Please think about this: death is not fundamentally different for ants than it is for human beings. When you press your finger down on us and crush our delicate bodies, you extinguish the life force within us, and send our tiny spirits along on their way. Maybe you don't care because we're so small. Or maybe you believe that all animals are just so far below human beings. But we ants know that human beings are capable of feeling compassion. We hope that in the end you will decide to treat us, and all other animals, with respect.
Ants understand that people will, sometimes, accidentally step on us because you are large and don't look where you are walking. We also understand that sometimes you may become very hungry and have no choice but to eat some of us in order to survive.
But please remember that ants, together with all of our animal friends, are feeling, sensing beings, just like human beings are. We are capable of suffering, just like you.
I am ant 14c, and this is the end of my appeal to you. For the sake of emphasis, I will now be crushed, so that you will remember these words better. Good-bye. Pinky.
Pinky: Ant. I'm sorry.
[ant crushed]
<end transcript>
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Credits
writing: Ant 14c
research: Ants
bibliography:
Animal Liberation. Peter Singer (Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 2002). note: This is the Third Edition; the First Edition was printed in 1975.
narration: Ant 14c sound effects: Bunny & Pinky
drawings & illustrations: Pinky
animation of walking ant: Bunny
titles: Pinky
[ image credits ]
