Should a Heart Make Exceptions?

My heart aches quite often,
For those people who must suffer through excruciating pain,
For those whose stomachs twist around their hollow shell,
For those who lie frozen and forgotten,
As it should,
Because humans don’t deserve to be treated that way,
And yet, people often don’t seem to feel as large an effect,
When children burn ants and laugh,
When broken cats limp out of garbage cans with empty stomachs,
When innocent dogs are kicked and stricken for minor offenses,
What makes us superior?
All forms of torture are wrong,
We all are equal,
Blacks and whites,
Dandelions and roses,
Even cats and humans,
Or at least,
That’s the way it should be,
If we can stop people from running in aimless circles,
Trying to prove humans are “the best”
That we are “superior”,
Then maybe we can stop the abuse,
Then maybe we can honestly stand up and say,
With our hands on our hearts,
“With Liberty and Justice for All”
No exceptions.