What a dog called Cap taught me about society

As I was reading the news today, I came across a story about a dog from Yorkshire. Cap the Sheepdog was recently sold at auction for nearly £15,000 and has become the UK’s most expensive. It wasn’t long after having a giggle at the complete absurdness of it all, that I was left with the horrible realisation that a dog called Cap is probably worth more than I am.

Being a freelance writer, I have long accepted that I will always struggle financially and have almost grown quite romantically attached to the beans on toast lifestyle. But still, this is a dog and not even a fully-grown one at that. Cap is 16 months old and is only worth this much due to his good breeding.

I can’t help but think, what would happen if Human beings were valued in this way?

Of course, we are in a world where that happens every single day.

For the first time in a lifetime, the divide between the rich and poor in the UK is increasing, forcing many into poverty. The number of people accessing help from the Food Bank is at an all time high and it is continuing to rise. To compound matters further, the educational divide between the upper class and lower class is ensuring that this is a problem that shows no sign of abating. We are in a complete mess and no one seems to want to confront it.

The simple fact is that if you live in an affluent area, you will attend a good school and more than likely get the grades needed to succeed. This, of course, ensures that the children with the most successful parents are more likely to succeed themselves.

Is this a flaw of the system? Or is this, in fact, the actual goal of the system?

I believe that every single person, regardless of their background, should be given the same opportunities in life. Equality should be a reality, not a dream. I am just ashamed that it took a Sheepdog called Cap to make me think about this.

Thomas Davis.