The question was, when I eat meat do I think about all the issues? And my most honest answer is no I do not. This is not to say, I think animal cruelty is ok. I believe animal cruelty is wrong. It would be a lie to say we as human beings don't benefit greatly from it. Anything from mass food production to feed an ever growing population, to advances in many sciences. I would not go as far as to say that animals should be granted personhood. This would lead to many issues, because the fact that animals cannot communicate with humans, would mean that the animals would need representation and this could lead to humans exploiting this right for there own agenda, and it could never be verified. I think that animal cruelty can ever go away 100% but I do believe it can get better than the way it is today. It would take much change from society and maybe an uncomfortable time period for humanity as is with most change. That will be the most difficult obstacle to overcome, with any big changes.
Animal deserve to be treated humanly and with similar respect in that which you were to have for humanity. My personal philosophical beliefs as to animal rights actually stems from my Jewish faith. I believe in creationism--whether g-d brought it about through an evolutionary process over a period of millions of years is irrelevant in this conversation. G-d created animals in a similar in which he created us--we are all his creations. In the old testament, g-d gives man permission to eat animals, but at the same time gives a clear human blueprint for the process with the most intricate details as to how it must be done. This process is what has become to be known as kosher. Some of the fundamental laws of kosher are the following: (1) the knife must be completely smooth in order for their to be as little pain as possible. Interesting to note that Kosher slaughtering has been scientifically proven to be the most painless of ways to end an animal's life. If the knife is found to be serrated, the animal would not be Kosher. Another principal would be: (2) if subsequent to death it has been discovered that the animal has any sort of blemish on or in it's organs, the animal is not deemed kosher; therefore, a law abiding Jew would not be able to eat it. The reasoning that g-d has implemented number 2 is very simple, it incentivizes man to treat animals with utmost respect when they are alive. If they do not treat it well when it is alive and blemish it, they would not be able to eat the animal after it dies. A precedent drawn from principle 2 is growth hormones of any sort are strictly forbidden. Another kosher restriction is that you can not kill and animal and it's mother on the same day. Animals have limited, important, rights--respect them.
This topic is one that causes discomfort in many peoples mind so they simply choose to ignore it and try to be ignorant to what is really going on. I do not think that once in my life I have thought about what has happened throughout the animal’s lifespan of which I just finished consuming. I would definitely consider myself to be a part of that ignorant group, I choose not to think of what really happens for peace of mind but that does not necessarily mean that I think it is the right thing to do. I strongly believe that we should make an attempt to treat these animals as humanely as possible; I would not say that animals have rights but they do have feelings and I would certainly prefer consuming an animal knowing that the life that they lived was a joyful one.
Being someone who has always had trouble eating food in general I cannot allow myself to think of eating meat as wrong, otherwise I would have nothing to eat! Animal cruelty on the other hand, is not okay. As Avi stated in his post, animals should be respected because they are providing us with the sustenance we require. As was stated in our last class, when things are mass produced they lose their quality. If animals were given the proper respect they deserve we would have much better quality food and end such cruel behavior.
Yes. Animals are living creatures with feelings nonethless. They feel pain, sadness, grief, happiness etc. just like us. They cannot protect themselves, they cannot fight back. We have an unfair advantage over them, and we continually abuse this power. We should treat them with kindness and respect, and although meat is a staple in our diet, hunting and poaching has no cause in modern society. Animals shouldn't have the right to vote etc. That's ridiculous. But animals are living, breathing creatures with feelings and thoughts. They have the right to fair treatment.
Animals should not be afforded "rights," in respect to our definition of the term. Animals do possess varying degrees of intelligence and capacities for pain, but these characteristics alone do not grant them the same rights as that of a human being. It is not to say that the value of the human race outweighs the value of all other forms of life, but it is beyond our scope to extend our form of rights onto them. When observing nature in situ it proves exceedingly difficult to distinguish between moral and immoral behavior in the animal kingdom (e.g. A pack of hyenas attacking a baby elephant.) My point is that we can’t impart animals with an objective set of rights, but that does not mean we should exploit our position at the top of the food chain either. A balance is necessary to treat animals with respect, within reason, and to not seek morality within the natural world.
Do animals deserve rights? If not what? The question is, do we deserve rights? aren't humans animals in some way as well? if a person deserves rights, then why wouldn't animals deserve the same rights? a person is a simple human with the ability of being conscious, free, autonomous and sentience (ability to feel pain). Therefore, there are animals like Dolphins who are person indeed, so another question comes out from my mind... Should a person have rights? I think that we are all the same... humans, dolphins, dogs, cats, it's the same... we just communicate differently and we nave different attributes and abilities. That does not mean we should have different rights, or that some should or should not deserve any rights. Who are we to establish what animal should deserve rights? who are we to decide if a certain specie should deserve something? we should all be treated the same... or let's say a giant alien comes from another planet, and along with his specie, they decide if we should or should not even live... Would that be fair for us? Should they have that power to decide for us? WE ARE ALL EQUAL.
~ Jorge Aleman ~ I love meat, therefore I am going to have some biases in the subject. The best solution for me would be have your own animals with freedom in your backyard and kill them yourself while thanking them for the services they are providing for you. I being raised in a Cuban-farm can only attest to the freedom our animals had and I will say this with confidence the meat I ate from our "happy animals" have always tasted better then anything I have ever had in the United States in all my years of living here. However, none of this solves the issues at hand the biggest solution to the issue, because I think the issue will most certainly not be solved due to the demands is the sad realization that the human population has reached its saturation point we cannot continue growing at our pace, I think at this point its necessary sacrifice for mass productivity, I am speaking in terms of meat we eat not exotic animals or luxuries thing that have no basis for sustenance, but more of enjoyment for now that is cruel to said animals.
Do I think about these issues when I eat meat? No I do not. I do not agree with animal cruelty and I don't agree with all the factory farming or animal testing, but honestly speaking we do and will keep killing and eating these animals. I believe the way food companies kill these animals and the way they treat these animals just to make money out of them should be changed. Before all these companies began making millions of money out of these animals the animals were taken care of and treated better than now, now companies inject hormones and crazy chemicals just to sell and be the company making the most money. If we don't kill and eat these animals we would become over populated by animals, killing and eating them is basically the circle of life. -Samanta Espinoza
Collette Mckoy Said.......Do animal deserve to have rights? My answer to this question is yes! We as humans have knowledge by acquaintance when it comes to feelings. Most of us if not all of us; have the ability to sense when someone is hurting, happy or feeling depress. Dogs have all the senses of a human being so who is to say that animals don’t feel what humans feel. Picture yourself being used as a guinea pig for scientist to experiment on. Some of those tests may be painful, harmful or cause you to become deformed in some way. You wouldn’t want to go through that so why would you put an innocent animal through the possibility of being handicapped to human curiosity. What I’m trying to imply is that animal are like; humans, they may not look, walk or live the same, but we are all made to be different. Animals should have the same right as humans because if you look into it we need them as much as they need us
When talking about animal rights people have diverse views, from animals are here for the benefit of mankind, to animals should have the same rights as humans, I'm somwhere in the middle, I believe that animals feel pain, communicate and have a right to quality of life. However, I believe that human life in general is worth more than an animal life. That said, I think as humans, because of our "superior" intelect we have a duty to preserve the life from other sepcies, I'm not going to get in the debate if we should or not eat animals, since I do eat them, but I believe that the animal "factories" that we have now days have taken the existance completly out if the animals we eat. I believe the whole process is digusting, from forced pregnancies, one after another in most cattle industries, the separation of the baby and the mom, with the subsequent isolation of the animals, with no fredom to move, eating, whatever is offered, hormone injections to gain weght fast, all the way to the killing, packaging of the final product in a clean wrapped tray! Where is life in this process? The industriesare looking for the major profit margin with complete disregard, of health, or the life of the animal. Life includes death, we all have to die, but we all want to at least have a happy productive life, animals, have that right. As consumners we can make our demands or voice our oppinions on animal rights, with the products we purchase. I do buy free range products as much as possible.
I believe that the main point is ethical, and is based on the fact that animals can feel pain. Animals are a creation of G-d; therefore they should be treated with compassion. The issue is that we live in a consumerist society; the process is being accelerated year after year, and it seems that we forgot that animals feel pain just as we do. Multi billion dollar industries are using animals as if they were objects, exploiting females for their ability to reproduce, and the use of chemical substances like antibiotics, added hormones, to get a “better quality” of meat in a lower period of time. Animals that are killed for food live fractional parts of their normal life, in inhumane conditions that we accept.
Western methods of slaughtering: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJIGAdzq2dQ
After I watched this video, it was hard for me to digest what it’s going on the world. It’s more important to keep running a food business than trying to find a more humane method in order to get what we want. How these slaughtering methods are accepted by the world, misinformed? Animals should at least live a normal life, if they are going to be used for food. They need rights that protect them from exploiters, and traders that want their own benefit. We as a consumerist society should understand that while we purchase meat, we are supporting their cause and the solution is not in the cutting the habit of eating meat, but trying to find meat from producers that are committed to cruelty free production of meat. Whole Foods is one of the first green markets in the food industry, and they sell the idea that their products come from Eco-friendly farms were animals live cruelty-free lives without any substance usage that affects the DNA of the animal. They follow the 5 step animal welfare rating system; 1. Animals live their lives with space to move around and stretch their legs. 2. Animals are provided with enrichment that encourage behavior that's natural to them — like a bale of straw for chickens to peck at, a bowling ball for pigs to shove around, or a sturdy object for cattle to rub against. 3. Pigs, chickens and turkeys might live in buildings but they all — yes, each and every one of them — have access to outdoor areas. 4. When living outdoors, chickens and turkeys get to forage, pigs get to wallow and cattle get to roam. 5. At Step 5 the well-being of the animals is the primary focus; efficiency and economy are secondary.
I do believe animals have rights and if they are going to be slaughtered it should be done where the animal feels the least amount of pain as possible. Eating meat is ok as long as it is not an endangered animal. Not too long there was a segment on da news that said lion meat is now becoming a delicacy in some restaurants. I don't feel like we should be eating lions. But I know in some countries they do eat animals like that. To them it's normal but to other's it might not be. Animals should not be put in harsh living conditions if they are being farmed to be slaughtered. Quality of life should be good after all they are being killed for meat why not make it good before they go. Regardless i do believe in karma so if you treat animals inhumanely then it will come back to you. -Mayda Bonilla T/R 9:50
I am quite intrigued as to why the "food chain" was never mentioned in this biased approached blog post? I am sure we are all familiar with the food chain and respect natures vital instincts for survival. If not, look it up. Rights are never given and they are always most certainly fought for. When they mention an infants instant right of humanity, they fail to recognize the fight that PARENTS make during a pregnancy term for their child's right to a decent life. Also, environmental concerns won't be solved because we chose not to eat meat...? I mean come on, seriously. Extinction of certain animals is a natural process and we cannot always assume an animal is extinct because of humans. All existence comes to an end and the most suitable cause for that is climate. Listen, when I eat, it is because I am hungry. When animals eat it is because they too are hungry. There is a food chain and there are certain foods that a human cannot eat. Meat is something humans can eat. I can care less of the vegetarian who reads this because they too once ate meat and did not die from it. Grow up. It is life. We eat to live. If a more conscious approach is the demand of this argument then maybe we should regulate the FDA. Good luck with that.
Since very early in human history animals have been an important part of our lives. Animals provided humans with food, clothing, shelter, and eventually began to offer company. Early human tribes around the world had animals that they feared as well as worshipped. Hunters were given the heavy responsibility of providing food not only for their families but the rest of the village and through this responsibility they learned respect for the animals they hunted. Hunters taught the next generation to revere and thank the animals for giving their lives to sustain the village. However, as civilization grew so did their food supply and treatment regarding the handling of animals. Our recent attitude towards animals has changed. Reports, rumors, and documentaries have shed light on our current practices: caging farm animals so they don’t move, using growth hormones to meet increasing demand. This inhumane treatment and harm of animals that have been proven to feel and respond to pain is a self-damning and severely detrimental act in that it undermines an essential psychological lesson in empathy. We should strive to treat these animals with the respect and care they deserve for providing such necessities to so many.
In regards to animal rights, i strongly believe that whether or not we give them rights or acknowldge that they are living things we're still going to eat them. It's a cycle, you grow them, nurture them, fatten them up and then slaughter them. Now do I think it's right? No I don't, but in other to survive you have to eat, in a way you have to use your animal instincts. If you go to the desert or jungle and a lion sees you, it's not going to let you walk away just because you are a living, breathing thing, it's first judgment is to kill and then eat to survive. We can live without meat but not everybody can be a vegetarian. I do belive that they deserve a little more right to limit the cruelty but is that going to happen...Most likely not.
Animals are beautiful creatures created by God, and I think that animals do deserve rights. Animals should be treated the way that we treat humans we love, respect, and freedom. There is no greater feeling than being able to run wild and free and just enjoy the breath of fresh air. I love to see animals happy and playing with each other. Even though I eat meat I feel so guilty to know that an animal was brutally slaughtered in order to prepare my meal. I cried after watching a documentary on you tube about the cruelty that animals experienced throughout their daily lives which results in death. Animals cannot talk like humans do so therefore we assume that they do not understand what is going on around them but in fact I believe that they are aware of danger to some extent. The mind of an animal is not as sophisticated as the mind of a human but nonetheless they do react to pain, tenderness, and other emotions just like humans. Different cultures all over the world have their own way of living such as the food they eat, the clothes they wear, and the animals they consider as endangered species. Animals do prey on humans as a means of food for their survival so in that sense when we do the same act of killing to them is it deemed as wrong and cruel? though it not justified that we kill animals we still do it. Why do we treat some animals as pets and then we kill other animals? Animals are tortured every day, and this really breaks my heart into pieces to have knowledge that our society has become so increasingly violent to defenseless creatures who are trying to survive in this world. STOP ANIMAL ABUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My comment is that animals do deserve right, but not the same as human being. Animals deserve the right to live their life the way it should be. Human should let the animals enjoy their life before thinking to kill them. I do not want to say that don't kill them or don't eat them,but the way the farmers do kill the animals is not appropriate, and the food they feed them to make them grow against they will is the worst thing ever. We poison our self by eating the meat because they eat chimical. There is no reason to make animals grow faster to feed the population because we wasting to much food every day and so many people still die hungry.
Honestly I don’t think on these issues when I eat meat , and I have to accept that I’m part of this cold and ignorant society. It is more than obvious that animals are sentient, we are being cruel to accept the way they are mistreated . The different methods used by the animal factories are painful, disgusting and revolting , we are abusing of what they can offer us. Animals exist for the benefit of mankind but that doesn’t mean we have to use such abominable methods . Industries of course look for profit so they really don’t care about the pain of animals and we as the eaters are part of the process. The problem is not on eating animals, because that is why they are in the earth but the problem is that we have reached a point were we say its ok to use painful methods with animals. I think it is important to inform people of how animals are being mistreated , and raise our voices .
As a meat eater I can say that humans do not really stop and think about what animals go through while enjoying their meal. The question is do animals deserve right? From my perspective this topic causes great controversy simply because one does not know how to react. I can say that animals shouldn't be abused nor torture since they might have reasoning but they do have feelings. The main difference between animals and humans is the fact that they cannot express their pain or what they are going through. When it comes to eating animals, I don't see an issue to it. Animals eat each other for survival. As human beings, we too are animals. We eat animals to survive and to continue living in this world.
I have always been a meat eater and I think it would be hard for a lot of people to just quit eating meat, myself included. I believe it is in our nature to eat meat. However, as many things in our world, I think this issue is way out of hand. One thing is for us to eat meat and another is for us to mistreat and torture these animals. Do they deserve rights? Yes, absolutely. Maybe not the rights we as humans have, but definitely rights. Rights to be treated as living creatures, and not just some piece of meat that we restrict to feeding until it is exactly the way we want it to be. I have seen videos depicting the way these animals are handled and treated and it haunts me. If we truly are smarter and conscious and empathetic creatures how did we allow our focus to become so narrow that we lost sight of what nature is and what normal is?
Humans by evolution have survived off animal fat. Vegetable oil and these new inventions have only been added to our diet recently. For us to think eating animals is wrong this would be incorrect. It is part of our lives and has been for thousands of years. Our bodies need this diet to be healthy in general, although it is possible to survive without animal products. I think there needs to be a more humane way to deal with animals if we want to consume them.
Animals are just a less evolved version of ourselves, it is that simple. To think that the earth is here to protect us and keep us safe that is completely absurd, %99 of species die, we need to do what we can to survive. With that being said, earth is our home for now so we need to maintain a balance that will keep the planet from becoming more dangerous than it already is.
The problem is clear. It is all about the money. It would be nice if companies treated the market with more care, instead of trying to squeeze every last penny.
I believe animals have the same right to live that we do as humans. The main problem with that is that we use animals for many different things such as food and materials and when people demand these materials or food the supply has to meet the demand. We then start treating these animals as slaves who are born to die for us. I have thought on the topic many times before especially when I am at the supermarket and you see mountains of beef on the shelves, I think it's cruel but animals sustain us with life. When we are talking about animal testing I'm against completely especially if its a cosmetic company putting shampoo or make up that's harmful to animals. If they were testing medicines and cures on animals it's justifiable in the sense that sacrifice a 100 to save a billion type situation.
23 comments:
The question was, when I eat meat do I think about all the issues? And my most honest answer is no I do not. This is not to say, I think animal cruelty is ok. I believe animal cruelty is wrong. It would be a lie to say we as human beings don't benefit greatly from it. Anything from mass food production to feed an ever growing population, to advances in many sciences. I would not go as far as to say that animals should be granted personhood. This would lead to many issues, because the fact that animals cannot communicate with humans, would mean that the animals would need representation and this could lead to humans exploiting this right for there own agenda, and it could never be verified. I think that animal cruelty can ever go away 100% but I do believe it can get better than the way it is today. It would take much change from society and maybe an uncomfortable time period for humanity as is with most change. That will be the most difficult obstacle to overcome, with any big changes.
Animal deserve to be treated humanly and with similar respect in that which you were to have for humanity. My personal philosophical beliefs as to animal rights actually stems from my Jewish faith. I believe in creationism--whether g-d brought it about through an evolutionary process over a period of millions of years is irrelevant in this conversation. G-d created animals in a similar in which he created us--we are all his creations. In the old testament, g-d gives man permission to eat animals, but at the same time gives a clear human blueprint for the process with the most intricate details as to how it must be done. This process is what has become to be known as kosher. Some of the fundamental laws of kosher are the following: (1) the knife must be completely smooth in order for their to be as little pain as possible. Interesting to note that Kosher slaughtering has been scientifically proven to be the most painless of ways to end an animal's life. If the knife is found to be serrated, the animal would not be Kosher. Another principal would be: (2) if subsequent to death it has been discovered that the animal has any sort of blemish on or in it's organs, the animal is not deemed kosher; therefore, a law abiding Jew would not be able to eat it. The reasoning that g-d has implemented number 2 is very simple, it incentivizes man to treat animals with utmost respect when they are alive. If they do not treat it well when it is alive and blemish it, they would not be able to eat the animal after it dies. A precedent drawn from principle 2 is growth hormones of any sort are strictly forbidden. Another kosher restriction is that you can not kill and animal and it's mother on the same day. Animals have limited, important, rights--respect them.
This topic is one that causes discomfort in many peoples mind so they simply choose to ignore it and try to be ignorant to what is really going on. I do not think that once in my life I have thought about what has happened throughout the animal’s lifespan of which I just finished consuming. I would definitely consider myself to be a part of that ignorant group, I choose not to think of what really happens for peace of mind but that does not necessarily mean that I think it is the right thing to do. I strongly believe that we should make an attempt to treat these animals as humanely as possible; I would not say that animals have rights but they do have feelings and I would certainly prefer consuming an animal knowing that the life that they lived was a joyful one.
JONATHAN JULIEN
Being someone who has always had trouble eating food in general I cannot allow myself to think of eating meat as wrong, otherwise I would have nothing to eat! Animal cruelty on the other hand, is not okay. As Avi stated in his post, animals should be respected because they are providing us with the sustenance we require. As was stated in our last class, when things are mass produced they lose their quality. If animals were given the proper respect they deserve we would have much better quality food and end such cruel behavior.
Yes. Animals are living creatures with feelings nonethless. They feel pain, sadness, grief, happiness etc. just like us.
They cannot protect themselves, they cannot fight back. We have an unfair advantage over them, and we continually abuse this power. We should treat them with kindness and respect, and although meat is a staple in our diet, hunting and poaching has no cause in modern society. Animals shouldn't have the right to vote etc. That's ridiculous. But animals are living, breathing creatures with feelings and thoughts. They have the right to fair treatment.
Animals should not be afforded "rights," in respect to our definition of the term. Animals do possess varying degrees of intelligence and capacities for pain, but these characteristics alone do not grant them the same rights as that of a human being. It is not to say that the value of the human race outweighs the value of all other forms of life, but it is beyond our scope to extend our form of rights onto them. When observing nature in situ it proves exceedingly difficult to distinguish between moral and immoral behavior in the animal kingdom (e.g. A pack of hyenas attacking a baby elephant.) My point is that we can’t impart animals with an objective set of rights, but that does not mean we should exploit our position at the top of the food chain either. A balance is necessary to treat animals with respect, within reason, and to not seek morality within the natural world.
Do animals deserve rights? If not what?
The question is, do we deserve rights? aren't humans animals in some way as well? if a person deserves rights, then why wouldn't animals deserve the same rights? a person is a simple human with the ability of being conscious, free, autonomous and sentience (ability to feel pain). Therefore, there are animals like Dolphins who are person indeed, so another question comes out from my mind... Should a person have rights? I think that we are all the same... humans, dolphins, dogs, cats, it's the same... we just communicate differently and we nave different attributes and abilities. That does not mean we should have different rights, or that some should or should not deserve any rights. Who are we to establish what animal should deserve rights? who are we to decide if a certain specie should deserve something? we should all be treated the same... or let's say a giant alien comes from another planet, and along with his specie, they decide if we should or should not even live... Would that be fair for us? Should they have that power to decide for us? WE ARE ALL EQUAL.
~ Jorge Aleman ~
I love meat, therefore I am going to have some biases in the subject. The best solution for me would be have your own animals with freedom in your backyard and kill them yourself while thanking them for the services they are providing for you. I being raised in a Cuban-farm can only attest to the freedom our animals had and I will say this with confidence the meat I ate from our "happy animals" have always tasted better then anything I have ever had in the United States in all my years of living here. However, none of this solves the issues at hand the biggest solution to the issue, because I think the issue will most certainly not be solved due to the demands is the sad realization that the human population has reached its saturation point we cannot continue growing at our pace, I think at this point its necessary sacrifice for mass productivity, I am speaking in terms of meat we eat not exotic animals or luxuries thing that have no basis for sustenance, but more of enjoyment for now that is cruel to said animals.
Do I think about these issues when I eat meat? No I do not. I do not agree with animal cruelty and I don't agree with all the factory farming or animal testing, but honestly speaking we do and will keep killing and eating these animals. I believe the way food companies kill these animals and the way they treat these animals just to make money out of them should be changed. Before all these companies began making millions of money out of these animals the animals were taken care of and treated better than now, now companies inject hormones and crazy chemicals just to sell and be the company making the most money. If we don't kill and eat these animals we would become over populated by animals, killing and eating them is basically the circle of life.
-Samanta Espinoza
Collette Mckoy Said.......Do animal deserve to have rights? My answer to this question is yes! We as humans have knowledge by acquaintance when it comes to feelings. Most of us if not all of us; have the ability to sense when someone is hurting, happy or feeling depress. Dogs have all the senses of a human being so who is to say that animals don’t feel what humans feel. Picture yourself being used as a guinea pig for scientist to experiment on. Some of those tests may be painful, harmful or cause you to become deformed in some way. You wouldn’t want to go through that so why would you put an innocent animal through the possibility of being handicapped to human curiosity. What I’m trying to imply is that animal are like; humans, they may not look, walk or live the same, but we are all made to be different. Animals should have the same right as humans because if you look into it we need them as much as they need us
When talking about animal rights people have diverse views, from animals are here for the benefit of mankind, to animals should have the same rights as humans, I'm somwhere in the middle, I believe that animals feel pain, communicate and have a right to quality of life. However, I believe that human life in general is worth more than an animal life. That said, I think as humans, because of our "superior" intelect we have a duty to preserve the life from other sepcies, I'm not going to get in the debate if we should or not eat animals, since I do eat them, but I believe that the animal "factories" that we have now days have taken the existance completly out if the animals we eat. I believe the whole process is digusting, from forced pregnancies, one after another in most cattle industries, the separation of the baby and the mom, with the subsequent isolation of the animals, with no fredom to move, eating, whatever is offered, hormone injections to gain weght fast, all the way to the killing, packaging of the final product in a clean wrapped tray! Where is life in this process? The industriesare looking for the major profit margin with complete disregard, of health, or the life of the animal. Life includes death, we all have to die, but we all want to at least have a happy productive life, animals, have that right. As consumners we can make our demands or voice our oppinions on animal rights, with the products we purchase. I do buy free range products as much as possible.
I believe that the main point is ethical, and is based on the fact that animals can feel pain. Animals are a creation of G-d; therefore they should be treated with compassion. The issue is that we live in a consumerist society; the process is being accelerated year after year, and it seems that we forgot that animals feel pain just as we do. Multi billion dollar industries are using animals as if they were objects, exploiting females for their ability to reproduce, and the use of chemical substances like antibiotics, added hormones, to get a “better quality” of meat in a lower period of time. Animals that are killed for food live fractional parts of their normal life, in inhumane conditions that we accept.
Western methods of slaughtering: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJIGAdzq2dQ
After I watched this video, it was hard for me to digest what it’s going on the world. It’s more important to keep running a food business than trying to find a more humane method in order to get what we want. How these slaughtering methods are accepted by the world, misinformed? Animals should at least live a normal life, if they are going to be used for food. They need rights that protect them from exploiters, and traders that want their own benefit. We as a consumerist society should understand that while we purchase meat, we are supporting their cause and the solution is not in the cutting the habit of eating meat, but trying to find meat from producers that are committed to cruelty free production of meat.
Whole Foods is one of the first green markets in the food industry, and they sell the idea that their products come from Eco-friendly farms were animals live cruelty-free lives without any substance usage that affects the DNA of the animal. They follow the 5 step animal welfare rating system;
1. Animals live their lives with space to move around and stretch their legs.
2. Animals are provided with enrichment that encourage behavior that's natural to them — like a bale of straw for chickens to peck at, a bowling ball for pigs to shove around, or a sturdy object for cattle to rub against.
3. Pigs, chickens and turkeys might live in buildings but they all — yes, each and every one of them — have access to outdoor areas.
4. When living outdoors, chickens and turkeys get to forage, pigs get to wallow and cattle get to roam.
5. At Step 5 the well-being of the animals is the primary focus; efficiency and economy are secondary.
I do believe animals have rights and if they are going to be slaughtered it should be done where the animal feels the least amount of pain as possible. Eating meat is ok as long as it is not an endangered animal. Not too long there was a segment on da news that said lion meat is now becoming a delicacy in some restaurants. I don't feel like we should be eating lions. But I know in some countries they do eat animals like that. To them it's normal but to other's it might not be. Animals should not be put in harsh living conditions if they are being farmed to be slaughtered. Quality of life should be good after all they are being killed for meat why not make it good before they go. Regardless i do believe in karma so if you treat animals inhumanely then it will come back to you. -Mayda Bonilla T/R 9:50
I am quite intrigued as to why the "food chain" was never mentioned in this biased approached blog post? I am sure we are all familiar with the food chain and respect natures vital instincts for survival. If not, look it up. Rights are never given and they are always most certainly fought for. When they mention an infants instant right of humanity, they fail to recognize the fight that PARENTS make during a pregnancy term for their child's right to a decent life. Also, environmental concerns won't be solved because we chose not to eat meat...? I mean come on, seriously. Extinction of certain animals is a natural process and we cannot always assume an animal is extinct because of humans. All existence comes to an end and the most suitable cause for that is climate. Listen, when I eat, it is because I am hungry. When animals eat it is because they too are hungry. There is a food chain and there are certain foods that a human cannot eat. Meat is something humans can eat. I can care less of the vegetarian who reads this because they too once ate meat and did not die from it. Grow up. It is life. We eat to live. If a more conscious approach is the demand of this argument then maybe we should regulate the FDA. Good luck with that.
Since very early in human history animals have been an important part of our lives. Animals provided humans with food, clothing, shelter, and eventually began to offer company. Early human tribes around the world had animals that they feared as well as worshipped. Hunters were given the heavy responsibility of providing food not only for their families but the rest of the village and through this responsibility they learned respect for the animals they hunted. Hunters taught the next generation to revere and thank the animals for giving their lives to sustain the village. However, as civilization grew so did their food supply and treatment regarding the handling of animals. Our recent attitude towards animals has changed. Reports, rumors, and documentaries have shed light on our current practices: caging farm animals so they don’t move, using growth hormones to meet increasing demand. This inhumane treatment and harm of animals that have been proven to feel and respond to pain is a self-damning and severely detrimental act in that it undermines an essential psychological lesson in empathy. We should strive to treat these animals with the respect and care they deserve for providing such necessities to so many.
In regards to animal rights, i strongly believe that whether or not we give them rights or acknowldge that they are living things we're still going to eat them. It's a cycle, you grow them, nurture them, fatten them up and then slaughter them. Now do I think it's right? No I don't, but in other to survive you have to eat, in a way you have to use your animal instincts. If you go to the desert or jungle and a lion sees you, it's not going to let you walk away just because you are a living, breathing thing, it's first judgment is to kill and then eat to survive. We can live without meat but not everybody can be a vegetarian. I do belive that they deserve a little more right to limit the cruelty but is that going to happen...Most likely not.
Animals are beautiful creatures created by God, and I think that animals do deserve rights. Animals should be treated the way that we treat humans we love, respect, and freedom. There is no greater feeling than being able to run wild and free and just enjoy the breath of fresh air. I love to see animals happy and playing with each other. Even though I eat meat I feel so guilty to know that an animal was brutally slaughtered in order to prepare my meal. I cried after watching a documentary on you tube about the cruelty that animals experienced throughout their daily lives which results in death. Animals cannot talk like humans do so therefore we assume that they do not understand what is going on around them but in fact I believe that they are aware of danger to some extent. The mind of an animal is not as sophisticated as the mind of a human but nonetheless they do react to pain, tenderness, and other emotions just like humans. Different cultures all over the world have their own way of living such as the food they eat, the clothes they wear, and the animals they consider as endangered species. Animals do prey on humans as a means of food for their survival so in that sense when we do the same act of killing to them is it deemed as wrong and cruel? though it not justified that we kill animals we still do it. Why do we treat some animals as pets and then we kill other animals? Animals are tortured every day, and this really breaks my heart into pieces to have knowledge that our society has become so increasingly violent to defenseless creatures who are trying to survive in this world.
STOP ANIMAL ABUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My comment is that animals do deserve right, but not the same as human being. Animals deserve the right to live their life the way it should be. Human should let the animals enjoy their life before thinking to kill them. I do not want to say that don't kill them or don't eat them,but the way the farmers do kill the animals is not appropriate, and the food they feed them to make them grow against they will is the worst thing ever. We poison our self by eating the meat because they eat chimical. There is no reason to make animals grow faster to feed the population because we wasting to much food every day and so many people still die hungry.
Honestly I don’t think on these issues when I eat meat , and I have to accept that I’m part of this cold and ignorant society. It is more than obvious that animals are sentient, we are being cruel to accept the way they are mistreated . The different methods used by the animal factories are painful, disgusting and revolting , we are abusing of what they can offer us. Animals exist for the benefit of mankind but that doesn’t mean we have to use such abominable methods . Industries of course look for profit so they really don’t care about the pain of animals and we as the eaters are part of the process. The problem is not on eating animals, because that is why they are in the earth but the problem is that we have reached a point were we say its ok to use painful methods with animals. I think it is important to inform people of how animals are being mistreated , and raise our voices .
As a meat eater I can say that humans do not really stop and think about what animals go through while enjoying their meal. The question is do animals deserve right? From my perspective this topic causes great controversy simply because one does not know how to react. I can say that animals shouldn't be abused nor torture since they might have reasoning but they do have feelings. The main difference between animals and humans is the fact that they cannot express their pain or what they are going through. When it comes to eating animals, I don't see an issue to it. Animals eat each other for survival. As human beings, we too are animals. We eat animals to survive and to continue living in this world.
I have always been a meat eater and I think it would be hard for a lot of people to just quit eating meat, myself included. I believe it is in our nature to eat meat. However, as many things in our world, I think this issue is way out of hand. One thing is for us to eat meat and another is for us to mistreat and torture these animals. Do they deserve rights? Yes, absolutely. Maybe not the rights we as humans have, but definitely rights. Rights to be treated as living creatures, and not just some piece of meat that we restrict to feeding until it is exactly the way we want it to be. I have seen videos depicting the way these animals are handled and treated and it haunts me. If we truly are smarter and conscious and empathetic creatures how did we allow our focus to become so narrow that we lost sight of what nature is and what normal is?
Humans by evolution have survived off animal fat. Vegetable oil and these new inventions have only been added to our diet recently. For us to think eating animals is wrong this would be incorrect. It is part of our lives and has been for thousands of years. Our bodies need this diet to be healthy in general, although it is possible to survive without animal products. I think there needs to be a more humane way to deal with animals if we want to consume them.
Animals are just a less evolved version of ourselves, it is that simple. To think that the earth is here to protect us and keep us safe that is completely absurd, %99 of species die, we need to do what we can to survive. With that being said, earth is our home for now so we need to maintain a balance that will keep the planet from becoming more dangerous than it already is.
The problem is clear. It is all about the money. It would be nice if companies treated the market with more care, instead of trying to squeeze every last penny.
I believe animals have the same right to live that we do as humans. The main problem with that is that we use animals for many different things such as food and materials and when people demand these materials or food the supply has to meet the demand. We then start treating these animals as slaves who are born to die for us. I have thought on the topic many times before especially when I am at the supermarket and you see mountains of beef on the shelves, I think it's cruel but animals sustain us with life. When we are talking about animal testing I'm against completely especially if its a cosmetic company putting shampoo or make up that's harmful to animals. If they were testing medicines and cures on animals it's justifiable in the sense that sacrifice a 100 to save a billion type situation.
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