First, I have to say that I cried watching the video about Luiz not wanting to eat animals. Of course, not everyone in this planet share the same points of view or feelings about animals. I personally think that animals deserve to live and be loved. Animal’s rights should be as simple as our sympathy for them. We could be healthier and have a cleaner planet if we stop the factory farming. I am vegan, so I do not consume any products coming from animals because I am against animal cruelty. By saying this, I want you to check out this website about undercover research at factory farming in different countries. http://www.mercyforanimals.org/investigations.aspx
Since I started this diet, my chronic headaches disappeared, my skin looks smoother and I am not overweight just to name a few benefits from not eating meat. I believe we should work harder on building farms to grow more vegetables, fruit trees, nuts, grains etc. This will definitely be better for our environment. Some cultures believe that humans are not design to eat meat, and the benefits of meatless diet are numerous. For example disease prevention, maintain a healthy weight and nutrition benefits. Check out this website for more information:
Humans must respect animals’ rights. Historically, humans have used animals in many ways, but we have not always considered that they are living beings. We have paid in return with their pain and suffering, and we have ignored the respect for life. The principal reason why animals are sacrificed today is their consumption by humans as food. This motive has made people to denounce these unfair acts. Many personalities around the world have exposed moral, ethic, health and environmental arguments to defend the idea that humans must change their alimentary custom. The first point is the respect of life as a natural right bestowed by every animal in the planet. This ethic premise is the main base for the coexistence of all the life beings. Some people do not recognize the right to kill another animal to be eaten, unless the animal dies from natural reasons and it is not sacrificed. The mechanisms used to kill those animals are painful and grotesque, and the animal has no defense from harm. They state that the consumption of meat is not healthy for humans; that the human body is naturally herbivore. Several academic studies prove that our hands, teeth, nails and digestive system are more alike to animals that eat plants than those who consume meat. Those investigations also suggest that humans may acquire the same vitamins, proteins and minerals from products made out of plants. Additionally, investigations prove that cattle grow provokes deforestation and land erosion. For that reason, the animal consumption represents, at the same time, an attack to the environment and nature. In my opinion, the excessive killing and the use of cruel methods should be abolished. However, we cannot ignore the relevance of the meat consumption in the development of the human civilization. I have learned that men developed new skills and intelligence after the incorporation of meat to their diet. The hunting and its posterior distribution created the initial conditions for human associations, social organization, and commerce. Human communities have been able to develop and grow due to the use of animals’ furs, bones, and working force.
Hello Arnold: I understand how you are struggling to become a vegetarian, its not an easy task for people that like the taste of the meat or don't have a planned meal on a daily basis. But, I am sure you can do well if you keep trying and you will feel healthier, thinner and more energized. I totally agree with you that animal farmings are destroying our environment and creating new bacteria and diseases. Good luck to you Arnold and don't give up on your vegetarian diet ;)
I dont think animels should have the same rights as humans. Im not saying they they should not have some kind of rights some of the stuff that are done to them is wrong. A good example of this is the picture of the pigs in small pins. The farming of animels is a needed because of the fact there are over 7 billon people in the world and to feed them all takes a lot of food. If the farming of animels were to stop then animels like pigs and cows or anything that we eat a lot of will slowly die out till theres almost none left.
I’m not a vegetarian nor vegan, but I see how animals are being treated all over the world by documentaries and even in my own country, people don’t seem to care if an animal suffers or not when being killed, they just see it as “food stuff”, and I was one of them not to while back. I was introduced this video by my sister and I remembered the impact it had on me, how can a boy his age comprehend what adults twice his age can’t. We all know animals are one of the main source of nutrition for human beings, but it that an excuse for us to treat them the way we do? Hunt for fun, Make them suffer for our own enjoyment in some cases? I do believe animals should have rights. If they do, humans can also have a different thinking over animals and have a healthier life style. Why do I defend the rights of animals if I also eat them? Well for me it is not easy to be vegetarian, but I sure try my best not to eat meat because of the process the animal goes through and the environmental issues we are also having, they are part of this world too, they deserve to live in it.
Ethical animal treatment and animal rights are a must. The proper treatment of animals is a very important issue, one that deserves more attention than it is currently getting. Animals do not share the exact same capacity as we do but that doesn’t mean they do not deserve to be treated fairly. Take a look at dolphins, elephants, and chimpanzees; all these animals share a great degree of intelligence and cognitive ability, an ability that rivals if not surpasses that of a human child. Dolphins have specific names for each other, they play, have their own version of CPR, and hold funerals. Elephants feel depression they mourn and will sometimes drag the body of a deceased elephant to it’s herd to mourn with others. We have very distinct and specific rights for human children that we do not deny. So why don’t we extend those to animals? Even to the animals that cannot process or think as highly as an elephant, dolphin, or chimpanzee. A grasp of fine literature or higher math does not mean a creature does not deserve the same rights as humans. Just look at children again.
In regards to the animals that we have domesticated and consumed in our history as a species. More sustainable and ecological practice are a must when it comes to livestock. Ethically it is deplorable how we deal with and slaughter the animals that we consume. Unfortunately it us, as human beings, that keep this machine going. What we are trying to do is keep up with the demand, that we ourselves have set. We cannot hope to eliminate the need for meat overnight but we can hope to alleviate it and make it more sustainable. As it is now we are clearing way too much land for livestock, taking this overseas destroying other places, setting up slaughterhouses that don’t even comply properly with codes and regulations, and letting our very practices run rampant. Look at Upton Sinclair when he revealed the horrors of the meat packing industry, shining a light on what we do is necessary for some sound rhetoric to take place. Let’s extend this same concern to the animals that are in the heart of this machine. The idea of a bunch of chickens taken away from the sun, shoved into little compact coops with a bunch of other chickens and just fed and fattened, lead to a conveyor belted stripped of their feathers, then slaughtered and cleaned does not really sit well with me. Better more ecological practices in our food will allow us to readily address greater ecological concerns. With what we are doing now we are clearing way too many forests to make way for more cows that release methane into the atmosphere. By clearing all these forests we are destroying the already established habitats and killing off different plants and animals. So in the long run we as inhabitants in this earth could do with better more ecological farming practices. Animals deserve our respect and so does this earth. We have been disconnected from the complex natural process that this earth and this environment have set up to sustain itself. It is time we adopted better practices to work with it instead of against it.
I do feel animals deserve a certain level of agreeable, ethical treatment. There are more humane ways to accomplish the food chain than torturing and letting them suffer. I do feel animals serve the purpose of upholding the food chain or serving duties that we have found of use for them. At the same time, we are animals ourselves. As a kingdom, we do all work together to progress our planet. There is no reason to unfairly treat/torture/cause suffering to a species that serves a purpose to progress us. If we were to rewind to the most ancient of times where man was hunting in the wilderness on his own for his own food, it was obscene and brutal yet not to the degree as it is today where torturing and herding farm animals is equivalent to how cruel dictators have herded and tortured fellow humans throughout history.
I guess where I'm getting at could be summed up like this: We all serve a purpose, from the grass we step on to the teacher who treated you like garbage in middle school. We need to respect all forms of life for their purposes. If you wouldn't do it to a human-being despite knowing his/her purpose is to have their death fulfill the needs of a society, then there is no reason to do it to a less-sophisticated animal whose sole purpose is to benefit us.
I think the question "do animals deserve better treatment?" raises many other issues. On the surface one could say it comes down to an argument of emotion over reason. we are emotionally affected by the suffering of other sentient beings (at least, I assume most people are). That is why undercover videos of modern meat processing plants have such a strong effect on the populace. However, reason would state that meat has a nutritional role to play in our diet, especially in places (Sub Saharan Africa) were farm yields are so low, being a vegetarian isn't a practical proposition.
But the question also sheds light on other important issues. I personally believe a symbiotic relationship with animals and, in a larger sense, the earth, does not amount to animal cruelty. If it did, the animals would be just as guilty since a cheetah shows no remorse in bringing down a gazelle. But are we really in anything resembling a symbiotic relationship? We now have 8 billion people in the world. This abundance in the number of people (double what we had 100 years ago) is what causes the barbaric scenes in those meat processing plants. No demand, no need for supply. This same explosion in population growth has also affected the availability of water and elevated the demand for oil-based products.
I can see why somebody would refuse to eat meat. There are definitely benefits in an all vegetarian diet, both ethically and in your physical health. The thing is, if we lived in a well balanced world, we would plant trees, feeding them with nutrients and our Carbon Dioxide. Those trees would then give us oxygen and would serve as food for animals. Those animal would in turn be eaten by other animal who would be hunted by us or other apex predators. Mother nature would then send a hurricane, earthquake, tsunami, infectious disease or who know what else to ensure we don't start believing ourselves invincible. We die, fertilize the earth and do it all over again. Is nature cruel, then?
I stronglt believe that animals should have rights. I am not sure if they can have the same rights as humans because of how our society made up but animals are living things that feel pain as much as humans do. In fact most animals give love without asking anything in return unlike humans. The video of Luis not wanting to eat animals is a great video and a great point of view much adults don't have. Animal cruelty is everywhere and I believe it should be delt with much more serious than it has been in the past. Events such as circuses that beat animals just for our entertainment are, in my opinion, ridiculous. Animal testing should be banned, if we are not testing it on ourselves why test it out on an animal who can't defend themselves. An animal as well as a plant deserves the same respect and love any human deserves.
first of all let me congratulate the child in the video for being a free thinker at such a young age. personally I believe the solution to world-wide animal cruelty and over consumption will come like a thief in the night. no law or government institution will solve, nor regulate the current global issue because it is not in their interest. i will agree that animal rights are essential and a rapidly growing concern but more importantly are solving issues such as world food shortages and global pollution. a short-term, midline solution is increasing cage sizing, and introducing pain free methods of killing. when you eat meat, do you think about any of these issues?
sincerely my answer is no. I am more concerned with gmo’s and preservative consumption than the weeping cow that now makes up my hamburger patty.
“We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that the animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect them and love them as we love ourselves.” ― César Chávez
What's your take? When you eat meat, do you think about any of these issues. Why or why not?
I don't think about any of these issues when I eat meat, not even after seeing a video about animal brutality in some animal farms. It was so brutal that I am not sure if it was real. I am wondering if humans are capable to inflict that brutality against animals who cannot defend themselves. I am strongly against about any act of brutality against any animal, and if I knew about any organization here in Miami that fight against these acts, I would definitely join it. Animals should be treated with respect because after all, they feed us. I am against animal brutality, but I support the consumption of meat. For millions of years animals have been eaten meat by instinct, not by free will. Why should not humans? If humans were not endowed with reasoning, maybe by now we were already extinct. Dinosaurs would have eaten us. After all, dinosaurs became extinct for other reasons, not because we ate them. I think farm animals deserved to be treated much better. I think there should be stronger organizations that control the manner in which these animals are treated.They should have at least happy lives, specially if there are short lives. Humans were gifted with reasoning, so it is more than a moral obligation to not hurt another defenseless animals. I think there should be a balance between meat and vegetables. I don't think there is enough land to plant and feed more than 100 millions of vegetarian people. There are places in earth where animals are the only source of food to survive, specially during winter season. Humans should be more responsible for animal brutality because I think that eventually we will pay the price of our acts.
This is a topic that I have been personally struggling with recently as well. I have spent the previous 8 years gainfully employed as a chef in various fine-dining establishments. I was trained in classical French cooking in which many of the restaurants I have worked made use of the whole animal prompting me to take further interest in sustainable farming. However after doing more independent investigation to raise my awareness of sustainability, I found information that was at least to say disturbing. I have come across many statistics that prove factory farming animals to be more damaging to our environment than any other contributor on our planet. In attempts to become a more responsible citizen I have attempted to a adopt a weekday vegetarian approach in which I only consume animal products on the weekends. I have found this experiment to be very interesting because once I got out of the kitchens and tried to adopt a more beneficial and healthier way of eating. I came across many obstacles.
As it was stated by a previous entry, eating animal products is simply more convenient. It is everywhere around us, it is in our culture, our heritage, and our habits. Having personally visited a variety of different farms (from free range to factory) I certainly believe that animals should and can be treated better. It is very obvious when they are suffering.
However what I find most intriguing about this topic is that due to the great number of agricultural advances we as a culture no longer need to rely on animals as a source of food and there are a great number of studies that show it to be more harmful to our bodies and our home than a sustainable plant based diet, yet our culture still refuses to adapt for the betterment of our species. It leaves me wondering why we as a culture choose to be so ignorant not to ask or investigate the question of what the consequences are of factory farming to ourselves and the environment? Also, why having personally investigated the information for myself is it so challenging for me to adapt to a plant based diet? It should be a no brainer. Continue on till the bitter end when we run out of resources and health or accept a new way of living? Strange that this is not an easy choice to make…
Do animals deserve a better treatment? Yes, if for no other reason than to show that we are capable of at least some degree of empathy towards them.
Anyone that has ever had a pet can attest that animals are most certainly capable of feeling pain and have some range of emotions, I can not understand then, how are some people are able of such heinous acts of animal cruelty.
That being said, when it comes to animal consumption I don't find that much problem into it as the child in the video, if it causes a heavy conscience then I see why would someone chose not to do it, but I don't see a reason to put that much thought into it.
Do animals deserve better treatment? Why shouldn't animal rights be as respected as human rights? Humans have used animals for centuries which have been very beneficial but why should they be treated with such hatred? I believe many people have other points of view, however, i still question the intolerable way animals are treated before becoming our "meals." It is unnescary to torture the animal before being killed. It has been proven that animals do indeed feel suffering. When an animal shows anger they have emotion, correct? In fact what comes with emotion? Not only anger but happiness, sadness, fear, loneliness, etc. I believe humans are just fortunate to have verbal communication in which we are educated to express not just verbally but physically what is hurting. Animals deserve to have the same treatment humans have. I have always believed humans have taken over animals territory without any consideration of what may happen to them and to that statement I believe animals should have the right to retrieve better treatment.
The fact that we even have to debate this sickens me. The disregard for life humans have, is infuriatingggggg. The pictures in this article made me sick. You can not go through life causing pain to others, human or not. It will come back to you one way or another. We just cannot. We cannot inflict pain and suffering for our own pleasure. I am sick right now thinking of all the poor, defenseless animals who are at the mercy of ignorant, selfish, cold, useless wastes of life. I have been a strict vegan for 15 years and also work as a wildlife rehabber, taking care of all type of creatures that come in due to PEOPLE MESSING WITH THEM FOR NO GOOD REASON. Working so close with all different types of animals has proven to me they deserve more rights the us awful humans. blahhh
I would like to start off by saying I don't think that a child his age is able to think that complex about a particular subject as of this in my opinion. I don't believe in the fact that animals should have rights equal to ours because of the simple difference between animals and humans.
First of all, let us ask ourselves what is morality? Morality is something that is known to be originated by humans. To some people, morality was originated by a higher source of power; god. Morality gave us humans the ability to form rights for us to follow to better the environment we live in, and create peace.
We know that life in the wilderness is dependent on the abilities to survive and feed themselves, following the aspect we know as “Survival of the Fittest”. This aspect applies for both humans and other animals.
In modern society, humans have gained the ability to easily capture animals, and change the stages of life an animal would normally go through, such as the feeding of hormones to create a larger animal, or the application of tests on then to find vaccines. The treatment the animals receive is harsh and painful compared to the old days when farmers gathered them. This opened the idea whether animals should have rights or not.
Even though farmers and other companies are able to produce food in a larger quantity, and discover vaccines for the better of mankind. The stages of life they put the animals through are completely immoral and painful.
It's encouraging to know that such a young kid can ask these questions, come to conclusions of what is right and wrong about eating animals, and decide to stop eating them. Most kids do not make the connection of the chicken in their picture books and the chicken nuggets on their plates.
Gary Yourofsky states that people eat meat for four main reasons: -habit -tradition -convenience -taste I will admit that I am a struggling vegetarian because it's a lot more convenient to quickly grab a burger at the end of a long day. I keep fighting those reasons to go back to meat and hopefully one day it’ll be easier as more people make the move towards vegetarianism.
Animals definitely deserve better than how we’re treating them these days for the basic reasoning of Rousseau, just because animals aren't rational doesn't mean they don't deserve rights but that they are sentient is what allows them to have rights. To be rational is not a necessary condition to have rights, you can have one without the other.
If a vegetarian society can’t exist then at the minimum, animals should be treated as humanely as possible in the making of meat products. No more factory farming and more open range, healthier diets, to stop the use of steroids and hormones and the over-use of antibiotics.
Animal farming also has a huge impact on the environment. It is the number one reason for deforestation today, E. Coli poisoning can come from poor farming practices, and even new bacteria (that is harming the environment around it) is being created from the amount of feces of pig-farming.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” -Mahatma Gandhi
In my opinion some animal were created for a reason. As a human we need to eat meat that is my belief so this I tkink God did the things perfectly. Our body needs meat and it is a big part of our nutrition. I do understand we should respect animal life; this is why I am against hunting animals for fun or torturing them. I also think we shouldn’t be doing experiment with animals. Animals should be killed just for food in a way that they do not suffer, in my opinion
Recently I was reading an article regarding animal rights, this article laid emphasis on speciesism, Speciesism is the unequal treatment of individuals based on species, it is often compared to racism and, or sexism. Animal rights activists believe that sentience (the ability to suffer) should be the criteria of holding rights. I completely agree with this statement even though animals are different from humans in the fact that they just act on instincts, as far as we know they don’t possess the ability to think rationally, but they do have feelings. An animal feels pain, they cry, they feel happiness and sadness, and that should be enough reasons for them to have rights. When you are a kid your thoughts are more genuine since you haven’t been exposed to the malice that society portrays. That is why this video is so emotional, because it puts in perspective the fact that animals are similar to humans in many ways. I consider being carnivorous a personal choice, nobody has the right to judge somebody else’s decisions. I personally decided to stop eating meat one year ago, and I have seen a significant change not only concerning my health but also in the way I approach certain situations. It is proven that humans can survive without consuming meat, with that being said is not a matter of survival but of pleasure. In conclusion you can’t treat people different because of gender or race, just like you can’t abuse animals just because they are a different species.
The question of animal rights evokes strong emotions on both sides of the debate, in the words of Winston Churchill, “it is a riddle in a mystery wrapped in an enigma.” There are those who argue that animals deserve better treatment and therefore should have certain rights. By extension, those rights will help ensure that they are treated with, at least, a modicum of respect and dignity. The ability of the animals to feel pain is one of the nuggets of this school of thought. While some feel that giving animals rights is a stretch, others have middle of the road leaning. There are merits in both positions. The video of the little boy and his view of animals evokes emotions and weighs heavily in favor of animal rights advocacy. The inhumane condition in which animals are raised, and housed preparatory to killing them for mass distribution also makes for compelling argument for animal rights. However, the whole concept of animal rights raises simplistic but germane concerns. How do we legislate animal rights? Which animal would be given rights? For instance, will domestic or domesticated animals such as dogs, cats or parrots have more rights than wild animals such as lions, tigers and cheetahs? How do we deal with animal –on-animal animalness? How do we get a lion to kill a gisele in a ‘humane’ way? Or would the rights of a Gisele be lesser than that of a lion to maintain ecological homeostasis? If this is the case, then the Orwellian maxim applies: all animals are equal but some are more equal than other. Would a bear maul a human humanely? How would animal rights affect their relationship with humans? Would it change the ecological system and impact the food chain? While acknowledging that human do more harm to animals than the other way around, it can also be argued that humans have done more to protect animals. Creation of game reserves and safaris ensure the protection of the natural habitats of animals. Passing the endangered species laws make extant animals that are nearing extinction. Huge fines on BP for the oil spillage that killed sea animals and destroyed their habitats are just a few examples. Other factors against animal rights include the exploding world population. The population increase would inevitable bring humans into the habitats of animals. Humans routinely clash with lions in parts of Kenya? Floridians were encouraged to hunt down pythons there have over-populated the everglades and threaten the local ecosystem because they are on top of that local food chain. While India and Japan can be a shining example of countries that have a culture of veganism, the same cannot be said for other countries. A lot of countries and cultures in Africa, such as Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and others have traditionally relied on hunting of wild animals for subsistence and commerce. Changing the culinary and economic reliance on animals will be a herculean task without a viable alternative. It cannot be enough that laws are passed in the United States and people like Michael Vick are jailed for animal cruelty. To have a global impact, such efforts have to be world-wide. After all, Nigeria, Ghana and others share the same global ecosystem with pro animal rights countries such as Japan, India and others.
It is a common belief that as humans we are superior than any other animal, basically based on the extended intelligence we are gifted with. However it is my conviction that all living things deserve the same respect and should be treated with consideration because they do have feelings and emotions. They share many traits with us, the only difference being their inability to reason. Although if we gave them equal rights to us, not much would happen anyway, since they wouldn't be able to take advantage of all of them. we should respect each living creature in the world, but it is the law of nature which prevails and governs the food pyramidal. According to the Bible, animals were given to humans for us to eat. It is one personal choice what eating pattern to follow; weather you are a vegetarian or an omnivorous.
september 17, 2013 do animals deserve rights? i truly belief the sanctioning of determining whether or not a particular species should have rights is debatable upon one’s individual ideas or feelings about the situation. for example: if one chooses to eat meat or not based upon a theory that it is either good for you or not is ideally a ‘choice’. yet, those who sway far to the left (against) would rather force you into limiting your choice of foods. when we speak of rights, what do we really mean? do we mean the same rights that are delegated to humans or are we just playing with the notion to confuse our thought process to believe what another would want you to believe about their views and not your own? or is It by mere fact of the slaughtering of animals that we so disagree with that causes our emotions to attach itself to connecting animal rights with not eating meat? there must be some sort of line drawn that distinguishes the rights of animals and whether it is humane to eat meat. health food stores provide vitamins and supplements that are supposed to implement the desired nutrients that our body needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle. there are certain nutrients and vitamins that cannot be substituted or altered to enhance a healthy life living. i believe it is inhumane to slaughter animals for consumption, however i do not disagree with eating grass-fed animal products. these grass-fed animals are well taken care of by farmers who take good care of their stock without additives or preservatives and chemicals. there are small nutritional farmers who pride themselves on serving the best quality meat that serves a healthy value. some vegetarians are now resorting back to meat by products due to its nutritional value and its processing techniques that allows for safe processing. i know this may not be enough to convince or persuade but it does make you wonder what rights are we concern with. do animals deserve rights to be fed properly and nutritionally? do animals deserve the right to be laid to rest with dignity? do animals deserve rights to do what? i am neither for or against anyone’s choice to eat meat, vegetables or vegan. when it comes to the rights of animals I think they deserve the right to be nutritionally grass-fed and destroyed humanely to preserve the dignity of the meat for consumption. tspencer
As a big fan of animals, I think that they deserve to treat better, but at the same time I understand there is a huge difference between animals and human beings. Even though they need to have a better treatment, it does not mean they should classify in the same categories as us because animals act by instinct. In contrast, we have a reflective knowledge before we act we think, also we take responsibility of our actions. Can animals do that? Surely not. Eating meat does not make people animals' abuser. We have to remember that some of essential vitamins that your body need to function well come from animal sources. In my opinion I think that animals should be treated well because they are very helpful to human in many ways. Roselene Joseph
I am not in a position of going into a defense about animals’ right or treatment of such since I neglect myself of any cause or contribution to promote the opposite. What I support is the idea of the human’s avoidance to know about the food we ingest, where it comes from, etc. However, I cannot say or think what is right or wrong in this case since our final result will be the same, that is to say, we consider animals as food in our chain of survival, although it is not the only consumption mean we can use to subsist but indeed is the purpose we apply to them, as *BBC says “It makes no difference if the animals are given 5-star treatment throughout their lives and then killed humanely without any fear or pain - it's just plain wrong in principle, and nothing can make it right”. *http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/animals/rights/rights_1.shtml Definitively things have changed over the years because of the industrialization and mass production amazingly increased by ourselves demanding more instead of supplying for better resources and quality of life having as a result an exhausting market in this case food production. For instance, the decadence of farms or natural habitat for the animals, such as chickens being induced in a bunch of unnatural procedures and places for a high and speed reproduction. I do think about this issue in the quality perspective, I get concerned when I see food that doesn’t seem quite pleasant without even cook it.
Animal rights are a must in my opinion. I want to start my discussion with a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A71WDPSR66Q) I know the video is a bit dramatic but it’s a perfect example that even the wildest animals are capable of having feelings and knowledge. Showing us why animals should have rights and laws that protect them. Animal cruelty has reached a peak, where it can be found anywhere, for example on a YouTube video or a simple Google search, it’s that easy. Also every time we think about animal cruelty we only think about farm animals (that are raise for the purpose of feeding humans ) later to be killed for consumption, but there is many other animals that are being killed and abused for no reason like dogs, monkeys, elephants etc. (Here is a website that show more animal cruelty http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-animal-cruelty) to end my discussion I just want to say that animal cruelty has to come to an end, and we need to find a more humane way to keep animals in farms and slaughtering methods for human consumption. (You wouldn’t kill a baby just because he “doesn’t talk”, “show feelings “or have the “knowledge” that we as humans expect others to have, same goes for the animals.)
The video of this boy is adorable. To see that a little kid can reason that way is just incredible. I am not a vegetarian, and I don't think I will become one, but I respect people that are. Personally I believe in a food chain and I don't think people should just completely not eat meat. I think that what should be changed is the way they are treated and eventually killed. Throughout time different news about this controversial topic has come to light and people are responding more towards the situation. What I've seen is that as technology improves and time goes by governments, agriculturalists and so on want to make more money they want to sell more, hence produce more. That is when they alternate and speed up processes hurting animals and not doing things considering that they are living creatures. This organizations think like big companies and only worry about profit. Animal testing is another example of wrong treatment. So I think for the better of everyone the change that is more rational and logical is to really appreciate animals and if we are going to consume them do it in a humane way.
The toddler in the video, Luiz, appears to be strong willed and inquisitive. I personally commend him for speaking his mind and voicing his opinion. Further, his mother should be acknowledged and commended for not providing a multitude of fallacies and allowing this young child to think for himself.
As to the question at hand. Do animals deserve better treatment? I will first start by saying the scientist studies that I have read state animals do not have a memory center like humans do, therefore, while they may feel pain, either it is not stored in their memory banks or it isn’t cognitively processed. Thus, questions such as these are raised. One view would be animals are raised solely for the purpose of being consumed. They are raised under certain conditions, treated in a manner consistent with consumer wants and needs, and are for a sole purpose. However, the conditions in which these animals are raised should not be what one would consider “inhumane” as the consumption of the meat the animal produces may be harmful. Whether human or animal (in the common sense of the word), stress, related hormone, and various external factors play a role in the ultimate outcome.
I believe that the Brazilian boy was doing the morally right thing in questioning his meal before eating only potatoes and rice, but the most important question was why? That's great that he realizes that any animal shall not be part of his meal. That's awesome that he was apparently preached by an educated parent that cares about animals rights to. Yes, animals deserve rights to live just as humans do. Here in America, people love to eat animals/meat to meet protein nutrition. There are billion pounds of beef, sliced from some thirty-five million cows. Additionally, Americans will consume roughly twenty-three billion pounds of pork, or the bodies of more than a hundred and fifteen million pigs, and thirty-eight billion pounds of poultry, some nine billion are birds. Most of these creatures have been raised under conditions that are, as most Americans don't care because they probably don't know the nasty environment they are raised and the cruelty process in killing animals to be served to America. Broiler chickens, also known, depending on size, as fryers or roasters, typically spend their lives in windowless sheds, packed in with upward of thirty thousand other birds and generations of accumulated waste. The ammonia fumes thrown off by their rotting excrement lead to breast blisters, leg sores, and respiratory disease. Bred to produce the maximum amount of meat in the minimum amount of time, fryers often become so top-heavy that they can’t support their own weight. At slaughtering time, they are shackled by their feet, hung from a conveyor belt, and dipped into an electrified bath known as “the stunner.” For pigs, this discourages the bored and frustrated animals from gnawing one another’s rumps. Male piglets also have their testicles removed, a procedure performed without anesthetic. Before being butchered, hogs are typically incapacitated with a tonglike instrument designed to induce cardiac arrest. Sometimes their muscles contract so violently that they end up not just dead but with a broken back.
How is it that Americans, so the concern of the animals they keep as pets, are so indifferent toward the ones they cook for dinner? The answer cannot lie in the beasts themselves. Pigs, after all, are quite companionable, and dogs are said to be delicious or how about humans? Once the food depletes will it be humane to eat each other in the future... Rodolfo Franco
I have to say I can’t imagine my diet without meat in it, but I am strongly against the treatment that animals receive from these big food corporations and many others, even hunters. As someone said before, we know for fact that big part of the human civilization has to do with animal consumption, that’s how the most primitive forms of social relations, commerce, and more begun.
I understand and agree the importance or benefits that we can get from animals as a food, or a least I believe to. What I don’t support at all is any form of treatment and growing process that goes beyond of a “natural” or “normal” life that an animal should have, the picture with the pigs in this post is an example of shame and criminal action from humans to animal rights. I believe there should be some kind of action from part of governments applying certain mechanisms and control in order to avoid the use of chemicals substances on animals, also respecting their right for a free space where they can live and move around instead of having them in a cage, etc. But it is also true, but unethical, that is almost impossible to cover the demand of animal products in such a nation as United States if we decide to grow animals in a “natural” way; so there are a lot of things to have in common and a variety of points of view to debate when deciding if the animal consumption is right or not, the treatment that they receive, etc.
I do think that animals deserve a better treatment. Let’s try to answer these questions, why do we eat meat? What are our reasons to do that? Is for nutritional purpose only? What are the “real” reasons? Let’s think about this just for a second, imagine that a super powerful force, aliens, come from a mysterious planet that we do not know about and they have just taken control over our planet, and they have a higher mental capacity than we have; they start to living as we do; therefore eating as we eat. We are now the “prey”. What would you say to them to avoid being eaten? Would you say to them that there are varieties of food that can be even more nutritional than meat? Let’s check an example, according nutritionist there are legumes that contain more protein that a piece of meat, 3 oz. of pork tenderloin have 13g. of protein while a cup of cooked lentils have 18g of protein. We can go through a lot of examples a may conclude that there is not enough reason for the aliens to eat us just for nutritional purpose. What else can we say? That we have feelings? That we will feel the pain while we are been killed? Animals have central nervous system as we do if we want to use that reason. How can we say that they do not feel pain? We, humans, know that it is pain because of our experience, it is a “mental event”, and we cannot feel pain for anybody. We can go on and on and discuss this forever, whether the animals have rights or not. In this example, do the aliens have the right to treat us however they want just because they are more “rational or intelligent” that we are? Think about what you would say to those aliens and think what if the animals that you eat would say the same thing to you. You may probably get to the conclusion that we deserve a better treatment and we also have rights. Joslig Palma
It is not fair to think that humans are more valuable than the environment and its surroundings; this is the main reason why we are part of this crisis because ; the society teach humans to be selfish . For all that I consider that animals deserve respect not using them as entertain for example; bullfights etc. they also deserve a better life ;it has been demonstrate that most of animals have the same nervous system as the humans in other words; the feel pain like us ,imagine the pain that they suffer when humans are killing them because they just want to eat meat that day ; because the human being is intelligent and it has more capacity to analyze more than an animal does not mean that we have the power we have to take care of the animals , and create conscience that the earth is not just for us ,we have to share and respect the others in order no have the organization that the Mother Nature gives.
I believe animals deserve better rights because just like humans they are a part of life. Although humans and animals have many things alike they also have many differences, but that should not justify how many rights animals should have. As a child knowing what goes on in these animal slaughtering farms can be quite shocking and disturbing, I wouldn't want to eat any of those animals knowing how brutal the process for our food and well being is. I also understand that part of life is the cycle to surviving, unfortunately we can't all be hunting for our food as if we still lived in the wild. More people means more food, these farmers are trying to make an ends meet by producing mass amounts of food but through their process they are breaking laws and disrespecting the animals rights.
For me, it is very hard to assimilate my existence in this world as something separate from the environment that surrounds me and all its inhabitants. As such, any discussion about animal rights becomes a discussion about basic principles of equality. Equality doesn’t necessarily entail identical treatment, but it does require equal consideration. When considering the inherent worth of an animal—I find it has nothing to do with their usefulness for human survival as much as it has to do with their right to live free from pain and suffering.
The fact that in today’s profit-focused, and desensitized factory farm industry, animals are crammed into filthy and stressful confinement systems and go through a ruthless cruelty process from the moment they are born to the moment they are slaughtered is simply unfathomable to me. Animals feel pain, joy, happiness, frustration and stress in the same way that we do. The language is a feeling. For moral-agents with the capacity be compassionate and empathic with the beings we coexist with—I consider that supporters of animal abuse lack moral judgment. It is a choice to be blind. Who are the supporters? The companies that lobby politicians to prohibit a law that protects animals against cruelty in order to further their greedy interest; the people that work in these farms and accept it as the norm instead of imprinting change or standing up; the people who chose to not think about these issues when they see a piece of meat in their plate.
Not to mention the environmental and health costs to humanity, which merits another conversation in itself. Disease, bacteria, inflammation….we are what we eat. What has the American diet been focused on? What branding strategies are used to hide the truth….just some considerations.
this a good question, as I never condisered if animals should have rights. In reading your post, i tend to agree with professor carl cohen- "holders must be able to distinguish between their own interest and what is right". animals are not able to do this in no stage of their existence. Humans on the other hand even though at birth are not able to communate, they do in no time.
if we are to consider giving animals right, what rigthts do we give them? The right not be consumed or do we as human beings learn to treat them better.
coming from a carnivores family, i don't think we should restrict ourselves from eating meat. since the begining of time humans have consumed meat. The way we raise the animals, it what has surely change. Yeidy Polanco
the video is not so much disturbing as are the stories. the video is adorable, Luiz is beyond smart for his age & has such a compassion towards life and animals and such an understanding of an animals right to live. the mother is also awesome for allowing him to express himself. she also answers all of his questions and even asks him questions on his opinion, this is such a touching video and makes you think twice about the animals' right. the only actual right an animal has is to live and to be a part of this earth like we all are. i understand where Luiz comes from & in a perfect world it would be possible but unfortunately the world is far from perfect. i understand it is possible but the vegan lifestyle isn't for everyone. animals deserve to live, be loved and be respected; & when being slaughtered be done in a painless matter. i love animals & i am very much an animal rights activist because animals do feel same way humans do which makes it even sadder to know people can abuse of a defenseless animal. but even loving animals as much as i do, i am a carnivore. but i do eat only kosher certified meats, seafoods, & poultry always. what i don't agree with is the torture of animals. under no circumstances should that be tolerated or even done to begin with. it would be awesome to remove all the mean people from the earth but some dreams remain dreams. a perfect argument as to animals' having feelings; to dog owners, who have you ever seen get so happy to see you come home or to see you period... nobody, except your dog, i can't say its the same for cats because i don't own a cat & never have, but i do own rabbits, turtles, birds & a dog. i've had them all since they were babies, even my turtles, & as crazy as it seems, they all know me & my family. the rabbits run up to the cage when they see us & they run circles around our feet & lick our ankles which in rabbit means they love you & are excited to see you. my turtles swim circles & the birds sway back & forth. my dog, well, anyone that has ever owned a dog knows exactly a dogs reaction when you're home. it is impossible for me to ever believe that animals do not feel. as a lioness protects her cubs a mama duck cares for her babies for months. animals feel and deserve love and respect as much as we do.
41 comments:
First, I have to say that I cried watching the video about Luiz not wanting to eat animals. Of course, not everyone in this planet share the same points of view or feelings about animals. I personally think that animals deserve to live and be loved. Animal’s rights should be as simple as our sympathy for them. We could be healthier and have a cleaner planet if we stop the factory farming. I am vegan, so I do not consume any products coming from animals because I am against animal cruelty.
By saying this, I want you to check out this website about undercover research at factory farming in different countries.
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/investigations.aspx
Since I started this diet, my chronic headaches disappeared, my skin looks smoother and I am not overweight just to name a few benefits from not eating meat. I believe we should work harder on building farms to grow more vegetables, fruit trees, nuts, grains etc. This will definitely be better for our environment.
Some cultures believe that humans are not design to eat meat, and the benefits of meatless diet are numerous. For example disease prevention, maintain a healthy weight and nutrition benefits. Check out this website for more information:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/508119-the-advantages-of-not-eating-meat/
Ricardo C. Valdes
– Animal Rights
Humans must respect animals’ rights. Historically, humans have used animals in many ways, but we have not always considered that they are living beings. We have paid in return with their pain and suffering, and we have ignored the respect for life. The principal reason why animals are sacrificed today is their consumption by humans as food. This motive has made people to denounce these unfair acts. Many personalities around the world have exposed moral, ethic, health and environmental arguments to defend the idea that humans must change their alimentary custom. The first point is the respect of life as a natural right bestowed by every animal in the planet. This ethic premise is the main base for the coexistence of all the life beings. Some people do not recognize the right to kill another animal to be eaten, unless the animal dies from natural reasons and it is not sacrificed. The mechanisms used to kill those animals are painful and grotesque, and the animal has no defense from harm. They state that the consumption of meat is not healthy for humans; that the human body is naturally herbivore. Several academic studies prove that our hands, teeth, nails and digestive system are more alike to animals that eat plants than those who consume meat. Those investigations also suggest that humans may acquire the same vitamins, proteins and minerals from products made out of plants. Additionally, investigations prove that cattle grow provokes deforestation and land erosion. For that reason, the animal consumption represents, at the same time, an attack to the environment and nature. In my opinion, the excessive killing and the use of cruel methods should be abolished. However, we cannot ignore the relevance of the meat consumption in the development of the human civilization. I have learned that men developed new skills and intelligence after the incorporation of meat to their diet. The hunting and its posterior distribution created the initial conditions for human associations, social organization, and commerce. Human communities have been able to develop and grow due to the use of animals’ furs, bones, and working force.
Hello Arnold: I understand how you are struggling to become a vegetarian, its not an easy task for people that like the taste of the meat or don't have a planned meal on a daily basis. But, I am sure you can do well if you keep trying and you will feel healthier, thinner and more energized. I totally agree with you that animal farmings are destroying our environment and creating new bacteria and diseases. Good luck to you Arnold and don't give up on your vegetarian diet ;)
I dont think animels should have the same rights as humans. Im not saying they they should not have some kind of rights some of the stuff that are done to them is wrong. A good example of this is the picture of the pigs in small pins.
The farming of animels is a needed because of the fact there are over 7 billon people in the world and to feed them all takes a lot of food. If the farming of animels were to stop then animels like pigs and cows or anything that we eat a lot of will slowly die out till theres almost none left.
I’m not a vegetarian nor vegan, but I see how animals are being treated all over the world by documentaries and even in my own country, people don’t seem to care if an animal suffers or not when being killed, they just see it as “food stuff”, and I was one of them not to while back. I was introduced this video by my sister and I remembered the impact it had on me, how can a boy his age comprehend what adults twice his age can’t. We all know animals are one of the main source of nutrition for human beings, but it that an excuse for us to treat them the way we do? Hunt for fun, Make them suffer for our own enjoyment in some cases? I do believe animals should have rights. If they do, humans can also have a different thinking over animals and have a healthier life style. Why do I defend the rights of animals if I also eat them? Well for me it is not easy to be vegetarian, but I sure try my best not to eat meat because of the process the animal goes through and the environmental issues we are also having, they are part of this world too, they deserve to live in it.
Ethical animal treatment and animal rights are a must. The proper treatment of animals is a very important issue, one that deserves more attention than it is currently getting. Animals do not share the exact same capacity as we do but that doesn’t mean they do not deserve to be treated fairly. Take a look at dolphins, elephants, and chimpanzees; all these animals share a great degree of intelligence and cognitive ability, an ability that rivals if not surpasses that of a human child. Dolphins have specific names for each other, they play, have their own version of CPR, and hold funerals. Elephants feel depression they mourn and will sometimes drag the body of a deceased elephant to it’s herd to mourn with others. We have very distinct and specific rights for human children that we do not deny. So why don’t we extend those to animals? Even to the animals that cannot process or think as highly as an elephant, dolphin, or chimpanzee. A grasp of fine literature or higher math does not mean a creature does not deserve the same rights as humans. Just look at children again.
In regards to the animals that we have domesticated and consumed in our history as a species. More sustainable and ecological practice are a must when it comes to livestock. Ethically it is deplorable how we deal with and slaughter the animals that we consume. Unfortunately it us, as human beings, that keep this machine going. What we are trying to do is keep up with the demand, that we ourselves have set. We cannot hope to eliminate the need for meat overnight but we can hope to alleviate it and make it more sustainable. As it is now we are clearing way too much land for livestock, taking this overseas destroying other places, setting up slaughterhouses that don’t even comply properly with codes and regulations, and letting our very practices run rampant. Look at Upton Sinclair when he revealed the horrors of the meat packing industry, shining a light on what we do is necessary for some sound rhetoric to take place. Let’s extend this same concern to the animals that are in the heart of this machine. The idea of a bunch of chickens taken away from the sun, shoved into little compact coops with a bunch of other chickens and just fed and fattened, lead to a conveyor belted stripped of their feathers, then slaughtered and cleaned does not really sit well with me. Better more ecological practices in our food will allow us to readily address greater ecological concerns. With what we are doing now we are clearing way too many forests to make way for more cows that release methane into the atmosphere. By clearing all these forests we are destroying the already established habitats and killing off different plants and animals. So in the long run we as inhabitants in this earth could do with better more ecological farming practices. Animals deserve our respect and so does this earth. We have been disconnected from the complex natural process that this earth and this environment have set up to sustain itself. It is time we adopted better practices to work with it instead of against it.
I do feel animals deserve a certain level of agreeable, ethical treatment.
There are more humane ways to accomplish the food chain than torturing and letting them suffer. I do feel animals serve the purpose of upholding the food chain or serving duties that we have found of use for them. At the same time, we are animals ourselves.
As a kingdom, we do all work together to progress our planet. There is no reason to unfairly treat/torture/cause suffering to a species that serves a purpose to progress us.
If we were to rewind to the most ancient of times where man was hunting in the wilderness on his own for his own food, it was obscene and brutal yet not to the degree as it is today where torturing and herding farm animals is equivalent to how cruel dictators have herded and tortured fellow humans throughout history.
I guess where I'm getting at could be summed up like this: We all serve a purpose, from the grass we step on to the teacher who treated you like garbage in middle school. We need to respect all forms of life for their purposes. If you wouldn't do it to a human-being despite knowing his/her purpose is to have their death fulfill the needs of a society, then there is no reason to do it to a less-sophisticated animal whose sole purpose is to benefit us.
I think the question "do animals deserve better treatment?" raises many other issues. On the surface one could say it comes down to an argument of emotion over reason. we are emotionally affected by the suffering of other sentient beings (at least, I assume most people are). That is why undercover videos of modern meat processing plants have such a strong effect on the populace. However, reason would state that meat has a nutritional role to play in our diet, especially in places (Sub Saharan Africa) were farm yields are so low, being a vegetarian isn't a practical proposition.
But the question also sheds light on other important issues. I personally believe a symbiotic relationship with animals and, in a larger sense, the earth, does not amount to animal cruelty. If it did, the animals would be just as guilty since a cheetah shows no remorse in bringing down a gazelle. But are we really in anything resembling a symbiotic relationship? We now have 8 billion people in the world. This abundance in the number of people (double what we had 100 years ago) is what causes the barbaric scenes in those meat processing plants. No demand, no need for supply. This same explosion in population growth has also affected the availability of water and elevated the demand for oil-based products.
I can see why somebody would refuse to eat meat. There are definitely benefits in an all vegetarian diet, both ethically and in your physical health. The thing is, if we lived in a well balanced world, we would plant trees, feeding them with nutrients and our Carbon Dioxide. Those trees would then give us oxygen and would serve as food for animals. Those animal would in turn be eaten by other animal who would be hunted by us or other apex predators. Mother nature would then send a hurricane, earthquake, tsunami, infectious disease or who know what else to ensure we don't start believing ourselves invincible. We die, fertilize the earth and do it all over again. Is nature cruel, then?
I stronglt believe that animals should have rights. I am not sure if they can have the same rights as humans because of how our society made up but animals are living things that feel pain as much as humans do. In fact most animals give love without asking anything in return unlike humans. The video of Luis not wanting to eat animals is a great video and a great point of view much adults don't have. Animal cruelty is everywhere and I believe it should be delt with much more serious than it has been in the past. Events such as circuses that beat animals just for our entertainment are, in my opinion, ridiculous. Animal testing should be banned, if we are not testing it on ourselves why test it out on an animal who can't defend themselves. An animal as well as a plant deserves the same respect and love any human deserves.
first of all let me congratulate the child in the video for being a free thinker at such a young age. personally I believe the solution to world-wide animal cruelty and over consumption will come like a thief in the night. no law or government institution will solve, nor regulate the current global issue because it is not in their interest. i will agree that animal rights are essential and a rapidly growing concern but more importantly are solving issues such as world food shortages and global pollution. a short-term, midline solution is increasing cage sizing, and introducing pain free methods of killing.
when you eat meat, do you think about any of these issues?
sincerely my answer is no. I am more concerned with gmo’s and preservative consumption than the weeping cow that now makes up my hamburger patty.
“We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that the animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect them and love them as we love ourselves.”
― César Chávez
What's your take? When you eat meat, do you think about any of these issues. Why or why not?
I don't think about any of these issues when I eat meat, not even after seeing a video about animal brutality in some animal farms. It was so brutal that I am not sure if it was real. I am wondering if humans are capable to inflict that brutality against animals who cannot defend themselves. I am strongly against about any act of brutality against any animal, and if I knew about any organization here in Miami that fight against these acts, I would definitely join it. Animals should be treated with respect because after all, they feed us. I am against animal brutality, but I support the consumption of meat. For millions of years animals have been eaten meat by instinct, not by free will. Why should not humans? If humans were not endowed with reasoning, maybe by now we were already extinct. Dinosaurs would have eaten us. After all, dinosaurs became extinct for other reasons, not because we ate them. I think farm animals deserved to be treated much better. I think there should be stronger organizations that control the manner in which these animals are treated.They should have at least happy lives, specially if there are short lives. Humans were gifted with reasoning, so it is more than a moral obligation to not hurt another defenseless animals. I think there should be a balance between meat and vegetables. I don't think there is enough land to plant and feed more than 100 millions of vegetarian people. There are places in earth where animals are the only source of food to survive, specially during winter season. Humans should be more responsible for animal brutality because I think that eventually we will pay the price of our acts.
This is a topic that I have been personally struggling with recently as well. I have spent the previous 8 years gainfully employed as a chef in various fine-dining establishments. I was trained in classical French cooking in which many of the restaurants I have worked made use of the whole animal prompting me to take further interest in sustainable farming. However after doing more independent investigation to raise my awareness of sustainability, I found information that was at least to say disturbing. I have come across many statistics that prove factory farming animals to be more damaging to our environment than any other contributor on our planet. In attempts to become a more responsible citizen I have attempted to a adopt a weekday vegetarian approach in which I only consume animal products on the weekends. I have found this experiment to be very interesting because once I got out of the kitchens and tried to adopt a more beneficial and healthier way of eating. I came across many obstacles.
As it was stated by a previous entry, eating animal products is simply more convenient. It is everywhere around us, it is in our culture, our heritage, and our habits. Having personally visited a variety of different farms (from free range to factory) I certainly believe that animals should and can be treated better. It is very obvious when they are suffering.
However what I find most intriguing about this topic is that due to the great number of agricultural advances we as a culture no longer need to rely on animals as a source of food and there are a great number of studies that show it to be more harmful to our bodies and our home than a sustainable plant based diet, yet our culture still refuses to adapt for the betterment of our species. It leaves me wondering why we as a culture choose to be so ignorant not to ask or investigate the question of what the consequences are of factory farming to ourselves and the environment? Also, why having personally investigated the information for myself is it so challenging for me to adapt to a plant based diet? It should be a no brainer. Continue on till the bitter end when we run out of resources and health or accept a new way of living? Strange that this is not an easy choice to make…
Do animals deserve a better treatment?
Yes, if for no other reason than to show that we are capable of at least some degree of empathy towards them.
Anyone that has ever had a pet can attest that animals are most certainly capable of feeling pain and have some range of emotions, I can not understand then, how are some people are able of such heinous acts of animal cruelty.
That being said, when it comes to animal consumption I don't find that much problem into it as the child in the video, if it causes a heavy conscience then I see why would someone chose not to do it, but I don't see a reason to put that much thought into it.
Do animals deserve better treatment?
Why shouldn't animal rights be as respected as human rights? Humans have used animals for centuries which have been very beneficial but why should they be treated with such hatred? I believe many people have other points of view, however, i still question the intolerable way animals are treated before becoming our "meals." It is unnescary to torture the animal before being killed. It has been proven that animals do indeed feel suffering. When an animal shows anger they have emotion, correct? In fact what comes with emotion? Not only anger but happiness, sadness, fear, loneliness, etc.
I believe humans are just fortunate to have verbal communication in which we are educated to express not just verbally but physically what is hurting. Animals deserve to have the same treatment humans have. I have always believed humans have taken over animals territory without any consideration of what may happen to them and to that statement I believe animals should have the right to retrieve better treatment.
Melissa Ann
The fact that we even have to debate this sickens me. The disregard for life humans have, is infuriatingggggg. The pictures in this article made me sick. You can not go through life causing pain to others, human or not. It will come back to you one way or another. We just cannot. We cannot inflict pain and suffering for our own pleasure. I am sick right now thinking of all the poor, defenseless animals who are at the mercy of ignorant, selfish, cold, useless wastes of life. I have been a strict vegan for 15 years and also work as a wildlife rehabber, taking care of all type of creatures that come in due to PEOPLE MESSING WITH THEM FOR NO GOOD REASON. Working so close with all different types of animals has proven to me they deserve more rights the us awful humans. blahhh
I would like to start off by saying I don't think that a child his age is able to think that complex about a particular subject as of this in my opinion. I don't believe in the fact that animals should have rights equal to ours because of the simple difference between animals and humans.
First of all, let us ask ourselves what is morality? Morality is something that is known to be originated by humans. To some people, morality was originated by a higher source of power; god. Morality gave us humans the ability to form rights for us to follow to better the environment we live in, and create peace.
We know that life in the wilderness is dependent on the abilities to survive and feed themselves, following the aspect we know as “Survival of the Fittest”. This aspect applies for both humans and other animals.
In modern society, humans have gained the ability to easily capture animals, and change the stages of life an animal would normally go through, such as the feeding of hormones to create a larger animal, or the application of tests on then to find vaccines. The treatment the animals receive is harsh and painful compared to the old days when farmers gathered them. This opened the idea whether animals should have rights or not.
Even though farmers and other companies are able to produce food in a larger quantity, and discover vaccines for the better of mankind. The stages of life they put the animals through are completely immoral and painful.
It's encouraging to know that such a young kid can ask these questions, come to conclusions of what is right and wrong about eating animals, and decide to stop eating them. Most kids do not make the connection of the chicken in their picture books and the chicken nuggets on their plates.
Gary Yourofsky states that people eat meat for four main reasons:
-habit
-tradition
-convenience
-taste
I will admit that I am a struggling vegetarian because it's a lot more convenient to quickly grab a burger at the end of a long day. I keep fighting those reasons to go back to meat and hopefully one day it’ll be easier as more people make the move towards vegetarianism.
Animals definitely deserve better than how we’re treating them these days for the basic reasoning of Rousseau, just because animals aren't rational doesn't mean they don't deserve rights but that they are sentient is what allows them to have rights. To be rational is not a necessary condition to have rights, you can have one without the other.
If a vegetarian society can’t exist then at the minimum, animals should be treated as humanely as possible in the making of meat products. No more factory farming and more open range, healthier diets, to stop the use of steroids and hormones and the over-use of antibiotics.
Animal farming also has a huge impact on the environment. It is the number one reason for deforestation today, E. Coli poisoning can come from poor farming practices, and even new bacteria (that is harming the environment around it) is being created from the amount of feces of pig-farming.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” -Mahatma Gandhi
Posted by Arnold Almaguer
In my opinion some animal were created for a reason. As a human we need to eat meat that is my belief so this I tkink God did the things perfectly. Our body needs meat and it is a big part of our nutrition. I do understand we should respect animal life; this is why I am against hunting animals for fun or torturing them. I also think we shouldn’t be doing experiment with animals. Animals should be killed just for food in a way that they do not suffer, in my opinion
Recently I was reading an article regarding animal rights, this article laid emphasis on speciesism, Speciesism is the unequal treatment of individuals based on species, it is often compared to racism and, or sexism. Animal rights activists believe that sentience (the ability to suffer) should be the criteria of holding rights. I completely agree with this statement even though animals are different from humans in the fact that they just act on instincts, as far as we know they don’t possess the ability to think rationally, but they do have feelings. An animal feels pain, they cry, they feel happiness and sadness, and that should be enough reasons for them to have rights. When you are a kid your thoughts are more genuine since you haven’t been exposed to the malice that society portrays. That is why this video is so emotional, because it puts in perspective the fact that animals are similar to humans in many ways. I consider being carnivorous a personal choice, nobody has the right to judge somebody else’s decisions. I personally decided to stop eating meat one year ago, and I have seen a significant change not only concerning my health but also in the way I approach certain situations. It is proven that humans can survive without consuming meat, with that being said is not a matter of survival but of pleasure. In conclusion you can’t treat people different because of gender or race, just like you can’t abuse animals just because they are a different species.
Marcelo Aguirre
The question of animal rights evokes strong emotions on both sides of the debate, in the words of Winston Churchill, “it is a riddle in a mystery wrapped in an enigma.”
There are those who argue that animals deserve better treatment and therefore should have certain rights. By extension, those rights will help ensure that they are treated with, at least, a modicum of respect and dignity. The ability of the animals to feel pain is one of the nuggets of this school of thought.
While some feel that giving animals rights is a stretch, others have middle of the road leaning.
There are merits in both positions. The video of the little boy and his view of animals evokes emotions and weighs heavily in favor of animal rights advocacy. The inhumane condition in which animals are raised, and housed preparatory to killing them for mass distribution also makes for compelling argument for animal rights.
However, the whole concept of animal rights raises simplistic but germane concerns. How do we legislate animal rights? Which animal would be given rights? For instance, will domestic or domesticated animals such as dogs, cats or parrots have more rights than wild animals such as lions, tigers and cheetahs? How do we deal with animal –on-animal animalness? How do we get a lion to kill a gisele in a ‘humane’ way? Or would the rights of a Gisele be lesser than that of a lion to maintain ecological homeostasis? If this is the case, then the Orwellian maxim applies: all animals are equal but some are more equal than other. Would a bear maul a human humanely? How would animal rights affect their relationship with humans? Would it change the ecological system and impact the food chain? While acknowledging that human do more harm to animals than the other way around, it can also be argued that humans have done more to protect animals. Creation of game reserves and safaris ensure the protection of the natural habitats of animals. Passing the endangered species laws make extant animals that are nearing extinction. Huge fines on BP for the oil spillage that killed sea animals and destroyed their habitats are just a few examples.
Other factors against animal rights include the exploding world population. The population increase would inevitable bring humans into the habitats of animals. Humans routinely clash with lions in parts of Kenya? Floridians were encouraged to hunt down pythons there have over-populated the everglades and threaten the local ecosystem because they are on top of that local food chain.
While India and Japan can be a shining example of countries that have a culture of veganism, the same cannot be said for other countries. A lot of countries and cultures in Africa, such as Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and others have traditionally relied on hunting of wild animals for subsistence and commerce. Changing the culinary and economic reliance on animals will be a herculean task without a viable alternative.
It cannot be enough that laws are passed in the United States and people like Michael Vick are jailed for animal cruelty. To have a global impact, such efforts have to be world-wide. After all, Nigeria, Ghana and others share the same global ecosystem with pro animal rights countries such as Japan, India and others.
It is a common belief that as humans we are superior than any other animal, basically based on the extended intelligence we are gifted with. However it is my conviction that all living things deserve the same respect and should be treated with consideration because they do have feelings and emotions. They share many traits with us, the only difference being their inability to reason. Although if we gave them equal rights to us, not much would happen anyway, since they wouldn't be able to take advantage of all of them.
we should respect each living creature in the world, but it is the law of nature which prevails and governs the food pyramidal. According to the Bible, animals were given to humans for us to eat. It is one personal choice what eating pattern to follow; weather you are a vegetarian or an omnivorous.
Pj de la Fuente
september 17, 2013
do animals deserve rights?
i truly belief the sanctioning of determining whether or not a particular species should have rights is debatable upon one’s individual ideas or feelings about the situation. for example: if one chooses to eat meat or not based upon a theory that it is either good for you or not is ideally a ‘choice’. yet, those who sway far to the left (against) would rather force you into limiting your choice of foods. when we speak of rights, what do we really mean? do we mean the same rights that are delegated to humans or are we just playing with the notion to confuse our thought process to believe what another would want you to believe about their views and not your own? or is It by mere fact of the slaughtering of animals that we so disagree with that causes our emotions to attach itself to connecting animal rights with not eating meat?
there must be some sort of line drawn that distinguishes the rights of animals and whether it is humane to eat meat. health food stores provide vitamins and supplements that are supposed to implement the desired nutrients that our body needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle. there are certain nutrients and vitamins that cannot be substituted or altered to enhance a healthy life living. i believe it is inhumane to slaughter animals for consumption, however i do not disagree with eating grass-fed animal products. these grass-fed animals are well taken care of by farmers who take good care of their stock without additives or preservatives and chemicals. there are small nutritional farmers who pride themselves on serving the best quality meat that serves a healthy value. some vegetarians are now resorting back to meat by products due to its nutritional value and its processing techniques that allows for safe processing. i know this may not be enough to convince or persuade but it does make you wonder what rights are we concern with. do animals deserve rights to be fed properly and nutritionally? do animals deserve the right to be laid to rest with dignity? do animals deserve rights to do what?
i am neither for or against anyone’s choice to eat meat, vegetables or vegan. when it comes to the rights of animals I think they deserve the right to be nutritionally grass-fed and destroyed humanely to preserve the dignity of the meat for consumption.
tspencer
As a big fan of animals, I think that they deserve to treat better, but at the same time I understand there is a huge difference between animals and human beings. Even though they need to have a better treatment, it does not mean they should classify in the same categories as us because animals act by instinct. In contrast, we have a reflective knowledge before we act we think, also we take responsibility of our actions. Can animals do that? Surely not. Eating meat does not make people animals' abuser. We have to remember that some of essential vitamins that your body need to function well come from animal sources. In my opinion I think that animals should be treated well because they are very helpful
to human in many ways.
Roselene Joseph
I am not in a position of going into a defense about animals’ right or treatment of such since I neglect myself of any cause or contribution to promote the opposite. What I support is the idea of the human’s avoidance to know about the food we ingest, where it comes from, etc. However, I cannot say or think what is right or wrong in this case since our final result will be the same, that is to say, we consider animals as food in our chain of survival, although it is not the only consumption mean we can use to subsist but indeed is the purpose we apply to them, as *BBC says “It makes no difference if the animals are given 5-star treatment throughout their lives and then killed humanely without any fear or pain - it's just plain wrong in principle, and nothing can make it right”.
*http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/animals/rights/rights_1.shtml
Definitively things have changed over the years because of the industrialization and mass production amazingly increased by ourselves demanding more instead of supplying for better resources and quality of life having as a result an exhausting market in this case food production. For instance, the decadence of farms or natural habitat for the animals, such as chickens being induced in a bunch of unnatural procedures and places for a high and speed reproduction.
I do think about this issue in the quality perspective, I get concerned when I see food that doesn’t seem quite pleasant without even cook it.
Keila Jimenez
Animal rights are a must in my opinion. I want to start my discussion with a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A71WDPSR66Q) I know the video is a bit dramatic but it’s a perfect example that even the wildest animals are capable of having feelings and knowledge. Showing us why animals should have rights and laws that protect them. Animal cruelty has reached a peak, where it can be found anywhere, for example on a YouTube video or a simple Google search, it’s that easy. Also every time we think about animal cruelty we only think about farm animals (that are raise for the purpose of feeding humans ) later to be killed for consumption, but there is many other animals that are being killed and abused for no reason like dogs, monkeys, elephants etc. (Here is a website that show more animal cruelty http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-animal-cruelty) to end my discussion I just want to say that animal cruelty has to come to an end, and we need to find a more humane way to keep animals in farms and slaughtering methods for human consumption. (You wouldn’t kill a baby just because he “doesn’t talk”, “show feelings “or have the “knowledge” that we as humans expect others to have, same goes for the animals.)
The video of this boy is adorable. To see that a little kid can reason that way is just incredible. I am not a vegetarian, and I don't think I will become one, but I respect people that are. Personally I believe in a food chain and I don't think people should just completely not eat meat. I think that what should be changed is the way they are treated and eventually killed. Throughout time different news about this controversial topic has come to light and people are responding more towards the situation. What I've seen is that as technology improves and time goes by governments, agriculturalists and so on want to make more money they want to sell more, hence produce more. That is when they alternate and speed up processes hurting animals and not doing things considering that they are living creatures. This organizations think like big companies and only worry about profit. Animal testing is another example of wrong treatment. So I think for the better of everyone the change that is more rational and logical is to really appreciate animals and if we are going to consume them do it in a humane way.
The toddler in the video, Luiz, appears to be strong willed and inquisitive. I personally commend him for speaking his mind and voicing his opinion. Further, his mother should be acknowledged and commended for not providing a multitude of fallacies and allowing this young child to think for himself.
As to the question at hand. Do animals deserve better treatment? I will first start by saying the scientist studies that I have read state animals do not have a memory center like humans do, therefore, while they may feel pain, either it is not stored in their memory banks or it isn’t cognitively processed. Thus, questions such as these are raised. One view would be animals are raised solely for the purpose of being consumed. They are raised under certain conditions, treated in a manner consistent with consumer wants and needs, and are for a sole purpose. However, the conditions in which these animals are raised should not be what one would consider “inhumane” as the consumption of the meat the animal produces may be harmful. Whether human or animal (in the common sense of the word), stress, related hormone, and various external factors play a role in the ultimate outcome.
I believe that the Brazilian boy was doing the morally right thing in questioning his meal before eating only potatoes and rice, but the most important question was why? That's great that he realizes that any animal shall not be part of his meal. That's awesome that he was apparently preached by an educated parent that cares about animals rights to. Yes, animals deserve rights to live just as humans do. Here in America, people love to eat animals/meat to meet protein nutrition. There are billion pounds of beef, sliced from some thirty-five million cows. Additionally, Americans will consume roughly twenty-three billion pounds of pork, or the bodies of more than a hundred and fifteen million pigs, and thirty-eight billion pounds of poultry, some nine billion are birds. Most of these creatures have been raised under conditions that are, as most Americans don't care because they probably don't know the nasty environment they are raised and the cruelty process in killing animals to be served to America. Broiler chickens, also known, depending on size, as fryers or roasters, typically spend their lives in windowless sheds, packed in with upward of thirty thousand other birds and generations of accumulated waste. The ammonia fumes thrown off by their rotting excrement lead to breast blisters, leg sores, and respiratory disease. Bred to produce the maximum amount of meat in the minimum amount of time, fryers often become so top-heavy that they can’t support their own weight. At slaughtering time, they are shackled by their feet, hung from a conveyor belt, and dipped into an electrified bath known as “the stunner.” For pigs, this discourages the bored and frustrated animals from gnawing one another’s rumps. Male piglets also have their testicles removed, a procedure performed without anesthetic. Before being butchered, hogs are typically incapacitated with a tonglike instrument designed to induce cardiac arrest. Sometimes their muscles contract so violently that they end up not just dead but with a broken back.
How is it that Americans, so the concern of the animals they keep as pets, are so indifferent toward the ones they cook for dinner? The answer cannot lie in the beasts themselves. Pigs, after all, are quite companionable, and dogs are said to be delicious or how about humans? Once the food depletes will it be humane to eat each other in the future... Rodolfo Franco
I have to say I can’t imagine my diet without meat in it, but I am strongly against the treatment that animals receive from these big food corporations and many others, even hunters. As someone said before, we know for fact that big part of the human civilization has to do with animal consumption, that’s how the most primitive forms of social relations, commerce, and more begun.
I understand and agree the importance or benefits that we can get from animals as a food, or a least I believe to. What I don’t support at all is any form of treatment and growing process that goes beyond of a “natural” or “normal” life that an animal should have, the picture with the pigs in this post is an example of shame and criminal action from humans to animal rights. I believe there should be some kind of action from part of governments applying certain mechanisms and control in order to avoid the use of chemicals substances on animals, also respecting their right for a free space where they can live and move around instead of having them in a cage, etc. But it is also true, but unethical, that is almost impossible to cover the demand of animal products in such a nation as United States if we decide to grow animals in a “natural” way; so there are a lot of things to have in common and a variety of points of view to debate when deciding if the animal consumption is right or not, the treatment that they receive, etc.
José A. Goncalvez
I do think that animals deserve a better treatment. Let’s try to answer these questions, why do we eat meat? What are our reasons to do that? Is for nutritional purpose only? What are the “real” reasons? Let’s think about this just for a second, imagine that a super powerful force, aliens, come from a mysterious planet that we do not know about and they have just taken control over our planet, and they have a higher mental capacity than we have; they start to living as we do; therefore eating as we eat. We are now the “prey”. What would you say to them to avoid being eaten? Would you say to them that there are varieties of food that can be even more nutritional than meat? Let’s check an example, according nutritionist there are legumes that contain more protein that a piece of meat, 3 oz. of pork tenderloin have 13g. of protein while a cup of cooked lentils have 18g of protein. We can go through a lot of examples a may conclude that there is not enough reason for the aliens to eat us just for nutritional purpose. What else can we say? That we have feelings? That we will feel the pain while we are been killed? Animals have central nervous system as we do if we want to use that reason. How can we say that they do not feel pain? We, humans, know that it is pain because of our experience, it is a “mental event”, and we cannot feel pain for anybody. We can go on and on and discuss this forever, whether the animals have rights or not. In this example, do the aliens have the right to treat us however they want just because they are more “rational or intelligent” that we are? Think about what you would say to those aliens and think what if the animals that you eat would say the same thing to you. You may probably get to the conclusion that we deserve a better treatment and we also have rights.
Joslig Palma
It is not fair to think that humans are more valuable than the environment and its surroundings; this is the main reason why we are part of this crisis because ; the society teach humans to be selfish . For all that I consider that animals deserve respect not using them as entertain for example; bullfights etc. they also deserve a better life ;it has been demonstrate that most of animals have the same nervous system as the humans in other words; the feel pain like us ,imagine the pain that they suffer when humans are killing them because they just want to eat meat that day ; because the human being is intelligent and it has more capacity to analyze more than an animal does not mean that we have the power we have to take care of the animals , and create conscience that the earth is not just for us ,we have to share and respect the others in order no have the organization that the Mother Nature gives.
Maria hassan
I believe animals deserve better rights because just like humans they are a part of life. Although humans and animals have many things alike they also have many differences, but that should not justify how many rights animals should have. As a child knowing what goes on in these animal slaughtering farms can be quite shocking and disturbing, I wouldn't want to eat any of those animals knowing how brutal the process for our food and well being is. I also understand that part of life is the cycle to surviving, unfortunately we can't all be hunting for our food as if we still lived in the wild. More people means more food, these farmers are trying to make an ends meet by producing mass amounts of food but through their process they are breaking laws and disrespecting the animals rights.
Victoria Hernandez
For me, it is very hard to assimilate my existence in this world as something separate from the environment that surrounds me and all its inhabitants. As such, any discussion about animal rights becomes a discussion about basic principles of equality. Equality doesn’t necessarily entail identical treatment, but it does require equal consideration. When considering the inherent worth of an animal—I find it has nothing to do with their usefulness for human survival as much as it has to do with their right to live free from pain and suffering.
The fact that in today’s profit-focused, and desensitized factory farm industry, animals are crammed into filthy and stressful confinement systems and go through a ruthless cruelty process from the moment they are born to the moment they are slaughtered is simply unfathomable to me. Animals feel pain, joy, happiness, frustration and stress in the same way that we do. The language is a feeling. For moral-agents with the capacity be compassionate and empathic with the beings we coexist with—I consider that supporters of animal abuse lack moral judgment. It is a choice to be blind. Who are the supporters? The companies that lobby politicians to prohibit a law that protects animals against cruelty in order to further their greedy interest; the people that work in these farms and accept it as the norm instead of imprinting change or standing up; the people who chose to not think about these issues when they see a piece of meat in their plate.
Not to mention the environmental and health costs to humanity, which merits another conversation in itself. Disease, bacteria, inflammation….we are what we eat. What has the American diet been focused on? What branding strategies are used to hide the truth….just some considerations.
Felipe Castro Valdés
Should animals have rights?
this a good question, as I never condisered if animals should have rights. In reading your post, i tend to agree with professor carl cohen- "holders must be able to distinguish between their own interest and what is right". animals are not able to do this in no stage of their existence. Humans on the other hand even though at birth are not able to communate, they do in no time.
if we are to consider giving animals right, what rigthts do we give them? The right not be consumed or do we as human beings learn to treat them better.
coming from a carnivores family, i don't think we should restrict ourselves from eating meat. since the begining of time humans have consumed meat. The way we raise the animals, it what has surely change.
Yeidy Polanco
the video is not so much disturbing as are the stories. the video is adorable, Luiz is beyond smart for his age & has such a compassion towards life and animals and such an understanding of an animals right to live. the mother is also awesome for allowing him to express himself. she also answers all of his questions and even asks him questions on his opinion, this is such a touching video and makes you think twice about the animals' right. the only actual right an animal has is to live and to be a part of this earth like we all are. i understand where Luiz comes from & in a perfect world it would be possible but unfortunately the world is far from perfect. i understand it is possible but the vegan lifestyle isn't for everyone. animals deserve to live, be loved and be respected; & when being slaughtered be done in a painless matter. i love animals & i am very much an animal rights activist because animals do feel same way humans do which makes it even sadder to know people can abuse of a defenseless animal. but even loving animals as much as i do, i am a carnivore. but i do eat only kosher certified meats, seafoods, & poultry always. what i don't agree with is the torture of animals. under no circumstances should that be tolerated or even done to begin with. it would be awesome to remove all the mean people from the earth but some dreams remain dreams. a perfect argument as to animals' having feelings; to dog owners, who have you ever seen get so happy to see you come home or to see you period... nobody, except your dog, i can't say its the same for cats because i don't own a cat & never have, but i do own rabbits, turtles, birds & a dog. i've had them all since they were babies, even my turtles, & as crazy as it seems, they all know me & my family. the rabbits run up to the cage when they see us & they run circles around our feet & lick our ankles which in rabbit means they love you & are excited to see you. my turtles swim circles & the birds sway back & forth. my dog, well, anyone that has ever owned a dog knows exactly a dogs reaction when you're home. it is impossible for me to ever believe that animals do not feel. as a lioness protects her cubs a mama duck cares for her babies for months. animals feel and deserve love and respect as much as we do.
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