Animal Rights
Defending the basic rights of animals
In the past, many societies felt justified exploiting animals because they lacked language, rational thought and were viewed as inferior to humans. A superiority of mankind over animals is implied in biblical passages such as Genesis (1:20-28) where Adam is described as having been given “dominion over the fish of the sea…and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Despite these reasons, people have been troubled at the treatment of animals at the hands of their fellow humans, even if such feelings were against the dominating views of society at the time.
At the core, animal rights centers on the concept that animals should be treated as we would wish to be treated ourselves. The current state of animal rights is now compared to the racist and sexist views of the past; the term “speciesism” was coined in 1970 by psychologist Richard D. Ryder to describe the assumption of human superiority over animals. The fact that animal law is now being studied in the majority of law schools in the United States, and that Spain introduced animal rights to the great apes in June 2008 shows that support for animal rights is on the rise.
The dawn of animal rights goes back hundreds of years. Ireland in 1635 was home to legislation for one of the very first animal rights laws. It made reference to pulling the wool off sheep and attaching ploughs to the tail of a horse. Just as the Bible could justify the wrongful treatment of animals, other quotes such as “He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man…” from Isaiah 66:3 can be used to make a case for animal rights issues. In 1693, philosopher John Locke argued against animal cruelty. He felt it was wrong to allow children to harm animals stating that “…tormenting and killing of beasts will, by degrees, harden their minds even towards men.” Though it was a step in the right direction, this view still held to the superiority of humanity.
Animal Cruelty
There are many ways that animals are treated unfairly today for the benefit of humans. Around the world, animals are killed for their furs, chimpanzees are involuntary test subjects locked in isolation and exotic animals are caged and forcibly trained to provide entertainment in circuses. In all of these cases, there are alternative choices that can be made that do not involve animal suffering; fur is no longer necessary as a form of clothing and entertainment choices exist that don’t involve the pain and suffering of animals.
There are animal testing alternatives today such as the use of epidemiological studies, cell and tissue culture along with modern scanning technology such as MRI, PET and CT. These methods have proven to produce faster and more accurate results than conventional animal experimentation and involve no animal suffering.
The case for animal rights isn’t found only in the lab or in a circus; animal abuse could be happening in your own neighborhood. There are owners who are abusive to their pets, drastically impacting, for example, dog behavior as well as health and disposition. This is clearly no way to treat a supposedly beloved companion.
Animal Rights Groups
There are numerous groups of animal rights activists that work to defend and increase awareness of the rights of animals. Many animal rights organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) create animal rights posters or commercials to share information on animal rights. One such famous campaign was the use of nude attractive celebrities with the marketing pitch of “I’d rather go naked than wear fur.” Some other notable animal rights groups include:
- Animal Aid
- Animal Liberation Front (ALF)
- Great Ape Project (GAP)
- Primate Freedom
Animal Rights Quotes
There are hundreds of excellent animal rights quotes that foster respect for the cause. Below are some sample quotes from certain defenders of animal rights:
- “If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.” – Mark Twain
- “I care not much for a man’s religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.” - Abraham Lincoln
- “Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides should know they’re in the game.” – Paul Rodriguez
- “Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages.” – Thomas A. Edison
The animal rights movement has been around for centuries, but it seems more possible than ever that true rights for animals will occur within our lifetime.
