Tuesday, June 22, 2010

M,W,F, 10:25am

37 comments:

Stefanie said...

This subject very contradicting and I really do like talking about it here it goes. When I eat meat I do not think of none of these issues. I’m a meat lover and always be a meat lover. I’m not thinking “oh I’m eating a cow, or I’m eating pork’s thigh” All I’m thinking about is how good it tastes and I want more. Yes now that I come to think about it I feel bad that a poor innocent cow or pork that didn’t do anything wrong had to die or killed to feed me, but because I’m addicted to meat and I LOVE meat I’m still going to eat meat for dinner. Research on animals I do believe is good for us humans. Everything we use has been tested on animals for our safety for example: shampoos and perfumes also I agree with doing research on animals for cures on cancer, or other deadly diseases. On the other hand it wouldn’t be fair as for humans to be eaten by animals because we humans are animals as well. Animals should have at least 3 rights. First, I think that animals should NOT be mistreated, or abused. I’m a dog lover and I have never hit my dog, yes I’ve scream at him for doing something wrong but never abused him. Second No hunting for fun. I don’t agree with that, in my eyes that’s just cruelty, because they get a joy in killing animals for no reason like a hobby. WHAT IS THAT! Play a sport or if you want to shot something throw a clay target and shoot that for fun. And third extinction if an animal is extinct they should let the animal be and reproduce.
*Stefanie. Mendoza

Laura said...

As a native Texan I grew up hunting deer, eating meat, pork and never thought twice about the animal I was skinning or eating. I moved away from rural life to city life, having been in Miami 17years and now is when I'm thinking more about animal rights. The fact that I am now older and a Mother of 4, I see how fragile life is and I see things differently. I've been eating less meat lately due to the fact that I do think about the cows that are slaughtered so I can consume a good steak. Even when I eat fish I feel a bit guility and not to mention all my leather shoes and bags, what about those animals were used to make them? I try not to go overboard with these thoughts, I can only do my part by consuming less meat. I do not agree with the unnecessary harsh, and unfair treatment of animals. My fellow Texans say I've gone soft but I don't think so, I agree that using animals in certain research for bettering human life is necessary. I am the lucky human of two beautiful Weimaraners who have brought our family lots of joy. My dogs are part of my family and are treated so. I also donated to animal shelters to help the animals who don't have a home in hopes that one day they will. This another small way I believe I can make a difference and let animals have some rights.

Isabelle Magloire said...

In the world that we are living to, there are lots of issues related to politics, civil rights, economy etc. Issues that can bring anger, sorrow and despair. Yet, the idea of animal rights is another controversial and critical topic nowadays. Some people argue that animal like human beings have feelings and like human have rights animals should have their own too.
First of all, I always like to approach different perspectives and ideas held by the media, anthropologists to understand the issue and try to bring some good arguments. As humans, we need foods in other to live and a good healthy nutrition is composed of grains, milk, vegetables, fruits and MEATS. See, doctors are claiming that meat is actually good for our health and growth. And meats obviously come from many parts of animals. So as essential as meat is for our body can't we live without it? I think that even though animals are also creatures of nature, they can't be treated like humans. I'm not saying that their purpose in life is to die just for the pleasure of us, human beings but they are very important at some points, for our survival. Back in prehistoric time, the Homo sapiens used to haunt almost all year and haunting was necessary in order for them to live. I am not proning that animals should always be treated as some inferior, unimportant creatures therefore I'm just emphasizing on the impact of the meat in our daily nutrition.

melissa mathe said...

Alot of the problems we are having wih issues of animal rights is it does not have an impact in our daily lives. Our society is based on if you cannot see the issue then what issue? I am a proud meat eater and to be honest I might not so proud if I was 100% aware how that chicken got on my plate. My background in all honestly affects me in my way of thinking. I did grow up on meat to the point that I really do not see what else I am suppose to eat on my rice. It has almost become instinct for me to eat some form of meat throughout the day. How can I truly as a person support animal rights if I just had meatball pasta? Cruelty to animals for no apparent reason is what I am against for. If it serves no purpose or can be done in a better manor than by all means. Fur is not neccessary if there are other forms of obtaining that "look".
Other animals consume other animals and we are no different. There should be no expectations of us not eating meat unless we also ask the other members of the foodchain to do so. Animal testing is a hypocritcal topic because how can I truly be against it if I want diseases to be explained? I am all for other methods of research and we all just need to find justifable ways.

Gabriel Landrove said...

I was not aware of how much we humans abuse and kill animals for our unnecessary wants. That was all until I got to 10th grade and I took my humane education class with one of the best teachers I’ve ever had, Mr. EstopiƱan. In this class I learned that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment or use for entertainment. The only part I didn’t agree with was the eating part. I know we can become vegetarian but that’s like asking a lion not to hunt for meat, and that is nature. We humans need meat because is good for our health but of course there is always a limit. I didn’t become a vegetarian but I did decrease my consumption of meat for about a 50% less than before. I definitely agree that animals should have rights just like we humans do. Animals these days are very productive and useful in our everyday life in the sense that they can provide security, keep you company when nobody does, etc. Dogs for example are the best option in the airports to find bombs, drugs or any illegal items. So the least we can do is to have consideration and provide protection for these animals and all the animals around the world, since they are all equal just like we humans are. Jeremy Bentham, the founder of the reforming utilitarian school of moral philosophy stated that when deciding on a being’s rights, “The question is not ‘Can they reason?’ nor ‘Can they talk?’ but ‘Can they suffer?’”. Animals just like us humans have feelings; they can feel pain, anger, fear, loneliness and motherly love. And we sometimes forget that and do whatever we want with them and their feelings. I believe we got to change that, and the only option I see that will make a difference and make us human beings value more the animals is by giving them the rights they deserve.

Anonymous said...

When it comes to animal right and animal cruelty the first thing that comes to my mind is Burger King, Mc Donald, K.F.C. See I am not trying to sound nonchalant about the whole matter, but the truth of the matter is how can I sound sympathetic about animals right when I am not doing anything to help them. More so I believe that by consuming poultry I am helping the meat company , farmers , supermarkets destroy their existence. The issue with giving animals rights it would mean that as a meat eater or a carnivore we would be forbidden from consuming any poultry. Research have stated from the year 1960-2000 Americans have consumed a total 100 billion pounds meat thought out the century. American live out of this manufactured goods without animal protein we as American will suffer because most of the our income goes to meat product and fast-food restaurant that provide meat. Many animal activist demand that we give animal a more humane treatment, even thought I don’t agree with animal rights. But when I think about animal cruelty the first thing that comes to my mind is the torture the animals have endure when they are getting slaughter. One thing I do agree with is that animal shouldn’t be treated with so much cruelty, but at the same time it would be a contradiction if I was to say “not to treat the animal so cruel “because when they are getting slaughter that is cruelty enough. Victoria Montero

Darwin Castro said...

To be completely frank I rarely, if ever think about how the meat that I'm eating got to my plate. At that moment I'm just thinking about fueling my body. I do however think about these things before I order when I eat out or cook when at home. I know that an animal has died so that I can be nourished and I'm thankful for it. That is why I don't waste food or order ridiculous amounts like what has become the norm in American society. When I eat I load up on vegetables and grains with a small piece of meat. It is just the ways of nature for animals to kill each other for nourishment. The problem that we have is we no longer kill for substance but rather for excess. It is also an atrocity the methods that are used to slaughter these animals. There definitely should be adopted more humane ways of killing the animals that we eat. We should treat these animals with grace for the gift of nourishment that they give to us. 

Maeva Mansana said...

When I eat meat, I honestly don’t think about any of the issues of animal rights/cruelty because eating meat has always been present and it is essential for our body. I believe that animals already have all the possible rights that they can obtain as creatures who are unable to communicate with humans, who have control of the rights of living things on Earth. Even though animals have “inherent value” as Tom Regan argues, they are unable to communicate with us humans. I understand that they can communicate between each other and still have their own way of living, but if they were powerful enough, they would be able to control their own needs and make their own rules, like us humans do because we have the power to. It may seem unfair for me to make that statement, but us humans also have things more powerful than us that we wish to overcome; like the oil spill, global warming, and other problems that we have no control over. Animals have no control over our decisions and as Roger Scruton argued, critiquing Regan, “rights also imply obligations, which animals cannot be forced to have” because they do not have the abilities that we humans have.
Furthermore, when it comes to abolitionism, which is a movement against slavery, I believe that animals that are owned by human individuals (not being held in captivity) are lucky to be nurtured in a home. They are nowhere near being treated as slaves because they don’t even have the abilities to do the things that slaves would do for people who would have/want/need slaves now or in the past. Humans who own animals usually do a lot for their pets. They love them, they feed them, they clean them, they constantly pet them and this shows the animals love and affection. Animals love the attention that humans give them when humans treat them well. Therefore, I believe that abolitionism is very arguable and should have its limits; such as not allowing animals to be owned in captivity, but pet owners do good for their pets so the movement against slavery in animals shouldn’t apply to all cases.

Fanny Montoya said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fanny Montoya said...

In accordance with the do something.org, animal welfare needs to be treated in different positions. When I read the article about animal rights I was thinking of those who rather breed the animals that are going extinct just to keep making money out of them. Such as the polar bear or other furry animals that are in the wild with no protection of the predators, I was not thinking close to me. For example the farms which we feed from that produce cows, pigs, chickens, etc. Because when I read in this website about all the rats and lab animals that are dying, I thought to myself that there should be some type of animal rights. Because since humans have rights we cannot be used for testing.
As far as it goes to when I eat meat do I think about these issues? the answer would be sometimes. It has crossed my mind these types of issues when I hear them on the news or for example last semester when I took nutrition class. And I do try to not eat so much meat but in reality my customs and traditions end up being stronger than my concerns, and I end up on eating meat again.

Anayureidy Lopez said...

Animal cruelty is a hard issue to address. most of us don't want to hurt animals but we eat them everyday. i myself eat meat and absolutely love it. of course we all defend our OWN pets but how about cows, pigs or deer? animals may not be able to speak out or say "don't do this to me" but we humans could do thing to protect them. for example, we can downgrade on our meat consumption instead of giving it up. of course, meat is essential in our survival. didn't our ancestors and primitive relatives not eat meat since the beginning of the human race? this is conflicting, but meat provides nutrition and benefits that vegetables, fruits and other food sources could never provide us. this is funny because it makes me think about how the president every year pardons a turkey but yet eats another one for thanksgiving. animals don't have a say because they cant speak out about how they feel. i also think animals shouldn't be killed inhumanely. I've seen animals beaten to death with mallets and machetes and that's no way to kill something or someone. we don't even kill our worst murders and serial killers that way. so why should animals deserve that same fate. moderate regulations can be brought forth without giving up meat altogether.

Marvic Boy said...

The Animals rights are an issue that is still causing contradictory opinions nowadays. But in fact, animals deserve rights? Or the only thing that they have left is to be led by our ethical concepts and necessities? Considering that they are instinct guided creatures that do not have duties and neither moral concepts. To find a proper solution to this issue it is necessary to consider that, despite of they are creatures guided by instinct, animals are not immune to pain, they are life beings that are able to feel. If I am asked if I think in animal rights while I am eating meat my answer will be obvious, as the same as almost all the world population, I have not thought in animals rights while I am eating meat and I do not think that I will begin to do it, because it is an issue imposed by the same nature millions of years ago. Animals are not reasonable beings and their reactions are only responses to external stimulations therefore, in my opinion instead of rights for animals we should have more rules and education for us, to be more conscious and stop the unfair treatment that sometimes we do against them, it is ok to use animals as means to satisfy our necessities, it is a part of how the nature works, but of course having limitations to not abuse of them and to try to maintain a proper life cycle for all.

Ramzy said...

I usually do not think of the extensive process that takes place for an average American, as myself, to consume meat products on a daily basis. Furthermore, I do believe that animals should be treated humanely, and those animals which are breed to be sacrificed for human consumption, should be done so in the purest form. I am not a fan of mass/ inhumane slaughter of bred animals for human consumption, but the reality is that humans will continue to eat meat as a form of nutrition. My family was raised on a farm, and it has been instilled in me that many animals are bred for the specific purpose of providing food for humans; therefore this does not strike me as being cruel.

Anonymous said...

Iriz Aldabert Said...
This is such a confusing topic because us humans need meat in our dail cycle. It gives us nutrients and proteins to be able to live. Animals are here to feed us but should not be treated cruely. Iam against researchers snd scientists testing on animals because its a living creature and it shouldnt be treated like that. Many animals die due to these tests. In my opnion eating meat isnt a bad thing but maybe controlling a bit of it can be possible. Maybe not killing so many animals would be a smarter choice but noone should feel guilty about it because we need meat to live.

RB said...

two or three month ago there was a big controbersie here in miami about animal cruelty.there were a group of peaple killing the horses without mercy and selling the meet.another case of animal cruelty happened with the 15 years old boy from coral gables that was killing his neighbors'cats, just because he want to.when i see a person mistreating animal,i fell bad because eventhoug they animal they can fell pain as we do, but to be honets when i'm eating the meat i dont think about any of these issues nither what they did with that poor animal. the only thing that passes throug my mind is how satisfied my stomach is going to be after eating. Roxanna Baez

Kangwen said...

When I eat meat, I never think about these issues about animal rights and animal cruelty. There are two reasons. First of all, eating meat has become a part of my life since the day I could digest it. A two or three years old child is not aware of the fact that he/she is eating animals when eating meat. So once it has become a habit, eating meat is just like eating anything else for me. The second reason is because I’m not involved in the meat production process, I cannot see or feel the pains and sufferings animals feel when they are being killed. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with eating certain animals or using certain animals for scientific researches because they are beneficial for humans. Some argues that humans are animals too and why we would kill our own kind. Yes we are animals, and that’s why we have to abide by the law of the jungle to maintain the biologic chain of the nature.

littletrees said...

Before I became a vegetarian, when I ate meat I felt guilty for feasting on another living being. There is no doubt in my mind that other animals have feelings, like humans, and should not be treated as though they are here for our consumption and entertainment. All animals experience love, happiness, loneliness, fears, etc. But, the animals we choose to eat suffer and die at the rate of millions per day just so we can have something to eat. Deciding what I ate meant choosing between murder and respect for animals.

--Shaina Gregory

Mark G. said...

It's funny because if you would've asked me to comment on this subject when I was 10, 20, and 30 yrs old respectively, you would've gotten 3 completely different answers. I grew up in a small town in rural Michigan where we ate meat 3 times a day with few exceptions. The cool thing looking back was that at the same time, my father taught my brother and me how to hunt. So before that, I didn't even know that meat was actually the muscle of an animal! Killing animals and butchering gave me some real insight into what responsibility we take on when we eat another living creature.
Fast forward my twenties...I was a strict vegetarian for 5 years. I knew at that point that even if eating meat wasn't wrong, the way we went about it in this country wasn't the right way. The way that we treated animals lacked compassion in many, many circumstances. Fast forward to present...I eat meat now and try, at the same time, to be as responsible as possible when I do it. I think that we as humans are part of a very special natural order and should be as dedicated as possible to causing the least amount of suffering while at the same time doing what we feel is right and necessary. We hold an enormous amount of power as human beings and could probably do a much better job of taking care of the creatures that sustain us and improve our lives.
I know, it sounds like hippie shit, but I truly feel that it is so important to be conscious of our actions and how we effect the environment around us. And for all of you that robotically wander into McDonalds four times a week to buy your happy meal..visit a slaughterhouse sometime...that meal ain't so happy.

Abniel Garcia said...

In my personal opinion, animal cruelty is close related to human cruelty, and there have been many examples in our legal system of people who have been cruel to animal and become sadist or serial killer afterward. Despite animals are considered object of private property, their status is in the middle because animals are living creatures. For this reason, in our modern society there are several laws that protect animals against excessive abuses from their owners. Animals’ owners that commit brutal acts against their pets can be prosecuted and imprisoned or fined. In my modest opinion, I agree with those laws and support to pass other severe regulations to regulate animal market. For instances, cows are executed by painful methods and dogs are kept in breeding farms in precarious conditions. I know this is a very hot topic that has triggered a lot of debates in our society; however, we should focus not only in protecting our animals but also studying much deeper the repercussion of animal cruelty in people’s conscience and future behaviors.
Abniel Garcia.

Unknown said...

I believe in every way that animal rights are to be considered because in all fact they to feel pain and joy as we humans do. As Peter Singer stated that we cannot depend on language to know when one feels pain, it is indeed more an observational behavior. Animals may not speak but indeed show how they may feel. Whatever kind of animal it is, should be respected no matter what. I once received an email that showed how animals are beaten and skinned for their fur, after seeing this email I was terrified and felt such anger within me and couldnt believe that someone has the strength to do this as they watch the animal twitch and moan in pain, how can one believe that animals dont feel pain or shouldnt have rights. Leaning towards when I eat meat the thought of animal cruelty doesnt cross my mind at all but I will add that if I were to see an animal such as a cow or goat gutted I will not eat it for nothing in the world. When I was younger and visited family in Jamaica for Christmas I learned and witnessed that its tradition to gut a goat or cow and cook it for dinner afterwards. When my uncle approached me with a plate offerring me to eat it all I could see was the goat hanging upside down; so of course I turned it away quickly. No one quite understood why, but its a feeling that stayed with me since. To me its different if I dont see the animal killed for food than actually seeing it live , the take is different. I do love meat and have tried to eliminate it from my diet but with my diverse culture its not quite easy. Over all I do believe that animals should have rights and we as humans should respect them as we would want to be respected.
Carol

Anonymous said...

Whenever I eat meet I do not think whether the animal I am consuming had to endure an aweful lot of pain in order to become I my food. That is because there is no reason for me to feel any sort of compassion towards animals as I myself am an animal and as all animals have no need for feeling guilty over exploiting weaker animals. I we humans can consider ourselves animals then their is no special case for us other than that we have the use of reason which means we should feel no more compassion or duty to morality than any other beast. The use of reason does not furnish our ability to now what is moral or not because reason only allows us to see the natural processes of the universe not subjective abstract like a moral principle. If we have as little ability to discern what is good or bad or even to understand why we should follow what is good, such as the belief that the Golden Rule should be practised with all sentient creatures, then there is nothing at all appalling about slaughtering animals for sprot or for food or for anything else that might chance to be our fancy at that moment. Daniel Dodge

Alessandra Malaga said...

To be honest, it is really difficult to think about these issues while eating meat. I believe that it is mainly because at that moment we are only concentrated in our meal and how good or bad it is. Eating meat is our nature just like the food chain. However I am against of the way some of these animals are treated. For example, in factory farms where they barely have space to move, are being genetically altered, and live in unsanitary conditions. And as it is stated on the post it is part of our culture. It is what we see in our daily life.

Arrielleh said...

As i am ingesting my favorite meats from animals, animal rights are the last thing on my mind. I dont feel personally responsible for butchering the animals and i didnt mistreat them so i strongly believe that this matter should go as such. You treat the animals cruely when you hunt them down for their expensive furs, or kill them to extract their pricey tusks. I would even go as far to suggest that animal cruelty may come in to play if you are hunting and shooting them down to display their heads as a trophy on your mantle.Let me go on the record as saying, I DON'T believe that animals should be mistreated, or slaughtered for the meat. This is also how we have been taught to survive and raise our children from our ancestors. I feel as if we should not be held accountable for simply doing as we have been taught. I also believe that as long as we arent butchering the animals on the street and selling them illegally that no real crime has been commited.

Anonymous said...

when i eat meat, i don't really think about those issues . And i think that killing animals for their meat does not violate those animals'rights. But if people make the decision to eat less meat our animals will suffer less. if we compare ourselves to animals, we can see that are some similarities. Human and animals,both of them are living creatures. My point is that if we, human have the right to live a good life , a secure life then animals also deserve those same rights. Animals can't talk, so we can't know if they are in pain or not and some of them cannot defend themselves against human. so i think we should protect them, take care of them and find a way not to destroy them. Animals are suffering in many others ways, not only they are kill for their meat, but they are also kill for their skins or ivories ect... if we don't stop destroying them, they will go extinct, and if that happen the nature will lose its beauty.

Anonymous said...

Maximiliano. Silva said....
When I eat meat, which is almost everyday, I do not think of these issues. I don't think of how a chicken or a cow are killed and their suffering during this process. Meat is a big part of my diet because I was brought up to beleive that a good lunch or dinner is some type of meat, chicken, fish accompanied by a side dishes. If there's no meat then the meal isn't very filling. Aside from that, meat is delicious and contains many proteins and nutrients that our bodies need. So when it comes to killing animals for nutrition I believe that we are not wrong. Experimenting on animals is another issue. I do not regularly think of this because I'm not totally aware of the experiments being done by scientists and how animals are being treated. I do beleive that its important to experiment on animals because scientists have discovered many things with doing so. I'm not fully aware exactly how animals are being treated and to what extent they are being put to suffer. I do know that they go through suffering and some are killed in the process of these experiments. I believe wild animals have the right to be left alone, meaning they should not be taken out of their habitats except by scientists that are conducting experiments that have justified means. No one should be killing them for no apparent reason other than getting fun out of it and a trophy. Pets should have different rights as well. Since we cannot talk to an animal and ask its opinion it is important that people that have pets infer when an animal is being mistreated, either by abuse or misfed or that it is living in a non suitable environment. It is up to the pet owners to conclude if they have the means necessary to take care of an animal and if they are not capable of doing so they should make the decision of letting that animal go to another person who is willing and capable of giving the animal what it needs.

Shawn Josiah said...

Animal Cruelty isn't as bad as what someone might think. I believe that eatable animals were put on the earth for a reason. I am not trying to be an advocate by thinking or saying that we shouldn't care for the animals, but we as humans sometimes go through difficult times and their is no other way to provide ourselves with food. There are so many poor countries in the world and cant afford to provide foods for themselves. Someone may argue against the case by saying animals shouldn't be killed but at the same time we have to remember we are not placed in their shoes. Not to be ruthless in any way but I think human lives are more essential than animals in any ways. We also have to remember that their are animals in the world that fed on human too. Animal cruelty will never stop because it is a way of making enormous amount of money and at the same time we use it for our own benefits.

Anonymous said...

“Animal Rights.” Should animals have rights? If so, should we discriminate which ones? Who has the power to decide? I believe this is a very broad topic, which can be approached from a huge number of perspectives. Aren’t we, humans, part of the animal kingdom? In fact, yes we are. And if we are convinced that we deserve rights, wouldn’t other animals, belonging to the same kingdom, deserve the same rights? We believe that because of our ability to reason and to think, we are superior to other animals. But just like Peter Singer said, we all have the ability to feel pain. Therefore, we shouldn’t treat another being in an inhumane way. We perform experiments on chimps and rats, among other animals, to prolong and make more pleasant our life in this planet. “We are playing God.”But then again, when we are the ones in need, we hope to have something that makes us feel better, don’t we? When it comes to food, we are very happy of having a piece of meat on the plate. I believe that we cannot stop eating or making our lives better. I do think we should be considerate on how we do the things we do!

Anonymous said...

“Animal Rights.” Should animals have rights? If so, should we discriminate which ones? Who has the power to decide? I believe this is a very broad topic, which can be approached from a huge number of perspectives. Aren’t we, humans, part of the animal kingdom? In fact, yes we are. And if we are convinced that we deserve rights, wouldn’t other animals, belonging to the same kingdom, deserve the same rights? We believe that because of our ability to reason and to think, we are superior to other animals. But just like Peter Singer said, we all have the ability to feel pain. Therefore, we shouldn’t treat another being in an inhumane way. We perform experiments on chimps and rats, among other animals, to prolong and make more pleasant our life in this planet. “We are playing God.”But then again, when we are the ones in need, we hope to have something that makes us feel better, don’t we? When it comes to food, we are very happy of having a piece of meat on the plate. I believe that we cannot stop eating or making our lives better. I do think we should be considerate on how we do the things we do!

tamara said...

“Animal Rights.” Should animals have rights? If so, should we discriminate which ones? Who has the power to decide? I believe this is a very broad topic, which can be approached from a huge number of perspectives. Aren’t we, humans, part of the animal kingdom? In fact, yes we are. And if we are convinced that we deserve rights, wouldn’t other animals, belonging to the same kingdom, deserve the same rights? We believe that because of our ability to reason and to think, we are superior to other animals. But just like Peter Singer said, we all have the ability to feel pain. Therefore, we shouldn’t treat another being in an inhumane way. We perform experiments on chimps and rats, among other animals, to prolong and make more pleasant our life in this planet. “We are playing God.”But then again, when we are the ones in need, we hope to have something that makes us feel better, don’t we? When it comes to food, we are very happy of having a piece of meat on the plate. I believe that we cannot stop eating or making our lives better. I do think we should be considerate on how we do the things we do!

Lakshmi said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Valery Bustos said...

The subject on animal rights has always been a very controversial topic. We all have different beliefs and just because some of us disagree with animal cruelty many other people in the world are out hunting and destroying the animal kingdom. Animals have always been a part of my life and yes I have grown up eating meat. Of course, I know that the animals are treated in horrendous ways but when I eat meat I do not think the tortures they are put through. When I eat cow or any type of meat I do not think about them being put in slaughter houses in order. I believe that animals do have rights, but sadly we do not think of animals we think of ourselves and our own ways to survive. I am an animal lover and I would love to stop animal cruelty. Animals do have rights and even if I do eat them,I believe that it is wrong for people to mistreat them for selfish reasons such as to make clothing. I took the time to research animal cruelty in order to make clothing for a project last semester and it was something I did not agree with. Raccoons, seals, dogs, cats, any other type of animal is used in order to make clothes and knowing that there are so many alternative materials that can be used to make clothing we decide to buy acessories and clothes such as sweaters made out of fur, boots, bags, etc. We are not helping animals, we are actually contributing to animal cruelty eating animals is something that many of us cannot stop from doing but, we can stop buying accessories made from animals. If we were to do this we would save many animals that are currently being tortured and abused.

Max Edens Delphonse said...

Well, when it comes to certain issues there are always controversial because we are all like different things and come from various culture/tradition that deals with issue (animal right) differently. To be candid, I don't think about the meat while I eat it becausee it is neccesary for my body to obtain certain amount of protein. It's not a requirement for us, as humans, to eat meat or that we NEED meat to survive. I mean the meat is a good source of protein that can makes our body to function better than without meat, but that doesn't imply that we need meat to survive. I eat meat because I liked it the very first time I tried it. A long time ago, people used to kill animals to sacrifice to GOD. As a matter of fact, animal cruelty happens when one kills an animal that was not meant to be eaten. For instance, in my culture it's illegal to kill a dog, on the other hand, it's legal to kill a chicken because we use the chicken meat to eat, but we don't need the dog meat at all- then why should I kill a dog at the first place in which I don't want the meat? I believe that animal cruelty happens not directly when you kill an animal but to which types of animal you kill. Moreover, imagine if there were no animal to eat. How would we produce meat that can give us certain nutruients for our body? I believe that GOD has created each animal for a different purpose. We may not know why, but there's a reason why animals are on earth. I also believe that animals have no soul, mind, reason, and intelligent, then why should they gain RIGHT, or what kind of RIGHT should they possess. To be more specific, how can an organism possess right?

Nadya said...

This issue have been contradicting itself for many years. Some people think that just because they have evolved as humans we are not animals inside. Well, we were all animals once, and just because we have evolved and our brain have the capacity to dominate other species does not mean that animals shouldn’t have rights. I personally totally agree with animals rights and they do deserved to be treated equally, at the end we ll share the same world.
Personally I do not eat meat of animal product no more than once or twice a month because my body needs the protein and nutrients of it, but I totally disagreed when people eat meat daily. I hate when people eat chicken or meat and throw away the rest just because they are full and the next day they buy more meat and throw away the rest, this create business for big companies and we not longer kill to survive but to make profit. As consumers we should do something. Just because we are at the top of the food chain does not mean that we are at the top of the world. We come from animals, we are consider animals and we should not harm those who share the world with us…..

Anonymous said...

When eating meat from any type on animal, I do not visualize the live creature I currently am ingesting. However, considering I do not have a weak stomach, thinking about the animal- that is currently saturated in undeniably delicious spices and juices- would not stop me from finishing my meal. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I do not care for animals because I'm quite the contrary. I believe that animals should have rights to an extent. Some animals are helpless and depend on us for their life. Yet, sometimes we take advantage of the creatures that rely on us as humans, and we rob them of their rights as living beings. I believe the least the we can do as rational people that have morals is to provide some protection for animals' rights. "Since animals have no language, leading scientists argue that it is impossible to know when an animal is suffering." I pulled this quote from the article because I totally disagree with it. I know to communicate my pain to others I normally don't say anything, yet the people surrounding me know I'm hurting because they understand my body language. When we hear a dog crying and yelping do we not have concern for the animal? Animals have their own feelings and portray them in ways that we or their species can understand in order to help them. Slaughter houses inhumanely kill their animals. The chickens suffer in cages that are barely habitable. I came across another article, that describes how slaughter houses that skin cats, dogs, and foxes, do so in such a way that the animals suffer incredible amounts of pain. They are skinned alive and some are still twitching as they are thrown into the pile of bloody corpses for their fur(http://news.softpedia.com/news/Cats-Dogs-and-Foxes-Skinned-Alive-in-China-for-Their-Fur-59857.shtml). Althouh we are not eatingthese animals, I find it unnecessary to have such pain on such a helpless creature. Although animals may seem inferior we can still be more humane of the way we kill them. Everything dies, but we can determine the amount of pain we provide in the las hours of any creature's life. Which arises the question, is death painful? I believe it depends on the circumstance, but if we have the choice wouldn't we want the least amount of suffering as possible? The Jewish eat kosher meat; which I understand to be the best way for an animal to be killed. They try to cut the suffering to a minimum for the animal. As much as I feel for the animals, I could not take meat away from my diet. Although I say all these things, I must look on from another perspective. Our society is so massive and consumes so many things. I understand the providers for killing the animals in such a way that they do it quickly and without a care in the world only to get the money and to continue to provide for our worlds mass populations of consumers. Along with that, we are all a part of the circle of life and without us, there would be an over population of animals. I am thankful for the meat provided, and hope some day that our world's society can also provide protection rights for our animals.
Jennifer Carril          

Kevin Allende said...

I've been eating meat my whole life, and quite frankly, I don't plan on stopping any time soon. However, I do believe as society we've become dependent on it while not fully grasping or appreciating what goes into attaining meat. It's pretty common knowledge that some of these meat packaging plants look like something out of a horror movie. So then where do we draw the line between what makes it ok and when should we take into account the animals rights. It begins by defining what rights do animals actually have. I agree with many of the philosopher’s viewpoints, especially how Tom Regan argues that animals are bearers of rights since they are “subjects of a life.” But I can’t help but feel hypocritical because of my own affinity for meat. Kevin Allende

Anonymous said...

As many I grew up eating meat, poultry, pork and fish. Yes is very hard to leave old habits, but yet not impossible. An example of this is vegitarian creatures. As human we evolved to be the biggest predator on the earth. We consume more than we can produce. The society though us to want better and improve products. But what marketing companies are living out of their advertisements: is that much of the animals, minerals, land and other resources are being use to sell us those new products; that the vast majority of time we do not need. Making Companies richer and our world (home) poorest. It’s true every most people would like that new TV or the latest phone, even if our old (only for us) stills fully functional. What many of us do not realize is that when we fall into marketing techniques and we often forget to think outside the box “we are also contributing to the destruction of our planet”. We degraded the landscapes, kill and eat animals, introduced those to a new environment many times unsuccessfully. Scientist had not found a planet with the right environment, food supply and water, etc for us to habitat. We are heading to extinction if we do not use our capacity of reasoning, and social structure wisely. The earth had evolved, adapt and change many times before. It can coexist without us, but can we exist without our planet. Today the tuna is at risk; maybe years from now it could be the human race…..
Juliana Ortiz.

Marco Medina said...

There will always be instances where scholars and young adults argue in favor of “animal rights.” Some people take this cause to the next level and join animal rights group such as PETA. Others actively show their position in front of others by proclaiming themselves vegetarian--no longer do they have to rely on animals for food consumption. But will the general population--such as the population of the United States--be okay with being prohibited from eating meat and refraining from using animals in testing?

The majority of people may call themselves proponents of animal rights, animals should be granted same rights as humans, if asked if they are on the spot. Yet surveys show that a majority of people will not be okay from being prohibited from consuming meat. Americans, for example, will generally not be okay with paying higher prices for cosmetics and other over-the-counter substances. Even if “animal rights” is only limited to providing more humane conditions for animals in slaughterhouses, most people will be against paying even higher substantial prices for meat products in fast food restaurants and supermarkets.

Take into consideration that all these “horrible inhuman conditions” animals are put through everyday in the United States is not unnecessary suffering. It is done for our benefit, our life, our lower prices, our prosperity. The concept behind this argument is the same as choosing whether to pay an extremely higher price for an electronic product made by a unionized American worker earning fair salaries, or paying a much cheaper price by having it made by an underaged Chinese worker earning several cents per hour.