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Should Animals Have Rights

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Should Animals Have Rights?

Though the history of the world is often the subject of heated debates, there are a few facts that are undisputed. One of these facts is that animals inhabited our planet long before humans did. This, in a sense, makes animals a kind of “grandfather” of the planet Earth. Humans have, in fact, been dependent on animals for thousands of years. From Native Americans following buffalo herds, to long voyage travelers bring dried meat to fight scurvy; animals have played a vital part of our history. So one must wonder, why, as humanity progresses towards a bigger and brighter future, the way we treat animals is becoming increasingly cruel. While animals have always been seen as a resource, a steady supply of food and clothing, our treatment of them has become nothing short of appalling. Since humans are so dependent on animals for their well being, their comfort, and in some cases their religion; there should be a moral obligation to treat animals decently. We use animals to help us is a variety of different ways. We use dogs for seeing and guiding the blind. We use them for search and rescue; our mutually beneficial relationship is ever evolving. This includes but is not limited to, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions with people, other animals, and the environment.
Pets may be the only daily companions for elderly and special needs populations, and occupy the role of physical and emotional care-givers for these people. According to Paul Starobin, “We can probable already prove that pigs are as intelligent as dogs.” While I support the right for people to eat what they want, it is a fact that they way animals are housed, treated, and slaughtered needs to change. One of the greatest arguments against animals having rights is that they can’t speak for themselves, that because they are unable to think, they are less than humans, so they can be treated as such. There are two fundamental flaws with this argument. The first flaw is that humans have an obligation to society to behave in a certain manor. We are encouraged from a young age to act and behave in a certain way. Animal cruelty and neglect goes against all the basic principles we should learn as children. In fact, society often sees acts of animal cruelty in children as a sign of deeper psychological problems. According to the Animal Rights Coalition, “a history of animal abuse was found in 25% of aggressive male criminals, 30% of convicted child molesters, 36% of those who assaulted women, and 46% of those convicted of sexual homicide.” (www.arc-usa.org/evidence) The second problem with this argument is that it allows for the cruel treatment of humans who can’t defend for themselves. This line of thinking justifies what they did in Nazi Germany people, viewed to be less human, were rounded up and slaughtered, and several thousand of them were used for experimental medical studies.
This is they way we treat animals and although the majority of humans know this is not moral we continue this practice on animals. Mahatma Gahndi said, “the moral fiber of a society is best gauged by how we treat our animals.” (Qtd in Thomas) We as a society need to keep this principle in mind when we deal with our animals. One need only go visit a factory farm to see how appalling the treatment of animals is. Matthew Scully, a former special assistant to President George W. Bush argues for strong regulation of the meat industry. He states, on hog farms animals are so closely pinned that they are unable to move; they are covered in urine and excrement, have broken limbs, festering sores, and are surrounded by dead and decaying carcasses. (Qtd in Clemment) If we, as a society, were more educated about the way animals were being treated the nation as a whole would be more inclined to do something about the cruel treatment of animals. Have you ever done an internet search of some of these factory farms? I have and I wonder why these farmers can get away with treating animals in such a grotesque manner. Searching the internet, one can find photos of these farms, and frankly, anyone with a hint of morality could not find the conditions acceptable. The fact that it is happening all across the United States is so barbaric that one has to wonder why more is not done to preserve the integrity of these animals. Humans have relayed on animals for food, for transportation, for cultivating farms, for companionship and several other areas. Animals play a key role in human kinds well being, for this reason alone more needs to be done to preserve their well being. As we gain knowledge in technology it seems we are loosing our moral compass when it comes to mans best friends. The Humane Society, founded in 1954, is a place where one can go to view animals that have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. My children and I went there last week and what we saw made my children burst out in tears; there were several horses that were so emaciated from neglect that the worker stated “she wasn’t sure they would survive” the horses were also covered in sores and had scars all over them. They had large bald spots and their overall condition was horrifying. I wondered if the person/people who responsible for the horses would be prosecuted for their role in the maltreatment of the animals’, but the worker wasn’t sure. My children and I also saw the effects of neglect and abuse on dogs and cats that day. These images will likely have a lasting affect on us and I hope my children will learn that when dealing with a life one needs to act in a moral and responsible way. I believe we need to find solutions to the problems that we are experiencing in the treatment of our animals and that one of our largest areas of concern is that of corporate farming. Corporate farmers receive large subsides from our government. These subsides are not equally shared with small farmers who often live in or about the poverty level. Our government is providing the basic means for the cruelty of animals and we the tax payers are fronting the bill. Our government should be providing subsides on the criteria of how clean and whether or not the farmers are practicing humane and ethical treatment of their animals. The farms should be regulated bimonthly and farms that do not meet the standard should be permanently closed with no chance of the owners ever being able to have anything to do with animals. They would be on a sort of permanent parole and the animals would be taken away and given to a farmer who treats animals ethically, and the government would give the farmer taking responsibility for the animals subsides that would have went to the closed farm. In addition to this, any farmer no matter what they are farming, milk, eggs, protein sources, found violating the law should be incarcerated for a minimum of three years. I guarantee you that with such strict laws we would have an immediate and lasting change in the way that corporations treat animals, but why should these large conglomerates’ change their practices? As it stands they are receiving huge dividends for their efforts. A less extreme solution would be to offer subsides to only organic farmers. This might be just enough incentive for corporations to change their practices and would benefit every living being. We would have healthier food and our animals would be treated with ethics and morality. People are dependant on animals for a wide variety of things and we need to treat them as ethically and humanely as possible. Whether for seeing, search and rescue, companionship, or simple for consumption animals should be treated by their owners and caregivers with love and care. To torture animals while they are alive is simple unacceptable.

Works Cited
Clemmitt, Marcia. "Animal Rights." CQ Researcher 20.1 (2010): 1-24. Print. .
Starobin, Paul . "Animal Rights On The March. " National Journal 21 May 2010: Social

Science Module, ProQuest. Web. 12 Dec. 2010.

Thomas, Oliver . "What's the godly way to treat animals :Many of us fall short, even in the way we care for the animals we love. And the ones we eat? That's a more disturbing conversation.. " USA TODAY 14 Jun 2010, ProQuest Newsstand, ProQuest. Web. 12 Dec. 201

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