SOCIAL: Animal rights

Every living creature deserves the right to live its life. Just because we are more advanced mentally than any creature here on Earth, that doesnt give us the right to take the life of animals, to test on them or to kill there living places.
A request of this years parties stands on animals right was sent. Here is the answers.



As president, would you take any of the following executive actions?
� Halt the use of cruel and indiscriminate steel-jawed leghold traps for commerce or recreation on national wildlife refuges? _X_ yes ____ no
� Make enforcement of the federal law (Section 26 of the Animal Welfare Act) against animal fighting a priority within the USDA? _X_ yes ___ no
� Provide adequate funding for enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Horse Protection Act, and Humane Slaughter Act? _X_ yes ___ no
� Establish a national Humane Farming Commission to examine animal welfare issues in American agriculture? _X_ yes ____ no
� Take strong stands against commercial whaling at the International Whaling Commission meeting, including a ban on Makah whaling? ___ yes _X_ no
NOTE: I have consistently opposed commercial whaling. At the same time the U.S. commitment to Native Americans must be honored.

Puppy Mills. While millions of healthy and adoptable animals are euthanized for lack of enough suitable homes, the commercial dog breeding industry continues to produce millions of dogs in substandard environments, on operations commonly referred to as �puppy mills,� for the pet trade. Legislation in Congress would create a "3 strikes and you're out" policy to shut down chronic violators of the Animal Welfare Act and to establish new rules to stop overbreeding of dogs and the breeding of the animals before they can safely breed. WILL YOU SUPPORT ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS CHRONIC ANIMAL WELFARE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH PUPPY MILLS? _X_ yes ___ no Animal fighting. Dogfighting and cockfighting are massive underground industries, with millions of dogs and birds bred for fighting and placed in pits to fight to the death. While the Congress banned any interstate transport or imports or exports of animals for fights, penalties remain weak and insufficient to deter animal fighting enthusiasts. WILL YOU SUPPORT ADOPTION OF FELONY-LEVEL PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE FEDERAL ANIMAL FIGHTING LAW? _X_ yes ___ no Laboratory Animals. Of all of the animals used in research, 95% of them are mice, rats, and birds. Though they feel pain just as other warm-blooded animals do, these animals are not covered by the humane care standards established under the Animal Welfare Act. WILL YOU SUPPORT THE INCLUSION OF BIRDS, RATS, AND MICE IN ANIMAL WELFARE ACT ENFORCEMENT? _X_ yes ___ no .

(It looks to me that Kerry is all for animals rights, again actions speak louder than words)


I think I can quickly triage the readers of this page into three groups:
Those who are already animal-rights supporters. (a small percentage of the population, but I suppose disproportionately represented here)


Those who satisfied to continue to eat meat and support livestock agribusiness. (The great majority of the population, I'm sure, but probably less likely to be reading this.)


Those few who may actually be influenced by animal-rights arguments.
Of those in the second group, those who are satisfied with the situation as it is now, I believe that 90% of their reasoning comes down to "I like to eat meat." To be honest we should clarify that as, "I like to eat meat, and I don't care how much suffering I'm responsible for."


It seems to me that Animal Rights issues are a very clear demonstration of the doublethink so prevalent in human affairs --

Raising and killing animals for food plainly involves a great deal of cruelty.

Raising animals for other purposes (eggs, milk, etc.) plainly also involves a great deal of cruelty.

The purchase of animal-based foods plainly supports a great deal of cruelty.

Most people are not particularly cruel and do not wish to be or to seem cruel.

It is therefore generally and firmly believed that the animal-foods industries are not in fact cruel.


I can not find One statment by GWB on animal rights. But I did find someone else who cares.

John Galt jr.
user.aol.com...

Animal Rights

Q. Where do you stand on the issues of animal abuse, animal rights, the inhumanity of modern-day factory farming and our insane use of putting animal byproducts into everything even though there are cruelty free alternatives?
A. Modern day farming is ridiculous, mass production puts the entire food supply at great risk. Packing and packaging plants producing amazing about of products are inherently the hardest places to keep sanitary. The result mass sickness when they screw up...
I do support PETA and the SPCA, but I also believe they take things too far at times...


Link

members.tripod.com...

www.animal-law.org...

home.mindspring.com...

[edit: fixed link]

[edit on 5-8-2004 by Banshee]

I'm all up for animal rights. Except not eating meat. Unfourtunatly we can't really feed a whole lot of people on vegetarian diets. I respect vegetarians but I don't think we should all submit to not eating meat. Perhaps having days of the weeks were we don't eat meat might be ok. All I ask of the people who slaughter the animals is that it is done as humanly as possible. What I don't like is flat out cruelty of animals. What I also hate is the killing of animals for purposes other than eating it or it has to be put down due to suffering. I don't think its right to neuter pets, or have cats declawed. I feel that the murder of an animal should be a felony.

Again I concure. Even though animals are not as mentally adapt as us, who gave us the right to play God throughout the animal kingdom.
Although the ideals of animal cruelity are a well idea, some animals would stil have to be slayed for food since a human diet without meat would cause probally, since if the human body wasnt meant to eat meat, wouldnt our bodies been designed not to take it ?

Originally posted by racos
...a human diet without meat would cause probally, since if the human body wasnt meant to eat meat, wouldnt our bodies been designed not to take it ?

My sister has recently become vegan and is finding she really likes it on many levels. Being a college student she has access to a nutritionist who charts her food intake. According to the nutritionist my sister has a much healthier diet than most Americans despite not eating any animal products. She takes a calcium supplement but even that is something that everyone should be doing. She's lost weight, feels great and is proud that she is protecting animals.


Like SpittinCobra I think that animal rights activists can take things too far. People who "set free" desert animals into a Minnesota winter do not have my support.

To play the devil's advocate I think that testing on animals is a necessary evil. While I want to see it happen as little is possible, I would rather have new medicines tested on animals rather than infants. However, I think it should *only* happen when no other option is available and the animals involved should be treated with as much respect and dignity as possible.


Edit: sp
[edit on 5-8-2004 by Cercey]

[edit on 6-8-2004 by Cercey]

I'm all for not being cruel to animals.
There are people who should not be allowed to have pets.
Animals should not be used to fight.
And all that common sense stuff.

But to say it is cruel to eat meat and eggs? I don't see that.
Perhaps agribusiness has gone to exrtremes. But, that is the cost if people continue to demand cheap prices.
There are companies that raise a kinder and gentler chicken and steer. But those prices are prohibitive for many, if not most. (A Beel & Evans chicken is at least $1.99 per pound. Kobe beef is at least $35.00 per pound)
Having the entire country go vegetarian is no answer. We would then simply rape the land.

Now when it comes to breeding animals, thats a tricky one. I feel that if they are to be breed they should only be bread by small private breeders who are well qualified. I know about an excellent breeder were I got my dog from. She keeps the place very clean, and the puppies are well taken care of. This is how it should be. But large companies who would do this, that just isn't right. I don't like pet stores to be honest. It pains me to see puppies in the little cage not having a home, and being brought into the world for a profit.

With the food industry I think it might be a good idea for them to instead of selling cheap 75cent hamburgers serve more expensive but high qualitly meat. That would benefit us all. Less of that crap they give you at McDonalds and less animal killings. That or I think its a good idea to simply eat less meat. Not give it up completly but eat less of it.

Originally posted by racos
Although the ideals of animal cruelity are a well idea, some animals would stil have to be slayed for food since a human diet without meat would cause probally, since if the human body wasnt meant to eat meat, wouldnt our bodies been designed not to take it ?

Actually, they are not so designed. Primates (including us) are not by nature predators. We were not given agility in the fields in order to hunt by chasing prey, nor do we possess the fangs of predators. Our stomachs also do not easily digest raw meat.

Eventually, we became "smart", and adapted. Unlike our other primate cousins, we're not covered in fur, and had to use animal skins to keep warm. We developed hunting weapons in the Paleolithic era, and learned to cook the meat instead of wasting it.

I do not consider meat-eating a moral issue, since it is obvious that Nature has determined that one creature will live by killing another. But I also believe that humans, as moral beings, have the responsibility to behave ethically toward less developed species, and if we're going to kill animals for food, it should be done humanely.

Nevertheless, I applaud folks who have chosen vegetarianism. In modern agriculture, there is plenty of grains, vegetables, and fruits to provide a healthy, balanced diet for all, which has made the eating of animal corpses superfluous for survival.

"We were not given agility in the fields in order to hunt by chasing prey, nor do we possess the fangs of predators."


But we do, our brains are our fangs, our claws, our advantage.


Most animals do not kill unless they are going to eat. There are some that will kill for what ever reason. A couple of examples. Black Mamba, They have no fear. Bears will kill sometimes and not eat. Humans.........

There are a couple of animals that there sole reason for being here is to make the cycle go around. Samon is a go example. If it wasnt for bears, people and other animals fishing for these fish they would die off, and so would it enviroment. Bears only eat the brains, the rest go back into the river up stream, thousands of people fish for thede fish, they are able to keep the meat the rest goes back in the water..... If this didnt happen the baby samon would have nothing to eat when they are born. The samon feed most of the area that they are in, in alaska.

I dont think we should give up meat, we need to eat meat to keep the balance. What gives us the right to kill animals to the point, there are no more?






[edit on 6-8-2004 by SpittinCobra]

I have to say that I am a big animal lover. Everytime I hear of someone being cruel to an animal it sickens me to no end. People who harm animals for fun are EVIL.

Lab test animals: Well unfortunately I think this is a necessary evil. We need to be able to test drugs for the betterment of human kind. I think that these animals should be treated like gods. Given the best of everything. These labs should hire people to come in everday and give these animals unconditional love. I would even bet that people would come in and do this for free. The point I am getting at here is. That these animals should not just sit in a cage and rot. They need to loved and they need to know that they are loved. After all they are giving up there lifes for all of humanity.

Puppy Mills: I really think puppy mills should be made illegal. These people are putting sick animals into the homes of caring people. I really think it is impossible for someone to take proper care of more then 3 female and 1 male. My point being is that . All animals need to be made ready for the family home. How can one person handle more then 15 new borns at a time ? And even 15 is a high number. How can they make sure every new born is played with and keep there living area clean? How can one person do this? They can't. I have tried. I think there should be a law that you can only have so many breeding mothers lets say 3 tops. Anything over 3 breeding mothers should be considered a mill. And anyone running a mill should be charged with a felony.

Animals for Food: I got to say this is a hard one. Lets face it. Humans need and want to eat meat. We the human race would not be where we are today if our ancestors passed up the chance to eat what the predator left behind. What the predator left behind was the scull. Our ancestors would retrieve these sculls and brake them open and eat the brains. Scientist think this is how we got so smart.
I will say this. The way we farm these animals should change. We should never feed animals feed made from the animals of the same race. I am even thinking we should never feed animals with animal parts. These animals should have the best loving care. Like the Kobe cows. I really think all farm animals should have this kind of care. Not just cows, but chickens, pigs, sheep, goats. Yeah sure the price would be high. But I tell you what I would much rather pay 35.00$ for a pound of meat knowing that this animal had the best life it could have. This would also lower meat consumption. This would also lower animal death. Less land would be used. Opens up more land for planting. Also as a side note. The people who raise, sell, buy, eat Veal should be ashamed of them selfs. The way these poor calfs are treated is cruel.

I Believe that being Cruel to animals is wrong

However i believe that in using animals for tests is O.K within certain paramiters (not to grow ears and drownd them ect or inject AIDs virsus into them, i believe for this they should already have the animals with that desiese and try to cure them)

But i also believe Humans (In general without knowing) believe they are above every other race

People who say testing on Animals is compleatly wrong then taking drugs and anti-biotics are "hypocrites" (In a sence, as they take an action without bothering to see what its effect would be or how it came about) due to the fact their drugs they take to cure their desieses have probly only been developed due to testing on animals