ANIMAL RIGHTS! ANIMAL RIGHTS?

[futurebird.livejournal.com]

I don't recall talking about animal intelligence/rights with you. So let's have at it!

What questions in the area of animal rights do you think are most urgent that we resolve?
Do you see hypocrisy in the way we protect some animals more than others?



First a poll:

[Poll #1768683]

Comments

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Animals have the right to be prey to another animal. I think that's pretty much it. If humans want to try and protect some of them for various reasons, that's a different issue.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

We "grant rights" to humans because they're human. Any other justification is just sophistry. What rights we "grant" are because we try to think about what "rights" we have already and what "rights" we think are important to protect in order to have a society and not a State of Nature.

The other problem is the blurring of the meaning of the term "right".

I have no problem with granting animals some measure of protection from humans, but these are essentially just restrictions on what it is legal for humans to do to/with animals. That isn't granting them rights. Only dogs can grant dogs the right to X.

I just can't bring myself to justify (e.g.) torturing animals for simple pleasure.

I can't either, and I think people who do that are exhibiting a behavior that will impact their relationships with other humans in a negative way, and that behavior should be discouraged and/or prevented. I would also claim that it's immoral, but I don't try to impose my moral code on society (even though it would make us all better off) so the anti-social argument is an adequate justification.