Animal Rights -- The Debate Evolves

Canada goose, Central Park, 10-14.

On this Monday afternoon, I want to thank Doug from California for sharing his views in Guest Commentary yesterday regarding some questionable, complex or potentially confusing and disturbing trends in the quest for Animal Rights.

.

What is Animal Rights? Where is it going? What are its ultimate goals? Does achievement of Animal Rights mean loss or lessoning of human rights? 

.

These are all important questions and ones without easily definable answers. As the writer correctly discerns, it depends upon who one talks to.

.

For the millions of people who, in one way or another, self-identify as supporters of animal rights, there are probably as many interpretations of exactly what Animal Rights means as there are individuals. To one person, it might simply mean being "kind" to the animals one personally encounters in life or owns as pets. To another person, "Animal Rights" means the eschewing of all animal products and animal based services (e.g. "use" of animals). To others, Animal Rights means legal and political efforts on behalf of animals and to still others, it means rescue and care of animals in distress or who are victims of cruelty, neglect or homelessness.

.

How does one even begin to mesh into something cohesive and holistic, such divergent and widely encompassing perspectives?

.

It isn't easy. 

.

For example, while I personally agree with Doug that not all "use" of animals is nefarious or "immoral" (On the contrary, much is reciprocal and positive for both human and animal -- even many "working" animals), it is not clear we draw the use/abuse line in the exact same place.

.

I gave up all meat and fish almost 35 years ago for one simple and basic reason:

.

I realized that I was not personally willing to kill a cow, chicken, pig or even fish for the sake of taste buds, whereas I would (if necessary) be willing to plant and pick vegetables, fruits or even milk a cow if there was no one to pay to do these things.

.

It thus seemed "hypocritical" to pay others to do what I personally would be unwilling and unable to do under any, but the most extreme, life and death circumstances.

.

(Of course when learning how nearly all of the billions of animals who end up on our plates are actually suffering on modern intensive factory farms, it only reinforced the decision. One can actually understand the claim by some that modern meat eating is not only hypocritical for many people, it is morally questionable for those who otherwise identify as loving and/or caring about animals.) 

.

Even if most of us could agree that not all "use" of animals is immoral, it seems most of us would have to intellectually concede that the most common use of animals (i.e. "food") is inherently cruel, not only for the fact the animals are brutally killed, but also for the conditions they are forced to endure before they are killed. (On the latter note, modern dairy and egg production also present serious moral and ethical challenges to otherwise, self-described, animal loving people.)

.

But, even if self-questioning and realizing our inconsistencies and/or hypocrisies regarding animals, where does that leave us? Does one suddenly give up all animal products, usually in defiance of families, friends, tradition and even spouses? Does one seek out "humanely raised" meat and dairy? Or, does one give up some products, while keeping others? (Such as "fishtarians" or vegetarians who consume dairy and/or eggs.)

.

We all draw the line in a different place, don't we?  (For my part, it took a full year to go entirely vegetarian and I am still not fully vegan, though I feel guilty about that.)

.

But, perhaps the real question should not be exactly where each of us draws the line on our inconsistencies or imperfections regarding our relationships with animals, but rather, do we draw a line at all?

.

This morning, when considering how I would respond to Doug's provocative commentary, I delayed actual thought to rather search archives on this blog to gage when migratory geese typically fly through Central Park. (Apparently, most fly through here during late October and early November.)

.

While thumbing through some past entries, I came across this one from last November 16th.  Ironically, it perhaps best answers where I personally stand on Animal Rights today and hopefully addresses some of the points in Doug's well reasoned and thoughtful commentary. I resubmit it today as sincere and presently felt response, as well as welcoming further debate and discussion:

.

"Respect Without Prejudice and Denial -- A New and Future World for Animals?"

(Patty Adjamine, 11-16-13)

.

Recently, video of a young woman viciously kicking three geese in a public park surfaced both, on the Internet and television news:

.

http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/news/law-enforcement/geese-s-former-owner-reclaims-birds-attacker-charged-with-animal-cruelty-1.235285

.

The woman has since been identified and rightly charged with animal cruelty.

.

But, what makes this story unique is the amount of public outrage expressed and shared, when the truth is that similar cruelties (and much worse) occur everyday on factory farms across the country to a variety of animals, including millions of chickens, turkeys, cows, calves, pigs, lambs and many more.

.

On the same day I posted the above story to  (61) Call of the Canada Geese Facebook page, I also posted another story of more than 20 domestic ducks and geese who were shot and beaten to death in another public park (presumably with authorization). 

.

 http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20131115/SP01/131119787/geese-inhumanely-slaughtered-at-rowan-memorial-park

.

It was, however, the story of the individual woman acting in cruel and despicable manner that was widely shared and commented upon. But, wasn't the other story actually worse in terms of blatant cruelty ending in violent death to numerous animals?

.

And is it not worse, the torments and cruelties that millions of animals suffer everyday both on factory farms and in slaughterhouses?

.

What is it exactly that compels our outrage to rise up in one instance and seemingly go to sleep in others that are in fact, far more pervasive and egregious?

.

Is it the fact that we are better able to discern clearly, those instances of civilian and individual animal cruelty, as opposed to industrial, corporate or governmental?

.

Is it the fact that we are able to be more objective in identifying cruelty when we are not either directly or indirectly connected to it and derive no personal benefit?

.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared on this blog my puzzlement when meeting two birders in Central Park who, though seemingly unhappy when witnessing two migratory geese chased and harassed out of Harlem Meer by Geese Police, were nevertheless resigned and accepting of the action.  I could not understand their seeming casualness with something that was obviously cruel and unnecessary under the circumstances.

.

Now I wonder what the couple's reaction might have been had it instead been two rowdy teenagers or cruel adults perpetrating the action and terrorizing birds out of a park?

.

Suspicion is, the couple would have complained to authorities.

.

But, because the perpetrators of cruel action wore identifying and authoritarian uniforms, the action was therefore, rendered acceptable.

.

Here is the pertinent question to ask:

.

Isn't cruelty, cruelty regardless of the victims or the perpetrators?  Are we not talking about actions resulting in pain, distress, torment or death to others?

.

An infamous Russian dictator once said, "The death of one is a tragedy, the death of millions, a statistic."

.

Unfortunately, that seems true in terms of us being able to "identify" or empathize with victims of injustice, cruelty or tyranny be they animal or human.

.

It is easier to visualize and empathize with the pain of one, rather than millions.

.

But, that should not discount our roles (if any) in the tyranny of millions.

.

Nor should we excuse and accept cruelty because it is committed by someone in a uniform.

.

In less than two weeks, millions of us will celebrate a national holiday over the bodies of animals who have been mercilessly treated throughout their short, unnatural lives, often brutalized and cruelly slain for our supposed "celebration" and benefit:

.

12 Reasons You May Never Want To Eat Turkey Again

.

But, few of us will protest or even think about that.

.

A couple of weeks ago, The Washington Post ran a story about how new USDA regulations will speed up slaughter lines likely resulting in even more than one million chickens and turkeys being annually boiled alive:

.

USDA plan to speed up poultry-processing lines could increase risk of bird abu

.

But, there was barely any outrage over this important news story, as compared to the one of the deranged woman kicking geese in a public park.

.

That is because too many of us apparently sanction industrialized abuse of animals and support it with our purchase dollars, whereas virtually no one condones individual animal cruelty that does not immediately benefit us.

.

Humans appear to be the only species capable of infinite denial of reality. Non-human animals exhibiting such denial of realities would surely be dead and/or headed for rapid extinction.

.

Still, there are small glimpses of hope on the horizon:

.

That hope, I personally believe, is in the hands of the photographers, videographers and everyday people who take the time to bring the natural world into the homes of millions via National Geographic documentaries, YouTube videos, undercover videos from factory farms and slaughterhouses, nature blogs and the like.

.

For example, this story on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley last night:

.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57612660/nature-photographer-captures-big-cats-in-the-wild-and-heartbreak-of-their-disappearance/

.

Aside from the breathtaking photographs, its the statement of the photographer at the end of the video that is the most powerful and profound.

From the video:

.

"With just 3,200 tigers left in the wild, Winter's become an advocate. His new book will help explain why they're disappearing.

.

"'But it goes back to the viewer,''' he said. '"Do you value a tiger walking the face of this earth? And if you do, let's get involved.'"

.

Of all Winter's hundreds of thousands of images, an image of a mother and cub brought him to tears, almost asking that very question"  What is the value of tigers walking the face of the earth?"

.

And so we too must ask ourselves, "What is the value of the cow in the meadow, or the turkey roosting in a tree or the dog chasing a ball or the ducks swimming in a pond or the goose flying in the sky?"

.

An evolved and enlightened world will hopefully one day answer, "They (like us) are value in and unto themselves as they are (like us) one strand in the inexorable and forever fragile web of life."

.

The woman viciously kicking at geese in a public park has been arrested and has to account for her crime.  Presumably (unless seriously mentally ill) she will never commit such crime again.

.

But, it is all the unlabeled and unidentified crimes against animals everyday that we must truly acknowledge and atone for -- the ones that too often are result of and connected to us either directly or indirectly through blind acceptance of authority, consumer demand and/or purchase dollars.

.

If we truly value, we must act to protect, not necessarily by ganging up on those individuals caught committing isolated and egregious acts, but through simple, everyday actions and decisions such as what to wear and what to eat, how to properly treat and care for our animal companions and how do we accept and learn to live peacefully with non-dangerous wildlife in our parks or neighborhoods. 

.

We have to once and for all, be willing to let go of our denials and rationalizations and learn respect without prejudice.

.

Animals' place on earth was never intended for our industrial adornment, appetites or abuse.

.

Like us, animals are simply entities caught up in the delicate web of life and (like us) cherishing that life and forever acting jealousy to guard and protect it, as well as the lives of their offspring.  -- PCA

.

.

.

                                           **************