Animal Rights
Wendy Guindi
Azusa Pacific University
Animal Rights
Animals should be used only in ways that greatly benefit humankind. Whenever possible, these animals should be treated without cruelty. People who hold this position, which includes many animals’ welfare groups, believe our responsibility is to treat animals with kindness. It is acceptable to use animals to accomplish goals that will benefit society, as long as we do so in the kindest way possible.
The belief that animals should be treated humanely is probably the most popular one held today. Most Americans eat some meat but prefer not to think about how animals are slaughtered to provide it. Most people would probably prefer livestock to be killed painlessly, …show more content…
One of the outcomes of this crusade was the 28-hour Law. The law stated that animals transported to slaughterhouses by train had to be rested and given food and water every 28 hours. Before the law was passed, animals were sometimes jammed into railroad cars, where they suffered for days before they were butchered. Some people might wonder what difference it makes, since the animals are about to die anyway. The strictest animal rights activists, however, say no, they would prefer that the slaughter of animals be outlawed.
The next major federal law to affect animals was the Animal Welfare Act. Congress passed it after animal welfare groups such as the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States exposed the conditions under which many laboratory animals live. The animal Welfare Act also requires that researchers keep accurate records on how animals are used in research. They must report how many animals were used in experiments, how many were given drugs, and how many experienced no pain or distress at …show more content…
They believe that circuses, rodeos, dolphin acts, and bullfights are equally cruel, because animals are forced to perform in ways that are unnatural to them. Animal rights activists claim that in many cases, extreme cruelty is used to make the animals perform tricks. Circus bears, they say, are beaten with steel rods until they dance; rodeo animals suffer broken necks and legs during roping events; and chimpanzees endure shocks from an electric prod until they ride bikes and turn somersaults on command.
People who use animals in the entertainment business insist that cruelty is the exception, not the rule. They point out that anticruelty laws exist to protect animals from harsh treatment. Acts such as the diving mules would not be allowed to continue if the public thought cruelty was involved. They argue that what activists view as entertainment actually results in public education about animals. As the public learns to appreciate animals, the animals’ interests will be better served. Perhaps the best example of this is today’s changing
Wendy Guindi
Azusa Pacific University
Animal Rights
Animals should be used only in ways that greatly benefit humankind. Whenever possible, these animals should be treated without cruelty. People who hold this position, which includes many animals’ welfare groups, believe our responsibility is to treat animals with kindness. It is acceptable to use animals to accomplish goals that will benefit society, as long as we do so in the kindest way possible.
The belief that animals should be treated humanely is probably the most popular one held today. Most Americans eat some meat but prefer not to think about how animals are slaughtered to provide it. Most people would probably prefer livestock to be killed painlessly, …show more content…
One of the outcomes of this crusade was the 28-hour Law. The law stated that animals transported to slaughterhouses by train had to be rested and given food and water every 28 hours. Before the law was passed, animals were sometimes jammed into railroad cars, where they suffered for days before they were butchered. Some people might wonder what difference it makes, since the animals are about to die anyway. The strictest animal rights activists, however, say no, they would prefer that the slaughter of animals be outlawed.
The next major federal law to affect animals was the Animal Welfare Act. Congress passed it after animal welfare groups such as the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States exposed the conditions under which many laboratory animals live. The animal Welfare Act also requires that researchers keep accurate records on how animals are used in research. They must report how many animals were used in experiments, how many were given drugs, and how many experienced no pain or distress at …show more content…
They believe that circuses, rodeos, dolphin acts, and bullfights are equally cruel, because animals are forced to perform in ways that are unnatural to them. Animal rights activists claim that in many cases, extreme cruelty is used to make the animals perform tricks. Circus bears, they say, are beaten with steel rods until they dance; rodeo animals suffer broken necks and legs during roping events; and chimpanzees endure shocks from an electric prod until they ride bikes and turn somersaults on command.
People who use animals in the entertainment business insist that cruelty is the exception, not the rule. They point out that anticruelty laws exist to protect animals from harsh treatment. Acts such as the diving mules would not be allowed to continue if the public thought cruelty was involved. They argue that what activists view as entertainment actually results in public education about animals. As the public learns to appreciate animals, the animals’ interests will be better served. Perhaps the best example of this is today’s changing