When ever this subject comes up, I am always surprised, even shocked at the sarcastic, hostile responses. I dislike the term animal rights for just that reason; it seems to engender such emotional responses in people whom I assume are otherwise caring folks. The idea of animal rights is not new or odd or extreme. Most every civilized nation on earth including the USA has animal cruelty laws. That says to me that animals do have certain rudimentary rights not to be abused or tortured. Look at the recent outcry against dog fighting, the abuse of downed cattle and the torture of the puppy found here in Idaho.

Rather than focusing on animal rights, we need to focus on human moral obligation. That, to me, is the heart of it. I understand there are extreme positions (not shared by this author) such as those of PETA and ALF, but often the verbiage and tactics they employ, disrespects and belies their own beliefs. To focus on these groups simply serves to allow the real issue of moral obligation to be ignored.

Let me give some examples of what I mean. Eating meat (animals) is in my view, not a specifically moral question and not an immoral act. Keeping five or six chickens in a single small cage in a dark barn for their entire life is. Hanging a living cow or hog by its heals and starting the butchering processes is likewise an immoral act. Purposefully inflicting horrendous suffering on dogs ad cats in order to “make the meat taste better” as is done in Korea is highly immoral and the reason I will not buy any Korean products. Hunting is not in anyway an immoral act but hunting without the necessary skills or equipment to make a clean kill is. Keeping social animals in isolated cages for human viewing pleasure (some zoos as opposed to zoological parks) is an immoral act. Unnecessary “research” such as the Drais Rabbit Eye Test is, highly so. I think that’s enough to illustrate my point and position. It is true that animals torture and kill each other all the time but a moral sense is what separates us from the rest of the animals, that and the ability to act on that moral sense.

Let me bottom line it, as they say. To me it is always an immoral act to inflict unnecessary suffering on an animal. Animals may not necessarily be sentient beings but they feel fear and pain the same as we humans do. Animals can be raised for food without cruelty and suffering. Animals can be kept for many reasons without cruelty and suffering. Those of us who care for animals are not asking anyone to become vegetarians (PETA notwithstanding), or empty out all the zoos, etc. We, well, I, am just asking that animals not be mistreated, abused or tortured as we humans go about the business of living. Is that too much to ask?