Social Change Action and Reflection

Animals' Rights to a Free Life By Emily Noel Dr. Nall PH !"#$ %% No&em'er !$%#

Noel % Emily Noel Dr. Nall PH !"#$ %% No&em'er !$%# Animals' Rights to a Free Life ()ore than ten tho*sand times a min*te+ in e,cess of si, 'illion times a year -*st in the ..S.+ life is literally drained from so called 'food animals /Earthlings).'0 1he *se of animals for food+ clothing+ e,2eriments+ entertainment+ and more is of no s*r2rise to any of *s. n fact+ many see these *ses as legitimate and often necessary instit*tions. )ost of *s 3no4 a'o*t the dog mills and the sla*ghterho*ses+ the *se of animals in e,2eriments and the &ast fishing 'oats that s4allo4 the sea life+ '*t do 4e really *nderstand the dee2er as2ect of it all5 6hat did the 7*ote at the 'eginning of this 2a2er mean to yo*5 1he tr*th is that these 2ractices ha&e 'een so legitimi8ed in the 4orld today that 4e may often 2ass o&er facts li3e these 4itho*t a second tho*ght on its -*stifia'ility. 6ith many second tho*ghts and dee2er contem2lation of my o4n+ ha&e come to reali8e the f*ndamental 4rong that *nderlies nearly e&ery animal9'ased coo2eration in o2eration today. 'elie&e it is 4rong ho4 4e *tili8e animals as a means to an end 4ith little regard to their moral 4orth+ and action sho*ld 'e ta3en to denote them the consideration they deser&e. nitially+ o*r 'iggest mista3e is thin3ing that animals do not ha&e feelings. 1heir feelings are their sensations+ and their sensations are ho4 they e,2erience the 4orld. Philoso2hers li3e :eremy Bentham ad&ocate from a *tilitarian stand2oint that 4hat entitles any 'eing into the circle of moral concern is their a'ility to e,2erience 2ain and s*ffering ; those 4ho e,2erience this are 3no4n as sentient 'eings /Animal Rights<. )any animals li3e 2igs+ chic3ens+ and co4s e,2erience 2ainf*l 2rocesses in sla*ghterho*ses. 1heir cries initiated 4hen they are 'eaten+ c*t+ '*rned+ electroc*ted+ mangled+ and more indicate the e,cr*ciating 2ain they are e,2eriencing. Sedati&es and 2ain3illers for

Noel ! the animals are often not *sed 'eca*se of cost concerns+ so the animals often feel e&ery second of the 2ain *ntil their last moment of life /Earthlings<. 1hese 2rocesses are also inflicted on other animals li3e domesticated dogs in 2o2*lation control or other 4ildlife in e,2erimentation. 1he 4rong in all of these 2ractices is ho4 4e see animals 4rithing in agony and hear their cries of 2ain and yet 4e still contin*e 4ith the same methods. =*r central concerns sho*ld not 'e cost9efficiency or mass 2rod*ction+ '*t rather+ it sho*ld 'e creating the most h*mane and 2ainless 2rocess for these sentient animals to *ndergo. Li3e4ise+ animals are often constricted in their a'ility to li&e their li&es to the f*llest. n 2*22y mills+ dogs are often confined in small cages 4ith little to no interaction or com2assion. A &ast ma-ority of animals *sed in sla*ghter are 3e2t in large n*m'ers in small enclosed areas. )any of them are caged 4ith little room to 4al3 or s2read their lim's. n trans2ort tr*c3s+ animals are 2ac3ed and mo&ed for *2 to days 4ith no food or 4ater /Earthlings<. 6itho*t the a'ility to roam free in nat*re or follo4 their nat*ral instincts these animals may often lose their minds. By de2ri&ing them of their nat*ral ha'itats and 4ays of life 4e are essentially e&o3ing the idea that their li&es ha&e no moral 4orth 4hatsoe&er. 1his is a 4rong that sho*ld ne&er 'e inflicted *2on any sentient 'eing 4ho has the right to follo4 their nat*ral desires to li&e a 2ain9free and 2leas*ra'le life. F*rthermore+ 'elie&e o*r lac3 of com2assion and o*r ina'ility to see the 4rong in these actions is 2o4ered 'y a great notion that many still share. Philoso2her 1om Regan contends against this notion in his 4or3 (1he Case for Animal Rights0 4hen he notes+ (1he f*ndamental 4rong is the system that allo4s *s to &ie4 animals as o*r reso*rces... /Regan+ >?><.0 1he 2res*m2tion that 'eca*se h*mans ha&e a greater ca2acity to rationali8e than animals+ and therefore are more s*2erior to them is another notion many ha&e@ '*t+ not only is this 2res*m2tion of s*2eriority rather fallacio*s in itself+ to *se it -*stify o*r mastery o&er+ and *se of+ animals as a means to some alternati&e end is 4hat 2hiloso2her and teacher Dr. :effery Nall deems the (fallacy of mastery0 /Nall+ Fallacies<. t is 4rong to

Noel # thin3 that animals 4ith their o4n e,2eriences and sensations of the 4orld they li&e in are here for *s to *se and mani2*late any 4ay 4e 2lease. t is 2recisely 'eca*se animals ha&e their o4n a'ilities and desires to li&e a 2ain9free life that they deser&e the moral res2ect to 'e allo4ed to do so. .ltimately+ animals ha&e the a'sol*te right to li&e their li&es 4itho*t constriction 'y h*mans. 'elie&e that 4e ha&e the a'ility to a&oid inflicting 2ain and s*ffering o&er animals and 4e sho*ld 'e ta3ing the ste2s to enforce their right to a mastery9free life. As Hannah Arendt and Anthony 6eston contend+ o*r lac3 of creati&ity and tendency to close o*r hearts is the reason 4hy 4e are ca2a'le of committing s*ch tho*ghtless acts in the first 2lace /Nall+ Critical). n order to ta3e the ste2s to sto2 the acts in 4hich 4e inflict harm on animals or restrict them do4n to a nearly *nnat*ral life+ 4e sho*ld o2en *2 o*r hearts and o*r minds to first recogni8e the 4rong in these 2ractices. 1hen+ and only then+ can 4e 'egin to lead these animals 'ac3 to the li&es they 4ere meant to li&e.

Noel A 6or3s Cited BAnimal RightsC A History:eremy Bentham.B Think-differently-about-sheep.com+ !$%#. 6e'. %! No& !$%#. Dhtt2CEE444.thin39differently9a'o*t9 shee2.comEAnimalFrightsFaFHistoryF:eremyFBentham.htmG. Earthlings. Sha*n )onson+ !$$>. Nall+ :effrey. Critical Thinking and OpenHeartedness. Po4er2oint. !$%#. RSC. Nall+ :effrey. Fallacies. Po4er2oint. !$%#. RSC. Regan+ 1om. The Case for Animal ights in !oing Ethics ed. Ha*ghn+ Le4is. Ne4 Ior3C 6. 6. Norton J Co.+ !$%$. Print. >?>.