MagiStream

Animal Rights- It's commonly spoken about on a neutral standpoint. Something along the lines that they don't have rights, but they shouldn't be abused. Few believe that they are fully deserving of human level rights. Most humans believe that they deserve no rights, and don't even have souls to abuse.

Many factors go into one's standpoint on Animal rights. For many, it is religion, from paganism to Christianity. For others, it was an old pet, or a neighborly enemy. And others it's just simple ethics.

Animal rights is commonly a no-no subject, but here, I invite you to speak about it. Here, we can speak on the following subjects:
Lab testing- Testing Medicines, care products, chemicals, etc. on unwilling test subjects.
Abuse+Neglect- Beatings, stabbings, Microwaving, drowning, etc. are just some of the things that happen to pets and wild animals. Not to mention various types of neglect.
General Animal Rights- General info on Animal Liberation
Show animals(Movies, Television, Circus, etc.)- Should Elephants be in circuses? Should tigers be kept inhumanely in bad environments for attention?
Farming- What about the terrors of Chicken, Cows, Pigs, Sheep, and other farm animals?
Veganism/Vegetarianism- Is it right, wrong? Why? Are you one?
Fishing etc.- Marine animals may seem less human, but we never have contact with them. Is it right to kill massive amounts of them, leading to endangerment and extinction?
Overpopulation (Humans AND Animals)- Are humans to blame? Or the deer, raccoons, cats, and more?
Pets- What separates them from "meat" animals? Should they be coddled by us or not?
Hunting- Why is it okay? Is it? What is it rightfully used for?
Trapping/Fur- Should hundreds of creatures be culled for one coat or a pair of boots?
Culture- This can include unusual ways of killing animals such as Kosher. It includes sacrifice and other cultural things.
Religion- It has to do with almost everything. Just keep it under control.


If you want me to add more issues to the list above, just ask. I will add it and info on it. I have to ask for the following:
NO FLAMING.
NO HARASSMENT.
NO BRINGING IT INTO THREADS ELSEWHERE ON THE SITE.
NO BASHING.
NO ANYTHING RUDE.
READ THE RULES OF CONDUCT. NOW.

Now get to your politics. Here's mine:
I am a firm believer in Animal Rights. My support is because of my moral, ethical, and religious beliefs. I am against Hunting, trapping, fishing, farming, expansion, testing and everything else that harms animals. I believe in Animal Rights because I had a dog. She saved my life once, and I loved her and treated her and all other dogs with respect. After this, I saw a documentary on slaughter houses around the age of 5. It is imprinted in me. I stopped eating very much meat at all, and began respecting all of my equals. I dropped Christianity and found another, almost Pagan belief. After the dog died, I got rats, furthering me to be against animal testing. This sort of theme goes on up until now.
Of late, I have become a vegetarian, petition signer, and volunteer. I also spread the word about various issues on animals that are overlooked in my school. I could make a post to long to post, so as soon as people comment I will give info on the part that they are talking about.

Vegetarianism -- Been one for 5 years. Why? Never much cared for meat, didn't like the taste, and I love animals too much. I've seem slaughter house videos, but take them with a grain of salt. After all, many are circulated by PETA who, although they have good causes, are a bit radical and most likely only show the worst of the worst of the worst. Sure, some of that probably does happen, but it's not my main reason. More a dislike for meat and health interest really.

Hunting -- I think it's fine so long as you eat what you kill and don't waste it. Don't just kill for the rack or the feathers, but use the meat as well. Or give it to someone who can. Same goes for trapping/fur. Use everything and not just what you went out for.

Overpopulation -- I think it'd be solved if we'd stop killing off the natural predators.

i think all animals have rights.

personally against animal testing, abuse and neglect - if you dont want them give them to someone who does. hurting a thinking feeling creature for fun is not something I can stand.
as for show animals...if they are kept well, fed cleaned etc then no problem. But obviously again, when they aren't there is a problem and people need to be informed.

i do not see a problem with Farming or Fishing. Although over fishing is greedy and stupid.

Hunting is a means for controlling over population - the trophy part i dont get - but maybe someone else can enlighten me on that. For fun/sport just seems a waste imo. Same goes for trapping, if the by products of over population control can be used then fine. but just for the fur is again senseless, if it can be used in leather making etc go for it.

Pets...well why would want to eat a dog? or a cat? ferret? Horses are the same for me, athough yes i know, they are eaten in some cultures...um...pets usually have some sort of human quality that endears itself to us - hence the "pet" label.

Vegetarianism...now this is the debate part. Obviously you do not mind eating eggs/milk/other dairy products but do not eat meat. fine, your the one missing out on iron and other essential nutrients, which is fine by me, as most vegetarians i know aren't so... over the top. it is usually a decision made rationally and due to health concerns more than ethics..
Vegans on the other hand, are usually over the top, pushy and attempt to make people feel bad for their choices. They are also usually making this choice to be a vegan based on ethics and morality of "oh noes you ate Mary's Lamb..." I have found that it is rarely based on health factors.

Not that I care one way or the other, but hey you start hammering me about "oh noes your eating that poor cow you bred, reared and looked after...how can you sleep at night knowing this?" I will tell you flat out - its a dog eat dog world and baby Im on top of the food chain here - and Rumps Was tasty. also my food shits on your food.. so enjoy that salad.
I was raised on a farm, I know where my food comes from, yes Ive been there throughout the slaughter process and the butchery, I am not naive like some of the people I have seen on Tv who think meat is just from the supermarket and do not realise that its from an animal. been there, seen it, grown it and eaten it.

I think Animals are the most under-represented majority in our country.

I'm not very well-versed in the more intricate issues behind animal rights, so I won't go into those at the moment, but I would like to comment on Vegetarianism:

I could never be a vegetarian. I like meat too much, though I do respect the ethical meaning behind it. If it helps, I do boycott fast food burger places because I find their methods of obtaining meat horrible (Ever read Fast Food Nation, anyone? It's enough to make you want to be a vegetarian or vegan); however, in my opinion, it's not good to give up meat completely. We need meat. Humans were made, were engineered to have meat. That's why we have canines and can digest it; and in my opinion, meat substitutes don't cut it.

Therefore, I would say, "research your meat"! Some restaurants readily give that information (if they are doing something good about it) and research the farms where the cows live before going to your local supermarket. Knowledge is everything.

This, of course, is just my opinion, though.

All sentient beings should have the following rights:

To be free from pain.
To be free from fear and harrassment.
To live out the term of their natural lives unmolested.
To be respected as a living, feeling being, and not just as property.
To not be thought of in terms of its monetary worth.
To not be thought of in terms of just what it can do for someone else.

An animal's life, happiness health and wellbeing is AS important to that animal as YOUR life is to YOU

So yes animals should have basic rights, such as the right to not be eaten, and the right to not be beaten within an inch of its life, rights that are applicable to animals.
Trying to give animals the right to vote, or marry, or run for politics, which are human rights, not so much....what would a dog do with the right to vote? Nothing. It should, as always be species appropriate.

Flight birds should have the right to fly - a dolphin would not need that right...

This was a topic I was surprised to see, and I knew I'd want to post in it sooner or later. Since there are so many things to address, I'll take a few posts at a time. I'mma stick the big text blocks in spoilers to keep the size of this post in check.

Vegetarianism

Spoiler

Firstly, I am a vegetarian. It was always an ethical choice on my part. A personal choice and, well.... somewhat not a choice. I can't think of eating something I'd rather be petting. It may sound silly, but I just can't make myself do it. I have been meat free for about ten years now. Yes, I started in grade school. No, I'm not frail and no, I don't nom leafy greens like they're my only lifeline. I enjoy plenty of other foods. At the same time, I do not care what anyone else eats. With the exception of veal, which is a moral thing on my part (in consideration to more American type meals at least), I could not care less how many cows you chew on in a week. It's none of my business. If, however, you want to sit there and tell me I can't get in your face about food choices, then you plod on and on about "PETA means People Eating Tasty Animals," or "meat is murder, tasty, tasty murder," then I'm going to have a problem. Don't say vegetarians are putting themselves on a pedestal, then turn around to further insult us without letting us speak, it's rude. If we can get through a conversation without any of that, then food choices rarely even come up.

Besides, my boyfriend is a huge meat eater. If I had a problem with that, I wouldn't be dating him. We also have different religious views. You'd think that'd just put the kibosh on the whole relationship, haha. Anyway...

Direct Abuse (not including neglect)

Spoiler

Is a huge no-no with me. If you're 10 years old and you're sticking little animals in the microwave, and then you're mummy wants to whine that you didn't know any better... sorry. You're past the age of knowing right from wrong. Now you're just a sadistic little prick. Your behavior is in desperate need of changing, right now, before you develop more antisocial tendencies. And you better believe that if he or she had no problem sticking that animal in the microwave, that kid would have no problem harming another human in the future. Beyond that, direct abuse shows a lack of compassion in that person. And that's frightening. I would not want to be near you if you could honestly admit to hurting a person or an animal so violently without a second thought to their own pain. It's sick. I'm not talking a little swat to the butt for misbehaving, I mean half this shit you hear about on the news. Pets being caught on fire, dragged behind cars, beaten and left for dead. What the hell is wrong with these sorts of people?!

Fishing

Spoiler

Honestly, I don't see anything wrong with fishing. So long as you "take care" of that fish right away after pulling it out of the water. Otherwise you're letting it drown on land, and come on, feel a little compassion. Jeeze. Then fry it up and eat it, I don't care, but respect your food source enough to let it feel no pain. Fishing in massive amounts worries me. Not only are we changing the ecosystems in which some of our more popular food fish live, we're in danger of fishing some of these animals into extinction. Or at least severely crippling the pop. Then what? Find another fish to eat? If you can't think about the species, at least think about yourself. If all the cows or pigs ran out, you'd be kinda bummed, admit it. You'd need to change your diet and everything

All right, so I nitpicked for now.

@ Hobbitfeet - yes I know you can nom on many tasty items nuts, legumes, vegies etc and not need to eat lettuce all the time. Am trying that out a few days a week as meat is getting expensive for us.

and I do agree with

If, however, you want to sit there and tell me I can't get in your face about food choices, then you plod on and on about "PETA means People Eating Tasty Animals," or "meat is murder, tasty, tasty murder," then I'm going to have a problem. Don't say vegetarians are putting themselves on a pedestal, then turn around to further insult us without letting us speak, it's rude. If we can get through a conversation without any of that, then food choices rarely even come up.

it rarely comes up with me about food choices, unless there happens to be someone with extreme values - and we all know they are out there. and wish to.. debate my choices with me then of course, words fly. I do not agree with the "meat is murder. tasty tasty murder... that just does not give the animal the respect it should have. if your going to eat it - then be nice to the creature, treat them humanely and dont toy with them. its not right...

Mordeth wrote: I do not agree with the "meat is murder. tasty tasty murder... that just does not give the animal the respect it should have. if your going to eat it - then be nice to the creature, treat them humanely and dont toy with them. its not right...

That's not really a crack at vegetarianism itself so much as it is at PETA for being batshit fucking INSANE. I've said the same thing-- because it riles up their followers, which is goddamn hilarious, because they're pretty much all crazy.

Yes, animals have rights. But as a human, and on the top of the food chain, my rights are going to come first. I don't agree with abuse or anything of the sort, no, and you should treat your food with respect, yes, but that's not going to make me stop eating it. I have my own morals and way that I do things, and despite anyone else's choices I can't force them to follow my views. I'll do things in my own way and take comfort in the fact I'm a better person for it.

Synchronized wrote:

Mordeth wrote: I do not agree with the "meat is murder. tasty tasty murder... that just does not give the animal the respect it should have. if your going to eat it - then be nice to the creature, treat them humanely and dont toy with them. its not right...

That's not really a crack at vegetarianism itself so much as it is at PETA for being batshit fucking INSANE. I've said the same thing-- because it riles up their followers, which is goddamn hilarious, because they're pretty much all crazy.

Yes, animals have rights. But as a human, and on the top of the food chain, my rights are going to come first. I don't agree with abuse or anything of the sort, no, and you should treat your food with respect, yes, but that's not going to make me stop eating it. I have my own morals and way that I do things, and despite anyone else's choices I can't force them to follow my views. I'll do things in my own way and take comfort in the fact I'm a better person for it.

PETA is hypocritical in the extreme and gives serious animal rights activists a bad name.

Sorry, it had to be said.

I love animals, but I also love meat. IMO, being omnivorous is ok. I believe raising animals for food or eggs is okay as long as they're treated well and respected. As for fishing, we fish occasionally, but we always let the fish go. My dad hunts, but he doesn't disrespect the carcass or trap the animal, then shoot it. I'm completely against abuse/neglect. It's inhumane and the people who do that should be beaten the same way they beat their animals.

And yes, PETA people are insane.