Do Some Animals Deserve the Same Rights as Humans?

[paulitics]

Abuse of an animal is not a human right.

 

[Krugerrand]

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

Well put, Squealer.

 

[Krugerrand]

The most important rights exist regardless of whether they're written down or not. In that sense animals already have rights, like the right not to be abused by a human.

Does being attached to a buggy and forced to cart around people count as abuse?

 

[MikeStanart]

there's room for all god's creatures in my world.









Right next to the mashed potatoes.

this

 

[furface]

Does being attached to a buggy and forced to cart around people count as abuse?

For a human when it's non-consensual it would amount to abuse or abduction/slavery. Animals don't appear to be in much distress when they do it. It's impossible to apply human emotions to animals because we just don't know. All we can do is observe their reactions to it.

Regarding the issue of consent, there are actually people would pay money to be attached to a buggy and forced to cart people around. It's a fairly common sexual fantasy. Bringing it up is relevant because emotions are very complex things and certainly not something that you can figure out in a cross species manner.

In any case it's a state or community right to decide. If you don't want to have horse carts in your community, find a community where they don't allow them.

 

[Anti Federalist]

Ugh, not this again.

The ne plus ultra of human rights is the Non Aggression Principle, or, more simply, keep your hands to yourself.

The shark about to bite your ass in half does not understand this.

Neither does the lion on the African veldt.

Animals cannot have rights as we understand them (or are supposed to understand them) because they cannot reason that the NAP applies to them as well and cannot be reasoned with to understand that the other animal has rights as well.

Now, some will say that's a specious analogy since the examples are just instinctual feeding impulses.

Nonsense, animals will kill just for the hell of it, anybody who says otherwise has never watched a cat harass a mouse before killing it.

Until the time comes that you can reason with the cat to cease his violations of the mouse's rights, animals cannot have rights.

 

[JeNNiF00F00]

Can they enforce laws?

Perhaps laws of the jungle, or laws of nature

 

[pcosmar]

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
Genesis 1:26

A righteous man regards the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Proverbs 12:10


There is balance in the Book.

 

[Alawn]

Absolutely not.

 

[Elwar]

So, what you seem to be arguing is that children and the mentally handicapped do not have equal rights, as they are incapable of enforcing equal rights, and a subset is by definition not equal to the superset.
This idea of a subset kind of flies in the face of the idea of natural rights, doesn't it?

Natural rights come from our status as humans, and we as humans can enforce our society upon ourselves. Apes might have natural monkey rights but they aren't the same as human rights because they can't protect those rights.

The OP asked whether or not animals should have the same rights as humans.

Imagine the homesteading rights and tresspassing laws alone that would come into play if they had the same rights. Or the kidnapping charges filed against many a pet owner.

 

[slothman]

If they do get rightsthen which animals get them?
Only primates?
Only primates, cats, and dogs?
Any animal, including insects, worms, and sponges?
What about plants?

 

[RyanRSheets]

I don't think a lot of people realize how intelligent some animals are.

Example:

YouTube - Kanzi and Novel Sentences

More intelligent and sentient than lots of people with low IQs that are considered to have natural rights by people here, including me, actually.

So, in light of that, I don't see how you can not support them having the same rights without being a hypocrite?

Should be an interesting debate..

Lawd Jeeezzzuusss the one with the metal head sounds just like a human being!

 

[ChaosControl]

The same rights? I don't know. But they definitely have some and need to be protected from abuse and such.

 

[furface]

Actually animals in general have more rights than human beings. The ones in the wild are generally left alone to do what they want and work things out for themselves.

I've never heard of an animal being required to fill out a tax form, nor have I heard of an animal being subject to a federal investigation with the intent of finding something out about the animal in order to harm it or coaxing it into making a statement that can be used to harm the animal. I've never heard of an animal being imprisoned for ingesting or breathing any substance like cocaine or marijuana.

People kill animals, but unlikely with the viciousness or cruelty that supposedly civilized human groups and governments do.

I've never heard of an animal being forced to do something or contribute to something that would upset the animal itself, for instance being forced to pay a tax to fund international military violence.

My cat lives at my house purely by consent. If we open the door to let it out of our house, it will come back within at least a few hours bugging us for food or just to be able to hang around on the couch. Our cat obviously doesn't yearn for a better existence, for freedom or liberty that it doesn't get.

This is in sharp contrast to the millions of Americans who feel trapped in an obsessive, militarist police state, forced to contribute to things they find reprehensible, no way out, no where to find liberty.

I'd say all in all animals have more rights than humans. What a revolution it would be if the federal government allowed its citizens the same rights as animals.

 

[charrob]

Do Some Animals Deserve the Same Rights as Humans?


as humans, my hope is that we one day evolve so we share the earth fairly with all creatures and do the best we can not to infringe upon their freedom, their habitat, their health, and their lives.

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Do Some Animals Deserve the Same Rights as Humans?

Nope. Let me know when they are able to hold an intelligent conversation.

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Do Some Animals Deserve the Same Rights as Humans?


as humans, my hope is that we one day evolve so we share the earth fairly with all creatures and do the best we can not to infringe upon their freedom, their habitat, their health, and their lives.

Sounds like happy face socialism to me.

 

[ChaosControl]

Do Some Animals Deserve the Same Rights as Humans?


as humans, my hope is that we one day evolve so we share the earth fairly with all creatures and do the best we can not to infringe upon their freedom, their habitat, their health, and their lives.

 

[Mike4Freedom]

In some cases animals are already free. Even dogs are as well. My dog does not have to listen to what I say. If she does'nt though no treats for her.

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

In some cases animals are already free. Even dogs are as well. My dog does not have to listen to what I say. If she does'nt though no treats for her.

I like dog treats. yummy

maybe my future wife will give me that treatment