Debate: Animal Rights

[Awesome]

It seems like an odd question, or an odd debate, but should Animals have rights? This idea was first brought up in 1970. I'd like to hear everyones opinon as to whether animals should have rights? And please keep It a wee bit more serious.

I personally believe animals shoulds have rights. As I read in an article, "Ever since the publication of Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species in 1859 we have known that human beings are related by common descent to all other animals. We owe a duty of care to our animal cousins." Humans are animals, we have rights. Everyone should have rights, as in all animals.

[Angel Androgynous]

What kind of rights? :P

I personally am against animal cruelty and animal testing.
Animals suffer too, and animal testing isn't giving very good results anyway. Animals are not like humans.

That's like testing something on a banana and expecting the same results to be in chocolate....

[Awesome]

What kind of rights? :P

I personally am against animal cruelty and animal testing.
Animals suffer too, and animal testing isn't giving very good results anyway. Animals are not like humans.

Very good question. Thats would be a hard one to answer, but any rights we could possibly give them. A big step against animal cruelty.

[Angel Androgynous]

But see, the only rights we can give to animals are:
1. Not be treated cruelly

We can't give them rights to consent because they can't talk...and a lot more rights that require talking....:P

[Awesome]

Hunting, fishing, being held captive in a zoo, destroying your home. Would you like someone doing any of those to you?

[Angel Androgynous]

Doesn't that all fall in the "being treated cruelly" category?

Oh and I am against hunting as a game, but if a person hunts for food, then fine long as they don't kill an endangered animal. (Food chains will always exist.)

The animals in the zoo are taken care of and where I live, their shelters are very much like their habitat and they look happy. Besides, most of those animals were born into the zoo...if they let them go, they might not make it in the wild....

And yes, I am against deforestation.

[Modus Operandi]

I'm decidedly against animal cruelty for no other reason than to be a dick to animals, but animal testing is something I think is necessary in today's society. Would we rather harm human beings testing products than rats? Say yes if you'd like to feel high and mighty, but the fact of the matter is that we have an ingrained instinct to protect and empathize with our own species before protecting any other species. We wouldn't be here today without that basic instinct of protection.

[Peace God]

Only the cute ones.

[Schizothemia]

When it comes to animals, it does get tricky. As someone asked, what rights should we give them, and if violated how severe should the crimes be to individuals who violate these rights?

Should it just be a fine? Jail time? What is determined to be cruelty? These are all questions that need to be answered when thinking of giving animals rights.

I am opposed to animal cruelty and hunting for sport. And these are ideas I have.

Animal testing gets a little trickier because animal testing has lead to fantastic advances in modern medicine that just wouldn't have been possible otherwise. And again where do we draw the line in which animal testing is seen as cruel?

[User Deleted]

Yeah, animals should have rights. The hard part about this though is that animals cant talk so we cant have their consent as has been mentioned.

Now, I think to keep things simple animals should always be treated humanely. (isn't that an ironic term, there are so many bad people, and even though there are so many good people, it is too big of a generalization) For starters they should always receive full proper care. Sorry animal hoarders, we should just shoot you with a tazer and help them rather than waiting a week to go through so much junk like papers they might be dead.

Second, farmed animals deserve better. All animals raised for food should have a proper life where they are not put in small cages or singed on the ass. Open space and less painful ways of marking the animal.

Third hunting is only okay if done humanely and for food. You may only hunt animals of high population.

Fishing should only be done for food, no catch and release. Crabbing is fine. Dip netting must be done with more care, unintended animals in the net must be released.

Zoos are fine if the animal has open space similar to their natural habitat. Small enclosures are wrong.

Deforestation must stop. People need to stop being literal fuckers and let population die down to a reasonable size. We have already taken too much space for ourselves.

And yes, even the Blob fish and the other uggies get these rights.

As for animal testing... I guess I have to say it is allowed... BUT only if there is a GOOD reason.

I think that about covers my view.

[TheMatrix]

Mmmm, this is tricky as we communicate using a different protocol than animals.
Personally, I am against animal testing. If you're afraid of what a product might do, then what good is it? Test it out on yourself! Otherwise, you don't deserve to have your product made.
I also am against the farming of animals for meat, well against it like it is now. If it was done in the most painless way possible, then I might be okay with it, but that's it. Sure, there will always be food chains, but how it is today is ridiculous.

[RoseyCadaver]

A lot of people on this site all ready know my view on animals,but just in case you don't.... I don't believe in the factory farms(as they should be practiced),I don't believe in the destruction of ecosystems under any circumstances,I do believe people who do commit animal cruelty should be arrested and severity of punishment depends of severity of crime,people who neglect their animals should have those animals taken away,animal testing should be outlawed ,like Thomas said,"If you're afraid of what a product might do, then what good is it? Test it out on yourself!"I think scientific testing on animals should also be outlawed.Zoos should not have animals "considered" with high intelligence such as dolphins,gorillas,chimps,and elephants.Zoos should provide adequate space for all the animals.Only a few species of endangered animals should be kept in controlled habitat.Circus animals need to be monitored.So yeah I'm your average animal right's nut(except I'll eat meat that was treated right).


All though I have something to say.

Human's need a natural predator.

[Azunite]

I don't say we should hunt them down openly, that should be illegal. But well, animals ( and plants ) were created to help humanity and since we cannot use humans as test subjects...

Have more space in zoos, don't torment them, punish them who torments them, don't hunt fishes in their breeding season... And forests. Oh yeah, what would you think if someone took small pieces from your house every day? Stay out of the forests.

[PerpetualImperfexion]

Animal cruelty: No
Eating animals: Yes
Cosmetic testing: No
Legit testing: Yes

[Unlucky_Leprechaun]

WOW interesting debate. I mean I can see a reason for and against.

Instead of "Animal Rights" I will call them "Animal Protection." Animals cannot communicate on a basis that humans can interpret so how can we give them "Rights"?

Animal cruelty is a crime that must be punished. Humans need to understand that all animals should be protected against starvation, fighting and any other inhuman action. What compels someone to do that to ANY animal is beyond me.

Animal testing - a lot has been made in this in the last decade or so.. and it needs to be stopped as well in my opinion. I did like the quote from earlier about testing it on yourself...

Legitimate testing? Well WHO gets to decide what is legitimate? Certainly not the animal..again... really? Do we not have the means to NOT have to test on animals?

As for hunting..well I am a meat eater and I like meat...not necessarily wild game but I have ate it.. so I am for feeding your family and it does control the animal population in some areas
Zoo's, for the most part, educate people about animals, their habitat, diets and if in the right setting can be very beneficial to the animals as well. San Diego Zoo for instance.. is known world wide for its treatment of animals.

My bottom line: Animals need protected and we need to protect them as best as we can. I hate to bring religion in this but we are all gods creatures and we need to respect all of us.

[Schizothemia]

Animal testing - a lot has been made in this in the last decade or so.. and it needs to be stopped as well in my opinion. I did like the quote from earlier about testing it on yourself...

Because we should test out drugs on humans? Or we should risk the lives of researchers who are aiding in fighting disease and helping creating cures?

While I agree that animals should have certain rights or protection or whatever you want to call it, it's hard to ignore the advancements in medicine we've made thanks to animal testing.

Testing on animals has helped develop vaccines for many life threatening diseases like Herpes Simplex, Hepatitis B, Polio, rabies, malaria, mumps and virus related to organ transplantation rejection. In addition to this, animal testing has also helped in the refinement of procedures related to measuring the blood pressure, pacemaker technology and the perfection of the heart and lung diseases. You will be surprised to read that anesthesia which is used to numb the body during surgery and acute pain is available today after it was successfully tested on animals first.

Also,in an article from UC San Diego, (http://health.ucsd.edu/news/Perspectives/2001Summer/Animal.pdf) it is outlined why animal testing is needed in order to help further studies in medicine, brain pathology, and even gaining ground on a cure for diabetes.

[Awesome]

When it comes to animals, it does get tricky. As someone asked, what rights should we give them, and if violated how severe should the crimes be to individuals who violate these rights?

Should it just be a fine? Jail time? What is determined to be cruelty? These are all questions that need to be answered when thinking of giving animals rights.

I am opposed to animal cruelty and hunting for sport. And these are ideas I have.

Animal testing gets a little trickier because animal testing has lead to fantastic advances in modern medicine that just wouldn't have been possible otherwise. And again where do we draw the line in which animal testing is seen as cruel?

A fine and jail time seem ok. Cruelty is what you think cruelty is. Think what you wouldn't want someone to do to you.


Yeah, animals should have rights. The hard part about this though is that animals cant talk so we cant have their consent as has been mentioned.

Now, I think to keep things simple animals should always be treated humanely. (isn't that an ironic term, there are so many bad people, and even though there are so many good people, it is too big of a generalization) For starters they should always receive full proper care. Sorry animal hoarders, we should just shoot you with a tazer and help them rather than waiting a week to go through so much junk like papers they might be dead.

Second, farmed animals deserve better. All animals raised for food should have a proper life where they are not put in small cages or singed on the ass. Open space and less painful ways of marking the animal.

Third hunting is only okay if done humanely and for food. You may only hunt animals of high population.

Fishing should only be done for food, no catch and release. Crabbing is fine. Dip netting must be done with more care, unintended animals in the net must be released.

Zoos are fine if the animal has open space similar to their natural habitat. Small enclosures are wrong.

Deforestation must stop. People need to stop being literal fuckers and let population die down to a reasonable size. We have already taken too much space for ourselves.

And yes, even the Blob fish and the other uggies get these rights.

As for animal testing... I guess I have to say it is allowed... BUT only if there is a GOOD reason.

I think that about covers my view. I like your ideas. As for talking, we dont need them to talk, If the dog is missing a leg, he dont have to tell us hes missing a leg.

Mmmm, this is tricky as we communicate using a different protocol than animals.
Personally, I am against animal testing. If you're afraid of what a product might do, then what good is it? Test it out on yourself! Otherwise, you don't deserve to have your product made.
I also am against the farming of animals for meat, well against it like it is now. If it was done in the most painless way possible, then I might be okay with it, but that's it. Sure, there will always be food chains, but how it is today is ridiculous.
They test products to make them better. I agree with you on your food chain facts, its a bit unfair with ours human technolgy

[TheMatrix]

They test products to make them better. I agree with you on your food chain facts, its a bit unfair with ours human technolgy
I don't understand what you're getting at.:confused:

[RoseyCadaver]

But well, animals ( and plants ) were created to help humanity and since we cannot use humans as test subjects...

PLease tell me you are joking :what:.

[Awesome]

I don't understand what you're getting at.:confused:

Mean't that we use animals to test products that will benefit us.

[User Deleted]

I like your ideas. As for talking, we dont need them to talk, If the dog is missing a leg, he dont have to tell us hes missing a leg.

But if we want to make things like those human animal embryos we need to assume if it would have a good life as a "freak" Or like testing on rats, it might hurt them.