Kind to Cows, Cruel to Interns
Katherine Mangu-Ward | June 12, 2008, 3:09pm
PETA recently celebrated World Vegetarian Week in Memphis by shrink-wrapping its interns like a couple of flank steaks, despite 80+ degree weather.
When officers inquired about the well-being of intern Shawn Herbold (bottom) and volunteer Thomas Olsen, a sweat-soaked Herbold replied that she was in pain and feeling nauseated from the heat after being wrapped in cellophane for 30 minutes, and also asked how much longer she needed to stay there. Byrne let her know it wouldn't be much longer and left her under the hot afternoon sun for 30 minutes more while debating with the officers.
The kicker:
PETA would never treat a cow that way, but I guess it's OK for an intern.
Commentary and photo courtesy of Mike Brown, a photographer for the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Lots more reason on PETA here, and the ever-popular PETAkillsanimals.com here.
Mark | June 12, 2008, 10:53pm | #
How on EARTH can you guys be so easily fooled?
Obviously, the intern CHOSE (remember choice? free will?) to do the demonstration, asked how much time was left, and decided to stay even though it was difficult.
Good for her!
Meanwhile, PETA is way ahead of its time - that's the problem.
PETA's main goal is to point out that our unquestioned assumption against taking seriously the harm we cause members of other species is a form of prejudice, called "speciesism" by analogy with racism and sexism.
The very most basic principles of ethics that we (ESPECIALLY libertarians) apply among humans - against causing unjustified harm - apply to other species precisely because they are capable of being harmed.
Our common ancestors with chimpanzees lived only 500,000 generations ago, and it is by the sheerest evolutionary coincidence that other species with comparable intellect to humans are not alive today.
Yet, even the most educated and intelligent among us find it difficult to shake off the world-view that all other animals exist for human use. It may even seem laughable to suggest otherwise, just like it was once laughable to suggest that women do not exist for men's use, or that blacks do not exist for whites' use.
But once we rethink our speciesist assumption, it is easy to recognize that the amount of harm we cause other species for our most trivial benefits is comparable with that which we have caused members of our own species in what we now consider the darkest periods of human history.
Take a look at the film "Earthlings," which is available in parts on YouTube, but you can see the complete version if you type "Earthlings" into "Google Video."
I dare you.
Jim | June 12, 2008, 11:31pm | #
Mark said:
"The very most basic principles of ethics that we (ESPECIALLY libertarians) apply among humans - against causing unjustified harm - apply to other species precisely because they are capable of being harmed."
Well Mark, let's look at this. You say that the practice of Animal Husbandry, dedicated to the production of meat protien is harmful to the species.
Might I ask you then, has the cattle business resulted, as of this very moment, of
more or
less heads of beef standing on this planet now, as compared to 200 years ago?
How bout the poultry business. Same question;
more or
less?
Ditto, pork, and any other commercially raised meat, including farmed fish, shrimp, crawfish or anything else.
We might indeed
harm the individual animal. But we absolutely
do not harm the species in so doing.
Fact is, Mark, that it is our very appetite for such protiens that ensures that those species prosper, multiply and continue.
And if we can find a way to successfuly
farm rather than merely
harvest deep ocean and pelagic fish, the same will apply to them, as well.
*POP*!!!!
Yep, that's the sound of Mark's ballon o' illogic bursting asunder.
Enjoy your curds and whey, Mark.
Oh, sorry. Curds are
murder!
Jim
Sloop New Dawn
Galveston, TX
Mark | June 13, 2008, 10:00am | #
Jim said:
"You say that the practice of Animal Husbandry, dedicated to the production of meat protien is harmful to the species, ... We might indeed harm the individual animal. But we absolutely do not harm the species in so doing."
Thank you for such a thoughtful response. But no, I don't think a species can have interests like an individual can. That would be collectivist nonsense. I am talking about harming individual members of other species, and using species membership alone as the justifying characteristic.
If it were the species that counted instead of the individual, we would have to apply that to humans, and do things like bringing as many humans as possible into existence even if it means enslaving and killing a significant portion of people. And that's what we're against here.
Ayn-Randian said:
"I'd hardly call the overwhelming benefits of flesh consumption 'trivial'"
What are these overwhelming benefits? Would they justify using other humans in this way? You're not a utilitarian, are you? :-)
Radical Greenism said:
"While I'm not against the suffering of animals per se (we all suffer and it's natural)."
That is an is-ought fallacy. Check your premises.
Nick_M said:
"To equate animals and human morally, is to blatantly disregard the value of self awareness and abstract thought."
If self-awareness and abstract thought were really what is ethically valuable rather than the ability to be harmed, then we would also be justified in using humans who lack that capacity the way we use nonhuman animals.
highnumber said:
"Mark,
You have left me at a loss for words."
Then you should rethink your position.
It seems like all of these arguments are just excuses to continue an unjust practice. You're acting like the woman in Francisco's money speech - "I don't use logic. My mind doesn't work that way."
But how are the animals actually treated?
Every year, for example, 250 million equally sentient egg-laying hens spend their lives in cages so small that their beaks must be sliced off to prevent them from pecking each other to death under the stress. Investigations find them with broken wings permanently tangled in cage wires, and rotting corpses in cages with live birds.
And so on.
Thankfully, the situation is slowly improving as a result of pressure campaigns by groups like PETA and HSUS.
Again, please check out "Earthlings" on Google Video.
Peace!
