Animal Rights

by Teo

(Note: I originally wrote this for a writing assignment. I decided to post it here.)

Did you know that us humans are animals? More specifically we are mammals. But we decide it's okay to treat our fellow animal brethren with no regard for their well being. We need to push for animal rights! Because of people, animals get hurt. Because of people, animals suffer. But with hard work, we can make it. Because of people, animals get healed. Because of people, animals are cared for.

Why support animal rights? Because you shouldn't want to see animals get hurt because of us, or animals being used as lab rats (ironically some animals that are used as lab rats, can actually be rats), and because animals are classified as things. Yep, you heard me. Thinking, living, feeling things. Last time I checked, things weren't alive. In this rant/article I will dive into each topic individually of why you should support animal rights. So here's the first reason you should support animal rights.

Animal testing is bad

We test medicines, makeup, vaccines on animals to see if they're safe for us. But here's the thing, think about their biology compared to our biology. How is seeing if it's safe for an animal with super different biology, going to prove that it's safe for us? Well usually it doesn't. According to procon.org in 2010 1,134,692 animals were used for testing. They were poked and prodded with needles. Injected with drugs. Dressed up with ridiculous makeup. Just to see if some things are safe for humans. So yes it can be argued that we cannot use a product without testing it on animals to see if it's safe, but the test results usually aren't even accurate. And I'm pretty sure us humans can deduce if a product is safe, without testing it on animals.

Almost forgot, guess what?, 47% of people ages 18-34 say animal testing is unacceptable. Can you really argue with that many people. And I know what you're thinking… but theres 53% of people ages 18-34 who say animal testing is acceptable. Yes, but that's only people ages 18-34. I bet a lot of people older then 34, and younger then 18 say that animal testing is unacceptable. Still don't want to push for animal rights? Okay. Onto the next reason you should.

Humans injure animals

We hurt animals. I don't mean like we hit them and give them bruises (I'm not saying that hasn't happened plenty). We kill them, painfully sometimes. Sometimes people have the audacity to say that they have "good reasons" to kill animals. But sometimes the animals hurt themselves in attempts to just get away from us. I'm talking like ripping out their own flesh, because of how stressed they are in captivity, or from testing.

Other times though we do the dirty work. One time a boy fell into a gorilla's cage, the gorilla, Harambe, was shot. Harambe did grab and drag the boy, but I think he was just curious, I don't think he meant harm. Also how do you fall into a gorilla cage? Well not a cage, a habitat surrounded by a railing and the gorillas were in a pit, but still. It wasn't Harambe's fault someone fell into his cage and he got curious. But people shot him anyway.

We also hunt exotic animals and skin them. To wear their skin. Let me rephrase that: We take off dead animals' skin, animals that it's usually us who killed them, and wear it. What would you think if you saw a gorilla walking around wearing a coat made of human skin? You would think, oh dang that gorilla is a murderer! That's probably sorta along the lines of what animals think when they see us wearing the fur of another one of their species. Animals wearing other animals' skin. It's just disgusting. Do you still not support animal rights? Wow, you're stubborn, let me tell you my final reason on why you should push for animal rights.

Animals are legally things

Did you know that animals are legally classified as things? Yep things. Animals (keep in mind we are animals but this doesn't apply to us) are things, even though they think and breathe. We are animals yet we aren't things. Supposedly it's because of 3 reasons:

1. Animals can't feel pain. All of you pet owners out there know this isn't true. Animals feel just as much pain as we do.

2. Animals are irrational and instinctual. Can you honestly say that you've never been irrational, or acted based on your instincts? Some people think instincts are a bad thing, but instincts let you make quick decisions, based on your most primal emotions. You're mad you want to hit stuff, people follow instincts too. Animals just go about it in a different way.

3. Animals don't think the way we do. Once again referring to instincts, they just think instinctually. Their instincts are their thoughts. If they feel fear, their instinct is to run, and then they think, oh I better run.

Okay that's all I have, I guess I should finish up my rant, I mean article.

Once again people test animals, people hurt animals, people disregard animals. Do you want to be one of those people who hurts animals physically and mentally? If you do, there is something very wrong with you. (No offense.)

Next time you set out on a quest to buy a certain product think about how the product was tested. Was it tested on unwilling animals? If so you probably shouldn't buy it. Or if you want to dress up your pet for halloween think, wait a second… how would I feel if this person that I'm just trapped in a house that tries to care for me, all the sudden thinks its fun to put me in a random, embarrassing, uncomfortable costume. And next time an animal hurts you just think for a second, it only hurts you because it was scared, or because you hurt it. It didn't mean any harm, (unless you hurt it, in that case it probably meant harm, same with trespassing on its territory), so don't hurt it back. It's just protecting its territory, or itself, or maybe its family and friends, or maybe it's just trying to run away from you.

Think about supporting animal rights, if you look around you, you will see way more reasons then I've stated here.