Con: Animal Rights | Teen Ink

Con: Animal Rights

August 11, 2011
By Anonymous

Animal rights are an unnecessary craze. From animal lawyers to PETA, organizations and people are trying to give animals the same rights as humans. Animals are incapable of thinking. Animals aren’t conscious. They lack the capacity for free moral judgment, and animals can’t sign contracts or legal bindings.

Animals get the environment they need, get grouped with their own kind, spend unnecessary resources, and die accordingly. What more could they want? The only time caged animals actually work is when they are out in the wilderness getting food for them and their families by killing other animals, or eating all the grass and plants that are needed to take away carbon dioxide and are our basic source of oxygen.

Animals aren’t capable of useful thinking. If they could think, they would have found a way to overthrow humans. Animals act on instinct while humans engage in rational thought. We eat them or they eat themselves. You might say you are a vegetarian or a vegan, yet you are perfectly fine with animals eating other animals. Moreover, animals are good sources of iron, vitamin B-12, zinc, and high quality protein that cannot be found in vegetables.

Animals have no morals. They don’t care how you feel about them, and they will not do anything for you. If you have a dog, cat, fish, or any other pet, you waste your money and resources on them, and walk or let them roam around. You say you “love” them and that they are part of your family. I do not “love” any bunny that comes across my lawn and spreads its waste on it. You would never release them into the wild and let them get eaten by another animal. Domestic animals are better left in responsible humans’ care because they are already used to the comfortable environment and can not survive in the wilderness. Giving animals and humans equal rights is absurd when thinking about how an animal will never be able to cook you food, clean your house, work for money, or give advice to your problems.

Animals provide clothes for us humans. Most of it is great quality (better than faux fur), long lasting, and stylish. It also keeps you warm, like Ugg boots. Fur clothing is not only for fashion, but also for business owners. Fur clothing is profitable, and helps the economy keep up. Because fur trade is also a worldwide industry, other countries participate in the sale of fur and animals. Animal fur is also considered culture and tradition in Japan, Scandinavia, and Russia.

Animals help science improve because animals are great research subjects. Animal testing is used for mainly cosmetics, medicine, and appliances. Research shows that only 1.1% of dogs from pounds are used for medical testing. 61% of animals in testing feel no pain or are relieved of pain. Scientists try to alleviate the pain through the method of refinement. If animal testing is not supported, cures to incurable diseases and cancer cannot be developed.

Another big difference between rights of humans and animals are the ability to be viewed as a legal person(s) and member(s) of the moral community. We all can admit that even though we are mammals, we don’t live the same ways as animals. Animals do not have the intelligence of humans. Giving them the same rights as humans is unbeneficial. Although you might say they are still capable of having feelings, if they are unable to express and inform us, it will be impossible to give them the rights they want.


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This article has 7 comments.


on Apr. 11 2016 at 9:24 am
HUMANS are animals to, right! they are also living creatures and i STRONGLY disagree!!!!!!!!

ekc123 said...
on Nov. 19 2014 at 11:01 am
I humbly disagree with you. I understand that animals have been put on this earth for our use, but we have been using them more than we need to. You say that they are mindless. I say that many animals have shown undeniably human qualities, including many primates learning how to use tools and to speak in sign language and animals of different species becoming unlikely friends. Animals have done nothing to deserve to be tested on. they may not show the pain they feel, but wouldn't you feel pain if you had shampoo or perfume forced into your eyes? if they really need to test the safety of these products, let them do it on people guilty of murder or rape, not completely innocent animals. it is true that animal fur is very good to wear during the cold months, but it's not the only option. there are alternatives such as faux fur, wool, fleece and synthetic fabrics. i know that animals would attack us if the could and/or wanted to, but either they can't due to our andvanced technology, plus they're so sensitive that they may have seen the good in us.

sammieee said...
on Sep. 24 2014 at 1:38 am
THANK YOU ALLL

on Mar. 18 2013 at 11:39 am
Another of my students writes: I completely oppose the message that this article was giving. As a dedicated animal lover, I think all animals should have some sort of rights that protect them from abuse. Just because animals don't have a voice shouldn't be the reason why they are beaten, abandoned, and killed every day. I think if people would put themselves in their paws, they would feel differently about giving and protecting animal rights.

on Mar. 14 2013 at 11:59 am
One of my students writes:                 The rights of animals have been a major discussion for a very long time. Our pets have been our companion for many years. They are loyal and trustworthy, so shouldn't we give them rights just as we have? Animals should have rights to avoid animal testing, animal cruelty, and abuse.                 Animals are very intelligent and ingenious on their own level. They have amazing survival instincts and skills that save them in the toughest situations. Are our pets not just another version of ourselves? If it were us, we would want to have rights. The only rational thing to do is to help our pets, and the only way we can save them from harm are with rights.                 So many animals have suffered because of animal testing. Testing on animals would be like testing on disabled children. They have no way to defend themselves unless someone is willing to stick up for them. We should create laws making it illegal to test on animals.                 Animals should have rights because it would help unify the community of the different species. There will be a lot less suffering animals if we can get laws passed protecting animals and their rights.

Vicky15 said...
on Mar. 7 2013 at 8:47 am
Animals should be allowed to have rights; they are living creatures just like us. You shouldn’t decide their rights based on their intelligence. Some children have mental disorders which causes them to lack intelligence but that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to give them their rights.  Animal rights are a spiritual and ethical exercise for human beings. If we can't be bothered to extend the most basic ethical consideration to the treatment of animals then what does that really say about us? It's not a question of do we have to but rather why wouldn't we show a reasonable degree of respect for another living thing? For example, the way the food industry in this country treats animals is horrific beyond belief. We should have respect for every living creature just as we would want respect from them.

GreyGirl ELITE said...
on Mar. 2 2013 at 8:27 pm
GreyGirl ELITE, Pohang,Kyungbuk, Other
170 articles 122 photos 391 comments
I have to say I really disagree with this.