Animal Rights
Introduction
Animal rights are the sense that some or all the animals should be allowed the possession of their existence. It is a belief that animals have a right to freedom from the exploitation of human beings. Animals have principle interests that should be recognized, considered, and protected. These principal interests accord moral and legal rights to the animals. Animal rights enable animals to have justifiable claims against actions carried out by humans and cause harm to them.
In his article, the author discusses the implementation of policies to protect the rights and well-being of the animals. A major concern about social ethics that has been noted is the treatment of animals that are used by people for different purposes Rollin (2011). This is shown by the phone call and letters that the government receives about animal-related issues compared to any other area. Bills that are related to animal welfare have been witnessed yearly. These bills range from trying to defend replication in the research of animals. They also are concerned with protecting marine mammals so that they could not be victims of fishermen. The bills also try to help prevent ivory from being imported to reducing the parrot business. State policies that have been passed exceedingly have helped to prevent the use of existing and non-existing shelter animals for biomedical examination and training and have moved concentration to other areas of animal welfare. Steel-jawed leg hold traps have been abolished in many countries. Hunting of bears during spring has also been abolished. This is because the hunters used to shoot breastfeeding mothers and this left the cubs as orphans who later starved to death. Horses too have fallen to be victims of slaughter or sometimes being shipped for slaughter which has led to strict laws being made. Different states have worked to abolish hunting, slaughtering of animals to protect their well-being.
Laws have been passed to protect the use of animals from being used in the laboratory. Animals have been used for research and laws to constraint their use have been passed. The toxicological assessment of cosmetics on animals has decreased Rollin (2011). In some of the countries, genetic engineering has been opposed as a way of promoting animal ethics. Social concern about the treatment of animals has also been felt in the agricultural sector. The treatment of farm animals in modern production has led to new ethics for animals. Scientists stated that any system of agriculture that does not meet the needs of animals was morally not accepted. For animal welfare, environmental despoliation, animal and human well-being, and social justice there was the end of high confinement of agriculture. Animal welfare is anything to do with ethical obligations and what we owe the animal and to the extent we do. The welfare of an animal consists of its physical and intellectual condition. Animals despite where they are should have the freedom to be fed, to be comfortable, to be treated in case of a disease, to act and be treated normally, and not to suffer mentally.
I believe the author’s argument on protecting the welfare of the animals is the right thing to do. However, I believe that animals cannot have equal rights to humans. This is in the sense that human beings are the once who take care of these animals and therefore cannot have equal rights to human beings. Animals and human beings are different in terms of morals, social life, and mentality. Animals do not have the capabilities of making moral judgments and depend on humans for almost everything. The author’s argument will lead to the end of advances for example in the medical field when laws preventing animal experimentation are passed Rollin (2011). People will have to become vegetarians when laws against the slaughtering of animals are passed. It is in the best interest of an animal that humans can oppose the cruelty of animals but should not be denied the opportunity to use them to advance human interests. Animals and their products help in the growth and well-being of people and businesses. For example, the leather business has thrived for a long time and these laws are capable of ending the leather business. Healthy products that are produced from the animals and are significant to a person’s health will no longer be available if these laws are passed.
Conclusion
Animal rights ensure that their interests should be recognized, considered, and protected. Animal rights are concerned with the welfare of animals and protection against harm by human beings. The laws implemented for animal rights include things like no slaughtering, no hunting, no use of animal products, and no examination of animals for research. However, these laws are problematic in the world that we live in and where human beings take care of these animals. These laws will end medical advancements, businesses and people will end up being vegetarians. Protecting the well-being of the animals is the ethical thing to do but implementing these laws against human beings will be inappropriate.
References
Rollin B. E. (2011). Animal Rights as a Mainstream Phenomenon. Animals: an open access journal from MDPI, 1(1), 102–115.
