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From: jla@usl.UUCP (Joseph L Arceneaux)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: animal vs human rights, morality
Message-ID: <342@usl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 1-Mar-85 15:51:22 EST
Article-I.D.: usl.342
Posted: Fri Mar  1 15:51:22 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Mar-85 04:58:49 EST
References: <233@usl.UUCP> <1313@bbncca.ARPA>, <110@spar.UUCP>
Organization: USL, Lafayette, LA
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The thing about language in [other] animals is that it's existence (I
grant that there is much discussion about the exact nature of languages in
animals, but for my part, it is obvious that such a capability exists)
is further evidence that [other] animals are not so different than us [humans]
after all.  There are certainly chimpanzees who would be infinitely more
interesting conversationalists than a large subset of humanity.

All this aside, I wholeheartedly agree with Michael that animals certainly
can feel pain as well as humans, and I cannot see why it can be wrong to
inflict such discomfort upon humans and not other animals.  To extend this
into more contorversial terms, I see no reason why, if it's OK to use animals
for experimentation, humans should not also be used.

The only reason for such distinguishments is, I believe, a form of chauvinism
on the part of humans.
-- 

				    Joseph Arceneaux

                                    USL Computer Science Department
				    {akgua, ut-sally}!usl!jla

	"I'm sorry, but my kharma just ran over your dogma."