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From: tr@wind.UUCP
Newsgroups: alt.flame
Subject: Animal rights hypocrisy
Message-ID: <3823@bellcore.bellcore.com>
Date: Wed, 25-Nov-87 08:54:28 EST
Article-I.D.: bellcore.3823
Posted: Wed Nov 25 08:54:28 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 29-Nov-87 06:49:59 EST
Sender: news@bellcore.bellcore.com
Reply-To: tr@bellcore.bellcore.com (tom reingold)
Distribution: alt
Organization: Bellcore, Morristown, Noo Joizy
Lines: 48

Rhonda, if some people who advocate "animal rights" are hypocritical,
does that mean that the very concept is intrinsically hypocritical?
No.

Your sister got sick from a vegetarian diet, you say.  What does
that show?  That it makes everyone sick?  I doubt it.  Many people
thrive on such a diet.  Some people can't tolerate it because
metabolisms and body chemistries DIFFER among people.  So what does
this say about vegetarianism?  Nothing.

Brent, if they are "just animals" then you wouldn't mind my killing
your pet dog.  You don't have one?  Ever had a friend who did?
Would he mind?  Should he?

I would advocate a moderate view.  Let's acknowledge the fact that
animals are part of nature's balance and we should consider it
carefully when we mess with that balance.  Sometimes it is necessary!
But to advocate doing it whenever the hell we please shows incomplete
thinking.

Rhonda, you are right when you say people shouldn't spurt blood on
your coat because they think it's amusing.  But that fact alone
does not seem to imply your right to kill (or be responsible for
killing) limitless numbers of animals.

Here is an exmaple of what a moderate view might be: Eat moderate
amounts of meat or none.  When you eat it, consider that someone
who values his life as much as you do yours, gave it up, surely
against his will, fighting as he went down.  Consider also, what
it would have been like if you yourself had plunged the knife, not
some distant, unknown meat packer.  Buy leather shoes with the same
consideration.  (I do because nothing else protects my feet as
well).  Allow medical experiments with animals because they afford
us our lifestyle, such as vaccinations, etc.

I would not suggest the above as hard and fast.  I would expect
anyone reasonable to adapt it to someonhis taste.

INVESTIGATE your point of view, don't just dogmatize it!  Reflect
on it and re-evaluate it.  You may want to change your mind some
day.  I say this to both you who don't care how many animals you
eat and those of you who think no animal should be sacrificed for
the lives of many humans.

Tom Reingold                    INTERNET:       tr@bellcore.bellcore.com
Bell Communications Research    UUCP:           !bellcore!tr
435 South St room 2L350         SOUNDNET:       (201) 829-4622 [work]
Morristown, NJ 07960                            (201) 287-2345 [home]