This week I have continued to read the book
Rattling The Cage by Steven M. Wise. This book has been about making comparisons between the treatment of animals and controversial topics. Among the topics they cover they talk about abortion and slavery in a legal sense and how current laws impact everyday life.
Quote
"the time to chisel the rights of nonhumans into the same constitutions in which human person-hood has been chiseled" (118 Wise)
Steven M.Wise stated an organization called the Nonhuman Rights Project which is " the only civil rights organization in the United States working to secure legally recognized fundamental rights for nonhuman animals" (www.nonhumanrights.org) This organization works towards securing rights for animals and people alike. This quote shows that Wise believes in the equal rights between animals and people and he thinks that they should be completely equal in a legal sense. through out the book he mentions how slavery is still on going but in different ways, with animals. This idea that animals are enslaved led Wise to think that animals deserve a legal document which clearly states their rights. If a document like this actually existed the rights for animals would finally be protected and they would no longer be used towards the benefit of humans.
I chose this quote becuase I think it’s a fascinating position to think that animals should have the same rights as people. The quote basically says that animals deserve to have some type of leagal document much like we have to write down their rights. The idea of animals having equal rights reminds me of a book I read where the animals over threw their masters. Although this book is a symbol for a abusive government, I still can’t help but to think about what would happen if humans and animals were equal. This idea has always fascinated me. I do think that Wise has a point when he says that animals deserve to have their rights specifically written down like we do.
It is fascinating, though I'm not sure it's viable. Do you?
ReplyDeleteRecently, there have been some novels written about this practice in the 70s of psychologists raising chimp babies next to human ones in a human family to see how alike they would become. The picture above reminded me. You should look into this.