Animals and People Share Some Rights
Vegans and other animal advocates are frequently ridiculed by those who feel that the only “right” an animal should have is the right to be used by a human being.
The theory is that animals exist to be exploited by mankind (one of the pernicious legacies of the Hebrew Book of Genesis).
A case brought by animal activists concerning mistreated turkeys in an Iowa processing plant has led to revelations about the mistreatment of turkey workers by the owners of that same plant.
I know from my CSI shows that serial killers begin by torturing and killing insects and animals. People who are able to ignore or take delight in the sufferings of animals are a step away from being able to do the same with human beings.
I’m not saying that meat-eaters are potential serial killers, or that all meat-eaters are oblivious to the sufferings of animals.
It’s one thing to eat an animal that has been raised in humane conditions and killed instantly when the time comes. It’s quite another to eat an animal whose entire existence has been one of brutal treatment and unremitted suffering.
The turkey workers in the Iowa suit are mentally-retarded men. As such they belong to a class of human beings that some other human beings regard as being less important than themselves.
During the 30s and 40s German men and women who loved their children and appreciated literature and classical music were able to turn a blind eye to the torture and murder of Jewish and Romany people because they were “of no value.” There’s not a nation on earth that hasn’t, at one time or another, designated one class of human being or another as exploitable and tormentable.
That’s all it takes: a mindset that permits otherwise sensitive and civilized people to categorize a segment of life as having no feelings or, if they have feelings, they aren’t as sensitive as their own.
Like the voiceless animals they “processed” for 30 years, the Iowa turkey workers were kept in an inhumane servitude that ignored their feelings. Like the turkeys they lived in conditions that produced suffering in them and wealth for their exploiters.
Any creature that has a nervous system can suffer.
Anyone who has a conscience has a responsibility to know where consumer products come from. With such knowledge we can weigh our desires and needs against the suffering of others. Then we can decide how much suffering we are willing to inflict on animals and on other human beings in order to maintain our lifestyle.


