Research mulls animal worth (Debunking PETA)

the Register Guard ^ | 17 Mar 02 | By JEFF WRIGHT

[Glutton]

The sound you hear is the chorus of thousands of vegetarians screaming in self-rightous indignation.

[lafroste]

I'm a proponent of the nearly-no-carbohydrates theory of human nutrition. I eat meat, alot of meat, and I will not be dissuaded by those who would gladly destroy my health for their warped and unrealistic view of the world.

[phasma proeliator]

Oh oh... nuther PETA thread.

[Glutton]

But this is one where a scieentist shows more animals are killed by increasing crop production. It is actually a ground breaking story. (Sorry about the pun.) ;-)

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Tony Waters of Eugene, a visiting law professor from the University of Maryland, has taught classes on the emerging legal field of animal rights. He says it's ludicrous, legally or morally, to view all nonhuman animals as equals.

Recent research on chimpanzees, for example, has revealed how similar they are to humans in their emotions, intellect, language and ability to suffer.

It seems rather un-PETA like to say that the more similar an animal is to a human, the more valuable its life is. Seems to me they would think just the opposite.

Diversity is God, after all.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

So what's the point? Agriculture is cruel and we shouldn't eat any plant substances?

[Paradox]

While it's true that field animals are killed during farming, "at least they're living free, non-enslaved lives," she says. "That's not true for animals raised on factory farms for profit and slaughter."

Heh, the sound you hear is the smiles forming on the mouths of avid hunters everywhere...

[Khepera]

Recent research on chimpanzees, for example, has revealed how similar they are to humans in their emotions, intellect, language and ability to suffer.

Yep these guys are no smarter than monkeys. As for their emotions and ability to suffer? Who cares?

[Snake65]

The only animal I try to avoid eating is a pig. They're smart, friendly, and have some personality to them. Plus when the slaughtering begins the pigs know exactly what is happening, while cows just wait for it.

I'm no PETA member, but I would like to see animals raised for food to be treated better during their lives.

[randog]

Let's cloud the issue even more--forget what we eat, what about the animals that are killed or displaced by humans just existing? I'm talking about housing developments, business centers, roads, any construction that takes place on and destroys an animal's "home".

If you're going to agonize about the fate of the country mouse you gotta worry about his city cousin, too, and that makes every vegan guilty of "animal abuse".

[tcostell]

So by proxy then, one could save the maximum number of animals by eating PETA members.

[Norman Conquest]

nuther excuse for a link to THIS: Charlotte Ross (as if it needs the slightest bit more justification).

[phasma proeliator]

And the associated thread...

Ms. Ross and PETA

[rottweiller_inc]

I'm no PETA member, but I would like to see animals raised for food to be treated better during their lives.

they were back in the day when people were free to keep animals without being zoned out of exsistance..now it's only people who can raise farm animals in vast numbers that can actually live off the land, so to speak. zoning and regulation has effectived bumped small farmers out of the box.

[New Zealander]

Great post. Going to have to show this to my pacifist/vegetarian flatmate for the sake of a few laughs...

[Glutton]

LOL! Vegans locally here in Eugene, Oregon are turrningg inside out ovver this. It really strikes a nerve with them more severely then I ever have seen happen.

[chance33_98]

LOL Thanks for the ping, but where are the PETA pics on this thread ;)

[Arizona Pard]

I'm a pure vegetarian. Always have been and always will be. I don't eat nuthin' that don't eat grass!

[Arizona Pard]

I'm a pure vegetarian. Always have been and always will be. I don't eat nuthin' that don't eat grass!

[phasma proeliator]

Haven't gotten around to that yet... too many "babe" threads running...

and then there's always "work"....