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Animal Rights: What Exactly is Right?
Have you ever looked at the large tobacco companies and all the human lives they ruin and been angry? Have you ever cursed the alcohol business for the cause of many unnecessary accidents? When you hear about a murder on the news, does it not invoke some sort of unpleasant emotion? My guess is that you all have. Then why do many turn the other way at the mass killing of innocent animals? I know, I know, but before you start spouting off your defenses, listen to my side. First, I want to make it clear that while I do have guilt about eating living things, I am not a vegetarian. So don't immediately think I'm some hyper-crazed animal activist who believes that, if you squash a spider in your house, that you've committed the crime of the century.
As far as eating animals, I would never try to force someone to stop consuming meat. I am aware that even if I were to become a vegetarian, as I often think of doing, I could never force the whole world to follow suit, and I would, just as it is hard for me to disagree with the use of animals for medical experiments that could cure the world's diseases. But that's a different issue.
Many feel that all experiments on any unwilling living creature are wrong. I understand their principles, but I don't completely agree. If an experiment could lead to the cure of a disease or development of medicine to treat it, I couldn't deny its importance. Although it does bother me when they mistreat animals for things like acid reflux or indigestion or something equally trivial. It's a fine line, and I guess it's not my place to decide what's good and what's bad in terms of medical reasons.
On the flip side, I stand defiantly against any other experiments placed on animals for they are cruel and unjustified. I find it utterly disgusting that a human being would put unsafe chemicals or operate on a cute little bunny or any creature in order to create the perfect long-lasting moisturizing lipstick or natural hold hairspray. I'm sorry, but it's just plain wrong.
There is also no way to argue the good points of using animals for clothing or accessories because there are no good points. Could a single one of you truthfully tell me that killing a fox for a fur coat or skinning an alligator for boots or even using a turtle for a leather purse has any important purpose? No I don't think so. It may be a fashion statement, the raging style, but to me it's murder. Plain and simple. But then again, that's just me.
I could also get into the whole hunting issue, but you'd probably shoot me. Still I must say it. Hunting animals for any purpose, unless you work for a food company, doesn't seem useful. I understand that some do hunt for food, but couldn't you just buy it from the store? Why go kill more animals when there is more than enough at the store? If your reason is sport, well I don't mean to sound blunt or what some might call ignorant, but the word hunting is just a synonym for murder. Don't get me wrong, I don't think those who hunt are evil. I just firmly disagree with their motives. And don't even get me started on poachers who kill endangered species. I'm sure I've angered plenty of people with my opinions, and I'm sure there are some who are on my side. I bet there are even some who don't know whether my opinions bother them because they are true or because they disagree.
Also, I'd like to state I'm not on a mission to change the world or even to push my beliefs on anyone else. In my eyes, forcing others to follow my views is just as wrong. All I want to accomplish is to voice my insights on the issue as a way to vent, to express them. If someone gets something useful out of this or learns something new, then great, but I'm just exercising my First Amendment rights. And here's a dare for all the readers: how about you use yours? Article provided by 
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