Animal Rights Activists example essay topic

Humans have rights that are either natural rights or earned rights. Natural rights are rights that every person is born with and keeps throughout his life. Some of these rights include freedom of speech, the right to an attorney, and other common sense rights. Some people believe that animals do not have souls; therefore, they do not have any rights (Regan 104).

On the other hand, there are earned rights like the rights given to hunters. Hunters have the right to hunt as long as they do not break any laws while doing so. For instance, they should not hunt out of season or hunt extinct animals. Also, hunters are always trying to find a new hunting buddy, so they are trying to convert a non-hunter into a hunter. Everyone wants to get closer to nature in some shape, form, or fashion. As long as humans do not hunt until an animal becomes extinct, there is no harm being done (Chepesiuk).

Also, animal owners have rights. They have the right to keep or sell their animals. If they keep the animals, then the animal will be treated as a pet or work horse, but if the owner sells the animal, it is usually either slaughtered or very rarely kept as a pet. "The US government will no longer try to adopt the thousands of horses that are on public lands.

Instead, it will allow horses to be sent directly to auctions where they can be bought, slaughtered, and then sold for horse meat" (Chepesiuk). In other words, the government has been protecting some horses from being slaughtered but is tired of doing so because it is losing money. On the other hand, some people believe that animals have the same rights as humans do. Like us, animals can feel pain and fear, but also excitement and satisfaction" ("Animals are Equal to Humans"). Although there are many ways to avoid using animals for testing makeup and other things, Believe that animals do not have the same rights as humans because they are not in the same species Homo sapiens.

Therefore, animals should be used for testing. The abuse of animals has greatly increased over the years. "Animals are crammed into small crates, dragged to auctions with chains, and slaughtered while they are fully conscious" (Bauston). Some humans do not believe that animals have rights.

On the other hand, "Every living thing has basic rights and should be treated with respect, regardless of appearance, personality, or perceived relationship with humans" (Nelson). So, people that are taking part of the animal rights movement believe that animals have rights just like humans. "If the inherent value of humans means that they have the right to be treated with respect, then the same applies to animals" ("Animals are Equal to Humans"). Also, they do not like the idea of animals being hurt in any way. "Because animals do not have a life after they die, we should do everything in our power to ensure that this, their only life, is as long and good as possible" (Regan 104). So regardless, animals have rights, but exactly how many rights do they have?

Animals' rights are different from human rights. Although animals can not talk, some humans speak up for the rights of animals. These humans are sometimes known as animal rights activists. Some of these people hold protests to make their points.

People may think that protests never happen, especially the ones that end up in a brawl. "According to a list compiled by the Foundation for Biomedical Research, at least 37 demonstrations were planned by groups in 15 states for World Laboratory Animal Liberation Week" (Holden). "Anew law could send animal rights activists in Britain to jail for up to five years if they cross the line between peaceful protest and harassment" (Vogel). Also, according to a statement by the government, illegal protests include those that are outside of people's homes the cause alarm, harassment, or distress to the residents (Vogel). They believe that humans mistreat animals even though animals have human-like rights.

Some people believe that. ".. animal rights... grant moral standing to only a few creatures. Most of these favored with rights are birds and mammals, stressing qualities of beauty, intelligence, charisma,' awareness', or traits that seem human-like" (Nelson). According to Michel de Montaigne, humans and animals are more closely related to each other than most people want to think. For instance, rationality is used by both humans and animals when it comes to making decisions (Carlin). The majority of animals " rights are "understood" by humans. In other words, they will not exploit the animals on purpose.

Animals have rights, but humans do not recognize these rights until they are affected by exploiting their rights. For example, when animals are getting transported from a farm to a factory, many of the animals are abused because of the lack of water and space given. Also, people leave most of these "downed" animals in alleys or abandoned places (Bauston). Some animal rights' activists argue that humans do not have the right to use animals as working pets. Some hunters use hounds to "do the dirty work" when it comes to hunting. For example, while duck hunting most hunters will take a dog with them and after they shoot a duck and it falls to the ground, they make their dog go to find it and bring it back.

Another example is "A typical hound hunter chases a bear with a pack of radio-collared dogs and drives the bear into a tree, shooting the animal at pointblank range, a practice that even most hunters find loathsome" (Pacelle). Also, how can animal rights activists say that animals do not hurt other animals? I believe that if humans take pets with them to hunt, then the animal is just as guilty as animal cruelty as the human. But how could animal rights activists complain then? How else would "survival of the fittest" work in the wild? Humans' rights are used all the time while most animals do not know they have rights.

Humans literally practice "freedom of speech" daily. This law is legal as long as humans do not offend one another while practicing this right. Some people believe that hunting all together is illegal and should not be done. For instance, "The Countryside Alliance argued that the invocation of the Parliament Act of 1949 to pass the Hunting Act was illegal. The judges hearing case, however ruled that the use of the Parliament Act of 1949 was legal and the ban itself was also legal under that act" (Carnell).

So, the government tried to restrict hunters from doing something they loved with legitimate reason. Hunters should be able to hunt as long as they are doing no harm to the environment itself. Also, many people who take part in the animal rights movement want to slow down the amount of cruelty of animals, not "humanize " animals (Carlin). Animals should not have the same opportunities and rights as humans do. But seriously, what rights do animals really have?

Humans earn most of their rights while animals are born with them. The rights that animals acquire include the right to roam wherever and the right to roam whenever as long as no harm is being done. Some animals do not take advantage of these rights. Most humans think that animals have no rights when it comes to situations like "Animal versus Human". Humans earn the right to drive, vote, and other major things, but what do animals earn the right to do? Animals a reborn with more rights than most humans know about, but they do not use these rights and freedoms in every day life.

Humans have the right to test animals for the advancement of our economy. Another words, without animals, our everyday life would not be complete. Some animals are used as pets for children and adults because they do not have anything else to love. Also, animals are used as clothing. The animals a resent to the slaughter house to be transformed into clothing that benefits humans. Without animals' fur, winter time would be hard to survive.

Many fur coats are relied on for survival. Also, foods that humans get from animals are an essential part of life. Without animals, there would be no type of meat whatsoever. Without these foods- meat products- the average American person could not life because he would die from hunger unless he was a vegetarian. Not many people are willing to give up a major food group and become a vegetarian just so animals' rights will not be violated. For humans to survive, we have to use plants and animals to nurture us, as long as, we do not abuse this right (Nelson).

In other words, humans should respect the rights of animals to a certain extent. Last but not least, how many women go without wearing makeup? There is a vast minority. Most females rely on makeup every day.

Without the use of animals in testing these products, most women would never find a mate, because makeup covers up the ugly blemishes found of their faces. Even though makeup does cover up the "true beauty" of a woman, it helps being out the more beautiful parts of her. For example, a male may never notice a female's cheek bone structure until she puts on blush that brings out the beauty of it. Also, without animals to test the makeup on, more humans would end up blind because of the harmful products that are only trialed because the maker does not know the side effects. Humans should have the right to use animals for the advancement of the economy because otherwise, the future generations that lie ahead is going to be blind because of the harmfulness of non-tested makeup.

Seriously, does anybody want to explain to his or her daughter that the reason her mom or dad is blind is because animal rights activists are stubborn and would rather hurt the people who make up the population than hurt animals? Animals have rights, but they are not equal to human rights. To a certain extent, humans have the right to exploit the rights of animals as long as they do not harm the environment. "The animal rights movement contends that there should be only a relatively narrow legal gap between humans and animals. Biologically speaking, of course, there is only a narrow gap between humans and the highest of the animals" (Carlin). There is still that "gap" though.

Most people say that Darwinism shows the relationship between humans and the lower animals (Carlin). Regardless what anybody says, animals and humans are not equal. Animals' rights are violated all the time. "The way animals are exploited and treated without respect is a prejudice like racism.

It is saying the individuals don't count simply because they are of a different race (racism) ora different species (speciesism) " ("Animals are Equal to Humans"). Most of the time, it is for a good reason, such as, the advancement of the economy. Animal rights activists are people who have nothing else to complain about and want to take up for animals. "There are 5,000 humane organizations in the United States, and most of them send their resources directly caring for animals-whether helping dogs or cats in animal shelters or on the street or providing care to injured or orphaned wild animals in the care of a wildlife rehabilitation center" (Pacelle). Animals do not really have souls, so why should they get the same opportunity to live as humans? Humans should be able to use animals when it comes to researching the side effects of makeup and other things that benefit the economy.