The worth of animals and people

I read an article today online about a couple who are members of a religious group in Oregon. This group eschews traditional medical treatment and believes in laying on of hands and prayer for healing. I would never and will never condemn someone for their beliefs. HOWEVER, and this is a big however, when does freedom of religion cross the line. This couple allowed their son to die in 2008 with a condition that was readily treated and could have saved his life.  I believe allowing death is crossing that line. The couple was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Honestly - I'm appalled. They allowed their child to die and they will be imprisoned for a little over a year? Really? I don't get that. Here is a link to the article - not only did they allow their son to die, their grandchild died earlier under similar circumstances. http://www.sunherald.com/2010/03/08/2008896/sentencing-for-or-couple-in-faith.html

But even more puzzling than their light sentence, is that Michael Vick was convicted of animal cruelty and got 23 months in prison, was ordered to pay huge sums of money to care for the impounded dogs and has been reviled and condemned by most of the country. Please, don't get me wrong, what M Vick did was horrible, it was cruel. But when did it become more heinous in our country to kill a dog than it is to kill a child?

Everyday we are harangued by the AR fanatics about how cruel and inhumane we who have pets, eat meat, wear wool, leather, etc. are. We are reviled. We watch helplessly as more and more ridiculous laws that have no bearing in fact or science are passed. Case in point - MA has indeed passed a law banning bark softening. Even when presented with fact and reason, the emotion of "cutting a dog's vocal chords", taking away his ability to speak, blah, blah, blah won the day! An entire group of supposedly educated, well read people refused to listen to true experts - veterinarians, dog owners, dog breeders - and instead bought the whole emotional, anthropomorphic bullshit they were fed. Beware, MA dog owners. If your vet helps you get your dog bark softened, you will both be charged with felony animal cruelty.

We watched as the AR fear mongers pushed Prop 2 in CA and effectively killed an entire industry in a state that is barely staying afloat. The people of CA have literally lost one of the most inexpensive, highest quality sources of protein available to us. There are people starving in our country, children, elderly who don't have enough to eat and we have made it impossible for them to get cheap food because we want the chickens in CA to be happy? Again, a large number of seemingly intelligent people bought a boatload of propaganda. A recent 7 year study in Sweden (where battery cages were outlawed) showed that not only did cage free chickens have a higher mortality rate, but the disease rate was higher, cannibalism increased,the chickens showed more stress and there was a higher rate of contamination in the eggs. This was ignored. In two years, the vast majority of poultry, egg, and pork producers will have to make incredibly costly changes to their operations or just leave the state.

Here in Idaho we have a Congressman counting on that - he's putting up legislation that will help head off the AR onslaught that we know will follow the poultry farms.

I suppose all of this makes me a serious speciesist. It's odd because I was debating this on a message board recently and then another blogger wrote an article about it as well. So, yes, my name is Kathy and I'm a speciesist. I do put the value of humans above the value of animals. I love my dogs, I adore them. I could not live without them, but honestly if I had to choose between my husband being alive and one of dogs, I guarantee you, I would choose my husband.

The highly valued and loved Clarkens Somebody to Love

Ruby

Comments

[Sara K]

Great, great blog today, Kath. I am a speciesist, too. I love my dogs, but I love my family more. Way more. Doesnt mean I am an irresponsible breeder or owner..it means I have priorities...and good ones. :)

[ellyharper@charter.net]

Well done! I feel we are not in Kansas anymore as the winds of craziness swirl around us!

[Ilona]

Love your blogs, Kath! On this one, I'm with you "most" of the way - tongue in cheek, just a bit? - I have to say I'm not a pure "speciesist", but rather sort of an "individualist" because, honestly, there are SOME "human" lives I wouldn't value anywhere near the value I put on some canine lives... i.e., Hitler, Dahmer, C. Manson, & a host of lesser known but certainly just as evil members of our "higher species" - yeah? Just hope I'm never put to that test...!