Killing of Animals Is Contrary Itself to the Principle of Humanity - Essay Example

number 16 February Killing of Animals Is Contrary Itself to the Principle of Humanity We live ina modern society in which a particular template of world order exists – human beings as representatives of the highest form of life on the Earth consume all the necessary elements of food chain in a biological community (an ecosystem) to obtain nutrition. People live by the principle of permissiveness because in their eyes they are the rulers of our planet and the masters of life. We can see that everything in our alive surroundings serves as the most appropriate “helpers” for the human race to be continued. It is laying on the surface or not but if to take into consideration the killing of animals in non-wild habitat it becomes obvious that all motives for this in the people’s world are explained by mankinds domination over the world of the living creatures. The problematic issue of this aspect is the question of appropriateness and justification of the killing animals for different goals of people. To begin with it is necessary to define the concept of animals. A well-known and scientifically proven opinion is that animals unite wild creatures as well as domestic ones. Consequently the question of interaction and life mission of humans and animals as biological kinds arises. They say people have to use products of animal origin in order to live – it is as for the domestic cattle and wild animals. As for the pets people receive such feelings as devotion, love, affection from them. From this point of view humans are perceived as consumers of animals’ positive effect on their lives in all levels from physical to moral one. Then there is a dilemma whether a mankind is a friend or an enemy of living creatures, whether people feel the responsibility for animals which were killed in order to be eaten by a human (meat and beproducts of domestic cattle, etc.) or to serve as an indicator of a luxurious life (furs, horns, heads of wild animals). There is no doubt that unfortunately there are many other reasons for killing animals which are widely accepted and practiced in our life. Let’s see what are the pros and cons of this issue in more details. One of the main justifications often given for killing animals is that people are to maintain the viability and provide their physical needs in food and related needs in clothing (clothes from wool, fur, leather and so on). In this respect animals are perceived as creatures that are called for people’s trouble-free existence only. Then it appears that a human being is a tyrant who is guided just by physical instincts not by moral norms in his life. Due to satiation of people’s necessities and because of demand for meat products which is provided by the same people every minute all over the world, there is an inaudible to us scream of dying animals in numerous slaughterhouses that are put down to death in not the most humane way. So the domestic cattle is turned into not just a victim but the victim with no soul and feelings, as it perceived just as inanimate things like phones or TVs. In fact for most people animals are not alive, they are just means to meet humans’ needs. Unfortunately it is “the greatest achievement” of mankind – the deprivation of animateness. Our strong belief is that a person who just once has seen the procedure of killing animals with his or her own eyes probably wouldn’t eat the flesh of animals even one more time. It’s truly said that meat is the industry of killing animals, and humans are predators who tear the meat with fangs enjoying the taste, the taste of death. Can the death of animals be justified by the human thirst for meat? Wouldnt it be easier to give up meat eating at all? The next reason for killing animals is justified by humans’ tries and efforts to turn their farming into a successful and profitable way. Probably it is not a secret for anybody that in this or that sphere of human activity animals are more or less useful for people depending on their gender. Let’s see this on example of agriculture where thousands of Chicks-roosters are placed into the conveyor of death just because they are not able to lay eggs, therefore they cant be profitable, and their feeding and maintenance will bring their owners only loss. This is a bright case of a nowadays horrible situation - a man holds the fate of other living beings at his own discretion. This example serves as a glaring proof of human’s cruelty against animals whose lives don’t meet their requirements and expectations. For people as rational thinking beings it may seems that this statement is of no actuality in our time, because a mankind has numerous methods and technologies of control and increase of breeding animals, nevertheless it is impossible not to take into account the fact that each killed animal thinners biological chain that can lead to irreversible environmental problems. Again we can see that animals are perceived just as an element of the chain of human nutrition. On the basis of the moral aspect and the Christian canons it is unacceptable to relate alive creatures in such a way forgetting about the basic law of modern society existence which is a humane attitude to all living things. People must concentrate their attention and cooperate their efforts in achieving a common goal – to find benefit in every animal’s existence. The other questionable killing of animals has place in peoples’ life with the purpose to prevent the loss in agriculture or damage of private human property. We are talking about the killing of certain species of rodents which spoil the crops and homes of farmers and killing of predators that often attack livestock. At first sight such measures may seem quite reasonable, correct and those ones that do not threaten the extinction of one kind or another. Still if you delve into the matter and try to trace the development of events in the case of a chaotic mass destruction you will see the violation of existence of other species because of the loss of a particular essential element of biological chain. It becomes obvious that even such a dimensionless interference in the natural laws of existence of the animal world must have a clear and legitimate mechanism of control, at least. The last reason for people to kill animals unfortunately touches the pets that we adore, like and love. The main motive for doing this unpleasant and horrible thing is desire and necessity to protect people from such threatens for their lives as rabies, aggression, etc. It is really reasonable precautions we have to put up, otherwise cure our health from their consequences. Nevertheless there are harsh realities of existence of our smaller brothers, both homeless animals and those ones which are owned. As a matter of fact, this applies in particular to fighting dogs, for example, such a breed of dogs as pit bull. Jim Gorant in his article “What Happened to Michael Vicks Dogs” highlights the problem of maintenance and treatment of pit bulls from the dogfighting ring financed by Michael Vick, an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. Among other horrific details there is a fact about peculiarities of special selection to the ranks of fighting dogs. “The ones that showed no taste for blood were killed -- by gunshot, electrocution, drowning, hanging or, in at least one case, being repeatedly slammed against the ground (Gorant 12).” How can people be so cruel and heartless with these living creatures? Who gave them the right and power to behave in such a way? Naturally after such detention conditions these dogs are in need of rehabilitation which will take not so little time and some financial support. Jim Gorant underlines that “… the common belief is that any money and time spent caring for dogs saved from fight rings would be better devoted to the millions of dogs already sitting in shelters, about half of which are destroyed each year (Gorant 17).” Fortunately there are some people who believe in positive changes and socialization of these victims of abuse. As the practice of a particular case of Michael Vicks pit bulls shows, the normal treatment of these pets can make miracle and rehabilitate dogs’ reflex to fight into the need of human presence and love and affection. The depicted example of man’s cruelty for dogs and killing them in the case they don’t make a profit for their owners again points out people to the need of revising our understanding of human’s role in the world order - we are not God to administer justice and to take the lives of innocent living creatures. All things considered then our strong belief is that any killing of animals can’t be and mustn’t be justified. As representatives of the highest life form on the Earth people should make the efforts for solution of this issue in all aspects. Humanity is now on the stage of its development when there are numerous alternative ways and means for minimization of such an extranegative and unpleasant factor as the killing of animals no matter what purpose it is aimed at. The key idea is that people have to remember that humans as well as animals are the creatures of God; both are born for the life not for death, so we are equally susceptible to all the feelings and sensations from love to suffering. Being guided by this conviction our main goal is to avoid suffering and pain for animals, to stop and to eliminate violence in all its manifestations forever. It must be perceived by mankind as a next challenge of destiny - to protect rights of living creatures in order to preserve the diversity of the animal world. Works Cited Gorant, Jim. What Happened to Michael Vick’s Dogs. Gotham books, 2010. Print. Retrieved from: http://www.si.com/more-sports/2008/12/23/vick-dogs Read More