What if and human's and animals roles were switched? Animals would buy human meat at supermarkets so they could feed their families, celebrate a special occasion, or just plain out binge and slowly become fat. Imagine humans being inhumanely killed at slaughter houses so they could provide sustenance for an entire world. What if YOU were being abused by your animal owner because you simply made a mistake. What if YOU were being trained to fight another human to the death simply for cheap entertainment.
Silly examples like these are just a few prime examples of how humans treat animals all over the world. I'm not trying to persuade you to go strictly vegetarian or give up on meat, I only wanted to inform you about how our animal buddies are suffering this very moment.
Victoria Braithwaite's article "Hooked on a Myth" just makes me feel odd, she goes on saying how she had to dissect a fish in order to tell if they could feel pain. I feel common sense comes into play right now, why would a living and breathing organism not feel pain?!?
While reading Victoria's article I stumbled upon paragraph 16. "One could possibly adopt a utilitarian cost-benefit approach and argue that the benefits of sportsfishing, both financial and recreational, may outweigh the ethical costs of the likely suffering of fish." Imagine YOU were the fish in this situation, what would your opinion be?
It's very interesting that you reversed the roles because I never thought of it in that sense. I completely agree with you though, because I feel like us humans just think of the animals that we share the earth with as unimportant. This is unfair in my opinion because we would never want to give up our rights while we have the animals that receive no rights at all. The world functions the way it does not only because of us but because of the animals as well.
ReplyDeleteI understand reversing the roles puts us into their perspective. On the other hand, humans would never allow this to happen, to let another species control us and depend on them. This won't happen because humans are genetically superior because our brains are more developed compared to any other animal. Animals may be living and breathing but it is not common sense that they feel pain. As we read in "hooked on a myth" it is not scientifically proven fish have the cognitive ability to feel pain. So can you really say it's common sense to feel pain?
ReplyDeleteThis post turned my head when I saw it on the blog. It is a well thought out idea that what if we were being controlled by animals in a situation where we were the animals. I never thought of it like that it makes you think about how you treat your pets at home.
ReplyDeleteBringing up role reversal in this situation is quite interesting, and a very good way to put the way animals are treated into a perspective that we understand. Although being put into a situation would scare me, it is simply not possible. Us humans have established ourselves as the dominant species since the time we stepped foot on earth with great intellect, and tremendous power. With dominance comes power, and with this power we have gained the right to use objects with less power and intellect for things necessary. In saying so, I believe that us humans have privileges, some may seem unfair, but the circle of life seems to be working.
ReplyDeleteAlong with everyone else, I too think this is an interesting topic. But the way I think of it is different. I believe that switching our roles would not do a thing because we will always be on the top of the food chain. Like Rachel said, there is no way humans would let this happen. Plus, when you really think about it, we are animals; mammals to be exact. We are all in the same food chain. Fish eat smaller animals as well, don't you think those animals are hurt in the process too, or are fish the only ones to feel pain? Whether we like it or not, the food chain isn't going to change because someone pointed out that the smaller animals feel pain too.
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