Do animals matter to you?

[HoopyFrood]

Well we have have to continue to disagree it seems...I've made my decision not to eat meat anymore and I shall continue to stick by it for my own reasons.

[Nepenthe's Writ]

I eat meat but I still love all animals.

[Sibeling]

I signed the petition because animals do matter - I like animals. However, I really don't think this petition will change anything. I just hope they will not use the e-mail address I provided for sending me all the stupid letters about how to lose weight easily etc.

[Mouse]

I had to watch a video on animal slaughter once for college (I studied animal care) and it was the most horrendous thing I've ever watched. By 'slaughter' I don't just mean for food.

I do eat meat by the way. Not pork or lamb or fish or beef but only cos I don't like the taste.

[Paige Turner]

Originally Posted by Sibeling

… the stupid letters about how to lose weight easily etc.

Apparently, the secret is to eat nothing but animals.

[Parson]

Of course animals matter to me. But people matter infinitely more. One of my pet peeves is people who treat their pets better than other people's kids! (Sometimes even better than their own children!)

[jackokent]

Originally Posted by Parson

Of course animals matter to me. But people matter infinitely more. One of my pet peeves is people who treat their pets better than other people's kids! (Sometimes even better than their own children!)

My pet behaves better than most other people's kids! So yes, I treat it better

[the_faery_queen]

animals mean more to me than people sometimes. i eat meat, because that's what natured intends, but i do hate the way some animals are treated before they're killed, and wish it was more humane. i supoprt animal testing for medical reasons, as long as it's something that can benefit people AND animals, like cancer, say.

but the idea that we don't let people suffer is wrong. when it comes to death, we do. if you had an illness that would kill you, society would expect you to suffer it out, where we would put an animal down. we're messed up like that. we treat animals badly when it comes to eating them, but well when it comes to terminal illnesses that would cause them pain.

[Parson]

Originally Posted by jackokent

My pet behaves better than most other people's kids! So yes, I treat it better

Just so. I note the smiley, so I understand you to be saying this in a lighthearted way. But there are some people who really do treat their pets better because their pets give them so much love and attention, while they see kids as frustrating to them therefore without value and therefore treat them badly. But clearly people are always more imporatant that animals. Both people and animals should be treated with respect, with the greater honor going to human beings. Human life is a sacred trust which I'm afraid we often ignor.

[Parson]

Originally Posted by the_faery_queen

when it comes to death, we do. if you had an illness that would kill you, society would expect you to suffer it out, where we would put an animal down. we're messed up like that.

I would disagree with that analysis. I believe human life is a sacred trust and is always valuable. It would be perfectly acceptable to refuse medical treatment and thereby probably hasten death, but human killing is wrong and a society that would "put down" humans could soon degenerate into something Hitler had in mind.

[pyan]

Originally Posted by Parson

a society that would "put down" humans could soon degenerate into something Hitler had in mind.

What, you mean like Holland? They have legal euthanasia, but I haven't heard that the country has descended into Fascism yet.

[jackokent]

Originally Posted by Parson

Just so. I note the smiley, so I understand you to be saying this in a lighthearted way. But there are some people who really do treat their pets better because their pets give them so much love and attention, while they see kids as frustrating to them therefore without value and therefore treat them badly. But clearly people are always more imporatant that animals. Both people and animals should be treated with respect, with the greater honor going to human beings. Human life is a sacred trust which I'm afraid we often ignor.

I agree that both animals and people should be treated with respect but I find it odd that people seem to imply it's an "either or" thing as per your earlier comment ...."One of my pet peeves is people who treat their pets better than other people's kids!"

I do treat my dog better maybe than some people treat thier kids. This doesn't mean that I am in any way at fault or deficient, which seems to be your implication. The problem is that everyone should treat thier kids at least as well as I treat my dog.

My pet peeve therefore is that people should treat thier kids as well as some peole treat thier animals. And by the way I do see children as frustrating. That's why I have a pet not a child in my life. I not sure I'd treat a child very well at all, that stops me having one. I wish the same logic would stop some people having pets.

[Esioul]

I love my little rabbits.

I eat meat (but never ever rabbit), although I sort of feel I shouldn't, I like the taste. I don't agree with animal testign especially where it coems to cosmetics etc, so I try and buy shampoo etc that hasn't been tested on animals. I suppose testign for medical reasons is a little mroe acceptable.

I went to buy some makeup the other day, I asked, 'Was this brand tested on animals?'

And I got the reply,
'No, we only test on old ladies.'

[Dr.Jackson]

I admit to being a fully-fledged knuckle-dragging red-blooded meat-eater, but I like animals and fully believe in peaceful co-existance for man and animals. I think that whether they are wild or domesticated should have the right to a comfortable existance. Even if, like cows, pigs, etc, they are being bred for food, they should still be treated fairly as mistreatment is abhorrent, no matter what species.

As for animal testing of cosmetics, I don't see a real need to test eye-shadow on rabbits - do male bunnies go for a female bunny that wears lipstick over a plain one? I think not!

[Sibeling]

Originally Posted by Esioul

I love my little rabbits.

I went to buy some makeup the other day, I asked, 'Was this brand tested on animals?'

And I got the reply,
'No, we only test on old ladies.'

Now that's a good decision - after all, the old ladies are the ones who use most of the make-up, so why should it be tested on animals?