What's the cut-off between those it's okay to treat as disposable objects and those it's not?
That is an excellent, and troubling, question. As X points out, we may someday face superior alien visitors who ask that question of themselves, with lowly humans in mind.
I like X's answer that we confine ourselves to eating only animals who have been bred specifically as a food source. But that is far from a perfect answer. For myself, if I am (ahem) ever elected Leader of the World, I would propose that we eat no animal life. I am not a vegetarian, but close enough that I could become one and get accustomed to it rather easily.
In the meantime (pending my election) we will have to live with an arbitrary cut-off. I'm reasonably comfortable with swatting flies and mosquitos without a guilt complex. I can live grudgingly with factory farm animals being born and raised for food, in the hope that future generations will perfect their instinct for humaneness, and that the practice will eventually die out.
I will also speak out against any back-sliding in our progress to date in protecting animals, such as the hunting of whales or seals, or of elephants for their ivory, or minks and rabbits for their fur.
That's the best I can do now. (I hope I can count on your vote when the time comes). |
