Do we need to give rights to animals? I think so.
All life on this planet came from one single cell. Every living thing on this planet has the same mother. We all share the same DNA and protein. We have all evolved for exactly the same length of time.
The trouble with human beings is that we like to create a hierarchy. We put ourselves at the top, of course. In fact some people don’t actually recognise us as animals at all. They think we are some god-created being who is so special that they are not related, not part of the animal kingdom. Except that we are. We are made of the same DNA as everything else.
Then we anthropomorphise. Anything that resembles us, like Chimps, Gorillas and Orangutans, are given special status. In fact we are generous enough to award this status to creatures whose intelligence is pronounced. So whales, dolphins, porpoises and orcas are awarded special status. Some even include elephants, dogs, cats and pigs in this elevated status.
In actual fact all creatures are important. The slugs, snails, beetles, spiders and flies are equally important. They form the basis of the food chains. When they go the frogs, newts, swallows, hedgehogs and swifts all disappear.
My contention is that we need to protect all life.
A Charter For The Rights of Animals
It is recognised that all animal life on this planet is born with the natural right to life. All animals feel pain and have a natural instinct to survive. They should be respected. A rich diversity of animal life is necessary for the health of humans.
- No animal should be killed without good reason.
- No animal should be tortured or mistreated
- No habitat should be destroyed without due respect and consideration given to the creatures living in it
- All creatures are part of a rich web of life that we are part of and their contribution to this rich web should be valued and understood whenever any human interference in this natural order is considered.
Well it’s simple but it’s a start.
I welcome any additions, improvements or comments.