Black People Politics : Obama versus P.E.T.A.

[African_Prince]

As much as I disagree with some of PETA's tactics and their stance on "euthanizing" healthy, non-human animals, they are an animal rights organization. Insects are animals. They're just being consistent.

If Obama had taken a hammer and pounded a lobster into the floor, more people would be a little sympathetic. Why, just because lobsters are bigger than flies? It's no more likely that lobsters are sentient than it is that insects are sentient, they're both arthropods and their nervous systems are very similar. If insects are conscious and aware, they aren't any less conscious and aware than humans and other large animals are so why should the life of an insect be considered more valuable than the life of a human or another large animal? Because most humans are more intelligent than most insects are? If sentient, non-human life is inherently less valuable than human life on the basis of intelligence, is the life of a human prodigy more valuable than the life of mentally retarded human or a human infant? Speciesism is as morally wrong as racism, sexism and every other form of intra-human discrimination that most of us now condemn.

That said, I don't blame Obama (the mentality of killing a fly is not the same as the mentality that requires killing a human) and I don't recall PETA calling him an "evil murderer" or anything like that. They just offered him some friendly advice as to how he could better handle future encounters with flies.

 

[oldiesman]

As much as I disagree with some of PETA's tactics and their stance on "euthanizing" healthy, non-human animals, they are an animal rights organization. Insects are animals. They're just being consistent.

If Obama had taken a hammer and pounded a lobster into the floor, more people would be a little sympathetic. Why, just because lobsters are bigger than flies? It's no more likely that lobsters are sentient than it is that insects are sentient, they're both arthropods and their nervous systems are very similar. If insects are conscious and aware, they aren't any less conscious and aware than humans and other large animals are so why should the life of an insect be considered more valuable than the life of a human or another large animal? Because most humans are more intelligent than most insects are? If sentient, non-human life is inherently less valuable than human life on the basis of intelligence, is the life of a human prodigy more valuable than the life of mentally retarded human or a human infant? Speciesism is as morally wrong as racism, sexism and every other form of intra-human discrimination that most of us now condemn.

That said, I don't blame Obama (the mentality of killing a fly is not the same as the mentality that requires killing a human) and I don't recall PETA calling him an "evil murderer" or anything like that. They just offered him some friendly advice as to how he could better handle future encounters with flies.

you're right about handling the next encounter with a fly,it's called-RAID.

 

[mazimtaim]

Well, to PETA's credit. They did say that the rights of Africans were about on par with the rights of animals.

Their racism is beyond freakish.

 

[African_Prince]

Well, to PETA's credit. They did say that the rights of Africans were about on par with the rights of animals.

Their racism is beyond freakish.

It's not racism, I fully agree with them. I see no logical reason why the life of a human should be considered inherently more valuable or important than the life of a sentient non-human. All sentient beings share the same desire to avoid suffering and to experience pleasure or happiness, cows, chickens and pigs value their lives as much as you value yours.

I strongly recommend Animal Liberation by Peter Singer and Speciesism by Joan Dunayer. Check out this website as well :

http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/