animal rights research paper

Submitted By Logan-McDougal
Words: 1295
Pages: 6
Open Document
Logan McDougal
Animal Rights Research Paper
11-20-14
Correct Rights
Michael Pollan - “Were the walls of our meat industry to become transparent, literally or even figuratively, we would not long continue to do it this way.” (447) Like Pollan, I agree that factory farming is inhumane and that animals deserve respect. Also similar to Pollan I think that people should be fighting for animal welfare instead of animal rights. Pollan though, never makes a strong argument for or against animal rights, which is where I would like to build on his statements, and support animal rights, to a point. For example, Peter Singer is too extreme for my liking, as he would like for us to stop eating meat altogether, but he does make some good points in support of animal rights that I do agree with. I believe that no matter what the end result of an animal’s life is, whether they be killed for food or die of natural causes, they do have a right to a decent life.
A factory farm is a large, industrial operation that raises large numbers of animals for food. Over 99% of farm animals in the U.S. are raised in factory farms, which focus on profit and efficiency at the expense of the animals welfare. Factory farms also endanger human health by waste runoff. Factory farms pollute the water, land and air in neighboring communities, endangering both human health and life. At the same time, these businesses consume massive quantities of resources including water and fossil fuels. Since factory farming has become very popular in todays culture the market for traditional farming products are diminishing. Factory farms are able to offer greater amount of food in cheaper price with low cost, traditional farmers are out competed as they can never have business like factory farms. They have to afford relatively higher operation cost due to their smaller scale of business that their products are more expensive. This resulting in traditional farmers cannot sustain their business or even earn a living.

Why do animals deserve to live a good life? According to Steven McMullen, animals are supposed to live in a certain way that God intended. If we abuse animals to lower the price of their meats in the market, then it would be against God’s intentions. McMullen, though a vegetarian, understands that in this world, people are going to eat meat and states, “Even animals owned, and killed for food and sacrifice, were treated in a way that recognized that their lives brought glory to God.” (McMullen, Perspectives Journal). A problem with McMullen’s theory is that not everyone believes in God, but we do not have to in order to understand that animals can be treated morally wrong.
Another reason animals deserve to live a good life is because they, like humans, can feel pain and suffer. Peter Singer, an atheist, bases his argument that animals should have rights off of the fact that they can suffer. It is obvious that animals can suffer and feel pain, to ignore this in order to produce an expensive, supposedly tastier veal, or any food from animals, would be immoral. Unless a person is completely heartless he will feel bad if he sees an animal living a terrible life. This feeling of guilt or sadness to an animal should justify that they have a right to a decent life. When it comes to factory farming, I think Michael Pollan gives a very strong statement when he talks about what we would think if we were able to see what is going on inside the factory walls. If guilt comes over a person for seeing this, then we can make the assumption that it is morally wrong to do so. In today’s factory farms, animals are crammed by the thousands into filthy, windowless sheds and confined to wire cages, gestation crates, barren dirt lots, and other cruel confinement systems. These animals will never raise their families, root around in the soil, build nests, or do anything that is natural and important to them. Most won’t even feel the sun on their backs or breathe fresh air. When
Show More

Related Documents: animal rights research paper

Animal Rights Research Paper

admire the animals we see, and have our favorites that we are determined to visit every time we go. However, there is major controversy as to whether it is morally acceptable to keep animals enclosed for our personal benefit and entertainment, and many different opinions have been voiced by those for and against the practice. This paper will discuss two different perspectives, Conservationists and Animal Rights and Welfare Activists, which raise several valid arguments, such as animal health and…

Words 1400 - Pages 6

Animal Rights Research Paper

Seminar 26 April 2013 Animal Rights Everyone has their own opinions on animal rights. Some think animals should have the same rights as humans and some do not. Supporters of animal rights believe that animals have an ‘inherent worth”. They believe that every creature with a will to live has a right to live free from pain and suffering. They believe all animals are unique just like humans. Non-supporters believe animals aren’t as important as humans and use animals for things such as entertainment…

Words 1525 - Pages 7

ENV 100 Week 1 DQ1 Essay

environmental research using one of the examples listed below: 1) GPS and animal tracking 2) GPS and deforestation 3) doppler radar and animal migrations 4) sensitive detection of chemical exposure in the blood to measure pollution exposure 4) technology used to monitor weather 5) your choice. General Questions - General General Questions ENV 100 Week 1 Individual Assignment Environmental Fundamentals Paper ENV 100 Week 2 Learning Team Assignment Ecosystems Paper ENV 100…

Words 433 - Pages 2

Essay Animal Rights and Article

Bibliography References Adams, M. (2007, October 8). Factory animal farms produce meat through routine torture and environmental destruction. Natural Health Nws. Retrieved August 12, 2013, from http://www.naturalnews.com/022101_red_meat_factory_farms.html This article discusses different commonly used ingredients and methods that are used to raise animals in farms. The article also highlights the common abuses of captive animals. It specifically goes in depth about how cows, pigs, and chickens…

Words 619 - Pages 3

The Federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA)

The Federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), passed in 1966, manages animal testing in the United States. [6] We use animals for a wide variety of occasions, such as research. Millions of people throughout the U.S. keep dogs and cats as pets, while billions of animals are killed each year for food. We use animals for transportation, sports, and companionship. This shows how important animals are to our society. Animals are also used to teach us about our everyday lives and illnesses that trouble us…

Words 1141 - Pages 5

Animal Rights Daniel Alobaidi Essay

Animal Rights in Medical Research As the declaration of human right states that all human beings are free and equal in dignity and rights. The issue of whether or not to grant animal rights such as those that humans have is greatly disputed over years, but without success. Animal right is an extremely complicated issue that involves the question of animal intellect, animal rights groups, and the pros and cons of granting animals their rights. I have worked with and observed chimpanzees in early 2000…

Words 838 - Pages 4

Mai Wong Major Depression And Animal Model Summary

lot of research going into depression and often times people don’t think about how depression slowly reveals itself to the scientists studying the matter. One of the ways that our understanding of depression has been increasing is through animal models, which leaves us the question of “How does scientists develop animal models in mental disorders such as depression? ” The paper ‘Major Depression and Animals Model’ by Ma-Li Wong (...) demonstrate the general process and consensus around Animal Modelling…

Words 1115 - Pages 5

Against Animal Testing

Is The Use Of Animals For Research Purposes Justified? For a very long time animals have been used for experimentation in the medical and cosmetic fields . This research led scientists to discover biological processes and in the process gain knowledge and understanding of how to improve the quality of human life. Although animal experimentation in scientific fields occur widely, it has become an ethical issue. The legality of such experiments and the ethics behind it has been strongly challenged…

Words 1051 - Pages 5

All Animals Are Equal Essay

occur each day on the issues of animal cruelty and human rights, but when the issues are put together which will reign over the other? The author Peter Singer of “All Animals are Equal” and “Tools for Research” presents his argument for determining when animal experiments are justified. The author starts his paper with a counter argument, questioning if one would be willing to let thousands of people die if those people could be saved by experimentation on a single animal. The answer is a unanimous no;…

Words 1750 - Pages 7

Animal Testing

are number of animals used for research, experimentation and testing. However, how many people will realize that there are thousand of animals’ research behind these medical outcomes. Almost every species of animals included hamsters, dogs, cats, and rabbits are used in human medical research. With the rapid development in medical field and human civilization, more and more people are concerned about a problem that whether or not animals should be used in medical research? We use animals that are closely…

Words 1820 - Pages 8