Talk:Animal rights

the right not to be eaten

Are you sure ?

Animals eat animals, so what's their explanation of calling it 'animal right' ? -Taw

I would be surprised to hear that any animals had any explanations whatsoever! (hee hee) Perhaps your question might be better cast as, "Animals eat animals, so why do animal activists claim a right for them not to be eaten?"

The question suggests/implies that human murderers (to draw an analogy) are hypocritical to demand for themselves a right not to be executed. Perhaps the right not to be eaten should extend only to herbivores? -- Cayzle

Seems as if some "animal rights" advocates are non-vegans, participate in the food chain but dislike cruelty to animals above and beyond the minimal necessary to the food process (ie veal). There should be some distinction or explanation of the range of opinions. --justfred

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"alleged rights" is confusing. What does that mean? Does "alleged rights" mean anything other than "rights thought by some"?

Is the point that animals can't talk, and thus can't assert rights for themselves?

--TheCunctator

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Is anyone else confused by it? Or can we convey the thought less confusingly? "Alleged rights" is similar to "alleged victories" or "alleged crimes." Some people allege that the things in question exist, or if there's no question of their existence that they are properly described by the epithets--and some people deny that. So: some people say that there are animal rights; others deny this. We should not simply, in the first sentence, say that "animal rights are such-and-such," when many people deny that there are any such things at all.

Of course, to say this is not to affirm or deny that animals have any particular rights or none at all.  :-) --LMS