by John Gugie

Created on: April 01, 2008

Yes, I do believe that animals have rights, or at least they should.

Right now, the law still considers animals as nothing more than property or objects that can be owned or disposed of little, if any, punishment. This is a sad state of things and I believe it needs to be changed.

Animals should have almost the same rights as people. I mean we don't need to give animals to right to eat in restaurants or anything like that. Animals should have the rights to not be hurt or killed. They should have the right to food and water. They should have the right to shelter from nature's elements.

Animals should have the same basic rights as humans. Most parts of the world have banned slavery of humans. I believe that it is time that animals receive their rights, not unlike that of humans.

Many people feel that animals do not think, which means that they do not deserve the same rights as humans. How does anybody know what the animals are thinking? Science has not found a way to see how animals think or how to fully communicate with them yet, so no one is in position to say that animals can not think.

Regardless of animals being able to think or not, this is no reason to prevent them from having rights. Some humans are mentally challenged, like with Downs's syndrome or other types of mental disabilities. Do we not grant the rights? Of course we do, at least in this modern day an age. Some people's intelligence is at or slightly above that of some animals, so both should be granted the same rights as anyone else.

Yes, animals are very different than people but at the same time people are animals. At this point of evolution, we just happen to be at the top of the food chain because we have the most intelligence - at least we claim to. If things had turned out differently, we might be the weaker species today and animals might be our masters. If you were a part of the weaker species and animals were above you, would you want the same rights as the stronger species or would you rather be subservient with no rights? I think the answer is simple. Of course you would want the same rights, so you should grant animals the same rights now.

If I might borrow the words of any seemingly out of place source, I want to quote the Transformers. In the show, Optimus Prime, leader of the heroes, often says that "freedom is the right of all sentient beings." Sentient means aware. Some people do not believe that animals are aware but I think that they are.

Animals should have the rights to not be used for animal testing and, if they are a food source, such as cows, they have the right to be treated humanely until it is time for them to be put to down. I know it sounds cruel but we do need to eat and don't forget, some animals to eat other animals for survival. But, animals used for food is no excuse for cruelty or taking away their rights.

While animals do not need to be given the same exact rights people, we are a far cry from rights that animals should be given. When people are found guilty of animal cruelty, they should receive a stronger punishment than just a fine or short jail sentence. I think that animal cruelty should be viewed this same exact way as we view human cruelty.

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