Now, let's really start to think about the phrase "animal rights"...you know, really get down to the nitty gritty. So, you have the "right" to think and make decisions...which means that you have to think and make decisions for yourself, as a responsibility. Since you're responsible for your decisions and your decisions lead to actions, you're then held accountable for your actions. So, there seems to be some sort of relationship between rights and responsibility.
So, what exactly are the responsibilities of an animal? Hmmm? And when I say "responsibilities", I don't mean devouring things, crapping everywhere, and having sex with anything that appears capable of bearing young. So, can you name one? Well, I don't know about you...but I can't think of one damn thing!
When was the last time that any animal was held accountable for its actions? Yeah, Spot was given a good dose of neurotoxins the time that he bit off half of Little Timmy's face...but that was just to let the other girls and boys from losing half of their faces as well. It certainly wasn't a punishment aimed at the animal, and it certainly wasn't an example to set for other animals. I mean, you could use a chainsaw to cut one of your pets in half for eating something on your plate, and the other pets wouldn't give a damn and would keep going for the plate.
But when was Spot ever expected to explain his actions anyway? And who was stupid enough to conjure up the crazy notion that Spot even had some sort of consciousness that got more complex than "me hungry, me horny"?
Despite the obvious fact that Spot doesn't have any rights, Spot will probably "receive" them someday by the placement of ridiculous laws. In any case, I can just imagine the courts of tomorrow as we establish the 150th amendment to the Constitution regarding animal rights; by then, I suspect that the Constitution will look more like a last-minute essay written for a college freshman English class. Yeah, I can just imagine it now...
