Human and Nonhuman Rights Together.

international | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis

Wednesday May 20, 2009 14:34

by Roger Yates

Considering the notion of human animal and nonhuman animal rigjhts.

Gary Francione, US law professor, animal rights philosopher and founder of Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach explains why human and nonhuman rights are perfect together.

After law professor and animal rights philosopher, Gary L. Francione, gave a lecture on animal rights at a community centre, a woman approached him saying she was a volunteer at a centre for battered women and rape victims. She said that she was very sympathetic about what happens to animals but that she was completely consumed by her work for women that she did not know how to find time to work to become involved in animal rights.

Animal advocates are used to this sort of thing: “There are too many human problems in the world that we have to solve first before we think about animals,” “Let’s work on world peace first; we can then work on animal rights.”

Francione asked the volunteer whether she has time to eat, whether she wears clothes and uses shampoo and other products. “Yes, sure,” she replied. “But what does that have to do with it?”

Francione explained that it has everything to do with it. That if she really took the animal issue seriously, all she needed to do was to stop consuming them, wearing them, using products that contain them or that are tested on them, or patronizing any form of entertainment that used animals. He said that, if she never did anything else on the animal issue, her act of going vegan, and the example that she would set for friends and family, would themselves constitute important forms of activism that would in no way interfere with her work for women.

For, no one is saying that those who campaign for human rights should stop doing so and should instead campaign for animal rights. Becoming a vegan does not require that you stop advocating for abused children, battered women, or against war. Furthermore, Francione argues that it is a mistake to see issues of human and animal exploitation as mutually exclusive. On the contrary, he suggests, all exploitation is inextricably intertwined. All exploitation is a manifestation of violence. All discrimination is a manifestation of violence.

Citing Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, who noted that, “As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields,” Francione argues that as long as we tolerate violence of any sort, there will be violence of every sort. As long as humans regard it as normal to slaughter animals for food for which there is no justification other than the trivial pleasure we get from eating or using animals, they will regard it as normal to use violence when they think that something more important is at stake.

Francione points out that, “it goes the other way as well”, stating that, “as long as we tolerate racism, sexism, heterosexism, and other forms of discrimination, there will be speciesism.” He says that animal advocates oppose speciesism because it is like racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination. Our opposition to speciesism logically implies a rejection of these other forms of discrimination. He notes that Gandhi once said: “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

If we want a nonviolent world, Francione argues, we must embrace nonviolence in our own lives. Veganism is an important element of a nonviolent life as there can be no doubt that all animal foods and animal products are the result of violence.

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Comments (5 of 5)

thanks

by anonymous regular

Thu May 21, 2009 01:56

Thanks for this post.

As an animal rights activist and vegan, and also as a survivor of child sexual abuse and adult rape, I am encouraged to see the link between animal and human abuse made, as I have always known the issues were the same.

As a surviving victim the links are crystal clear to me.... however I know from experience in AR that such comparisons are likely to result in accusations of "not caring about humans/rape victims etc" from those who continue to exploit others. It is truly truly unfortunate that the links are not made clearer, and this article is a start.

This link is very very dear to my heart for obvious personal reasons..... I also know that a huge number of rape or SA victims have a huge affinity with animals.... anecdotal evidence but I promise that many find safe tactile comfort only in their animals company, and appreciate that comfort greatly. Even moreso when the animal has come from an abusive situation...

The challenge remains to make people see that these abuses should all be stopped and that you don't have to be for or against humans. I always say I am an Animal rights activist, and qualify that with "including human animals". I do think this is an important message to get across. Not just from a PR point of view fpor the movement, but as a general message for the world!

To translate into practical terms.... I see a dumped kitten/cat/dog, I stop my car and take them home. Obviously! However, I also regularly see neglected kids where I live..... Instinct says take them home and at least give them a good meal...... sense and law says I cannot. I can do other things to help kids though, and I do. I also do things to avoid adult human rights abuses.

I don't buy that carrot face cream for example, as even though its not tested on animals, it is an Israeli product...

I guess my point is to agree with the article... you most certainly can support the other causes even if you are focused on one. Also, we need people to be focused on ALL abuse issues and I am thankful that there are! But yes, we should at least support each other in the easy ways, like not buying products of hurt/torture/abuse/oppression etc. FFS, none of it is necessary!

Thanks

by Janus

Thu May 21, 2009 02:39

To Roger Yates and anonymous regular.... Thank you both. I needed to know that there was still a glimmer of light in this world.

Human and animal rights are indeed intertwined

by James

Sat May 23, 2009 17:55

I would go so far as to say that being vegan is part of what it means to be a serious environmentalist on the one hand, and a serious human rights advocate on the other (and these things are of course not mutually exclusive). Animal agriculture is an environmental disaster. Moreover, animal agriculture involves an immoral and irrational use of vital resources such as water and grain.

For me, and also an increasing number of others, it is a truth written in a clear blue sky that human rights and animal rights are not mutually exclusive, but rather two sides of the same coin - that coin being the creation of a just world.

Sat May 23, 2009 23:26

Thanks for all the comments, folks. For those who want to follow up on the environmental point, please read this essay from the Unpopular Vegan Essays blog.

Perfect

Wed Jun 17, 2009 14:33

More on the connection - there is a new film HOME, released on World Environment Day, which is well worth watching: http://www.unep.org/wed/2009/English/content/bertrand.asp

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Comments (5 of 5)