Animal Rights (part one)

Take a look at a picture above and ask yourself what comes through your mind, does it manage to touch you somewhere deep inside your heart because of its adorable looks or does it make your tummy growl because it looks so finger-licking good and alluring? Well, if you answered the latter, you have obviously got the concept of animal rights wrong. (Based on my perspectives, other people might think otherwise)

Animal rights basically mean that anything that falls under the category of animals have the rights to be treated fairly and equally rather than being kicked around and abused like it were an insignificant toy that belongs to mankind. This issue is a very perplexing one because it all comes down to you and your views on this matter, for example, dogs and cats in China are brutally killed and sometimes literally skinned alive before being cooked and served on a silver platter. One might say that their actions are inhumane and despicable but let me ask you this; if you say that dogs and cats aren’t allowed to be consumed, why is it alright to consume poultry such as chicken and turkeys then? I’m sure chickens do feel the razor sharp blade of the butcher’s cleaver as it slowly slits its way through their necks before being left on the chopping block to bleed itself to death. Why the double standard?

I told you it was a touchy subject didn’t I? Here’s a simple theory on why people are so defiant to see your friendly neighborhood dog and cat being served on a platter - heard of the phrase ‘a dog is a man’s best friend’? Of course you have, because for a long, long time dogs have always been humankind’s favorite domestic pet (or food, when it comes to China) because of their loyalty and companionship towards people like you and I.

But have you ever heard of the phrase, ‘a chicken is a man’s best friend’? I don’t think so, because chicken has always been a staple food to us humans and is almost always seen in our rice bowls and in the deep fryer rather than being a pet in our backyard. You see, we’ve grown a bond so strong towards dogs and cats that we can’t bear to see the sight of them being butchered and served on a plate, whereas when it comes to chickens, we salivate just from the thought of them being roasted in a oven to golden brown perfection before being carved and served on a silver platter drizzled with brown gravy and a dollop of mashed potatoes on the side.

Oh, the tasty irony.