humans and consumers have been saved from having to be cruel to animals themselves. The food

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1 Garcia-Caballero 1 Rosa Garcia-Caballero Seng Alex Vang Writing 10/Section 1 5 August 2015 Animal Rights: Species or Food? In modern day, the food industry has lessen the severity of eating animals by masking the cruelty behind the food produced. People Consumers have been blinded to the horrors the food industry has done in order for humans to be able to consume meat. In the battle of reason, humans and consumers have been saved from having to be cruel to animals themselves. The food industry does all of the dirty work, and individuals do not have to deal with the struggle to produce meat. The sad story behind a juicy steak or a mouthful of flavored chicken breast, is nowhere to be found in the human thought process when hunger strikes. People should be less selfish and more selfless when thinking about life, not only in humans but in animals. People consume meat without thinking of the life behind that flesh they are eating. Animals are living, breathing beings that have brains, some kind level of intelligence, and should be left alone in nature. Before industrialization, there was nature, and in that natural world humans and animal Commented [SV1]: Left alone? Is this possible according to our history of domesticating livestock for our needs? both lived upon instinct. Humans have always been at the top of the food chain due to their intelligence, but now humans are far from eating to just to survive. Due to the fine line between food and life, animal rights should be a topic of concern for Commented [SV2]: Might be better to suggest that at one point we needed to eat to survive but the amount of meat we are consuming today has been naturalized and unquestioned by many consumers. all humans. Humans should be concerned for they are the ones who are enslaving these animals and doing as they please with them. In previous decades food was a matter of survival, but now the amount of meat humans consume is far more than that of before. Before humans had to hunt for their food, but now the food industry has made it so simple and convenient for humans to just go pick up a packet of meat for currency. Human consumption of meat is not just for survival, it

2 Garcia-Caballero 2 is a lifestyle. Eating meat is more of a luxury than a method of survival, some people are vegan or vegetarian which shows that consuming meat at the current scale is unnecessary. In finding a solution to this matter, the answer is not to completely stop eating meat, it is about raising awareness and analyzing the situation to find a possible solution(s). Humans are intelligent Commented [SV3]: Good point creatures, and within that reasoning, humans must fully understand both perspectives to the consuming of meat in order to make the best decision. Commented [SV4]: You mean unnecessary consumption of meat? There are more factors related to this matter, yet human reasoning should be the main focus when analyzing actions. The question animal or food, has no set answer, yet people need to take into account many aspects when making their food choices. There are many written articles addressing this issue of animal cruelty and animal rights, what perspective has more reason to human actions? Two authors that closely analyze the animal cruelty in the food industry are Peter Singer and Gary Steiner. Peter Singer presents the moral aspect to this situation in his article Equality for Animals. Singer claims that it is morally incorrect to eat animals and make them go through everything they have to go through just for their meat. Some people justify eating animals through the excuse that animals are inferior to human knowledge and that is the reason it is fine for humans to kill them for their meat. Commented [SV5]: Is this paraphrase? With this reasoning people have also linked that since animals eat other animals then that means humans have the same right to eat animals. According to Singer most animals who kill for food would not be able to survive if they did not, whereas we have no need to eat animal flesh (181). This means that animals have more of a right to eat other animals because they have no other choice, they must eat one another. Animals do not have the same reasoning as humans and act upon instinct, their instincts tell them they must eat or be eaten. In comparison of human instinct to animal instinct humans have the power of reasoning, for humans have intelligence to

3 Garcia-Caballero 3 understand that they do not need to consume meat to survive. Another very important point that must be taken into consideration is not only do humans have reasoning to know meat is not necessary for survival or have to be cruel to the animals. Gary Steiner addresses this issue in his article Animal, Vegetable, Miserable by explaining that not only are humans cruel to animals for their flesh, but for their own amusement. He explains that humans have taken animal lives as a luxury to create products that are unnecessary for survival. Humans are not only using animals for food, they are getting the most they can out of the animals; such as using their skin, fur, and even using them for cosmetics and medication. This is why Steiner shares his vegan lifestyle, and gives his reason for choosing this lifestyle. To be a strict vegan is to strive to avoid all animal products, and this includes materials like leather, silk, and wool, as well as a panoply of cosmetics and medication (197). He also shares that he has lost friends because they do not accept his decision of being vegan. This should really make people think: we should take into consideration animals for they have rights as well. Animal consumption does not stop at morals arguments like Singer and Steiner address; laws and regulations are the primary examples that show animals have rights as well. On the websites PETA.org and farmsancturary.org we can find various pieces of writing stating the animal cruelty facts and specific arguments from the organizations. Facts that show the sad truth about eating animals, for these reasons animals have been protected by laws and regulations. Commented [SV6]: What are these facts? What kind of evidence? Is it statistical data what do these numbers mean? These pieces address the cruelty in their writing, illustrating the torture these animals are put in. the horrible living conditions the animals have, the brutality of their slaughter, and the suffering these animals feel.

4 Garcia-Caballero 4 People should think about everything animals go through at farms, both PETA.org and farmsancturary.org address the horrible living conditions that the animals on farms have to face. According to PETA.org, At this lab, workers without medical or veterinary degrees are chopping open animals, sometimes doing two or more major surgical operations on the same animal. Not only are these animals crammed, abused, given antibiotics and genetic enhancements; people who are not qualified are practicing surgeries on them. Humans would not allow a person without a license practice a surgery on them, why should we allow this to happen to animals. The animals are being exploited, they are forced to grow and produce more than they should. According to farmsancturary.org, Most factory-farmed animals have been genetically manipulated to grow larger or to produce more milk or eggs than they naturally would. Again since humans have become so needy, they are taking the most they can from animals and this should not be the case. People should learn to conform to what the animal gives them naturally. If we do not conform to nature, we will end up destroying the piece on earth. This will lead people to animal cruelty, cruelty due to the amount such as the things humans make the animals go through. People Consumers are unaware of the cruelty that goes on in the food industry animal farms. According to the humanesociety.org Animal cruelty can be either deliberate abuse or simply the failure to take care of an animal. Either way, and whether the animal is a pet, a farm animal or wildlife, the victim can suffer terribly. We are committing animal cruelty by failing to not leaving the animals alone in nature. Everyone is guilty of animal cruelty because we do not put a stop to the food industry, we do not stand up for these lives and the animals feelings. Most people take care of the animals they domesticate, call pets, yet forget that farm animals are also living creatures that deserve to be treated with the same respect.

5 Garcia-Caballero 5 Individuals should explore aspects of animal rights within the food industry that are hidden behind a package. Through reasoning and the evidence presented, individuals will be able to make their own conclusions about animal cruelty. Morals are a big factor in this aspect, yet everyone s views on morals vary from topic to topic. This is why people must see and inform themselves before making a decision, since most people are unaware of the horrors behind the food industry. Many individuals do not know where their food comes from, this means that they are unaware of the animal cruelty in the food industry. Therefore, we must start addressing this situation by raising awareness through facts and regulation. The more people are aware of the situation, the easier it is for them to change the food industry. When people come together in agreement so much can be changed, such as getting the government to participate in this regulation towards the stopping of animal cruelty. Commented [SV7]: Are there currently any federal regulations or agencies that are supposed to be doing this? Are they effective? Why or why not? What might some of these regulations look like? Did any of your sources indicate some possible solutions? Commented [SV8]: Should indicate what some of these regulations may look like in trying to change the food industry? Overall this essay was a well-organized and solid paper. You presented a clear thesis and provided evidence from your sources to support your thesis. I think in several areas writing could have been more specific such as consumers humans individuals all used interchangeably these types can have different interpretations. Evidence from the websites could have been more specific and discuss they types of evidence or type of argument that is being made. Analysis should include if these are effective or not? Would be better to discuss what some of these possible solutions would look like in your conclusion. Grade 17.5 B+

6 Garcia-Caballero 6 Works Cited "Animal Abuse and Neglect: The Humane Society of the United States." RSS. Web. 09 Aug "Factory Farming: Misery for Animals." PETA. Web. 23 July Farm Sanctuary. Farm Sanctuary. Web. 23 July Singer, Peter. Eat Food: Food Defined Food Matters: The Bedford Spotlight Reader Print. Steiner, Gary. Eat Food: Food Defined Food Matters: The Bedford Spotlight Reader Print.