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I just saw Jane Goodall ( Not sure of spelling) sign speaking with her gorilla and some chimps and it really got me thinking.We already know that other animals display feelings, have good and bad days. Heck they have trained fruit flies to prefer a type of food. MY question is it the rule of nature to prey on those who are weaker . Does this relate to being a bully? Do we as more intelligent beings have a right to kill those things that we know to have feelings and display them.My dogs have feelings; they are happy when we go in the car,go for a walk or see me when I have been away. We sure do not have any problems killing other humans What is it about us that allows us to kill other animals for food or (sick Pleasure)?.

Marine 8 Nov 8
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8 comments

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1

THe Dalai Lama, someone who thinks more deeply than I, points to his canines when people ask about eating meat.I am not for killing for pleasure but humans are omnivores

2

sorry but animals of all varieties have been documented as killing other animals for what appears to be sport, e.g. dolphins vs smaller porpoises, outdoor cats, dogs.
What allows animals to kill others for food? We humans are animals!

That is simply a fact, whether or not one supports humans hunting for sport.
If we are arguing the ethics of the impact on the environment two things, one there are simply too damned many humans on this planet. Population control should be #1 priority and few ever discuss it. It's always about bandaid fixes that don't really address that baseline problem, too damned many people.
2 Horticulture has its own impact on the environment (herbicides, non indigenous cash crops etc)

edited to attempt to repair the html mess there 😮

1

That is a very real dilemma we face. Meat eaters love their meat and refuse to be vegetarians. Many people are in denial that animals have feelings and can think. In the wild the animals that are killed for food are the old and weak. New Zealand passed landmark legislation recognizing that all animals are sentient. We need to create more food sources.

SamL Level 7 Nov 9, 2017

It would be nice if our government would do the same. I believe with our technology we could develop a protein to serve as our food.We have a number of animals in our family some would be considered for meat by members of our society however, each of our pets do display a great deal of affection and provides a large amount of enjoyment.I feel that any animal given some consideration would do the same.

3

Rule of nature? Evolution has decided what type of food a species needs to survive. Carnivores eat meat, herbivores eat plants, omnivores eat anything. Physically we are designed to eat (almost) anything. Digestion is another topic. I eat meat. Not an large amount, but I eat it. Some people say I won't eat meat because I love animals. Well, I love animals probably more than the average person; I also love plants. And being raised in the country with farmers all around me, I understand the history, the processes, the difference between pets and livestock. I've become more and more careful of my sources (living in a city changes the availability of food sources), but still haven't felt the 'urge' to become a vegetarian. Time will tell.

As I replied to another with our technology we can develop a protein that would provide for our needs and not require killing. In addition cattle are polluting our planet and requiring to much space and water. The planet can support only so many people and it is time to recognize this fact and take measures to prevent wars that would result from a lack of food.

4

The rule of nature is that carnivores naturally prey on smaller and weaker carnivores and any and all herbivores that they can. Humans being omnivores, ie. part carnivore, part herbivore obey the dictates of carnivores for the most part. However the invention of agriculture and hence civilisation has allowed humans to also allowed humans to kill other animals for pleasure, something that is quite unusual with most carnivores. Most carnivores will kill other members of it's own species if they are perceived as competitors for territory or mates, and humans seem to not differ much here either. The concept of bullying would be only something that has come with advancing civilisation.

Squirrellglider, I'm boring your space, hope you don't mind.

The Horse Flies, 'Road Kill' [archive.org]

It would be nice with our technology if we could develop a protein that did not require killing to meet our needs.It is a fact that cattle are adding to the pollution on our planet plus using a great amount of land and water to support their needs. With the population growing we are going to run out of resources.This will lead to wars and more death. The planet must wake up andrealize it can support only so many people.

3

There is no rule, as you describe, rather in a certain environment a particular behaviour will allow a certain species to thrive, whilst in a different environment, that same behaviour could be detrimental to the species. I suspect that humans fit the latter, unless the powers that be wake up to it.

I don't like killing anything, but, sometimes do it with good reason; like killing flies and mosquitoes. I used to use a fly spray years ago but, stopped as soon as I discovered that it was a nerve agent (probably the most cruel way of killing anything). I now use a swatter and make sure it is quick as possible.

5

All animals (and some plants) kill other organisms for food and, when necessary, to protect one's self, family, and/or group. Killing another organism of any kind for no essential reason is destructive.

My concern is that it is innate that we kill whether for food or just for fun! It is obvious we must eat to survive but I am having more and more difficulty justifying eating animals knowing that they have feelings and emotions like I do.

7

I think that the true way to be human is to have a reverence for life, for ALL life! I understand that we can kill for food but we don't have to. I am perplexed why we derive so much pleasure from killing other living things. I try to avoid killing as often as possible. I take spiders outside and I try to eat mostly veggies and fruits. But I still eat meat and I still do kill the occasional house fly.... I don't have an answer to your question, but I do wonder why we above all other animals kill with such reckless abandon and apathy.

I totally agree with you. I do not understand with our knowledge why we still presue death as a pleasure.

If killing flies makes you feel bad, get Venus Flytraps or other carnivorous plants. That way you're feeding nature.

I don't agree that we "above all other animals kill with such reckless abandon..." Have you ever seen a domestic cat kill a bird? They do it with no conscience, no feeling, and not even out of hunger. Same with dogs killing squirrels (by the way, dogs are omnivores like us, so they don't need meat either). I use domestic animals as examples, because they don't need to kill (usually) but they still do. Wild predators will kill more than they can eat too, if there's enough prey. Humans are the only animal that cares enough to kill animals in the most humane way possible. Some animals don't even kill before they start eating -- what a horrible way to die.

I'm not defending the meat industry; I think that some of the farming practices are absolutely inhumane and wrong. Just saying, humans aren't the demons when it comes to killing other animals. All meat-eating animals have a drive to kill and we're not any different.

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