Speciesism in Modern Times: But Humans Can't Possibly Be Animals!

Every time I hear the thought "Humans aren't animals," my mind cringes in despair. We like to think of ourselves as separate, apart, different than the rest of the animals, but we're not. The Bible unfortunately throws so many people off the track in telling them that "God created man in His own image." To most people, this conveys a total separation from the rest of Creation, which in turn draws a gap between human "beings" and the rest of the world.

It's a tragic turn of events, and it makes many people gaff at the idea that humans actually are animals. Even more tragic is that some people use this excuse that they are separate to do horrible things to those of a "lower species" than them.

Recently I was browsing a messageboard, and one of the topics at hand was about some father who forced his daughter to kill the family cat. While there are many layers of tragedy based around this horrifying act, one found focus throughout the discussion: the fact that this cat was a pet and it was cruelly killed.

Posts like this began to appear:

"So what? It's a cat. It's not like she's murdered a sentient being. Therapy? Whatever for? What's more I think kids should be more exposed to death, and not only animals. The way people overprotect their children is sickening and unrealistic, the world is a tough place. Kids have a right to know that before stumbling into it."

There are several layers of pain here. Let's focus on the fact that she didn't "murder[ed] a sentient being" but instead a cat. Mind-blowing. As speciesist as you can get. Fortunately, this person was trying to play Devil's Advocate, so they simply thought of the most opposite argument they could find and put it up there. If people actually thought that, we'd be in trouble.

Oh wait.

"I think that the fact that people freak out about animal's getting hurt is the stupidest shit i have ever seen. Its an animal. If he had made her stab her brother, I would say differently. Sure, the kid is going to be sad about it for a while, but probably moreso because her father forced her to do it, rather than that she actually did it.

I would let my dog die to save a stranger with no thought about it at all. Call me heartless, but that's just how i see things."

This was from a forum user who actually believed what he was saying. It's impossible to look past the blatant speciesism and total indifference to suffering that the man displayed here (frankly because that's all this post is about). Do people not realize humans are animals? Have these people not taken biology class?

"It's an animal. It's going to die before you do no matter what(unless you have an exotic turtle or those birds that live for ages). It frustrates me where people spend thousands of dollars on their pet to stay alive while it is in immense pain and suffering until the very last day. Circle of life and that stuff. The thing is, this isn't about the pet. It's about the little girl. I feel pretty bad for her in that her dad forced her to stab her pet. At a young age, bummer. She'll get over it and then she'll be sad when the next pet they get dies a terrible painful death of cancer or arthritis so bad it can't walk to the food bowl and it starves to death. 

Its a vicious circle. I decided to remain detached from my dog when I realized that after 4 years of owning her she was already older than me. 

It might be that I hunt with brings me to these feelings about pets, who knows."

The very same poster as the previous ignorant post above poured his thoughts out again, this time railing against the people who "spend thousands of dollars on their pet to stay alive while it is in immense pain and suffering until the very last day." Not only is said poster forgetting that people who spend such money are probably giving said pet painkillers, but he also misses a crucial point: We want our loved ones to live as long as they can. Do you think we send our elders out on an iceflow like the old days, waving goodbye and knowing they'll die a quick death on the frozen waters? No, we comfort them until their very last day. We surround them with these comforts for a reason.

We want them to be happy, but we want them to live.

Going back to the whole humans vs. animals thing, my favorite topic in that area is the Bonobo Ape. The Bonobo is an ape that walks on two legs for long distances, knows how to start and douse a fire (albeit with a scientist's lighter), and is beginning to develop a written language.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/susan_savage_rumbaugh_on_apes_that_write.html

It strikes me how fun it will be when humanity faces its first "sentient" cousin. How will we respond? Hopefully by not exterminating or enslaving the species in fear, for if this speciesism is not dealt with soon, we may have a bit of a problem on our hands. 

If I could have anything besides wishing that my family and friends lived forever (and yes, that includes my dog Chester), it'd be to wish that I could be cryogenically frozen to await the time of the Bonobo. The time when humanity realizes they're not so alone after all, and the time when the question of "Are humans animals?" will be finally answered.