TITLE: Animal Rights May 28, 2013 By Yolanda Payne 05/28/13 |
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Who is speaking for the rights of individuals who are currently housed in America’s prisons? It appears as though there is more concern about the rights of animals than there is about the rights of individuals who reside in our prisons. Rather than acknowledge our responsibility to them we often pretend that they do not exist. Does that negate their existence or take away our responsibility for them? The answer is no. How sad it appears as though there is an outcry for animal rights but no outcry for the rights of those who reside in our prisons. Where is the outcry and concern about the care of prisoners? Have they ceased to exist?
Some loudly proclaim that animals have rights and their abuse is wrong and should not be tolerated. Animals should not be abused but should not have the same rights that are given humans. The rights of humans who reside in our prisons are more important than the rights of animals. Some might retort those individuals who reside in our prisons and jails chose to be there. Although they may reside in our prisons, they continue to be humans. Does an individual’s right to be treated in a humane manner end when he/she enters prison or jail? Again, some rave about animal rights but what about those of prisoners. It’s an affront to those individuals who reside in prisons that some are more concerned about the rights of animals than they are the rights of those who reside in our prisons.
It appears as though indivuals lose their rights when they enter prison or our jails. Do they lose the right to be treated as humans or do we put them into a cage as we sometimes place animals into cages? What have we in America become? I will concern myself with the rights of animals once the rights of humans are assured. Animals should not be treated in the manner that humans are treated.
Sadly, it appears as though there is more concern about animal rights than there is about rights or those found in our prisons and jails. Some spend millions on the care of animals while grudgingly providing for the care of fellow humans. Will those who spend huge amounts on the care of animals spend the same amounts on the care of humans who are currently held in our prisons? We spy on companies to observe their treatment of animals. Do we spy on prisons to observe the treatment of prisoners? We rage about the care of animals. Do we rage about the care of those housed in our prisoners? We rush to make laws about the care of animals. Do we rush to make laws about the care of those housed in our prisons or do we merely shrug it off with the statement “that’s someone else’s concern and not mine. I’ll leave the concern about the rights of prisoners to someone else.” Human rights should be more of a concern than animal rights
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