Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach

On my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages, I often receive comments to the effect that we cannot morally distinguish animal foods from plant foods. Some comments are made by those who maintain that plants are sentient and, therefore, are not morally different from sentient nonhumans. This argument, which ranks up there with “But Hitler was a vegetarian,” is tiresome, pathetic, and Related posts: A Frequently Asked Question: What About Plants? Eating Animals: Our “Choice”? “Happy Meat:” Making Humans Feel Better About Eating Animals Is the Domestication of Animals Morally Justifiable? The Real Reason For Interest in Plant Sentience Has Nothing to Do With Plants

I was invited on several occasions to sign the Montreal Declaration on Animal Exploitation. I appreciate that the drafters asked me to sign but, for the following reasons, I am unable to do so. First, the Declaration Does Not Reject All Animal Use What is the end — the ultimate goal — envisaged by the Declaration? The Declaration purports to seek Related posts: Enabling Animal Exploitation The Problem: “Animal Advocates” Who Promote Animal Exploitation Welfare Reform Campaigns, Single-Issue Campaigns, and Animal Exploitation: Perfect Together Blessing Exploitation Imagine If There Were a Real “Animal Rights” Movement

West Ham footballer Kurt Zouma pled guilty to violating the Animal Welfare Act by kicking and slapping his cat and causing the cat “unnecessary suffering.” His brother, Yoan Zouma, who plays for Dagenham and Redbridge, filmed the incident and was accused of abetting, counselling or procuring Kurt to violate the law. Kurt was sentenced to do 180 hours of Related posts: Kurt Zouma and All Nonvegans and Benedict Cumberbatch: Perfect Together THE RSPCA SHOULD PROSECUTE ITSELF The Logic of a Vegan Diet “Unnecessary” Suffering and Death Some Clear Thinking About Animal Welfare

I advocate for the rights of animals. I argue that, if animals have moral value and are not just things, we are obligated to stop using animals as resources. It’s not just a matter of not causing animals to suffer. Although sentient (subjectively aware) animals certainly do have a morally significant interest in not suffering, Related posts: Animal Rights, Animal Welfare, and the Slavery Analogy Animal Rights and Slavery/Rape Analogies Abolitionist Animal Rights/Abolitionist Veganism: in a Nutshell Short Videos on Animal Rights, Rights vs. Welfare, Animals as Property Thought of the Day: Human Rights and Animal Rights–Inextricably Intertwined

The RSPCA is starting the process of prosecuting West Ham United’s Kurt Zouma for slapping and kicking his cat, and his brother, Yoan, who plays for Dagenham and Redbridge, for filming the incident. What the Zoumas did was clearly wrong. They inflicted harm on the cat without any justification; the cat was not threatening them in any Related posts: Viva! vs. the RSPCA…And Don’t Forget the “Donate” Button Kurt Zouma and All Nonvegans and Benedict Cumberbatch: Perfect Together Who Is an “Animal Abuser”? A Most Misleading Label Partners in Exploitation