Reply #95: From your viewpoint [View All]

[SteelPenguin]

...and mine coincidentally.

Though there are many that disagree with you vehemently. There are cultures that deride any abuse or use of animals. Even hunting, or any kind of killing is wrong. Eating any animal is wrong. Eating any byproduct of an animal that you have kept in 'slavery' is wrong. Using their skins for leather, or bones for tools or even jewelry is wrong. There are other cultures that put no value in what an animal wants or feels or needs. They are property to be kept, sold, used, in any way or fashion that they decide. They hold no more position in the persons heart than a brick of their house, or a wheel on their wagon.

A question posed to them like this whether they'd prefer to be hunted as a moose, or fight as a pitbull you might be suprised at the answers you get. Some might say they'd prefer to be hunted because then they're free and could escape and live free. Others would choose a pitbull because they could fight and be strong and win their lives. Others would stare blankly at you and comment to their neighbors about the strange westerner and their odd questions.

My point is that the position has absolutely nothing to do with 'Animal Rights', and more with cultural beliefs and taboos. Our culture says hunting moose is ok, and fighting dogs is wrong or taboo. Others say both are wrong, others say both are right. If you were raised in one of these other cultures you'd believe, most likely, whatever it is your culture believed.

The point, applied to the inital subject, is that our overall culture says that hunting is fine, and dogfighting is bad, but other cultures don't. Sarah Palin's culture writes the taboos into law, and Michael Vick's culture (granted a subset of southern American black society, and not the overall african american culture as a whole) doesn't. Hence what Chris Rock said does have some merit. We live in a society where white protestants have put their taboos into law from homosexuality (there are still sodomy laws on the books) to drug use, and many other prohibitions. Meanwhile other subcultures that don't fit the mold of this primary culture must live on the outskirts of, or outright break, the law.

Whether you or I see the actual act as cruel is moot.