Sunday, 8 February 2009

Needlessly controversial kitten-based post

I just read this article about a kitten killer being given one year in prison.

I don't understand.

Why is killing a kitten so much more serious than killing a cow in a slaughterhouse? Is it because we need to kill animals to eat? Why? Vegetarians manage just fine. How big is the need of non-vegetarians? How can we justify killing some animals and not others?

I'm not a vegetarian, but I hate the idea of killing animals. Yes, this means I am a hypocrite. Being hypocritical does not make your opinions any less valid. I am weak.

I've read that needlessly killing animals can be a sign of sociopathy. Surely, then, the man in the article has been properly analysed and diagnosed...

I believe that we need to have some coherent rules as to what animals are and are not killable. Should I wish to murder my cats, I may spend a year in jail. Should I wish to murder my cats and eat them then presumably I won't. How can we tell what my justification was at the time of the cat murder?

Or maybe I can murder my cows, whether I wish to eat them or not. Is there actually a rule?

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