- Features

 

 

Human Egotism is the True
Perpetrator of Animal Abuse

By Siavash Emamzadeh

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Cc. you imagine lacking the
competence to speak and being
regarded as inferior? What’s your
motive to be awake? Do you have an
option? Imagine a lifetime of affliction
and solitude—imagine a torrent of
tears and indiscernible whines for your
miserable life. But you can’t mope;
you can’t grieve in your corner, for
the abuse you endure consumes all of
your time. “When,” you cry, “will this
torment cease! Who will be my savior?”
Imagine this and you will experience
merely a diminutive fraction of the
agony and distress that so many abused
and neglected animals experience.

As you're reading this, somewhere
in the world, a polar bear is drowning
on an ice cap, struggling to stay alive.
Somewhere in the world, a parrot
battles to simply move her head,
clawing at the bars that confine her
from any movement. Somewhere in the
world, animals are being butchered for
fur, pricked for game, and devoured
to make a hungry gut content. We find
it justifiable to perpetuate these trends
by climbing up on our mammoth
eight-cylinder SUV’s and feeding
the environment a mouthful —and
more—of poison. We find it admissible
to murder animals so that we look
commendable and complement
the fashion industry —God forbid
fashion take a back seat to nobility.
Consequently, I found it troubling
that the designation, “humane” bares
a striking resemblance to “human.”
How a term conveying courtesy and
purity of the heart can rhyme with
a title symbolizing shamelessness,
callousness, and immorality, is
discomforting and unwarranted. Perhaps

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the word “human” should be amended
to compare to the word, “savage” —
which would be much more suitable.
Ironically, we have been disturbingly
more creative in finding ways to
slaughter animals than we have been in

humans also occurs and individuals
subject to objectification often have

a patronage group available to them.

In many instances, women become
victims of objectification, in which case
they are only seen as sexual utilities

“True awareness of animals is not to
witness depression or affliction behind a
barred cage, but rather to behold animals
in the beauty of their natural habitats.”

our approaches to aid them.

When it comes to animal abuse, it
is clear that the phenomena is a case
of humans fulfilling our own desires.
In the circumstance of entertainment
venues, such as circuses, we pay to see
them perform for us and in the case
of public abuse, we torment them to
satisfy our own sadistic tendencies—the
same concept can be applied to all of
the other kinds of animal cruelty. It is
manifest that “me” in these situations is
top priority —or to assert the equivalent
in a more precise and warranted way:
we are horribly selfish. This selfishness
in turn exposes the other component of
the common theme in animal cruelty:
our unanimous indifference to animals’
sentiments, rights, or will. Animals
are only seen in one light, which is to
parallel our own agendas. Nothing else

is given even the slightest consideration.

In other words, this component can
also be referred to as objectification;
animals are only seen as objects of our
contentment, utterly negated as living
beings. Factually, objectification of

and as the inferior of the two sexes.
In society among individuals, it can
be generally maintained, with firm
conviction, that human objectification
is seen as immoral conduct. In light of
this, is it not hypocrisy to disregard,
in essence, the identical act directed
at animals? In reality, the segregation
that exists between the sexes owing to
objectification is generally non-existent
because the belief is disingenuous. If
there is no empathy for animals being
treated as objects, then any assertion
that one is allegedly opposed to human
objectification is insincere.
Falsification, a product of
defensiveness and denial, is utilized as
a shield when abusers are confronted
about their treatment of animals. Zoo
and aquarium representatives try to
favor by deceiving the public into
financially and emotionally supporting
their imprisonments. Often, when
subject to criticism, they defend the
domestication of animals by asserting
that the exhibition of animals promotes
awareness of the environment.

Essentially, they are stating that animal
domestication is justified because it
informs the public of and benefits
animals. Their claim is blatantly false.
What exhibitions at aquariums and
zoos tell to the public is that confining
animals for your pleasure is merited,
as is disrespect, and that animals are
our possessions. True awareness of
animals is not to witness depression

or affliction behind a barred cage, but
rather to behold animals in the beauty
of their natural habitats. Through true
awareness, we will heartily embrace
the fact that humans and animals

live two diverse lives, but our lives
converge with theirs and that is

where they need our help. We would
best understand a polar bear if we
would encounter them, at a harmless
proximity, in their God-given habitat,
and through that experience we will be
compelled to unify with others and stop
global warming. It is not conceivable
to experience this information by
imprisoning animals in the confines of
our civilization. The only circumstance
under which animal captivity is justified
is if a qualified household keeps a

pet, or if an animal requires medical
treatment. Therefore, the alleged
awareness that captivity patrons refer
to is nothing but a scheme to muster
revenue.

In light of all this, we must
acknowledge that the cruelty that
animals endure is a product of our
egotism, and any existing or prospective
justification theories are illegitimate.
Simply claiming that animal captivity
promotes awareness or is legitimate
because it is occurring worldwide is
false. The fundamental verity holds that
our behavior is in very clear violation

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