Letters to the Editor
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my opinion on animal rights & China -- clarification
Animals obviously don't possess the right to live. Lacking that, they have no other inherent rights. They essentially have the status of animate object.
People are born with rights. Chattels have the "rights" that their owners give them, if any, on a conditional basis.
I am against inhumane animal slaughter, but it is an issue for local regulation, not international law, and in my opinion, need not be addressed until human rights issues are rectified. Moreover, since animal slaughter in the US isn't always so humane and there is no essential distinction between different kinds of animal (pig vs. dog), how can we judge the Chinese for their cultural practices? This is both patronizing and petty.