Letters to the Editor
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Boycott Chinese-made goods
The question of animal rights violations in China goes beyond the eating of dogs and cats. When there's a public health crisis -- say, an outbreak of rabies -- the government simply rounds up dogs -- strays and family pets alike -- and beats them to death. I recently saw a story on ABC.com about mistreatment of animals in Chinese circuses.
There's also the matter of human rights abuses, highlighted most recently by the unrest in Tibet.
For those reasons, I have a longstanding policy of not buying items that are made in China. It's not easy (have you tried finding a pair of shoes that's not made there?), my friends find it odd and probably annoying, and sometimes I have no choice but to buy Chinese-made goods. But I try, and I certainly felt vindicated by last year's slew of product recalls.
In fact, I just wrote to Dr. Scholl's, which recently moved its shoe manufacturing to China, so tell them that they've lost a customer because of it.
Sure there are abuses of animals in the United States. I speak up when I hear about those as well. That doesn't mean I don't have the right to decry mistreatment in China or anywhere else.
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Supposed "anthropomorphism"
To the person who said, "I think it's more accurate to say "as anyone who has anthropomorphized a dog or cat believes." Dogs may feel "joy" at dinnertime, but I think it's a stretch (or delusional thinking) to believe dogs or cats are "full of consiousness and joy."
Please do not be so crass and ignorant. New research is being done and proves that animals are much more than what has been thought for years. Case in point: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/03/animal-minds/virginia-morell-text
It is people who think like the person I replied to who justify cruelty to animals because, "after all, they're just animals, they can't think or have emotions". Basically, new research is showing that the old beliefs of "anthropomorphism" were just excuses so that industry (cosmetics, I'm looking at you) could go on doing their sometimes horrific experiments to animals.
And yes, I registered just to reply to this buffoon.
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Cultural Hypocrisy
Sure, eating dogs and cats is upsetting -- especially to those of us who consider these creatures companions. But isn't it a bit hypocritical to point fingers at anyone, considering our own factory farming methods?
We routinely raise all sorts of creatures, some as intelligent as pigs, under condtions that by no stretch of the imagination can be considered humane -- and then we slaughter them in abbatoirs that reek of cruelty.
Before we castigate China for the ways it slaughters dogs and cats, doesn't it behoove us to fully open our eyes to the ways we routinely treat the hundreds of thousands of animals we routinely enjoy for our dinners?
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What's The Next Leap? "Everybody 'Knows" Muslims Don't Have Human Emotions"?
It's disturbing how some people make the claim that an animal like a dog or a cat can't be "happy" or can't "feel pain" and that it's ridiculous for people to feel sorry for them and their horrible treatment and living conditions.
I think we can all see the connection between this kind of indifference to suffering and other indifference to suffering.
People who are incapable of believing that a dog or a cat can be happy or sad are the exact same people looking at GitMo and exclaiming, "What's the problem? It's not like any of the detainees have human emotions like white Americans?"
We can't deny that there are a significant portion of American right now who truly think that way!
They kick the dog and feel nothing.
They watch a person of a different race/religion getting tortured at GitMo or Abu G. and, again, they feel nothing.
China tortures animals -- or at least treats them in a fairly inhumane manner -- and that behaviour is also present in how they treat people.
It's all connected.
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We "humans" are very far from being wise stewards of a planet
Whenever I read articles about countries and how they mistreat animals and when I read about the seal hunt and when I read history books, I realize that we "humans" do not deserve the title. We have committed genocide, war, and terrible, inhumane treatment of animals throughout our "his"story and it has been "his" story.
The patriarchal model of society is based on a domination of anything that is not white, wealthy male and the results are everywhere: bloodshed, atomic weapons, animals being skinned alive, tortured, tested upon, etc etc. The good news is if we keep this up we "humans" will probably destroy the planet and good riddance is what I have to say. Maybe a kinder, gentler species will come after us.
Is it too late? yes and no. Yes, if we dont change from this dominator model to a partnership society based on empathy and nurture instead of conquest and slaughter.
Our days are numbered and I, for one, am celebrating the end of the warrior race and waiting for the human race to appear on earth.
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Humane treatment vs. Human Rights
A lot of people are conflating humane treatment with actual human rights.
I think most of the civilized world agrees -- in principle -- that every animal deserves humane treatment, whether you plan to put a sweater on it and let it sleep in your bed or put A1 sauce on it and eat it medium-rare.
Whether an animal deserves rights beyond humane treatment -- i.e. the rights of humans -- is much more debatable. Most of the world does not consider animals people.
So the question is whether your issue is with the Chinese slaughtering their dogs in an inhumane fashion (which I would agree is wrong) or with eating dogs and cats is inherently wrong.
From what I've read pigs are at least as smart as dogs. And cows are pretty cute, if not smart (...:).
So people who have an issue with eating dogs better be vegetarians too.
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hei, welcome to China
Welcome to China, although you have bias eyes. It's so sham that people could eat dogs and cats in China, like you can eat pigs and chicken in United states. Ops, I should say it's so sham that human being are eating animals. Oh, may be I should include the vegetables, because they are all lives. Right?
I don't know how long did you stay in China, but I will tell you that I lived in China for more than 20 years. And I did not even eat dog till now, but how did you find: "Dog and cat can be found on restaurant menus throughout the nation. "? Did you go to another country but not China? Or you start making up the news again?
Let me ask you another question：if a kid and a dog fall into the river at the same time, who will you save first? Will you say a dog? I guess you are older than me, so you should admit that human are selfish. It's their nature to eat other animals to survive, although i agree what you said that we should not eat animals and wear their fur.
However, killing and eating animals which is done by every country should not be an excuse to disgrace Olympic. Think about it again.
Again, welcome to China, and next time bring your own outer space food.