THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume VIII, Issue # 36, February 17, 2006
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
USING THE UNAWARE TO PROMOTE
A VILE POLITICAL AGENDA
By Kathleen Marquardt
THE "ANIMAL RIGHTS" MOVEMENT: ENEMY OF HUMAN PROGRESS, HUMAN RIGHTS, & HUMAN SURVIVAL -- THE POLITICAL
AGENDA OF ANIMAL RIGHTS ENVIRONMENTALISTS: DESTRUCTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS & ENSURING HUMAN EXTINCTION
FULL STORY:
People for the Ethical Treatment of Aminals (PETA) gave Pat Buchanan an award, ostensibly because he saved the life of a
turtle. In actuality, they are using him and his compassion for animals to promote their sick and twisted agenda. Publicly,
animal rights leaders disguise their agenda, distracting misguided animal lovers from their true goals. Would Pat Buchanan
be proud of receiving an award from PETA, if he knew their true goals? One has to know what PETA and the animal rights
movement are in order to understand how they are using Mr. Buchanan for their political gain.
First, how do animal rightists feel about animals, human and nonhuman? Peter Singer, the “father” of the animal rights
movement, wrote in the preface of his book, Animal Liberation (the bible of the movement):
“We [he and his wife] were not especially ‘interested in’ animals.
Neither of us had ever been inordinately fond of dogs, cats, or
horses in the way that many people are. We didn’t ‘love’ animals.”
He also said, “Torturing a human being is almost always wrong, but it is not absolutely wrong.”
Their crusade is one of a fight for rights for animals. But, if you stop and think about affording rights to animals, the concept
is ludicrous. “Rights” is a concept, and man is the only species on earth with the intellect to grasp concepts. The most
important concepts people think about concern morality and ethics, questions of “right and wrong.” Man’s unique ability to
ask ethical questions and make moral choices (rather than be ruled by instinct) makes us moral agents.
Rights are the boundaries between moral agents. In order to possess rights, we must accept responsibilities to respect others’
rights. We are justified in demanding our rights, so long as we do not violate the rights of another moral agent.
Because animals act instinctively, they cannot even conceive of responsibilities. When a cat kills a canary, you and I may be
upset, but we also understand that the nature of cats is to kill birds. We recognize that the cat has committed no moral violation.
The same is true even when a lion or a chimpanzee kills another member of its own species. We understand that nature has
endowed animals with certain features that sometimes seem cruel. But, quite properly, we do not judge animals on a moral scale.
On the other hand, a person who torments a cat to death the way a cat might torment a mouse deserves our moral condemnation
– not because cats have rights, but because people has responsibilities. Likewise, we insist it is wrong for people to burn books,
deface a masterpiece, or desecrate a church – not because these things have rights, but because people have responsibilities.
Rights are a serious business. They are the linchpin of a free society. Without them, people would not be able to go about their
business free from arbitrary interference by government. Rights offer a people freedom to convince others of different points of
view without having to resort to violence and the resulting breakdown of civilization.
The animal rights movement would allow people no more rights than rats or cockroaches. The real agenda of this movement is,
not to give rights to animals, but to take rights from people – to dictate our food, clothing, work, recreation, and whether we will
discover new medications or die.
Even if the use of animals in biomedical research were to produce a cure for AIDS, says PETA’s Ingrid Newkirk, “we’d be against
it.” The reason? Mankind has “grown like a cancer. We’re the biggest problem on the face of the Earth.” But most disturbing of
all was her quote: “Six million people died in concentration camps, but six billion broiler chickens will die this year in
slaughterhouses.”
The inevitable consequences of her ideology were revealed by Hermann Goering, who was head of the German
Humane Society and Environmental Minister for the Third Reich. In a radio broadcast he announced “an absolute and permanent
ban on vivisection.” For violation of his ban, he said, any “culprit shall be lodged in a concentration camp.”
By pretending to extend rights to animals, which by nature are incapable of moral cognition, the Nazis ultimately annihilated the
very concept of “rights.” And, just as the dogma of animal rights led to the destruction of human rights under Nazism, it leads to
the destruction of human rights today.
So, if animals cannot even conceive of rights or responsibilities, and the animal rights movement and PETA realize this, then what
is their goal?
I think the warped motivation behind this warped ideology is best expressed by Newkirk herself:
“I am not a morose person, but I would rather not be here. I don’t
have any reverence for life, only for the entities themselves. I
would rather see a blank space where I am. This will sound like
fruitcake stuff again, but at least I wouldn’t be harming anything.”
If you don’t have the answer yet to what animal rightists want, how about this quote from Michael W. Fox of the Humane
Society: “Man is the most dangerous, destructive, selfish, and unethical animal on earth.” Enough? Do you get their
anti-human message? Or do you need one more quote, one from Wild Earth:
“If you haven’t given voluntary human extinction much thought
before, the idea of a world with no people in it may seem strange.
But, if you give it a chance, I think you might agree that the
extinction of Homo sapiens would mean survival for millions, if
not billions, of Earth-dwelling species. . . Phasing out the human
race will solve every problem on earth, social and environmental.”
Yes, they are using a fight for rights for animals to attack the human race. Can anyone in their right mind believe in this?
Pat Buchanan has always stood for the right of the individual. His voice is strong and powerful for the forces of freedom. For
PETA to usurp it for its own warped agenda is a tragedy for reason and a victory for the dark side.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
Policy Issues Relating to Energy, Environment,
& Natural Resources
Science, Ethics, & Human Health
Kathleen Marquardt is the Vice President of the American Policy Center, founder of Putting People First, and author of the
best selling book, Animal Scam, The Beastly Abuse of Human Rights.
Return to Top of Page
Go to the WEBSITE INDEX
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Public Issues & Political Controversies
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
Most Recent Articles
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Volume VIII, 2006
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Subject Matter Highlights
Return to POLITICAL EDUCATION Homepage
CONTACT & ACCESS INFORMATION
This is not a commercial website. The sole purpose of the website is to share with interested persons information regarding civics,
civic and social education, political science, government, politics, law, constitutional law and history, public policy, and political
philosophy and history, as well as current and recent political developments, public issues, and political controversies.
POLITICAL EDUCATION, CONSERVATIVE ANALYSIS
POLITICS, SOCIETY, & THE SOVEREIGN STATE
Website of Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr.
Government, Politics, Public Policy, Legal Issues, Constitutional Law, Government & the Economy, Cultural Values, Foreign Affairs,
International Relations, Military Defense & National Security, Geopolitics, Terrorism & Homeland Security, American National Interests,
Political Systems & Processes, Political Institutions, Political Ideologies, & Political Philosophy
INDEX FOR THE ENTIRE WEBSITE
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic,
Cultural, Military, International, Strategic, & Geopolitical Issues