>But this is the cultural problem I was getting at. I know from what has
>happened in the UK with "rare" or "exotic" prices for gerbils that it is
>the animals that suffer. If animal welfare laws do not recognise the
>inherent value of an animal, then the law needs to be changed. I am sure
>there are people in the US already campaigning for greater animal
>rights.
The ones that do also tend to compaign against peopel havign more than 1 or
2 pets, against breeding (even hobby) etc. Even the animal cruelty laws are
screwed up because while they may push for stronger sentences (eg from
misdemors to felonies) they still look at differents species differently-
brutal torture of a cat ro dog will get more attention and have better
chance for a entence than torture of a rat or hamster or gerbil.....
Im sure theres people campagning. Ill bet most of them are extreamists I
wouldnt agree with either. Change comes SLOW. And its fine to talk about
"If things were different" and "in a perfect world"(or country)- but We do
NOT live in a perfect world of country. We can NOT change it overnight.
And for me to sit back and say "well if america was just more like europe
then...." in no way helps any of the animals that exist TODAY- its just
plain ignorant. The ONLY way I can try to protect the animals that go
through my home TODAY is by using the laws and cultural constructs of the
way TODAYS society happens to be. If IT changes, then id change how I do
things- but it hasnt changed yet, and I DOUBT we will wake up tommorrow or
next week to see everythings been totally turned around here.
ag
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