Animal Cruelty the same as racism?

Yeh, I have 100% faith that one day animals will be appreciated the way many of us appreciate them at the moment.

The tide is definitely starting to turn - just look at the recently passed Proposition 2 in California, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_2_(2008) Many other states have also passed similar legislation banning the confinement of animals in cages which don't let them lie down, turn a round and extend their limbs properly; such as sow stalls/gestation crates. Although it's only small, it's such a massive thing for a pig to actually be able to turn around.

Humanity, without doubt, is making progress.

I wouldn't say it's the same, I wouldn't say sexism and racism are the same.. you've got to take speciesism as it's own area of discrimination, which holds parallels but is ultimately separate.

Also, I think there'd be a lot of people who fought for civil rights in relation to race who might find that offensive... and ultimately people who are offended are people who won't show interest in animal rights/welfare/liberation?

But, I'm a white male, who's relatively straight with middle class parents so I'm prepared to be schooled by pretty much anyone on the discrimination front.

Although they are two different things, the bottom line of the two are identical; discrimination based on difference. I think that is what Tara was probably getting at.

Animal cruelty the same as rascism? The two are both definately prejudice, but not exactly the same.

Lets just use the analogy of womens rights for a tie-ing. Back in the 1950s, it was considered aboslutely outrageous to suggest that women had equal rights to men. Let alone the rights of animals. But now, just over 50 years later, consider the changes. If someone publicly claimed that women were unequal, they would certainly be punished (either capitally or publicly)
But society is ever evolving, and although most people would shrug off the idea of animal rights these days, I have absolutely no doubt that one day it will happen. Even if that is another 50 or 100 years away, a movement will happen that was similiar to the womens rights movements. And then on that day people would look back and ask "how could we live in such ignorance?"

In relation to women's rights, you've got to remember that we're living in a country where according to the International Violence Against Women survey "Over half of the women surveyed (57%) had experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence over their lifetime." (taken from http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/statistics.html#police where there's a heap of statistics to ruin your day.. )

I just opened up this thread and read all the replies, its amazingly awesome how smart everyone here seems to be. I love it.

Anyway, i agree that there is an underlying parallel and that it is very very similar. although a white man hurting a black man is a human hurting a human. so it does draw parallels, not the same but the bottom line pretty much is.

Being an italian-aboriginal-bisexual of an odd family, I know a little bit about discrimination, but I can tell you now, speciesism is in not the same as racism, sexism, ageism or prejudice against other humans in any way, because animals cannot stand up for themselves. In every other sort of discrimination, the discriminates have defended themselves. Animals cannot (if they could they would be shot on the spot, or put to sleep). Really... specisism should have a separate class of its own, it is completley unjust, and there is no defence to it, other than forcing veganism down other peoples throats. We ourselves are kind enough to realise that this barbaric torture of animals is insane and cruel, but for those that are outside the veg society of awesomeness, meat is an important, necescary thing for survival, and best of all 'it tastes good'. Where people can associate with other humans, no matter what age, race or gender, it is a little harder to associate rock with feather. They are both objects, but they aren't the same.

Specisism is, in my opinion, a separate sort of discrimination, because those being descriminated against don't even know that they are. All they know is a life of pain, suffering, torture and, ultimatley, death. It's a sad but true story, that WILL be turned around, as the ignorant ones are shown the truth behind the meat industry.


GO VEGGIE POWER!!! glad I got my crazy debate off my chest. Now i can go to sleep

and a vegetarian. i just looked up the definition for 'minority.'

it read 'Jamison.'

That is very true, Tara.The world we live in today is not how it should be, hopefully one day ALL animals will have the same welfare, and people wil come to understand that not only cats and dogs are worth protecting.