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Animal Rights

Animal Ethics

I support the goal of legal rights for nonhuman animals, but this approach is wrongheaded. Instead of using the 13th Amendment, the original understanding of which did not include animals, proponents should work for a constitutional amendment, or simply for national legislation. Take it to the people.

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Animal Rights

Animal Ethics

I'm a longtime proponent of animal rights, but this suit is ridiculous. Applying it to nonhuman animals is a stretch. Nonhuman animals can suffer. If nonhuman animals are to be granted legal rights, it will be through legislation or common-law adjudication, not constitutional adjudication.

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Steven M. Wise on Legal Rights for Animals

Animal Ethics

The legal rights of nonhuman animals might first be achieved in any of three ways. For example, the Treaty of Amsterdam that came into force on May 1, 1999, formally acknowledged that nonhuman animals are “sentient beings” and not merely goods or agricultural products. Why the common law over legislation? What is the common law?

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H. J. McCloskey on Punishment of Cruelty to Animals

Animal Ethics

[T]here is another class of cases where the state is accorded the right to interfere with the individual when he is not interfering with any other person, namely, where cruelty to animals is involved. Yet it is legislation that few of us should wish to condemn as lacking in justification. (It who cannot protect their interests.

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From Today's New York Times

Animal Ethics

2): We disagree with your contention that the First Amendment protects animal “crush” videos. Stevens , the Supreme Court last year overturned a 1999 law banning depictions of animal cruelty on the grounds of overbreadth. We believe our new legislation will pass constitutional muster. In United States v.

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From Today's New York Times

Animal Ethics

The exploitation of farm workers reverberates in the treatment of farm animals and degradation of the environment. New York’s protection of laborers should be a first step toward recognition of the other systemic abuses that occur on farms that, like the long-ignored rights of farm workers, have been constantly disregarded by legislators.

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From Today's New York Times

Animal Ethics

A Humane Egg The life of animals raised in confinement on industrial farms is slowly improving, thanks to pressure from consumers, animal rights advocates, farmers and legislators. Animals with more space are healthier, and they are no less productive.