In Becky's blog, she talked about how humans use animals in many ways but most are not necessary. For example, animals are used in medicine, as pets, transportation, clothing, zoos, farm hands, and food. She responded to Todd's question of whether or not animals can have freedom and liberty by defining freedom as, "the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice of action," and liberty as, "the power to do as one pleases." According to these Mariam-Webster dictionary answers, liberty and freedom go hand in hand. Animals used for clothing and food have no freedoms because they die for humans. Becky stated, in medical testing facilities, animals have a bit more freedom in their cages but they are still very restricted to do what they want, eat what they want, etc. They do not have the freedom to change their own living situations or say what they want/need. They suffer the most. Pets, Becky said, have even less freedom than cows and other farm animals depending on the owner. However, I think pets have the most freedom because they have the right to live and, in some homes, well. Farm animals, like cows and chickens, are killed mercilessly for our consumption. Many farm animals are treated much worse than pets because some families see their pets as part of the family, or as valuable property, but farm animals are simply a means of production. Zoo animals also have such little freedom because they are put on display their whole lives. Becky then asked, "Are humans even free? Who has more freedom: wild animals or humans?"
This is a very debatable question. The bottom line is, I do not think there is such thing as total freedom. People and animals have freedoms but they are still restricted in all that they do. In some places, humans have much more freedom than wild animals because humans are able to wipe out whole species, like the buffalo, just for their 'needs' and without a second thought. However, wild animals do not have to pay taxes, follow laws, or purchase anything for that matter. They aren't limited to certain spaces, in some countries, and are not trapped by the greed of other people. Wild animals can kill without consequences, they can live where they please, they have few worries, especially animals higher up on the ladder who have very few predators. However, animals still need to worry about feeding their young and other dangers/predators but if there is a steady supply of food and good shelter, then they are fine.
Humans have fought for freedom since the beginning and are still fighting today, especially for women and minority races. Everything boils down to money and if you don't have it, you can't do a thing. You don't have food or shelter; you don't have anything. Our society, however, does not leave the wild animals alone. I think humans want to limit the freedom of animals just like their freedoms are limited. If a person breaks the law, he or she gets locked up. However, animals do not have to do anything wrong in order to be locked up. Humans are driven by their superiority and do not like to let wild animals stay free. Humans lock them up, poke them with needles, examine them, try to put them on display, and restrict where they can go by creating industrialized worlds and ruining habitation. Although humans don't actually have freedom, wild animals are losing theirs as the world advances. I think no one is really free. No matter where a person goes or what a person does, he or she has laws and people that restrict him or her to the fullest. At first, I would say wild animals are more free but I think they are losing their freedom every day just as humans are.
My question to you is: Do you think wild animals and humans can both be free simultaneously and what needs to happen for both species to be granted more freedoms in such a restrictive, controlling world?
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