My Stance.

I am morally obliged to be a vegetarian because I believe non-human animals should be granted personhood since they are adequately aware of their basic needs, have the ability and complexity to exist as individuals, are conscious enough to be concerned for themselves and others and are able to survive and triumph without the interference of human beings. This means non-human animals should be granted the basic rights human beings also have like the right to be free from exploitation, cruelty, neglect, suffering, and abuse. Non-human animals should live in an environment that satisfies their basic physical and psychological needs. They should exist in their natural habitat, safe from extinction and the impact of humans. They should also have the right to be free from experimentation and research preformed by humans since they cannot consent to such treatment. Lastly, they should have their rights and interests represented in court and safeguarded by the law. This means, as a human being, I do not have the right to consume animals or use them only to benefit myself because I recognize doing so hurts more beings than it benefits.

As a vegetarian, I stand for equal treatment between human beings and non-human animals. I encourage others to recognize human superiority over other animals is called speciesism and is deemed unethical. To inflict pain and suffering unto other beings just because humans can does not mean we should. In fact, supporting vegetarianism also advocates education and awareness about the current treatment of animals in slaughterhouses, research facilities, zoos and aquariums, as companion animals, as subjects of possible extinction, and as persons capable of experiencing pain, emotions, and consciousness. I do not think anyone has to right to take the life of a living being whether he or she is a human or a non-human animal because, in the end, we are all made up of the same parts; a brain, a heart, a soul.

My question: Where do you stand on the subject?