Animal Rights

I don't understand Animal Rights. So when I read that Japanese whalers are hunting Humpbacks and hear my fellow employees talk about the deer they shot over the weekend I become confused and irritable as a result of not knowing what I think of these activities. I am sad that a deer died. But is this saddness rational? I am sad that whales have harpoons thrust into them. But is this saddness rational? Let's find out.

I enjoy eating venison. This means that I condone the killing of deer for to eat venison and not condone the killing of deer is absurd. But surely the basis of Animal Rights cannot be what I do or do not enjoy; "I like it so it is ok" is nonsense. So what precident would allow me to accept and condone the killing of deer? Ducks.

Ducks are ominvores. This means that ducks devour everything. One can argue that the existence of ducks sets a precident for beings consuming other beings. If a duck can devour a snail, or, hell, a deer (I don't know what ducks eat) then it ought also to be fine for a human being to devour a deer. This follows for anything else one would consume. Since ducks devour everything all things exist in such a state as to be devoured by ducks. Since ducks are not the only omnivores it seems sensible to say that all things exists in a state such that omnivores may devour them.

So, ducks, and by extention human beings, can devour everything. But with regard to "rights" one must ask whether or not beings ought to or should devour everything. This brings us to whales.

Japanese Kamikaze Moon People consume whale. I assume this is the result of being stuck on an island and basically stealing their entire culture from China, but I digress. So what of the Japanese Whale hunters? Greenpeace is attempting to sabotage the hunt. But why? Why would killing whales be "bad"? I don't know.

And that's the problem. I don't know what the foundation is for determining right and wrong with regard to harming/killing/eating animals. Is it a question of cuteness or neatness? Whales and otters are neat so we oughtn't eat them; cows are not neat so they may be consumed. Is it a question of killing/harming living beings? Then what of slugs, carpenter ants, termites, or brown people? If killing or harming living beings is bad oughtn't we never kill or harm a living being? Is it a question of rarity? Humpback whales are decreasing in number so we ought to avoid killing them? Is that a sensible system? Why not just kill all of the whales to simplify everything?

What of dog fighting? What of abusive pet owners? What of gigantic chain pet shops which mass-produce small woodland creatures for the purpose of suffering neglect while spurring the sale of pet foods? How does one assess these things?

Is it based upon empathy? Is it based upon rationality? Is it based upon an ideal, a hope, a desire? Is it based upon utility? Is it even possible to use ducks as a precident or are the actions of animals somehow divorced from our system of establishing rights? But then, if the actions of ducks are not a part of the system by which rights are established how could ducks themselves be a part of that system of rights?

It does not seem as if there is any sensible rule by which one can make decisions of this nature. Thoughts?