I am uncomfortable with the concept of loving a living being that you consider property. Regardless how comfortably a slave lives, they are still a slave, no? Plenty of slave owners said they “loved” their slaves. Some maybe genuinely thought they did.
That’s why for me it is important to draw a distinction between humans and animals and why i find the comparison with children disturbing. I do not own my child, they are not my property. If animals are to be property then they are not “family”.
I know it’s clichee but don’t you think the expression “if you love them, set them free” applies?
I can respect that perspective.
For me it’s different because most animals are not very smart. We certainly don’t give a 4 year old child the same freedom as a 17 year old child, for example.
That being said, I do agree that I think animals should be given as much autonomy as they can. But it’s hard when, in many parts and places, that essentially just means instant death.
I am uncomfortable with the concept of loving a living being that you consider property. Regardless how comfortably a slave lives, they are still a slave, no? Plenty of slave owners said they “loved” their slaves. Some maybe genuinely thought they did.
That’s why for me it is important to draw a distinction between humans and animals and why i find the comparison with children disturbing. I do not own my child, they are not my property. If animals are to be property then they are not “family”.
I know it’s clichee but don’t you think the expression “if you love them, set them free” applies?
I can respect that perspective. For me it’s different because most animals are not very smart. We certainly don’t give a 4 year old child the same freedom as a 17 year old child, for example. That being said, I do agree that I think animals should be given as much autonomy as they can. But it’s hard when, in many parts and places, that essentially just means instant death.