tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602396110338715183.post517664949243850638..comments2023-06-17T09:58:43.729-04:00Comments on Animal Writes: We Are All Michael VickJenny Palmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18216714991878395078noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602396110338715183.post-84650418456245593132007-08-31T16:20:00.000-04:002007-08-31T16:20:00.000-04:00Some people are disqualified from voicing moral ju...Some people are disqualified from voicing moral judgments, given who they are. Regardless, such people often do voice the moral judgments they are unfit to pronounce. We brand them hypocrites, and rightly so. <BR/><BR/>If you think the moral law is part of a great Book, written by the supreme Author, you might disagree with what I say. The Roman Church does. 'Ex opere operato, non ex opere operantis'. But who wants such allies? <BR/><BR/>So what is it that I say? Let me give an example. You and I are burgling a library. I say, 'You know, what you're doing is really awful'. The mind boggles.<BR/><BR/>Now what about the talking heads? The world is full of problems. Some are big, some little. The big ones overwhelm. The little are less scary, maybe even fun - after all, sometimes you solve them. If you're inclined to spend your time tinkering with American healthcare while 15 million children die annually of hunger, join the Democratic Party. If you're inclined to worry about dogfighting while billions of animals are yearly executed, join HSUS. I mean, thinks have to come like, gradually, right? <BR/><BR/>D.B.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6602396110338715183.post-80553628056070921052007-08-27T09:49:00.000-04:002007-08-27T09:49:00.000-04:00That's a powerful essay.I'm inclined to be a bit m...That's a powerful essay.<BR/><BR/>I'm inclined to be a bit more optimistic than Prof. Francione, though. Maybe popularized stories like this don't just show our moral schizophrenia, but force us to do something about it. I’ve talked to quite a few people who were horrified about this story, then read an op-ed about how we can’t be horrified at Vick while ignoring what we’re contributing to in slaughterhouses. The Vick story forced these meat-eaters to confront their moral schizophrenia. <BR/><BR/>I’m also less cynical than Francione about the “talking heads” of the big welfare groups. HSUS and others work constantly to stop the horrors of dog fighting, and the Vick story was a good time to capitalize on public support. They are, of course, also working on tortured cows in leather, rape racks, etc. However, that doesn’t mean they should shun people who are beginning to realize that animal cruelty for human enjoyment is wrong, but haven’t yet understood that that extends beyond dog fighting to meat-eating.Jenny Palmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18216714991878395078noreply@blogger.com