Are animal activist humanitarians?

[Quiddity]

Years back, an acquaintance at work would often spark up conversations with me during coffee breaks. It became a routine thing for us and we would look forward to the new topic of the day. One in particular that stuck with me was a conversation about his involvement with tigers. He helped feed and care for sick tigers. He had my full attention and I was gravitated toward his kindness with these big cats.

Toward the end of our conversation I asked about his cats (I had noticed he had pictures of house cats in his cubicle). He went on talking about their different personalities (he had 3) and how much he cared about them. Soon after this the conversation went south real quick (IMO). He talked to me about a recent fire in the complex where he lived, in which he went back up to grab one of his cats. He said he could hear people yelling for help and all he could think of was saving his cat. He chuckled about it and said “my cats come first”.

I responded by saying “I’m glad I’m not your neighbor.” He responded by saying, “well I know you a little better then my neighbors. I’d probably grab you to help me with my cats.” Conversation ended and I walked away with the creeps.

I bumped into another fellow just recently with a similar outlook (called himself a humanitarian cause of it). Both are animal activist, both equate animals on par with humans (if not higher), both gave me the chills.

Is this downgrading of humans and upgrading of animals common for certain animal activist?

I consider myself a big animal lover but I would much rather save a neighbor I don’t know then my own cat. Am I misunderstanding these two guys?

Why are animal activist like these considered humanitarians?

 

[SoliDeoGloria]

Is this downgrading of humans and upgrading of animals common for certain animal activist?

That would require a steriotyping that I am not qualified to answer.

I consider myself a big animal lover but I would much rather save a neighbor I don’t know then my own cat. Am I misunderstanding these two guys?

I am an animal lover too but I can't say how I would react just because I haven't been in that sort of a similiar situation. I would like to hope that I could help both human and animal.

Why are animal activist like these considered humanitarians

That probably depends on who you ask. Given the examples you offered, I surely wouldn't consider them "humanitarian" by definition.

Sincerely,
SoliDeoGloria

 

[Faint]

Is this downgrading of humans and upgrading of animals common for certain animal activist?

I don't know how common it is, but I've known a few activist who say they would want to shoot/kill hunters for having shot/killed animals for sport. I personally think poachers should be publicly executed in their home countries.

I consider myself a big animal lover but I would much rather save a neighbor I don’t know then my own cat. Am I misunderstanding these two guys?

Hmmm...we'd have to be talking about one damn charming cat for me to consider saving it over a human. However, I would have to be in a scenario where I knew the human couldn't help themselves out. Even though I don't like cats, I'd still try to save it considering that most people have the sense/intelligence to get themselves out of a burning building...at least I think they do. But cat's and other pets can't really operate doorknobs/windows, and there is a kind of "trust factor" that they place in you as their protector/food provider. This trust is on an animal level of course, but present nontheless.

If we were talking about dogs, I'd probably make an effort to save my pet dog before even assessing my (non-friend/non-family/non-lover) neighbor's situation. It all depends on the scenario. But if you want to get hypothetical and right to the point of this, which is "which would you rather allow to die by your direct actions: an animal or a human?" I would have a damn hard time allowing my labrador to die, and in fact I might choose it first over someone I don't know. Why? I could probably chalk it up to a few things like:
- Pack/tribal instinct. We look after our own first. Dogs accept and trust their owners as part of their pack. They are protective of you. They demonstrate concern for you. Play with you. Etc. This should not be thrown aside.
- Animals do have emotions...they can feel the terror and pain of being burned alive. I wouldn't want to subject anything that I'm responsible for to that kind of torment. I would look at it as a form of betrayal to them. It's like the zookeepers in Japan who let their elephants starve to death during WWII because they didn't want them to get loose and trample people.

Why are animal activist like these considered humanitarians?

I really never heard that they were. I would think they'd be considered "animalitarians" if that's even a word.

 

[Tigress]

Soon after this the conversation went south real quick (IMO). He talked to me about a recent fire in the complex where he lived, in which he went back up to grab one of his cats. He said he could hear people yelling for help and all he could think of was saving his cat. He chuckled about it and said “my cats come first”.

I responded by saying “I’m glad I’m not your neighbor.” He responded by saying, “well I know you a little better then my neighbors. I’d probably grab you to help me with my cats.” Conversation ended and I walked away with the creeps.

It may not be that this man considers his cats more important on account of them being cats, but rather, on account of them being 'family,' as it were. I don't know about you, but my first instinct in said situation would be to rescue my family/loved ones first.

Is this downgrading of humans and upgrading of animals common for certain animal activist?

If putting man on a general equal footing with other species is downgrading him, then I guess many of us animal rights activist are guilty.--I think that's what most of us want, really, is just to have that kind of equality because animal rights activism isn't about making man 'inferior,' or whatever, it's about recognizing that man is not the only species, taking on some responsibility as creatures with the demonstrable ability to choose, and make complex decisions, and minimizing suffering where, how, and when we are able. (That's my view, anyway).

I consider myself a big animal lover but I would much rather save a neighbor I don’t know then my own cat. Am I misunderstanding these two guys?

I would rather save both because both lives are equally important to me.

 

[Circle_One]

I don't mean to further creep you out, Victor, but I am an animal activist and I hold the same view as these two men you're talking about.

I would, unless the person was a friend or a member of my family, OR a child, save my animals before another human.

Horrible as it may sound to you and to others, it's just the way I feel, so I understand where these two people are coming from.

 

[Tigress]

I hear you, Circle_One. There have been days where I've just completely given up on the human race. I've always felt much closer to my cats and other 'non-human animals,' for whatever reason. I think a lot of us feel this way, I just try not to let it 'take over' as a way of thinking, if I can help it.

 

[GloriaPatri]

I don't mean to further creep you out, Victor, but I am an animal activist and I hold the same view as these two men you're talking about.

I would, unless the person was a friend or a member of my family, OR a child, save my animals before another human.

That's sick.

(no offense)

 

[Jaymes]

I don't mean to further creep you out, Victor, but I am an animal activist and I hold the same view as these two men you're talking about.

I would, unless the person was a friend or a member of my family, OR a child, save my animals before another human.

Horrible as it may sound to you and to others, it's just the way I feel, so I understand where these two people are coming from.

Count me in the numbers of the sick... my parrot is my baby. I probably wouldn't even be in a state where I was able to think about anyone else but him and Liz if there was a burning building situation. Once I got them out, it would be another story.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I think I can see both sides of this issue. I can understand why hearing that someone would rather save an animals' life than a humans' would be seem creepy. Perhaps the issue of it being a fire further complicates the issue, since most of us wouldn't know how we'd behave if we haven't been in that situation.

Because I feel close enough to my pets to consider them members of my family, plus the fact that they'd not have a chance of escaping from a locked apartment during a fire, I would probably see to their safety along with that of my mothers'. What I hope would be a determining factor in whether this was a 'sick' idea or not is that I would then go on to happily risk life and limb to rescue those in other apartments.

 

[Willamena]

Is this downgrading of humans and upgrading of animals common for certain animal activist?

I consider myself a big animal lover but I would much rather save a neighbor I don’t know then my own cat. Am I misunderstanding these two guys?

I don't think that that attitude necessarily "downgrades" humans. Hard to speak for others' intents, but I would guess it is more a matter of putting all non-vegetable life on a more equal par. That shows a tremendous respect for life, though I could be optimistic in my assessment of them.

Why are animal activist like these considered humanitarians?

I don't think they are considered such by anyone but themselves.

 

[Quiddity]

I'm rather surprised at the number of people that would choose an animal above that of human life. It's rather sad in my opinion. As much as I love my pet and have an annoying neighbor, I'd choose the life of my neighbor any day.

I do in fact think that choosing your pet above that of a human life (assuming circumstances only allowed one or the other) reflects on how people view the worth of human life. That people can look at something, see the worth (if one wishes to quantify it) and make a decision based on that.

Do I elevate human life above that of an animal? ABSOLUTELY!

Do I think animals are special and should be protected? ABSOLUTELY!

I suppose it's this equalization that is the crux of it all. Personally, I just can't see an animal on par with my neighbor.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

But if it's put like that- choose between a human life or a animal one- the answer would (for me, at least) be a human life. The struggle comes in when I know the animal involved.

 

[Quiddity]

But if it's put like that- choose between a human life or a animal one- the answer would (for me, at least) be a human life. The struggle comes in when I know the animal involved.

That's certainly how I took it when the two guys I talked to said they would choose their pets. After all he said he could hear people yell for help. I'm certain most everybody would try to save their pet if they could, but these men seemed to be way to caught up in saving their pets without any concern of human lives around them. That's why I made the comment of "I’m glad I’m not your neighbor". It really did feel like he'd leave me there to die as long as his cat "sassy" was out safe.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

*shivers* And I imagine that there are a lot of people out there like that. In that sense, I find it more outrageous that someone would think like that. (My apologies for not fully understanding the situation!)

 

[Faint]

That's certainly how I took it when the two guys I talked to said they would choose their pets. After all he said he could hear people yell for help. I'm certain most everybody would try to save their pet if they could, but these men seemed to be way to caught up in saving their pets without any concern of human lives around them. That's why I made the comment of "I’m glad I’m not your neighbor". It really did feel like he'd leave me there to die as long as his cat "sassy" was out safe.

What if your neighbor happens to be a drunken idiot who beats his girlfriend and has frequent shouting matches with her at 3am...on weeknights? I don't see how a life like that is more valuable than the life of my lab.

 

[Quiddity]

What if your neighbor happens to be a drunken idiot who beats his girlfriend and has frequent shouting matches with her at 3am...on weeknights? I don't see how a life like that is more valuable than the life of my lab.

Wow, simply wow. Perhaps you feel justified to let him go in the fire, but I don't.

 

[Faint]

Wow, simply wow. Perhaps you feel justified to let him go in the fire, but I don't.

Well, I always thought it would be best to let God figure out what to do with him once he's shuffled off his mortal coil. Maybe HE has plans for my neighbor in the afterlife. I'd hate to interfere.

But really, I've never thought that every human is valuable. Indeed...some are completely loathsome and unnecessary to this world as far as I'm concerned. To quote one of your Catholic friends, J.R.R. Tolkien "Many that live deserve death."

 

[CaptainXeroid]

I love animals and our 3 :kat: in particular. If someone tries to harm one of them, I will defend them with appropriate actions. That being said, if there is a life and death situation, and I have to choose, I'm going to save a human life over any animal's life.

As to the question in the OP, "Are animal rights' activists humanitarians?, I would say not necessarily. Some probably are, while some aren't, but we can't be certain until we survey them.

 

[standing_alone]

Really interesting thread, Victor!

I'd have to say if I was in the situation described in the OP (going in a burning building to retrieve my pet(s) and hearing a fellow human being crying for help), I would stop and go assist the person calling for help. Guess I'm one of those people with twisted morals that values human lives first over animals in such situations, though I do care about animals too and would hope to save the animal's life, too, but for me, in such a situation, human life comes first.

To answer the questions posed in the OP:

Is this downgrading of humans and upgrading of animals common for certain animal activist?

I can't say if it's common, not meeting too many extreme animal activists in person, but I have encountered a few that definately place non-human lives above that of humans and seem to loathe human beings. So I don't think it's common for all animal activists to do this, I do think that, perhaps, some of the extremists feel this way. But this opinion on mine is only based on those animal activists I have encountered or heard about.

I consider myself a big animal lover but I would much rather save a neighbor I don’t know then my own cat. Am I misunderstanding these two guys?

I'm not sure if I'm getting exactly what you're trying to ask here, so I'll give it my best try.

I think this statement is kind of telling:

"He responded by saying, “well I know you a little better then my neighbors. I’d probably grab you to help me with my cats.” "

It seems he regards his pets' lives more valuable than his neighbors because he has a "relationship" with them, that is, he knows them. He doesn't know his neighbors, so he doesn't value their lives as much. Now, while I can sympathize with his position, I find sad the lack of a sense of community, in which the life of a cat is held more valuable than that of your neighbor and fellow man - and when put in a life-threatening situation, choosing the life of a cat over that of a human being.

Why are animal activist like these considered humanitarians?

I wasn't aware that they were.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Well, I always thought it would be best to let God figure out what to do with him once he's shuffled off his mortal coil. Maybe HE has plans for my neighbor in the afterlife. I'd hate to interfere.

But really, I've never thought that every human is valuable. Indeed...some are completely loathsome and unnecessary to this world as far as I'm concerned. To quote one of your Catholic friends, J.R.R. Tolkien "Many that live deserve death."

"[SIZE=-1]And some die that [/SIZE]deserve[SIZE=-1] life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends."
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