When discussing the animal rights, animal welfare and animal liberation movements, it is common to draw from many schools of thought. As producers, staying informed as to what the buzzwords of the animal rights movement are, and understanding the threat to animal agriculture that exists within the discussion of animals and ethics, is vital. There has been concern over Drury University’s Study of Animal Rights program, developed with two $1 million grants given by Bob Barker.
“Animals and Ethics” is the title of the required book for the animal ethics curriculum at Drury.
Dr. Scott Vernon, professor of agriculture communications at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Cali., said this of the additional reading options for the program, "In the fourth week of the course, the articles (that were listed on Drury's website as part of the curriculum on Oct. 29, 2009, but were no longer listed at press time), by Tom Regan, Peter Singer and Carol J. Adams; those authors, their agenda is veganism and vegetarianism. Peter Singer is certainly a radical (in the animal rights movement.) Jan Narveson does say animals don’t have the same rights. But the leaning is to the left in this class for sure.”
Vernon says his question for Drury would be this: “What kind of peer review did this curriculum go through to be accepted?”
John Kleiboeker, Executive Director of the Missouri Beef Industry Council, said, “Any university, college or entity that presents this kind of format, giving the ag industry something to be upset about, they need to prove there’s nothing to be upset about. If you’re not doing anything that’s going to undermine me and my business, then prove to me that you’re not.”
Animal Rights
According to “Animal care and use: an issue now and in the future,” from the Journal of Animal Science, written by A.F. Kertz, “Animal rights proponents equate human and animal rights or that the capacity to suffer pain is given equal moral consideration. Animal welfare is a philosophy that centers on animal well-being, a stewardship role that producers view as affecting profitability but the general public may view as having additional components. The agenda of some animal rights proponents may be positioned under the guise of animal welfare to gain acceptability for portions of their work.”
Speciesism
Speciesism was coined by Richard Ryder in 1970. The word refers to the widely held belief that the human species is inherently superior to other species and so has rights or privileges that are denied to other (living) animals. Speciesism can be equated to racism, sexism and feminism. All are equal? In our society we believe racism is wrong. Many animal activists hope speciesism will someday be considered undoubtedly wrong, too.
Vivisection
According to "The Oxford American Dictionaries," vivisection is “the practice of performing operations on live animals for the purpose of experimentation or scientific research (used only by people who are opposed to such work).”
Non-human animals
The biological definition of the word animal refers to all members of the Kingdom Animalia including humans. So essentially, using the term non-human animals is saying we’re all animals, there are just the human and non-human animals.
Animal Welfare
Dr. Beth Walker, agriculture instructor at Missouri State University, and Dade County, Missouri livestock producer said a producer should be concerned with their animals’ welfare. “Do I want the status quo? Do I want to reform? I want people to stop doing the obviously stupid… for example, a gestation crate needs to go. We need to clean up some of the veal industry. In the poultry industry we’re trying.” All these acts that are out of line with considering what's in the best interest of an animal's welfare, she noted, “need to change so we can still have a good product at a reasonable price. We need to employ common sense in the animal industry. We’re catching people abusing pigs, dragging cattle with a forklift; that’s got to stop. It should become financially inadvisable to perform these acts.” Large fines for breaking the laws, for not considering animal welfare, she said, would stop much of the problem.
"Despite the fact that common sense animal husbandry is what 99 percent of animal agriculture follows, we need people to obey laws,” she said. And, in contrast, she said animal rightists who go to the extreme, who decide words aren't strong enough, "they are terrosists," she said, adding, "The people who use this language, they're terrorists."
Here Are The Questions We Asked, That Drury Chose Not To Answer:
We asked to interview Dr. Todd Parnell, Drury's president, and we were denied. We emailed the director of media relations for Drury the following questions. Here's his response: "Drury University responded to the editorial in the last issue of Ozarks Farm & Neighbor and Drury stands by that statement." You can review their letter on page 7 of this issue.
1. Millions of animal producers across this country spend their last dime to keep their animals well fed and cared for. Are there intentions of including evaluation of the positives of animal husbandry in this animal rights course? Will fifty percent of this course be positive toward animal agriculture?
2. In my dictionary, the Oxford American Dictionary, the definition of vivisection is “the practice of performing operations on live animals for the purpose of experimentation or scientific research, and then in parenthesis it says, (used only by people who are opposed to such work). How does the use of such language not imply your course will be slanted in favor of those who are opposed to such work?
3. Are you concerned that animal livestock producers in the Ozarks are mistreating their animals?
4. When your students go to investigate area animal facilities, will you include visits to area stockyards? What if students’ projects want to evaluate the treatment of animals at said stockyards? How will you respond to area livestock producers, worried your program is targeting them?
5. A response from Dr. Charles Taylor in a Letter to the Editor said, “As a university, we are not in the propaganda business, nor do we have an interest in controlling the lives, or dietary habits of our students.” Do you think Bob Barker does?
MCA and Animal Rights
Visiting with Jeff Windett, Executive Vice-President for the Missouri Cattlemen's Association (MCA), he said, "In recent months, we have been very active in this issue both in the legislature and publicly. I have been trying to raise awareness about the growing threat over the entire animal rights/welfare issue.
"We know Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is coming to Missouri to do a ballot initiative, probably in the Spring, and we are involved in forming coalitions and developing strategies to protect animal agriculture. I have told beef producers if you are not members of the state cattlemen’s association and helping us, then no action is like a vote for HSUS. I know of no greater call to membership than this issue."
Joining forces with your livestock's state lobbying association is always a good idea, John Kleiboeker added.
For a list of references from this article, and links to Drury’s Animal Rights curriculum, visit www.ozarksfn.com.
