Horse racing involves the slaughter of tens of thousands of horses every year, across the globe perhaps hundreds. The fact that people are completely unaware of this, and the other ethical issues surrounding horse racing, prompted me to write this piece for Animal Liberation Queenslands newsletter.
Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain. A sharp distinction between humans and 'animals' is essential if we are to bend them to our will, make them work for us, wear them, eat them — without any disquieting tinges of guilt or regret. It is unseemly of us, who often behave so unfeelingly toward other animals, to contend that only humans can suffer. The behavior of other animals renders such pretensions specious. They are just too much like us
I had been vegan for a few years, done some volunteering for Animal Liberation Queensland, and read some of Peter Singer's other works before I finally read his classic Animal Liberation. I didn't really see why I needed to read it, after all, I was vegan and very much believed...