(US) HI letter to editor regarding performing anuimals

[cathy goeggel]

Honolulu Star Bulletin June 6, 2003
DNA no excuse for animal cruelty
Raoul Gutenpfennigen's June 2 letter to the editor, "Humans deserve more
concern than animals," was way off-target. He criticized Cathy Goeggel's
excellent May 29 column on the acts of cruelty to animals, asserting that
the DNA match between humans and chimps is only 95 percent.
By this reasoning, we should have absolutely no concern for a dog beaten by
his owner, since dogs are even less similar to humans. This unthinking,
automatic response is speciesist -- the view that humans are entitled to
special treatment.

We can admit we are similar to apes, but fail to realize that we are apes. I
offer two quotes, the first from Charles Darwin: "Animals whom we have made
our slaves, we do not like to consider our equals." And from Peter Singer:
"All the arguments to prove human superiority cannot shatter this hard fact:
In suffering, the animals are our equals."

Pamela Davis