The World's Common Tater

I just read an article from Michael Ausiello decrying the “shameful” portrayal of animal cruelty on the new Showtime series Shameless.  I guess Mr. Ausiello is OK with the constant portrayal of rapes and hideous murders of humans on all of the crime shows on television today.  Showtime, the “shameful” network airing Shameless has a show centered around a serial killer. I guess a hero who kills people is OK as long as he loves animals. This comes on the heels of Tucker Carlson saying Michael Vick should be executed for his animal cruelty charges and a recent discussion of Friendfeed where people put what Vick did on the same level as child abuse.

More and more I am seeing people get more outraged over cruelty to animals than they are cruelty to people.  The general public is much more willing to donate to a reward to find someone who mistreated an animal than they are to find a murderer or rapist.  I guess  part of it is that we are so used to people mistreating each other that it doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore. I do think, however, that there are a growing number of people who truly believe animals are equal, if not better, than humans.  I’m fine with people who decide to become vegetarians or vegans and donate their time and money to animal causes.  That’s great if that’s what you want to do.  I’m not fine with people who demand I stop eating animals or tell me that their dog is just as important as my children.  I agree that we should treat animals humanely, but I still believe that humans have dominion of them and that we are to use them for food, clothing, etc and that if a human life can be saved at the expense of  an animal’s life then it should be.

I love animals(some of them are quite tasty).  I cried and was very sad when my cat died this summer.  I would be just as sad if something happened to my puppy.  If someone hurt my pet, I would hurt them. These emotions are nowhere near what I would feel if the pet was replaced with a person I loved.  Maybe it’s me, but  I just don’t see how the opposite could be.