Change #1: 10 Dec 14 -- Began forming and fleshing-out the discussion, with addition of paragraph 2. Refocused this article onto the subject of "animal ethics."
PROPOSITION: UNDISCIPLINED HUMANS ARE CRUELLY EXTINGUISHING A PRECIOUS SPECIES OF LIFE
1. Assumption
I believe it to be undeniably true that a moral human duty -- for the well-being and betterment of the human species -- MUST include systematic reasonableness about protecting non-human life-forms from ruinous human actions and omissions.
However, some life-forms threaten human well-being. Do all life-forms, therefore, deserve to be protected -- or just certain ones? How are we to determine which are which? How does the well-being of other life-forms bear upon the well-being of the human species? What, if any, exceptions and propositions bear upon our determination of the right moral position to hold toward non-human life-forms?
This bulletin begins an examination of this matter.
2. Starting Point -- Gathering Preliminary Information
Wikipedia describes "Animal Ethics" as follows (click here for the Wikipedia article):
Animal ethics is a term used in academia to describe human-animal relationships and how animals ought to be treated. The subject matter includes animal rights, animal welfare, animal law, speciesism, animal cognition, wildlife conservation, the moral status of nonhuman animals, the concept of nonhuman personhood, human exceptionalism, the history of animal use [animal testing], and theories of justiceThe Wikipedia Animals Portal
3. Case in Point -- A Gross Example of Animal Abuse
This 3-minute video, concerning the poaching of Ivory, is self-explanatory
4. Other Related Articles and Searches
Poaching (Wikipedia discussion)
Ivory Trade (Wikipedia discussion)
Ivory Poaching (Google search)
Animal Ethics on the Social Networks (Google search)
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