CIVIC MENTOR / GLOBAL ISSUE / ANIMAL ETHICS / The Real Cost of Ivory (#1)

Posted: 9 Dec 14
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."

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PROPOSITION:  UNDISCIPLINED HUMANS ARE CRUELLY EXTINGUISHING A PRECIOUS SPECIES OF LIFE

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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.

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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 justice

The Wikipedia Animals Portal

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3.  Case in Point -- A Gross Example of Animal Abuse

This 3-minute video, concerning the poaching of Ivory, is self-explanatory

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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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David Nelson

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All Original Content © 2014, The MENTOR Enterprises / ELMS, All Rights Reserved. BUT, I hereby waive those rights, to this extent: You may freely copy and pass this along -- and are urged to do so -- as long as it's all done free of charge, unchanged, you include this statement, AND you inform me as to how it is being used -- at YOUR convenience but, hopefully soonest.

FOR THE INNOCENT: Category 2: ANIMALS

Posted:  2 Feb 13

Friends,

Here is some important food for thought 
-- concerning the creatures that share the earth and times with us 
-- and how we treat them 
-- and how this affects us, directly.  

This morning, it was my great good fortune to find this material, through Council Member Ben Johnson's Facebook page -- posted there by Vince Davi.

Following the links, my eyes were quickly opened to something of which I was certainly aware -- but which never really sank in (or rose to the surface) -- till just now.

Please take a look at the below appeal and, if it makes sense for you to, go to the site and "sign" the petition.

• The appeal is mounted on the "Causes.com" site, which is an inspired and brilliant use of The Internet blessing.  
• Through this very intelligent (and, frankly, noble) service offering -- only conceivable because The Internet freely exists as it does --  any one of us now has the incredibly easy means to set before the world, any cause we feel is crying out for earnest attention.  
• This has never, ever happened before, in all of human history.  
• Society is still learning how to make best use of all its technological miracles -- and this is a particularly good and significant way to do so. 
• Who dares to seriously say that good humans can't change this world for the much better?

I took liberties with the format, below, because the message is not all that easy to decipher (as a monolithic "word wall") on the website, but the words are the same compelling ones.  I hope I've done justice to the ideas with color, line-spacing, numbering, etc -- and my very presumptuous labeling.

This just might make a difference -- for little things can change a world -- and good little ones can do so, often, for the much better.  And, this proposed change is not little at all.

David Nelson

EXPOSE ALL ANIMAL ABUSERS

Support Registries for Animal Abusers

To: 

• USA ( Nationwide - all States that do not have AA Registers), 
• British Columbia - Canada, UK , Australian and NZ Governments

We the undersigned want ALL animal abusers exposed in our local areas! 

1.  THE CONCERN:  We are all concerned about the whereabouts of animal abusers, including:

• the high rate of recidivism amongst animal hoarders, 
• the dangers to a community that are associated with animal fighting, 
• and the well-established link between violence towards animals and violence towards humans. 

2.  A MAJOR STEP:  An online registry of animal abusers would significantly benefit communities and law enforcement.

3.  ROOT OF THE PROBLEM:  Violence is more prevalent in our society and we need to take a stand to stop it from continuing. Any form of abuse should not be tolerated.

4.  A STARK REALITY:  Convicted animal abusers pose a real, ongoing threat to our pets, our families, and our local communities.

5.  FUNCTION:  Proposed animal abuser registries would make legislation that requires mandatory registration and community notification for convicted animal abusers.

6.  EXPECTATION:  These laws could also help make dramatic changes with keeping offenders away from potential new victims by allowing animal shelters and humane societies to be able to more thoroughly screen potential adopters—and by alerting the public to their whereabouts.

7.  PUBLIC "MIND-SHIFT" REQUESTED:  Please start taking animal cruelty seriously and help make these Animal abuser Registers available.

8.  ADVANTAGES:  A national animal abuser registry would close two information loopholes that allow animal abusers to continue their cruel behavior.

• First, a national registry would alleviate the information deficit for individuals and organizations attempting to track animal abusers across states. 
• Second, a national registry would help discourage animal abusers from selling animals over the Internet, a currently unregulated activity. Currently there is no uniform tracking system for animal abusers. 

9.  SCOPE:  A national animal abuse registry would help track animal abusers across the United States and any Nation that can create this system.

10.  THE IDEAL PURSUED:  An ideal national animal abuser registry would provide integrated, easily accessible information about animal abusers from all states.

[To simplify the correction of the whole problem]

It would give animal welfare organizations, law enforcement agencies, researchers, and the public a single place to search for abusers rather than a number of discrete state databases, much like the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website has integrated state sex offender registries. 

A national registry that included information from all states would minimize the risk of losing track of abusers when they move from state to state. 

11.  THE UNDENIABLE LOGIC:  In order to track offenders and prevent further abuse, it is essential to establish a national standardized animal abuser registry. 

You may look into this matter, further, at this website.  
Please do so, if you can, and show your support, 
if you judge it wise to do so.

All Original Content © 2013 , The MENTOR Enterprises / ELMS, All Rights Reserved -- BUT, I hereby suspend those rights, to this extent: You may freely copy and pass this along, if you think it will do some good -- as long as it's free of charge, unchanged, and you include this statement.