The Law of the Earth
Human Rights
Animal Rights
Ecology
Rationality
Upholdment
Forgiveness
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Title 2: Animal Rights
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[ Core ]
Origin of Animal Rights
Rights come from Consciousness,
also known as Awareness, and Life;
being Alive means having rights.
Animals are living beings
with a capacity to sense and feel.
They are conscious, and thus, have rights.
All such rights derive from one;
The Basic Right of all Consciousness, which is:
The Right to Freedom from
Deliberate and Unnecessary
Infliction of Suffering
by other Beings.
Deliberate: acting with will and intent
Unnecessary: not required for biological health
All specific rights of animals
can be logically extrapolated from this right.
Specific Rights
A being has as many rights
as types of suffering their species can experience.
Every dimension of perception
a Being is capable of experiencing
entitles them to a corresponding right
to protect from suffering in that dimension.
As with human rights,
enumeration of specifics
is not intrinsically necessary,
but is useful to prevent ambiguity.
[ Mantle ]
List of Animal Rights
The following are the listed rights
of Earth-dwelling creatures.
Each right applies to every type of animal
who would suffer by its violation.
Access to normal food
Access to normal habitat
Freedom to roam, fly, or swim
Ability to socialize with the same species
Continual access to pair-bonded individuals
Ability to engage in courtship and mating behavior
Ability to form the social structure normal to the species
Freedom from any type of suffering that would not occur in the wild.
Compassionate Imperative
The Law requires us to refrain
from intentionally harming any animal,
unless survival, safety, or health genuinely necessitate it.
"Genuine necessity" means:
1) The action is necessary for meeting a real need, AND
2) No less harmful way of meeting that need is available, AND
3) Information concerning the veracity of #1 and #2 flows freely.
Non-Needs:
Fun, Habit, Taste,
Fashion, Prestige,
Pleasure, Curiosity,
Tradition, Preference,
Social Status, and Entertainment
do NOT constitute genuine necessity.
The Three Criteria of the
Compassionate Imperative
In order to make sure
the Compassionate Imperative is satisfied,
the following Three Criteria must be satisfied:
1. Honest Evaluation
2. Choice of Least Harm
3. Transparency to Investigation
1. Honest Evaluation
Anyone exploiting an animal due to necessity
must, to the best of their ability,
be knowledgeable about
both A and B:
A. The experience of the animal(s) involved...
A person harming an animal
may not willingly shield themselves
from the knowledge of the suffering they are causing,
and must make an effort, in good faith, on an ongoing basis,
to continue to witness and learn about said suffering,
for as long as they continue participating
in the harmful exploitation.
B. The authenticity of the claimed necessity...
A person harming an animal
may not willingly shield themselves
from the arguments calling into question
the authenticity of their supposed necessity.
2. Choice of Least Harm
If exploitation is genuinely necessary,
then one must choose the most utilitarian option -
that with the highest ratio of Need-Fulfillment to Suffering.
Need-Fulfillment
-----------------------
Suffering
This involves:
A. Use of the least neurologically advanced species
B. Selection of the least painful and restrictive conditions
C. Minimization of consumption to only the necessary amount
D. Concurrently searching for alternative ways to meet the need
that involve less (or no) harmful exploitation and suffering.
These 4 criteria can sometimes be mutually exclusive,
but a good-faith effort must be made to identify
the combination resulting in the least suffering.
3. Transparency to Investigation
All harmful exploitation of animals
requires transparency about the reasoning for it.
Whilst actively engaged in any activity
that causes, incentivizes, or benefits from
the harmful exploitation of living creatures,
a person must be transparent to investigation
into their rationale for engaging in that activity.
The right to privacy is temporarily forfeited,
for the duration of one's engagement in said activity,
during which time one is required to answer questions
about one's knowledge concerning Honest Evaluation,
and one's process for identifying the Choice of Least Harm.
When answering such questions,
one must adhere to the Principles of Reason,
outlined in The Law of the Earth, Title 4: Rationality.
Such questioning may be performed by anyone,
as long as the protocols in Title 5: Enforcement are followed.
All exploitation of animals
triggers an automatic warrant
for Enforcement Degree 2: Investigation.
[ Crust ]
Animal Fighting
Fighting animals for sport is unlawful.
Racing and Performing
It is unlawful to race animals or use them for entertainment
if the discipline necessary for their performance
requires the infliction of pain, whether physical or emotional.
Zoos
Zoos, aviaries, fishtanks, and aquariums
are unlawful contraband
except if the animal species is endangered,
and the confinement is necessary for protection
and for breeding and replenishing the population.
Sport Hunting
The purpose
of hunting and fishing
is to fulfill nutritional needs
that are otherwise unfulfillable
given present environment and means.
Any other reason is motivated by sadism,
and thus, hunting for sport or trophies is unlawful.
Driving hooks through the mouths of fish
as a pastime, with no intention to eat the catch,
(i.e. "catch and release") is sadistic and thus unlawful.
Wearing Skins/Furs
It is unlawful to incentivize
the exploitation of animal skins or fur
if other affordable materials are available
and adequate to perform the same function.
Eating Animals (Meat)
One simple rule:
You can if you need to, but you have to try not to.
The natural diet of humanity is plants,
unless there is a nutrient that cannot be acquired
sufficiently from the plant sources that are available.
This determination may be made by you, the individual,
but only with open information, and without censorship
of ideas that provide evidence against this determination.
In other words,
if you believe you need animal products for adequate nutrition,
you may use them,
but must also, at the same time:
1) be open to receiving information which disputes that belief
2) choose sources that involve minimal suffering
3) search for plant-based ways to obtain the nutrient(s) you need.
Overconsumption of Meat
It is unlawful to consume a greater amount of meat
than what is genuinely useful for nutrition.
Whenever you want to eat meat,
you must ask yourself where this desire is coming from:
does it come from your body (need), or from your mind (want)?
If it is just a want, then eating it is unlawful.
If it is a need, then eating meat is lawful, however:
1. You must not consume more than you need
2. You must choose the least neurologically evolved species
whose meat is capable of fulfilling your nutritional need.
Raising and Using Animals
Regardless of what purpose
for which an animal is being raised/used,
they must be treated with respect and honor.
Whether used for eggs, dairy, labor,
or any other purpose whatsoever,
the animal must be treated as a FAMILY MEMBER,
with their comfort taken into serious, significant account.
Uncomfortable living quarters must be avoided,
and the animal must be able to engage
in all behaviors natural to their species.
Cages
Long-term confinement in a cage is unlawful.
Cages may only be used for short-term needs,
such as carrying an animal on public transportation.
In all cases, the animal must be accompanied
by his or her caretaker - not left alone.
Chains
A chain earns the same status as a cage
the moment it restricts any living being.
Rope
Same as a chain.
Fences and Pens
Must have a full social unit within it.
Density low enough to keep grass cover.
Animal Social Integrity
It is unlawful to forcefully seperate and keep apart
a mammal or bird from its bonded social unit,
be it flock, herd, pack, pride, family, tribe, etc.
All animal-based food production
is managed at the village level.
One herd per species per village.
Research on Animals
Vivisection
Human vivisection is universally recognized as torture.
Therefore, animal vivisection is also a form of torture.
Vivisection is unlawful.
The thing that makes animals valued as test subjects
is their likeness to us...
but that means they have the same rights as us.
The argument for testing is: "they're similar."
The argument for why their pain doesn't matter is: "they're different."
To the extent that they are useful subjects,
they are also the possessors of rights;
and to the extent that they are NOT possessors of rights,
they are not useful test subjects.
The logic of vivisection is completely contradictory.
Furthermore:
Even if a "medicine"
is derived from vivisection,
whoever takes that medicine
will take on the negative karma
that comes from having incentivised
the torture and torment of living beings,
which would cause additional disease to manifest,
thus defeating the entire purpose of the "medicine."
Corrosivity Experiments
If a substance is corrosive,
then we already know that contact with it should be avoided.
Thus there is no useful knowledge to be gleaned
from corrosivity experiments,
and they are unlawful.
Drug Experimentation
Animals' biochemistry and anatomy
are different from that of humans,
in unpredictable ways.
Therefore, information gleaned
from testing drugs on animals
is not reliable.
Research via Observation
Observation is lawful,
if done in the animal's natural habitat.
If taken out of their natural habitat,
their behaviors become unnatural,
and thus not useful for research.
Companion Animals (Pets)
Not Property
Living beings are not property;
thus it is unlawful to consider oneself the owner of an animal.
Instead, it is lawful to consider oneself
a friend, guardian, caretaker, steward, or custodian,
in service to the animal for its wellbeing.
As only property can be sold and traded,
it is unlawful to sell an animal.
Shelters for lost or abandoned animals
may charge adoption fees to cover their costs of operation.
Voluntary Relationship
Do not keep a pet imprisoned in a cage or pen.
Instead, keep its proximity through mutual affection only.
If this does not work, then the animal does not belong with you.
Adoption
When adopting, do not separate families forcibly.
There is a difference between adoption and abduction.
Treat your adoption as an offer to the animal.
First, befriend them, and see whether they like you
before you plan the rest of their life for them.
Next, lead them to your home, on foot
so that they know the way back to their home and family,
and can return there any time they wish.
Finally, keep your home open for the animal to leave.
If you have to imprison them to keep them near
then they don't belong with you.
And if they does belong with you
then you won't have to imprison them to keep them near.
If the animal is in a pet store, and no longer has a family,
then you may take them directly to your home,
but still must allow them the option to leave if they choose.
