12/6/2005: Naked PETA protest

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by SmurfAbuser

Actually, there is a major difference. I've seen healthy animals being euthanized at my shelter first-hand. These animals were euthanized not because the staff enjoyed killing them, but because there was nowhere to put them and no one willing to adopt them. Hunters kill because it's a sport and is fun for them. The meat industry kills animals because they're supplying food and making money from it.

Shelter workers who euthanize animals don't have fun, produce anything, or make any money. They go home, cry, and drink a six-pack because of what they are forced to do. It's not the same.

(Sorry guys, I tried to stay off my soapbox, but I can't help myself with this particular subject )

Euthanasia: 1. The action of inducing the painless death of a person for reasons assumed to be merciful. 2. an easy or painless death. [greek:eu-, good + thanatos, death]

The relative glee of the life taker doesn't really enter into it.
You have painted hunters with a rather broad brush, a number of whom I know personally who do not fit into your categorization.

I have seen some farms where I'd consdier it euthanasia to slaughter the animals rather than let them live they way they do, I find it hard to see how killing a "healthy" animal is euthanasia, unless it is to prevent it from becoming an unhealthy, miserable living skeleton. Still, it is hard to tell if an animal "wants" to be euthanized. Generally, (except birds, I'm told) most animals don't just give up when the chips are down, and would rather keep going until they can't go anymore.

It takes a mighty righteous position to decide that you are killing an animal for its own good. Unlike a hunter let's say, who is killing an animal for the hunter's own good.

Anyway, I'm not really sure where I stand on this whole thing other than to be cautious about how much anthropomorphism gets added to the soup.