baylorbear09 if you're out there in this universe, now is the perfect time to redeem yourself and come back to what is rightfully yours!!!
I like how you are playing one side of the hypocrite card while not acknowledging that many people have grown up in a world where dogs are pets and basically treated like family members. So, when they see something like this, they immediately think of their own dog being disposed of in such a manner by some stupid teenager getting off on it...and it riles them up. I'm sure we don't have the same relationship with mice, snakes, or lizards. If someone went around filming themselves hunting dogs, then it would elicit a similar uproar of a response. That's just the way the world works. I'm sure those in parts of the world where they consume dogs didn't bat an eye lash over this. But, like it or not, we are all hypocrites when it comes right down to it...except you of course.
The issue people seem to be missing is that dogs, cats and whatnot have gone through thousands of years of domestication resulting in relationships between us and them that differ from those of us and lions/flies. While some may say that there is nothing different in this than hunting lions or swatting flies I believe a sense of responsibility has evolved over the course of said domestication. We are responsible for the evolution of the household pet and a resulting state of helplessness that exists as a result of domestication.
An animal screaming is an animal screaming. Ants dont make any discernible sound when we step on them but that doesnt mean there isnt an emotional response. There just isn't one that we detect. We connect to animals chirping or yelling because we do something similar when we get hurt. So obviously when a dog is basically crying as it gets thrown into a river you can see why people get upset. And I know some people care about bugs but frankly I find that silly. Obviously I dont advocate just killing things for the heck of it but that doesnt mean we cant kill bugs if it bothers us or threatens us. I dont disagree. I even said that sentience doesnt have a brightline. My point is that the level of sentience of a dog makes it much easier to connect to then say a rat. Also droxford was posting absurd examples about how if we are getting this angry about this video we should care about lizards being killed. But my point is that dogs are much higher on the scale of sentience that it makes it much easier for humans to connect with them. For 99% of people our interaction with squirrels consists of watching a squirrel run around in a park. We dont experience any sort of emotional bond with them in our daily lives. The same goes with other animals that you mentioned. I'll say it again. I dont support killing animals for sport, I think most farms are pretty cruel with the way we kill and process animals. Hell I'm a vegetarian after all. All I was trying to do was explain why the response for this was the way it is. As well as explaining our ethical orientation towards animals and why we're comfortable killing certain animals more readily than others.
Well, this argument is invalid. Dogs and cats (and even chimps) may seem to be intelligent, but they're crap-eating, duck-humping, frog-raping animals. Make no mistake. Pigs are just as smart as dogs. An octopus is smarter than a dog. A chicken can be trained to win at tic-tac-toe. The truth is - people's opinion of dogs and cats is not elevated because of the animals intelligence - it's because of what people put into it themselves. This is something that R0ckets03 said, and I agree with. Remember the movie Castaway? Remember how the character ended up loving his friend Wilson, who was, in fact just a volleyball. That's how people are with their dogs and cats... and THAT's why there's so much outrage over this. And.... what... rats aren't sentient? how about hamsters? Gerbils? birds? Are birds sentient? You have a book on which animals are sentient and which ones aren't?
I do feel that way though. I'm disgusted by hunting for sport, and the animal cruelty. I don't mind killing insects, but anything above I can't stand.
They are, indeed. Ah ha! Excellent post! and I just posted on this just moments ago. This is very true (not the part about me playing one side of the hypocrite card - the part about people being emotionally attached to dogs).
Well this should be in DnD at this point :grin: But to your point, you are mistaking intelligence for human enlightenment. These are things that we as humans morally object to but that's separate from intelligence. We as humans in terms of our own morality think "frog raping" is wrong. That's not the same thing as intelligence. If you honestly think a chicken can match the intelligence of a dog then I dont know what to tell you other than you're completely delusional. Again delusional nonsense. But keep throwing nonsensical anecdotes out there. WTF does that have to do with anything. People have an innate need to be loved and feel love. We are social creatures and consequently feel the need to be social in some way. So no **** a guy gets stuck on an island and begins to relate to a volleyball. That's not surprising when you're trapped on an island with nothing to connect to. No I dont have a book but use some common sense. I said there are varying degrees of sentience. Rats show little to none. Birds depend on the species. A raven is an incredibly smart for a bird, a pigeon not as much.
Vincent: Want some bacon? Jules: No man, I don't eat pork. Vincent: Are you Jewish? Jules: Nah, I ain't Jewish, I just don't dig on swine, that's all. Vincent: Why not? Jules: Pigs are filthy animals. I don't eat filthy animals. Vincent: Bacon tastes gooood. Pork chops taste gooood. Jules: Hey, sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I'd never know 'cause I wouldn't eat the filthy mother****er. Pigs sleep and root in ****. That's a filthy animal. I ain't eat nothin' that ain't got sense enough to disregard its own feces. Vincent: How about a dog? Dogs eats its own feces. Jules: I don't eat dog either. Vincent: Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? Jules: I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way. Vincent: Ah, so by that rationale, if a pig had a better personality, he would cease to be a filthy animal. Is that true? Jules: Well we'd have to be talkin' about one charming mother****in' pig. I mean he'd have to be ten times more charmin' than that Arnold on Green Acres, you know what I'm sayin'?
If you speak out against those actions as loudly and as often as you've spoken out in this thread with the chick and the puppies, then you're not being hypocritical.
No, but I believe that a pig can match the intelligence of a dog. I believe an octopus is more intelligent than a dog. I've seen squirrels do stuff that's a LOT more intelligent than any dog could come up with. I'm glad your common sense tells you which animals are sentient and which ones aren't. Ya know, if you asked this chick about whether rats are sentient, she'd say her common sense would say yes. So would this guy with his pigeon.
It's not about intelligence. Dogs are a domesticated pet that can be a loyal companion that would do just about anything for their owner. Dogs live to please their owner. I know this is something that dog haters do not understand, but it's okay. Regular society does thankfully.
