I believe that animals should be able to live free from use in medical research, hunting, agriculture, and other industries that benefit humans. People mainly argue whether we should protect animals or serve humanity's needs.
According to Gallup 39% of Americans think animal research immoral. Gallup found fewer people support medical testing on animals, buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur, and cloning animals in 2020 than they did in previous years.
I believe that animals deserve similar or equal rights as human beings, free from captivity abuse and neglect. Also the animal rights movement believes it's immoral to use them for labor and research. This also extends to protecting animal habitats from displacement or destruction for purposes like dredging rivers, trawling, agriculture, and urbanization.
Opponents of animal rights do not typically advocate for cruel or unnecessary animal abuse, but they believe animals are not equal to humans and that it is morally justified to use animals to benefit human society. Most prominently, they believe that animal research can lead to medical discoveries and improved quality of life for humans, such as testing antibodies on animals to fight against Covid-19. They also argue that animals do not think or feel emotions such as pain, fear, or loneliness and that is just a load of *BEEP*
Most people fall somewhere between these two viewpoints. For example, many people support animal rights, but wear fur or leather clothes. Others are repulsed by animal abuse, but still support using animals to advance medical research.
All and all change my mind.
