Animal Experimentation

                Animals have been used in lab experiments for a very long time. It is a practice that we may never stop using. However, over the years there have been improvements with this practice. There are now regulations and requirements that these labs have to follow. The animal’s treatment has improved and they are taken much better care of. Also the majority of animals used for these procedures are mice and rats. However, even animals as small as rodents suffer. Therefore, I do not think we can justify the fact that they are still being used for our benefits. I feel that we should find new ways of doing lab tests instead of using animals. All the animals die at the end of their experiments which is unacceptable. I believe if we want to stop suffering and improve this practice we have to find alternate ways of testing. Whether that means doing more tests on humans who volunteer or doing it through a computer, we need to try. It is not fair that we do not have to go through with this, but animals do. Therefore, we need to do what we can to end this.

Hunting

One sport I may never fully understand is hunting. Growing up I was completely against it. I couldn't understand how anyone could find killing animals enjoying?! You know that psychologists have proven that an early sign of a serial killer is "when young people take pleasure in harming animals" (crimemuseum.org). This is one fact that has stayed with me for a long time. This is why I am very cautious around people who are hunters. I know that may sound silly, but I just don't feel comfortable with that practice. I feel hunters have such an unfair advantage over animals because the animals have no idea what is coming! New hunting equipment has made it effortless for people to kill animals. Deer, bear, and coyotes don't stand a chance against such tools. For example, I once went hiking in the woods with my brother and we spotted a group of deer not far off the trail. My brother was able to walk up to one of the deer, with about 5 feet in between them, and the deer didn’t even budge. This is because they have become so accustomed to people being in their land and taking their homes. This is why hunting is really unfair. I also feel most hunters do it just to get another kill and this is what truly disgusts me. I know not all people are like this, but for those who are I wish they would stop!

To Eat Meat or To Not Eat Meat?

Recently I have become conflicted with the idea of me becoming a vegetarian. I feel that by making this choice I would help make my environmental footprint that much smaller. I feel that if everyone where to do that we could end the practice of factory farming and could really make a difference for the earth. However, this idea just seems so farfetched to me. Humans are not going to give up eating meat anytime soon. People like what they like and there is no way we can stop them from consuming what they enjoy. I know that I am going to have a difficult time becoming a vegetarian anytime soon because I really enjoy my meat. I know that may be wrong because I am very aware of how this process is done, but I am very cautious of where I get my meat from.  Another issue is that we are humans and have been consuming meat for thousands of years. If you look at our anatomy you can see that our teeth and other parts of our body are structured for being carnivores. If you look at our history you can also see that since the beginnings we have learned how to hunt and use the earth for our benefit. However, I know that it is not healthy to eat excessive amounts of meat, so I am going to slowly start easing my way off of it. As my Dad always says, “Everything in moderation” and that is what I intend to do.  If people started doing this we could really help lower the demand for meat, but many people may struggle. This is due to the fact that they have been brought up eating a diet full of meat. Therefore, if we really want to stop the practice of meat eating we have to start kids off as infants only eating the natural foods. That way they won’t develop a taste for meat. That is mainly why I struggle so much. If I had grown up never eating meat then I think the whole idea of it would be repulsive and I would probably not fancy it. So if adults want to help shape the younger generations, they should try starting kids off with a vegetarian diet and maybe then we will notice a decline in the meat industry, as well as an improvement in our environment.