Wednesday, Oct. 26 the animal advocacy group PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld for enslaving five orca whales and violating their rights to the 13th amendment. They have asked the U.S. District court in San Diego to grant the whales constitutional rights and extend to them the rights of a human.
Now, is this truly necessary? There are already many regulations that protect the rights of animals including the Marine Mammals Protection Act, U.S. where marine parks must have a permit and provide education and conservation programs and in addition to that, many animal-cruelty laws. SeaWorld included that they strictly follow these policies to a tee. Regardless of the many animal protection laws, some animals are still human property. Sure, this may sound crazy and maybe a little heartless but it’s simply the truth. We’ve learned in history that long before SeaWorld and zoos, humans were domesticating animals. That’s just the way it’s made to work. It doesn’t mean that animals are “things” and they are “toys” for us simply to own and use for whatever we want. If they were that, they definitely wouldn’t have any rights, but they do.
SeaWorld is one of the many organizations that help animals to rehabilitate and become healthy. If anything SeaWorld is protecting these animals from one of the most dangerous forces on earth, humans, even if they are humans themselves. Many animals around the world are exposed to the harmful things that humans put into the earth like plastic and toxic chemicals. Putting them in a safe environment from that is not slavery and absolutely does not fall under the 13th amendment. There is a point where animal advocacy crosses the line and this is it.
However ridiculous PETA’s moves may be, their motives are in some ways true and pure. There should be no condolence for animal cruelty. Animals were put on this earth to be loved and nurtured, sometimes by humans and sometimes by themselves in nature. Some animals were made to be eaten, but that’s another story.
