Name: Sandra Kelly
Major: Faculty
Comments:
Lisa Von Rompay's effort to raise our consciousness in regards to treatment of animals is welcome, but too radical to have much effect. She won't be able to turn everyone into a vegetarian. Publications need to do more down-to-earth reporting on the issue of animal treatment. Even meat eaters need to be concerned about how many animals we kill for food, because we waste food, the byproducts of slaughter contaminate and so do the byproducts of the animals while they are being fattened for slaughter. Getting a nation, or even a university community, to care more about animals likely must be done with small steps. Why not discuss proper treatment for pets owned by students and townspeople? Or, perhaps a student group would consider holding a spaying and neutering clinic you could publicize? Give us more on the subject, but make it real and reality! Sandra Kelly, Media Studies

Name: Jeff
Comments:
You raise some great points in this article. Here's my bizarreness: I eat meat (yes, even lamb and veal) yet I am horrified at the way we get it. There's got to be a more humane way. I guess my contradiction is balance. I must be a walking contradiction. I grew up with all kinds of meat on my plate and I don't see that changing any time soon. However...if technology could produce a "gardenburger" that tastes like a hamburger then I'll begin to make the switch. It certainly worked for my sister; she became vegetarian and she looks like an hourglass now. I've tried "fake-meat" of all types and it's a wonder the people who eat it don't have hypertension. There's so much salt in there!

Name: Lisa
Year: Junior
Major: IDSE & Spanish
Comments:
Hi guys, author of the article here. I stand by my words and those of Paul, Emily, Travis, and Greg 500%. If anyone has any further arguments they'd like to make, please feel free to email me personally. Also, I have a video copy of Paul's resentation, "Questioning Human Supremacy," so if you're not feeling too threatened or hostile towards compassionate people, I invite you to view it and maybe then your words will be different. "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for enough good people to do nothing." Peace, Lisa

Name: The Shape
Comments:
I used to work at a big time Pet Supply Company we all know but I will fail to mention in real name here. I worked there for almost a year and while there I gained a sense of something: Animals understand whats going on. You look into any dog's eyes and you can see something there. Same as with a cat, hamster, lizard, or your pet Anaconda. There is something behind those eyes. I do not write this to support any side of this debate. I just want people to know, they know. While employed there I witnessed some stuff many on both sides of the arguement would not enjoy hearing so I will refrain from storytelling. I was disgusted as a human being. However, let us imagine me in the plains of Africa and a lion charges me. You think he gives a damn I donated money to "Save the Lions?" No, he is going to do what animals have been doing since creation: The bigger is going to prey upon the weak.

Name: Kelly
Major: Outdoor Recreation
Comments:
I would like to point out something nearly everyone misunderstands when it comes to the argument about not eating meat. I have no problem with the food chain! It is the way the animals are treated before and during their death. Eating meat would be alot easier if I knew animals were not treated badly. Do people really think non-profit organizations have nothing better to do than make up animal torture. Look at what we as humans do to each other-serial killers, Hitler, concentration camps, what people did to Native Americans-and it is clear we are capable of torturing others. I do not put anything past the human race!!!

Name: Paul Shapiro
Comments:
It's interesting that people expect "objectivity" from an article in the perspective section. The whole point of a perspective piece is to promote a viewpoint, in this case, the view that humans should give up our role as tyrants over the rest of the animal kingdom. More importantly, it should be expected that some people will be defensive (see below posts) when asked to give up their ascribed privilege. The point of my talk was to get people thinking about the notion of human supremacy, see if there's any justification for it, and if not, figure out what we can do to begin dismantling it. No one forces us to be cruel to animals. It is not necessary that we eat or wear them. As such, it is a voluntary choice that we make. Why would any of us choose to be cruel when we could be compassionate?

Name: Greg
Year: Sophomore
Major: Info. Sys.
Comments:
I'm not going to be long, but I just wanted to say about a comment I read below about our argument being "one-sided". You want the other side? Ok...so what you're trying to say is..."it's ok to treat animals like crap so we can eat them and have them help us find diseases, have them enterain us, and be used as stress relief". I see what you're saying, I just don't see how u think it's right. Would you appreciate it if a human treated you like crap, enslaved you, beat you, tortured you, used you to find cures for diseases, and then eat you? How would you feel? I guess since you think animal cruelty is cool, then I guess you'd like to feel that. But anyway, take care, and please open your eyes.

Name: Wade
Year: Junior
Major: History/Anthopology
Comments:
Millions of years of evolution put us at the top.

Comments:
GO EMILY!!!

Name: Trav
Year: junior
Major: Computer Science
Comments:
This whole string of comments has gotten way off topic... although this may be a one sided argument, it is written this way because this side is always ignored. Everyone knows the other side of the story. We kill animals in testing facilities, we may or may not find cures for srtange diseases. But the side of the story that Lisa is trying to get across is this... Does our higher intelligence give us the right to decide which species lives? Especially now. We have already overpopulated the world, and not to sound morbid, but the last thing we need right now is a cure for the diseases that actually kill people. If not for those diseases we would have even more people on Earth, which is definitely not needed. People talk about hunting animals for population control... well what about hunting the species that needs population control the most... humans. The fact is that we DON'T have to have meat to live, so why should we eat it? We don't have to put animals through suffering for shampoo and detergent, so why are they tortured everyday? Somewhere over the span of time, we humans got the iddea that we are the only thing that is important on the Earth. And not just with other animals, but plant life as well. I think it was an average of one acre of rainforest is being cut down every minute... all so we can make more room for more humans that are going to end up ruining the world. THAT is what is meant my human supremacy. Humans thinking that they are better than every other species. To all of you who said you eat meat, I pose a question. Do you think its ok to put the animals that you will be eating through torture before you eat them? I'm not dogging meat eaters, I'm just saying... couldn't we be more respectful to the animals that are to be eaten? Anyway, I'm done with my little rant, and I hope I gave you guys some stuff to think about. Peace and Love, Travis

Name: Emily Talbot
Year: freshman
Major: peace studies
Comments:
First off, I happen to resent each rebuttle that I read based on the fact that I attended the Paul Shapiro night and happen to know that none of you who responded to the article attended. To make the kind of accusations that you all made without actually hearing Paul Shapiro out makes all of your accusations completely void. Until one really knows all the facts, he or she can not take a seriously intelligent stand. I happen to know a lot about the issue of animal rights and have supporting evidence, that if you are interested in hearing, I can share with you. It is just as Dave said, people " never think of the horrors that animals go through so that (they) can enjoy these products," he hit it right on point. So many people convince themselves that these injustices are singular cases, as Joe has stated, and they block it out of their heads, so that we can feel good about ourselves while we eat the flesh of these animals, wear their skin, drink their breast milk, eat their eggs, enjoy their entertainment , etc. The life of a farm factory animal has changed quite drastically from the nice little family-owned farm that many of us picture. It is no longer the good littler farmer out their milking his cows by hand and instantaneously killing his animals. As we all know, the meat industry of the 21st century is huge. These animals and their products are being mass-produced at a number that many of us can not even fathom. Billiions, I mean billions of animals are killed each year for food alone. This is not including the other means for which they are killed. 1 cow and 1 pig is killed every 3 seconds statistically speaking. With a number like this can any of you honestly say that you believe each death is committed "humanely"? The people who work these farms handle these animals as though they are commodities- hell, isn't that the only way you can view them when having to do that line of work? Do you still find it hard to believe that these animals all get a fair death or even life? The process of killing chickens happens so quickly, that often times workers have serious damage done to them such as loss of limbs. If employees are constantly being injured because of the quick and dangerous process, is it not so hard to believe that many of the animals are experiencing rather gruesome deaths? I would love for one of you to go to a slaughter house and see for yourself. I know that I have and would now feel like a complete fool for ever saying that those undercover videos stand alone. I have seen it with my own eyes and know for a fact, also due to statistics put out by the USDA, that the torturous murders that occur are far from uncommon. Besides, do you really believe that these undercover investigations just happen to catch those few harmful acts? That would be highly coicidental. I would not be fighting for these animals rights unless it was a common practice, such as it is. What I have just explained is merely one part of the cruelty enacted against these defenseless animals. The conditions in which they live thier lives are unfortunately even more horrendous. A couple of you also approached the issue of our right to take the lives of sentient (which means feeling) creatures due to us being at the top of the food chain. If you would like to discuss this issue with me then I have a million different ways to make you look at that, but I will not start another side of this issue right now. Hopefully some of you will take me up on this and get in touch with me. My email address is listed. I just hope that next time, wether the issue be animal rights, human rights or what have you, that you will educate yourselves before taking such a strong stand and embarrasing yourselves. And hell, Joe, there'd still be slavery and the holocaust if people didn't break the rules and go against the norm to stand up for what is right. Maybe Paul Shapiro broke a few laws, but the people committing these injustices are breaking a hell of a lot more moral laws. "Iron rusts from misuse, stagnant water becomes frozen, so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind."- Leonardo DaVinci

Name: Amy
Year: soph.
Comments:
This is mainly in response to "joe the sophomore." First, I would like to know if you even attended Paul Shapiro's lecture? Judging by your commenets, I do not think you did. First, it was a wonderful lecture... you should have come. No one is demanding that you become vegan. However, you have the right to know how your meat, fur and/or leather is attained. By knowing this, it then becomes your decision whether or not you wish to change your lifestyle. And as for your broad comment on the videos... you are wrong. I'd like to remind you that if you don't take the time to learn about issues before commenting on them.. it is a display of ignorance on your part. For all of the people out there who take the time to learn about the exploitation of animals, thank you. Joe, maybe you should give it a chance atleast then you can understand what you are commenting on. Feel free to let me know your feelings.

Name: Joe
Year: Sophomore
Comments:
I eat meat. Red meat. Hate me. I'm EVIL! Seriously, what do these people want us to do, become vegans? We're essentially at the top of the food chain: nothing hunts us except ourselves. Dave is right about the "red herring" tactics to incite people. And Paul Shapiro's visuals and videos will be nothing but clips and pictures of the most vile animal testing done by any company at any time and labeled as testing done by a major corporation very recently, or perhaps a video of him or his protestor buddies getting busted by the police in perhaps a violent manner for breaking a law or multiple laws (such as disturbing the peace), but of course he won't tell you that. He'll leave you to think that such extreme injustice happens every day to every thing. I only regret that some people that could be doing better things with their time or going to better presentations will rot their minds with this propaganda.

Name: Jenn
Year: Junior
Comments:
A lot has been done to reduce the amount of animal testing. A lot of companies that produce cosmetics, shampoos, and similar products aren't testing on animals anymore. And as far as eating animals goes, it's just one of the fact's of life. We were made with canine teeth for eating meat, and animals eat other animals. It's been like this forever Look at it this way too, when we die we get burried into the ground and our decaying bodies fertilize the soil where a cow may someday graze. So in essence a cow may eat you someday. And I don't think a shark or tiger would think twice about taking a bite out of you if the opportunity came about.

Name: dave
Year: senior
Comments:
A little objectivity would have been nice in this article, particularly for readers like myself. I eat meat. I use shampoo. I never think of the horrors that animals go through so that I can enjoy these products. I also go to the doctor and take medicine. One day I may have cancer. I may be cured as a result of animal experimentation. This article could have gained some credibility had it addressed some of the benefits associated with animal testing. Instead, uninformed readers like myself are presented with a one-sided argument that is hardly convincing with its radical tone. And the bit about us considering ourselves "free?" What does that have to do with me attending an animal rights seminar? It is merely an invalid argument; a red herring meant to invoke an emotional response, not intellectual consideration. Please, save your biased rantings for the "vent" section, or in this case, the PR press release section. I can argue a false dichotomy myself: If you don't like being a predatory human at the top of the food chain, then kill yourself. The birds and animals will gladly pick your bones clean. See how stupid and emotional that sounds?