Diaz 1 Juwan Diaz Mr. Hinze ERWC Per. 2 18 September 2013 Letter to the Editor In "A Change of Hearts about Animals,” Rifkin says that "our fellow creatures are more like us than we had ever imagined." (Rifkin 2) Rifkin declares that these animals show the same feelings that humans express and that we should rethink the way we treat animals. I disagree with Rifkin's arguments. Why should we treat animals differently? When studying the pigs they found that pigs crave affection and share similar social behaviors as humans. Saying that pigs require about 20 seconds of human contact each day. (Rifkin 5) In the end the pigs will be slaughtered and be food for the human population. It doesn't matter how we treat the pigs weather if it is showing the utmost affection or treating the pig poorly either way the pig will taste the same. In Bob Stevens response to Rifkin's article, Stevens states that it is part of nature for animals to kill and eat each other and they do so disregarding the feelings of the animal they are preying on. I believe Rifkin is showing too much empathy towards these animals. Rifkin may have all these scientific studies to back up his argument but he is just merely a animal rights activist hiding behind them. (Stevens 4) So is treating the animal with affection really different from treating it poorly? It really doesn’t matter if we treat animals any differently because the outcome will most likely be the same. Rifkin is merely an animal rights activist that has too much empathy for these animals.

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Diaz1

JuwanDiaz

Mr.Hinze

ERWCPer.2

18September2013

LettertotheEditor

In"AChangeofHeartsaboutAnimals,Rifkinsaysthat"ourfellowcreaturesaremorelikeus

thanwehadeverimagined."(Rifkin2)Rifkindeclaresthattheseanimalsshowthesamefeelingsthat

humansexpressandthatweshouldrethinkthewaywetreatanimals.IdisagreewithRifkin'sarguments.

Whyshouldwetreatanimalsdifferently?Whenstudyingthepigstheyfoundthatpigscrave

affectionandsharesimilarsocialbehaviorsashumans.Sayingthatpigsrequireabout20secondsof

humancontacteachday.(Rifkin5)Intheendthepigswillbeslaughteredandbefoodforthehuman

population.Itdoesn'tmatterhowwetreatthepigsweatherifitisshowingtheutmostaffectionor

treatingthepigpoorlyeitherwaythepigwilltastethesame.InBobStevensresponsetoRifkin'sarticle,

Stevensstatesthatitispartofnatureforanimalstokillandeateachotherandtheydosodisregarding

thefeelingsoftheanimaltheyarepreyingon.IbelieveRifkinisshowingtoomuchempathytowards

theseanimals.Rifkinmayhaveallthesescientificstudiestobackuphisargumentbutheisjustmerelya

animalrightsactivisthidingbehindthem.(Stevens4)

Soistreatingtheanimalwithaffectionreallydifferentfromtreatingitpoorly?Itreallydoesnt

matterifwetreatanimalsanydifferentlybecausetheoutcomewillmostlikelybethesame.Rifkinis

merelyananimalrightsactivistthathastoomuchempathyfortheseanimals.
Diaz2

WorksCited

Rifkin,Jeremy."AChangeofHeartaboutAnimlas."LosAngelesTimes1September2013:5960.

Print.

Stevens,Bob.LetterstotheeditorinresponsetoAChangeofHeartaboutAnimals.Print.