And You Wonder Why We Suffer from Moral Schizophrenia?

Dear Colleagues:

Here is an example—one of unfortunately many—of the way that we confuse children about the morality of animal exploitation. One one hand, we encourage children to feel affectionately about nonhumans through the use of animal characters. On the other hand, we use those same animal characters to sell animal products that have been produced by engaging in the torture of nonhuman animals.

Is it any wonder that we develop moral schizophrenia when it comes to animals? Is it any wonder that the overwhelming number of us agree strongly that it is wrong to inflict ‘unnecessary’ suffering and death on animals but the best justification we have for imposing suffering and death on 53 billion animals per year (not including fish) is that we enjoy the taste? Is it any wonder that we regard certain animals as members of our families while we simultaneously stick forks into the corpses of other animals?

Gary L. Francione
© 2009 Gary L. Francione