The Chronicle of Higher Education

“Fur has flown since the editors of the Journal of Animal Ethics presumed to introduce their new publication with a cry to stop calling pets ‘pets’. . . . The declared intention of the journal, whose second issue is due out in the fall, is obvious from its title. Linzey, a leading figure among ethicists who advocate drastic changes in human subjection of animals has written many books during the last two decades, including Why Animal Suffering Matters (Oxford University Press, 2009). Animals cannot consent, or effectively represent their own interests in human terms, he argues, so humans have a special duty to care for them.”

Some 4000 children die every day from starvation.  These staggering numbers are somewhat meaningless in a world saturated with critical problems, many of which are closer to home for those likely to be reading on the internet.  Perhaps we need to see the sunken face, the skeletal limbs, and the dull eyes of just one of these human beings, and the desperation of their mothers and fathers, to understand what the slow starvation of 4000 children means in terms of suffering.  Maybe it is because the hungry are mere statistics, or perhaps, because these authors and commentators like to eat chicken and cheese, they find it more appealing to attack ethanol rather than change their diet. If we want to feed our hungry neighbors, we need to eat grains directly, and not support flesh, dairy, or egg markets with our consumer dollars:  Vote with your teeth.

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Lisa Kemmerer, associate professor of philosophy and religion at Montana State University, Billings, is an artist, activist, and wilderness adventurer who has traveled the world extensively. She is editor of the new book Sister Species: Women, Animals, and Social Justice.