Questions about animal rights and more answered for kids
This page is meant for the somewhat older kids, youngsters.
It is about different kind of aspects of animal rights and our relationship with animals.
The answers can well be used in a project, paper, presentation or lecture.
Animal Freedom thinks that humans and animals are different, but have an equal right to freedom. Freedom is the most important thing there is.
Throughout the history of nature, there's never been an animal species that gave other animals so little space as humans do today with the bio-industry.
In the past, pets used to walk around the house freely.
They ate scraps of food, which humans left over and were eaten themselves at a certain moment.
Animal Freedom believes that we shouldn't confine animals in such small spaces (think for example of a goldfish in a bowl), in order that they aren't able to express their natural behaviour.
We do think that putting a fence around a pasture, to make sure that animals won't escape, is all right.
On the other hand, humans have the right not to be bothered by animals living next door.
Freedom is bound by borders.
If you want a pet, it's a good thing to first consider whether you want to confine an animal.
Don't get an animal from an asylum thinking that it will be liberated by you.
After all, another animal will then take its place.
Maybe it's a better idea to ask your parents to visit places, where you can meet animals, more often.
Animal Freedom believes that we shouldn't confine animals in such small spaces (think for example of a goldfish in a bowl), in order that they aren't able to express their natural behaviour.
We do think that putting a fence around a pasture, to make sure that animals won't escape, is all right.
On the other hand, humans have the right not to be bothered by animals living next door.
Freedom is bound by borders.
If you want a pet, it's a good thing to first consider whether you want to confine an animal.
Don't get an animal from an asylum thinking that it will be liberated by you.
After all, another animal will then take its place.
Maybe it's a better idea to ask your parents to visit places, where you can meet animals, more often.
Do we need to eat animals to stay in a good health?
No, we don't need to eat animals to stay in a good
health. Nor need we drink milk or other dairy products.
Milk is for young animals. Just as calves, children
don't need to drink (mother) milk any longer once they
are growing up. It isn't unhealthy to eat dairy products,
but it neither is necessary.
Eating meat also isn't necessary. Indeed, meat contains
some substances, which humans require, but these substances
are first broken down to building blocks that are also
found within plants.
Thus, eating meat is a detour. A valid argument for
eating meat is that it takes less effort to stay healthy.
If you don't eat too much meat that is! People like
vegetarians, who don't want to eat any meat or fish
at all, have to be more careful to make sure they ingest
all of the essential building materials. This is even
more for important vegans. People who want to sell lots
of meat and dairy products will do anything to make
you believe you really need it. They even make you think
that animals want nothing more than to be eaten by you.
Have they become stupid from eating meat?
Is one allowed to kill an animal?
In the Netherlands, you aren't allowed to just kill
an animal. We do however make a difference between animal
species. Killing an insect, like a mosquito, isn't prohibited.
For a pet it's necessary to have a good reason if you
want to have its life put to an end. You are not allowed
to do that yourself. This has to be done by a veterinarian.
Unless the animal's very sick or very old, the veterinarian
won't put it to sleep.
Nor are you allowed to kill an animal you're going to
eat. Only butchers are authorized to do that. In the
Netherlands this arrangement is to prevent unnecessary
suffering of the animal when it is slaughtered.
So what about hunters?
All hunters must have a hunting license to shoot animals
and they only are allowed to shoot a few species. Hunting
is prohibited during spring season when animals look
after of their cubs.
But hey, don't animals kill each other in their natural environment?
Indeed, animals do kill one another in their natural
environment. It often happens quickly however and the
reason is almost always to obtain food and hardly ever
for fun or out of annoyance.
Animals don't kill insects, but use their tail to chase
off annoying insects. Killing to obtain food has happened
for millions of years. Consequently, equilibrium has
established between predatory animals and hunted animals.
As long as animals are in good health and not too old
their odds of survival are good. The same goes for plants.
This way, nature stays beautiful. Death is the fate
of animals that aren't able to take care of themselves
(no more).
Animal Freedom has the opinion that animals have the
right to come to a zenith of beauty before they die,
just as humans. This is only possible in freedom.
Do animals love humans?
You'd think this is true, when a cat rubs up against
you. Cats do that to mark your clothes with their scents.
Other kinds of behavior, that give you the idea they
love humans, are often related to the wish of the animal
to be fed. In addition, many pets are bored, so they
are in need of some distraction, like a dog. Humans
often make the animals artificially
dependent on them in such a way that it seems as
if the animal appreciates the given care. You could
say that many animals want to live close to humans,
because there is much food to be found near them. Animals
will make sure though they want get caught, because
they like their freedom even more.
What does "respect for animals" mean?
Parents often say that you must have respect for other
people. Usually they mean people who stand out because
they are different. For example, they are old and because
of that slower or they're from abroad and speak the
language badly. 'Respect for animals' actually implies
that as well. Animals want humans to keep a little distance.
That's precisely what the word "respect" means.
It's a Latin word and means (freely translated) that
you'll have to keep some distance and first consider
if others want to have contact with you. Many animals
don't want to be picked up or caressed. Respect also
means that you consider the correctness of your judgment.
Some animals like dogs and cats appreciate a lot of
attention; other animals like birds and fish just want
to eat and to be left alone. There is not a single animal
that appreciates being locked away in a small hutch.
Respecting animals thus involves that you won't do something
like that.
Are humans of a greater value than animals?
The value of humans is as great as they please. But
what is the meaning of this word value? Values may be
expressed in money, or in the amount time and effort
one spends doing something. It's important to realize
that no one is of such a great value that this allows
him to do whatever he wants with animal and human lives.
Or the other way around: No human or animal is so worthless
that people can do with it whatever they want. In a
way, their lives than become of less value.
People and animals, violating the freedom of others,
run a risk of being killed by that person or animal.
Freedom for humans is one of few values for which they
are willing to sacrifice their own lives. A much smaller
group is also prepared to this for animals. This means
that most people think humans are more important than
animals. It does however not mean that humans are actually
more important!
Animals are concerned with different things than humans;
they know for example no ambition, sense of honor and
a sophisticated language.
Humans and animals are equal in their right to freedom.
You may appreciate differences and similarities between
humans and in several ways, just as long as you respect
the animals.
What is the objection against free mutual trade between countries?
From time to time all countries confer jointly about
the regulations that should apply for mutual trade.
These conferences are known as WTO-negotiations. What's
going on?
Is freedom to buy and sell not very important, just
as Animal Freedom represents freedom for animals. Isn't
it important that people in other countries have enough
money to buy food and other stuff?
True, but freedom can't be without borders, or otherwise
it would be meaningless. If no one would have to act
upon these borders, the strongest prevails. This applies
between countries, in the schoolyard and upon the street.
Because we already have a lot of free trade, you are
able to buy cheap shoes of foreign manufacture and to
buy apples from the far side of the world. Well that's
good isn't it? Not always, for who manufactures these
shoes? And who pays the price for the transportation
of apples all over the world. Some shoes are manufactured
by children in the Third World. If they must work all
day, they can't go to school and than they don't have
the freedom to choose a profession. Concerning the apples:
People who haven't got anything to do with these apples
contribute to the transport costs to your supermarket.
This is done by means of taxes. If
the strongest can do what they want the weaker, liker
elderly, children and animals become victims. Perhaps
you don't feel sorry for grandparents and yourself,
but just think about the circumstances of elderly and
children in the Third World. They have nobody who looks
after them. The pigs and chickens in the Netherlands
(as in many western countries) are fed fodder grown
in the Third World, on land whereupon people don't have
the space any more to grow food for themselves. A part
of the meat produced in our country is sold to the origin
of the fodder. This means competition for cattlemen
in the Third World. As a consequence some people over
there don't make enough money to buy that meat or that
there's not enough food supply from their own environment.
When each country in the world provides its own food,
export shall only rarely be necessary, that would only
seduce people into exploiting nature for that purpose.
We are concerned with food made out of animals. For,
if you want to make food from animals and you want to
sell in other parts of the world, your selling price
must be low. Otherwise, no one will buy it. The difference
between the actual and the reasonably expected price
is what the animals pay for. Therefore Animal Freedom
thinks that meat (products) should not be exported to
foreign countries and pleads that cattlemen in Holland will only keep cattle for internal market from now on. In exchange the farmer has the right to claim that consumers
pay the costs involved.
Are zoo animals really happy?
Zoos were founded in the past by people who visited
all corners of the world. They brought the animals home
to show what kind of rare and beautiful species they
encountered during their journey. That way, zoo visitors
didn't have to travel themselves to see these animals.
Of course the zoos made a fine amount of money by charging
entry fee. But it became clear very soon that some animals
weren't happy in this artificial environment. Because
of the small space they had, many animals had to walk
in circles. This is where the expression 'walking in
circles' comes from. They were bored to death and eventually
many of them went mad. Nowadays the composition of animals
and their accommodation have changed. You hardly ever
see predatory animals anymore, because these don't feel
at home in small spaces, where they are incapable of
hunting. Animals that are still being kept get as much
free space as possible and their natural environment
is imitated as good as can be done.
Zoo's are there for the public, not for the animals.
If it is economically unattractive or otherwise unattractive
to keep them alive, the animals are put
to death (f.e. surplus and young animals that are
not cute baby's anymore).
Because there's not much left of their natural environment
as well, zoos received a new function: breeding animals
that are threatened with extinction. It obviously is better to try and protect these animals in their natural
environment too.
Animals are happiest in their own natural environment.
This is why an Ecological Main Structure (EMS) is constructed.
The EMS implies that all the small nature reserves will
be connected to one another and to new reserves, in
order that animals (and plants) can travel freely and
encounter congeners. This will hopefully prevent them
from becoming extinct.
In case you've read the answers to the pervious question,
you probably know the answer to this one. Before we
can make animals do tricks we first have to make them
depend upon us. If they were to choose they'd never
do tricks spontaneously. Why should they? Animals don't
want to earn money or receive applause. They have no
desire for such appreciation.
The position of animals can be compared to that of children.
Children also depend upon adults and have to go to school
to learn stuff, often against their will. Children too,
prefer to be free. The major difference between children
and animals is that children receive full freedom once
they've become adults, whereas pets, circus animals
and bio-industry animals never will. Animals Freedom
thinks this is inequitable, don't you agree?
Animal Freedom thinks that humans and animals are different, but have an equal 
If
the strongest can do what they want the weaker, liker
elderly, children and animals become victims. Perhaps
you don't feel sorry for grandparents and yourself,
but just think about the circumstances of elderly and
children in the Third World. They have nobody who looks
after them. The pigs and chickens in the Netherlands
(as in many western countries) are fed fodder grown
in the Third World, on land whereupon people don't have
the space any more to grow food for themselves. A part
of the meat produced in our country is sold to the origin
of the fodder. This means competition for cattlemen
in the Third World. As a consequence some people over
there don't make enough money to buy that meat or that
there's not enough food supply from their own environment.
When each country in the world provides its own food,
export shall only rarely be necessary, that would only
seduce people into exploiting nature for that purpose. 
In case you've read the answers to the pervious question,
you probably know the answer to this one. Before we
can make animals do tricks we first have to make them
depend upon us. If they were to choose they'd never
do tricks spontaneously. Why should they? Animals don't
want to earn money or receive applause. They have no
desire for such appreciation.