Expert: Lee Meyer - 4/20/2007

Question

Do bagers have the right to kill small children if they are cornered in the woods? Have any badgers been jailed for this?

Answer
Hi Ross,

I generally only answer serious questions, but I will make an exception for yours to serve as an educational service to others on this board.  

Apparently you did not pick this up from my personal info.  I also think you're lumping me in with a pre-conceived idea you have that everyone who is interested in animal welfare are all in the same boat.  If you'd take the time to read my profile, and compare them to others, you'd get a better idea where I'm coming from.

I am sure you realize just how silly your question is in the first place.  Animals do not have 'legal rights' in the sense they can make a claim against another for something.  As animals are creatures made by God, we should be respectful of all life because God creates and sustains all life, we should not be deliberately cruel to animals (or people), but we have dominion over animals as God has given this to us.  One may make the case that domestic animals that man has tamed for his use and/or benefit should expect that they will be taken care of by those people, and it makes sense that men would take care of their property (living or not) and maintain it in good order.  Animals generally fare the best when people own them and are responsible for them.

Per your question, it has nothing to do with 'rights'.  All a wild animal does is act in self defense, it has no concept of human rights.  You're trying to make a moral statement on a being that acts on God-given instinct.  

You may think you're trying to get a big concession or make a point with an animal rights extremist, but friend, you picked the wrong person in the forum to ask because as I stated in my profile, I am an animal welfare person, not an animal rights person.

Feel free to write back when you have a serious question.