Articles

The following are different articles pertaining to my topic of animal rights:


Title: Green option to turn vegetarian?
Pinner, Annette. “Green option to turn vegetarian?” Farmers Weekly 146.21 (2007): 12-12. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Helmke Lib., Ft. Wayne, IN. 21 October 2007 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=25487422&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site>

I like this article, because it not only advocates a vegetarian diet, giving several sound reasons as to why that would be a good thing to do, such as it is ethical and it is a clinically healthy diet. It also focuses on the green aspect of farming and raising animals. This article covers many of the points I wish to discuss in my research paper.


Title: All We Can Eat?
Prusak, Bernard G. “All We Can Eat.” Commonweal 134.13 (2007): 10-13 Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Helmke Lib., Ft. Wayne, IN. 21 October 2007 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=25784830&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site>

This article touches on the theological implications of vegetarianism on man. The article also discusses the ethical side of vegetarianism, further supporting my original argument.


Title: Does Ethical Meat Eating Maximize Utility?
Schedler, George. “Does Ethical Meat Eating Maximize Utility?” Social Theory & Practice 31.4 (2005): 499-511. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Helmke Lib., Ft. Wayne, IN. 21 October 2007 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=18789711&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site>

This article is all about the ethical side of vegetarianism and animal rights. It goes into all the different issues revolving around the slaughter of animals for human consumption. This is also another point to support my main thesis.

Chicken Rights Questionnaire

Several different questions concerning animal rights and pro-vegetarianism are the following:

(Pro-Vegetarian)-Does the allegations of KFC’s cruelty when they prepare their chicken concern you? Agree, Disagree, No Opinion

(Anti-Vegetarian)-Do you think KFC should be shut down or re-evaluated based purely on how they prepare their chicken? Yes, No, No Opinion

(Neutral)-Despite KFC’s alleged mistreatment of animals, would you still patronize their restaurant? Yes, No, No Opinion

HERE COMES CAPT PLANET!!

On the USA Today website, I found a snapshot concerning the acres of wetlands lost over a period of time. One of the interesting things about this is the fact that the snapshot doesn’t give any hard facts or actual points of data; rather, it just gives a single statistic that speaks volumes, and is capable of making several different claims.

For example, one claim could be from an environmentalist viewpoint, to save what little wetlands we have left. A message of preservation and warning, expressed in only a couple of words, yet speaks volumes.

A different viewpoint could be to show how fast the developers are destroying the wetlands to build housing editions and golf courses. It could be spun to put a positive light on the nice, new facilities that are being built at a fast rate, so they will be available to the public soon rather than later.

A final viewpoint could be a message of urgency: urging the public to act and save hundreds of endangered animals’ homes from being demolished and protest the developers destroying their habitat.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/snapshot.htm (I couldn’t get the picture to upload. It is the 20th snapshot under the news heading)

The Glory of the OVRC

The Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center contained two subjects that related to the New York Times opinion article and they were animal rights and animal experimentation. After browsing around a bit, I found that I’ve settled on animal rights and pro-vegetarianism as my topic. After reading several different articles that opposed groups like PETA’s actions in trying to stop animal cruelty, I discovered that my mind was pretty much made up, and I still agree with animal activists.

Recycled Deer

After pursuing the op-ed section of the New York Times, I found an article that I believe is appropriate for my argument of fact essay. The article is an opinion titled “Deer Redeemed” and it is about recycling the road kill and turning it into compost.

This article interests me, because it presents a clever idea to clean up an otherwise gruesome topic. This is also interesting to me, because I am a vegetarian, and while I am against wasting our resources on huge herds of domesticated animals just to eat them, I do like the idea of putting the dead animal’s wasted body to good use. ‘Ashes to ashes’ is a phrase that came to mind while reading this article.

This is a research friendly article because not only can statistics be found on how many deer are killed by automobiles, information regarding how much money can be saved by the county when it makes it’s own compost is also something that can be found. I can also research the problems that can be avoided, such as the spread of diseases and scavenging, by recycling our road kill.

I do believe that it is a good idea to not waste our resources and recycle, but I don’t think that it is a particularly important article. It doesn’t rate up there with alternatives to fossil fuels or the solution to world peace, but it is a good idea that is worth being considered. People should care what I research, because it would solve a lot of problems everyone has seen while driving, and it would also help beautify people’s lives.

The Advantages of Surveillance

Surveillance Technology has been integrated into many different aspects of our society, and I believe that it has been for the better. It is true that there instances where the technology has been abused, but overall, its ability to uncover the whole truth is a valuable asset in our society.

The video about police brutality on youtube showed an instance where surveillance technology was a huge asset. The cop was way out of line using pepper spray on that girl, when he was told by several different people that she didn’t do anything wrong. Fortunately, with the surveillance video from the store, the true wrongdoer can be revealed, and the girl was exonerated.

This blatant police brutality is something that unfortunately many cops participate in, and it is something that needs to be stopped. With the aid of surveillance videos, the violent cops can be found and properly punished, and hopefully deter the future use of unnecessary force.
Surveillance technology can be a lifesaver, but it can also be abused. The instances where the government illegally tapped the different phone lines of American citizens, who’ve done nothing wrong, is just one example of many.

Overall, I believe that surveillance technology has been used to better society. Although it can be abused, the overwhelming instances in which the technology has brought justice or saved lives more than makes up the loss.

Claims worth Arguing

Hurricanes are increasing in number and ferocity: this is a claim worth arguing, because not only does it deal with a popular issue, such as global warming, but it also is based on fact and can be supported using evidence found in scientific journals.

Many people die annually of cancer: this is not a claim worthy of defending, because it is merely an observation, and it is too vague to properly find enough information to support the statement.

Fewer people would die of heart disease each year if more of them paid attention to their diets. This is a valid statement based on fact, and it is also one that information can be easily found. It is worth arguing to a college audience, because it deals with an issue that is prevalent in many people’s lives.

Japan might have come to terms more readily in 1945 if the Allies hadn’t demanded unconditional surrender: I would defend this statement, because even though it is speculation, this claim can be defended and supported using historical information, and it always helps to re-examine the past.

Boys would do better in school if there were more men teaching in elementary and secondary classrooms: I would not defend this claim, because changing the female to male ratio of teachers in the classroom isn’t the only factor to increase the performance rate of boys. To try and argue that by changing that one thing would increase the scores is a fallacy.

The ever-increasing number of minorities in higher education is evidence that racial problems have just about ended in the United States: this is not a claim worthy of defending, because it is an erroneous belief to assume that because numbers are increasing of minorities in the classroom is directly related to solving racial injustice. The issue skips over too many other important factors to be seriously defended.

There aren’t enough high paying jobs for college graduates these days: this is also a claim not worth defending, because it is false. Most of the higher paid jobs out in the job marketplace require a college degree, and to imply that the jobs are disappearing would also be a fallacy.
Hydrogen many never be a viable alternative to fossil fuels because it takes too much energy to change hydrogen into a useable form: this claim is worth defending to a college audience, because it is based on fact, and the information can be readily found in scientific journals to support the argument.

Only one of the first forty-three presidents of the United States was a Catholic: this is not worth defending, because it is a statement and not a claim. The topic is too shallow for proper analysis to occur.

Political activists have grossly exaggerated the effects of the USA Patriot Act on free expression: even though I don’t agree with the statement, I believe that this claim is worthy of defense. The information can be found in various political and governmental sites, and it is also something that is a current issue and affects all of our lives here in the United States.