In defence of human life

I have read many letters and articles over the past few weeks in relation to the maltreatment of animals.

Let me say it clearly: I am against cruelty to animals. We all have a responsibility towards the animals that come within the power of mankind.

What I have noticed in many letters, and especially in the blogs which one can read online, is the enormous strength of feeling from animal lovers to the extent that some have openly placed animals before humans. There have been some extremely bitter, malicious and downright irresponsible comments, even some calling for human beings to be strung up and treated in much the same way as they may have mistreated these poor animals! People have even been offering rewards for the capture and imprisonment of those who have carried out these awful acts!

So, I ask: Where is the strength of feeling about how we treat the unborn, for instance? Babies are cruelly suctioned from their mothers' wombs on a daily basis and their remains destroyed. Yet, somehow, since this is done from inside the womb and within the law of the land where it occurs, there is no such uproar as I have seen in respect of cruelty to animals.

The fact that it is not a crime to abort a human being does not make it right! The unborn child is conveniently referred to as just a ball of cells, which is fair game for abortionists, and the safety of the womb is thereby compromised. The unborn have no human rights these days and life has become cheapened beyond compare. In the UK, one can get a stiffer sentence for some crimes against animals than one can for crimes against individuals! But, conveniently, the destruction of human life is not seen as a crime!

And for those who see this as solely a religious issue, please think again.

Please do not insult those of no religion who still respect life from conception to natural death.

Let us get some sense of proportion here and decide whether or not we value human life. If we cannot even respect our own kind what hope is there for animals anyway? As Ghandi so aptly put it: a society may be judged on how it treats its animals.

So, perhaps with a sense of irony, I call for humans to have at least equal rights with animals. For too long they have come a poor second! I call for a stand in favour of the voiceless, defenceless unborn!

Let us, without the actions of extremists, stand up for human life at all stages. If we can achieve that, then there will be more justification for better treatment of animals.