Humans think they're entitled to special consideration simply because they're human. Intelligence and morality have nothing to do with it. After all, an ape may be more intelligent than a severely retarded human. Yet the ape doesn't enjoy the same legal protection as that retarded human. And the most immoral of humans have more rights than the most innocent animals.
All cruelty is wrong.
Eric Bahrt is a Hawaii resident and animal rights advocate. The opinions in View Point columns are the authors' and are not necessarily shared by the Star-Bulletin.