Earthlings Part I

"Though among the members of the human family we recognize the moral imperative of respect (every human is a somebody,not a something), morally disrespectful treatment occurs when those who stand at the power end of a power relationship treat the less powerful as if they were mere objects."

Francis Bacon's "Painting" depicts beef carcasses hanging as an
allusion to the massive killings during the holocaust

As disturbing and grotesque the film Earthlings was, I think it was imperative that we unveil the truth as to what atrocities humans commit against other species. The most compelling aspect of this documentary was the relation to humans and their desire for power and conquer over the weak. The film explains that, "though among the members of the human family we recognize the moral imperative of respect (every human is somebody, not a something) morally disrespectful treatment occurs when those who stand at the power end of a power relationship the less powerful as if they were mere objects". The film suggests that the ongoing slaughter of animals could be compared to the Holocaust in 1933. We often considering preying on the weak as a barbaric action, but Earthlings reveals how this marginalized hierarchy is present in every aspect of our lives. Science, recreation, and agriculture are just a few fields where we have exploited animals for anthropocentric gain. There comes a point in time where we must draw a  line for what is ethical and what is not. If holocaust was deemed one of the greatest acts of inhumanity on this world, what makes this any different? Similar to animal testing, the Nazis would conduct brutal experiments on innocent Jews under the justification for science. Dr. Josef Mengele, known as the doctor of death, was highly known for his brutal experiments, specifically on children. Being brought up in this society, we have learned that these past actions were both extremely unethical and barbaric to the human race. Yet, the slaughter of thousands of animals is never contested. This supports the idea that we as humans desire the ability to exercise our power in sometimes inhumane ways. As the quote explains, it is easy for us to commit to our moral imperatives when it is in respect to our equals. But in some instances, we try to create a marginal distinction through imposing power, authority, and coercion. 

German Nazis were responsible for some of the greatest inhumane
acts committed to a group of people. How are they different from
animal abusers?