Hot Topic Outline

Arianna Heikkinen
Title: Being Cruel Isnt Cool
I.

II.

III.

Introduction
A. All animals have the ability to suffer in the same way and to the same degree that
humans do. (PETA) They deserve rights.
B. Animals deserve rights because humans have rights, and there is no relevant moral
difference between humans and mammals, so mammals should have rights, too.
Animals have a value, and deserve rights that show their value.
C. This issue is important because animals need to be seen as not only existing for
human use. They deserve a right to live free from suffering and pain.
Brief Overview of Opposing Position: Counterargument
A. Many people think animals dont deserve rights because they dont have certain
functions, such as thinking, not having a conscious, not having a souls, or not
behaving morally. Since they dont behave in a moral way, some think they do not
deserve moral treatment from others. If animals are being tested on for a humans
purpose, they do not care about them. (BBC)
B. One of their main arguments against animals having rights is that they believe
animals were put on earth to serve humans. This idea comes from the bible.
Another argument they have is that animals dont behave morally and should not
be treated morally. Since animals have no moral code or community, they dont
deserve rights.
C. These people are selfish and dont see animals for what they are, which is nature.
They see them as a tool to help make our lives better. They do not show concern
for their suffering because it benefits humanity.
D. 3 Big Ideas why my position is better
a. Animals have an inherent value.
b. They affect the ecosystem and without them there would be no balance.
c. Tests on animals arent valuable to humans at all. They are expensive and
unreliable.
My Argument: Main Point 1
A. My first big idea is that animals have an inherent, or essential, value that needs to
be represented. We do know that we have many significant similarities with
animals so they should hold certain rights as we do. When we treat animals
inhumanely, we infringe upon these rights. (all-creatures)
B. Supporting Arguments
a. Animals are subject-of-a-life just as humans are. They both have similar
biological components, are conscious and know they exist, they are aware,
can like and dislike things, and can make conscious choices.
b.
Beings with subject-to-a-life have inherent value. Inherent value
doesnt depend on how useful they are to the world and it doesnt
diminishing they are a trouble to others.

IV.

V.

c. Animals have the same rights as humans for the same reasons. Treating
animals inhumanely infringes upon their rights, just as it would when
treating another human wrong.
C. So What? This information shows that animals are conscious of when they are
being harmed or praised. The have feelings and are aware of things. Humans
should not harm animals for the same reason we should not harm other humans,
because it matters and betrays their rights. If animals were given rights, they
would be seen as a more respectable species, and no longer inferior to humans.
D. Closing Sentence- Animals lives can be saved if we give them the rights we
deserve.
My Argument: Main Point 2
A. The deaths of animals do not benefit humans at all. When the ecosystem becomes
damages from lack of natural animals, humans will be paying the consequence.
There is a balance in nature for a reason
B. Supporting Arguments
a. Nature is delicate and if disturbed, it can lead to a chain reaction of events
that will negatively affect humans. If we harm a certain species to an
extent, the animal will go extinct. Plants and animals depend on each
other. Removing on piece of the puzzle can lead to a downfall of events.
b.
For example, if we keep testing on or capturing a predator in the
animal kingdom and they become extinct, there will be more mass
amounts of prey populations. With the large amount of prey, they can eat
all of the plants, and create an insufficient amount of food sources. This
can threaten the ecosystems survival, even though it was once balanced
and normal. It only takes one rock to start an avalanche.
C. So What? This information is important to realize because it can directly impact
our balance of life. There is a balance for a reason, and the reason is not for it to
fall apart. The planet has balance to remain sustained.
D. Closing Sentence- A single species can make a significant difference if it
disappears, which is why we need to make an effort to stop harming them. We
need to keep the balance intact.
My Argument: Main Point 3
A. In specific situations, tests on animals are pointless and unreliable. Some species
of animals that are tested on are too different from humans, making tests
inconclusive.
B. Supporting Arguments
a. Animals dont know why they are being tested on and harmed, causing
them to show distress. This can tamper with he results of a test, making it
insufficient and inconclusive. Tests on animals should be avoided.
b.
Tests on animals are very expensive. Since tests on animals are
only experimental and may not result well, this can lead to a loss of
money. It can also cost more money because if the animals do end up
harmed, it will cost to heal them, if they even survive.

VI.

c. By not testing on animals, the saved money can be used for specific
research on different things. This money could be used to take care of
more serious problems, instead of testing lipstick on innocent bunnies.
Spend the money on something where there are beneficial results and no
harm to animals.
C. So What? There are other options instead of testing on animals. By not testing on
animals and perhaps being natural, companies can save money. Natural, nontested on animal products are becoming more preferred by consumers. People like
animals and want them to be saved, too. This is becoming a more relevant issue
from brands testing on animals, such as MAC cosmetics.
D. Closing Sentence- There are other ways to test products than on animals. Testing
on animals causes the suffering which they are conscious of. Naturally made
products are usually better than these animal-tested ones, anyways.
Conclusion
A. Animals deserve rights for a multitude of reasons. If humans deserve rights, then
animals do too. Animals deserve as equal consideration of rights as humans do.
B. This issue is important to fix. It truly is possible that one day there can be no more
animal testing. By no longer capturing and testing on animals, it can benefit the
planet. The ecosystem can remain in balance.
C. Animals do not exist for human use, they deserve rights. Animals deserve
equality.

Works Cited
"An Argument for Animal Rights." : An All Creatures Animal Rights Article. Web. 05 May 2016.
<http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/ar-anargument.html>.

"Animal Rights." BBC. Web. 5 May 2016.

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/animals/rights/rights_1.shtml>.

"Why It Matters When Species Go Extinct." About.com Education. Web. 05 May 2016.
<http://endangeredspecies.about.com/od/extinctionpastandpresent/a/Why-Does-It-Matter-IfSpecies-Go-Extinct.htm>.

"List of Pros and Cons of Animal Rights." OccupyTheory. 2015. Web. 05 May 2016.
<http://occupytheory.org/list-of-pros-and-cons-of-animal-rights/>.

"Why Animal Rights?" PETA. Web. 05 May 2016. <http://www.peta.org/about-peta/whypeta/why-animal-rights/>.