Animal citizens (and denizens and wild sovereigns)

Coming up

• Friday 10/11: background for debate, midterm guide available
• Monday 10/14: debate
• Wednesday 10/16: review for midterm
• Friday 10/18: midterm
• Monday  10/21: Module 4, using animals for food, research, etc.
• Friday 10/25: first field trip discussion (vegan restaurants, whole foods)
• Monday 11/13: Module 5, wild animals 

Field trips 

Canvas page

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Putting animals in political categories

recap

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Animal citizens--first class members of our community

Which animals?  All the domesticated animals--dogs cats, farm animals (there will be vastly fewer farm animals)

Why are they citizens?

1. We brought them here, we made them dependent on us, they can't live separately
2. Domesticated animals are capable of cooperation and interaction
3. If it was wrong to make dogs and cats dependent, should we just set them free or let them go extinct?  (Gary Francione--we will discuss in module 4)

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What are the rights and responsibilities of animal citizens? (p. 5)

Rights

1. 
   

1. No voting for animals, no passports
2. "Equal protection of the law (and hence criminalization of harms to them)"
3. Emergency services (rescue from fire, floods)
4. They should "benefit from public spending (e.g.health care)"
5. Should "have their "interests weighed in the design of public space and institutions" (e.g. dog parks, "relief" facilities at airports)
6. Should have access to public spaces

• restaurants? (Paris, below)
• animal cafes? (South Korea)
• cats of istanbul
• cows of India

Possible debate topic: Should pets in the US have more access to public space, as in other countries?

• Next time: background about access to public space in other countries plus other relevant issues

Responsibilities of animal citizens

1. They should be socialized to live in a mixed community--no "jumping, biting, barking, defecating" (p. 6)
2. They should do non-exploitative work

• contribute manure YES
• goats mowing lawn YES
• sheep for wool if shorn humanely   YES
• keeping chickens for eggs MAYBE
• using animals as guide dogs (video clip) NO

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Wild animal sovereigns

1. Don't exist because of us, competent to take care of themselves
   
2. Overlapping borders--some wild animal sovereigns are inside the US
3. Wild sovereigns have the basic rights all animals have – so no hunting, trapping
4. Not citizens or denizens
• no right to be rescued after a disaster
• no right to be in our public spaces (polar bear jail in Churchill, Canada)

5. We should respect their sovereignty, competence
• should avoid invading habitat, but when you do take away habitat, create wildlife corridors
• shouldn't alter their way of life even if it seems protective
• one-off assistance ok

Module 5: wild animals in wilderness. We will discuss this and other views on how to treat wildlife.

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Liminal animal denizens

1. Two principles that apply to human denizens (p. 14)
• Principle #1: legit to have borders and laws about who enters; also legit to discourage entry
• Principle #2: "sooner or later they acquire the right to stay" (p. 14)
2. Application to aiminal animal denizens
• Principle #1: we can try to keep them out
• Principle #2: "we need to regularize their status, and to accept and accommodate to their presence" (p. 14) 
3. Example of mice
1. try to keep out: plug holes in walls to keep mice out, avoid open food, use humane traps and remove
2. accept and accommodate: what's wrong with a few in the cellar or garage or garden shed?

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Debate topics 

Possible debate question: Are all animals equal or do they fall into importantly different political categories, as D&K say?

Possible debate question: Should pets in the US have more access to public space, as in other countries?