Specism is about why do we eat cows but not dogs. That kind of thing. We kill spiders but not other human beings. I beilive its because we have compassion toward others like us. Thats how racism can start, or any form of prejudice. What are other thoughts?

If there wasn't 'specism', then we wouldn't be alive.

Plants are a species.
Humans need to consume.
Humans eat plants.
If humans ate humans instead of plants, then eventually we'd die out.

Specism is about why do we eat cows but not dogs. That kind of thing. We kill spiders but not other human beings. I beilive its because we have compassion toward others like us. Thats how racism can start, or any form of prejudice. What are other thoughts?

If there wasn't 'specism', then we wouldn't be alive.

Plants are a species.
Humans need to consume.
Humans eat plants.
If humans ate humans instead of plants, then eventually we'd die out.

Your first statement is false. Plants have species, but plants are a kingdom. Here is the taxonomy: Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Archaeplastida

If there wasn't 'specism', then we wouldn't be alive.

Plants are a species.
Humans need to consume.
Humans eat plants.
If humans ate humans instead of plants, then eventually we'd die out.

Your first statement is false. Plants have species, but plants are a kingdom. Here is the taxonomy: Domain: Eukaryota; Archae;
Kingdom: Plantae

Speciesism, to my mind, is the attitude that the human specieies is better, in value, than mammalia. With the exception of the rat, I am inclined to say, No., we're not. This is based upon my personal observations, which is not the most reliable source. I do not want to cause suffering to any creature I am pretty confident can suffer. Even a rat, I want to have a swift death when they mingle with humans. (I feel the same way with any regard to any insects that mingle amongst humans.)

It is the inflicting of harm and suffering that is unethical.

Specism is about why do we eat cows but not dogs. That kind of thing. We kill spiders but not other human beings. I beilive its because we have compassion toward others like us. Thats how racism can start, or any form of prejudice. What are other thoughts?

how is a dog like us , Humans ?

Cows are a more practical (and seemingly better tasting) form of food than dogs. They're easier to manage, they're larger, and I'm sure there are other ways that make them a superior source of food. I wouldn't call that specieism so much as I would call it 'being practical'.

Otherwise, I'm not worried about animals or compassion.

You guys miss the point...Indians had nothing against eating dog to avoid starvation, but their dog was their best friend too, just as with us, and when they feasted on dog for a stranger it was a mark of honor for the stranger that was missed by most... Catlin, the artist remarks on the act in a very pointed manor..

Have any of you ever lived with Native american/First nations people? Have any of you done archaeology concerning them? have you done traditional Elder knowledge ethnography with people who were alive around the time of white settlement in their area, or even really studied the information out there on their traditional lifeways? About 3/4 of the romantic drivel that both we and they believe was Franciscan propaganda to the Spanish King, or anti-slavery propaganda to other colonial country's officials. Get in depth on actual belief structure, political structure, and lifeways pre-white man and you find that just like any other group with a similar technological suite their lives were "nasty brutish and short." if they had agriculture is was slash and burn normally, they over-hunted areas, they destroyed entire ecosystems. They, like us, were and are human and do all the things that humans do.

Have any of you ever lived with Native american/First nations people? Have any of you done archaeology concerning them? have you done traditional Elder knowledge ethnography with people who were alive around the time of white settlement in their area, or even really studied the information out there on their traditional lifeways? About 3/4 of the romantic drivel that both we and they believe was Franciscan propaganda to the Spanish King, or anti-slavery propaganda to other colonial country's officials. Get in depth on actual belief structure, political structure, and lifeways pre-white man and you find that just like any other group with a similar technological suite their lives were "nasty brutish and short." if they had agriculture is was slash and burn normally, they over-hunted areas, they destroyed entire ecosystems. They, like us, were and are human and do all the things that humans do.

I enjoy Peter Singer's utilitarian position on this subject. Let me preface what I'm about to say by mentioning that I've only read one of Singer's books, "Animal Liberation," and I read it probably over a year ago so what I say could be completely off base.

Singer argues that humans participate in speciesism when they, among other things, consume non-human animals. If i remember correctly he defends a vegan stance because plants cannot feel pain whereas animals can. He highlights how non-human animals have the same basic framework as humans do in regards to a nervous system. From this he infers that animals feel pain just as we do, and that pain is a bad thing. He thinks that it's our role to reduce suffering (utilitarianism), and the main way to achieve that is by not eating/testing on/hunting non-human animals.

I like his position but it raises a lot of other ethical issues. For instance, if you were to defend Singer's position you would have to say that a human "vegetable," for lack of a better term, is more expendable than a deer. If this human had no ability to feel pain, harming the deer would be the worse action.

I hope this helps explain at least one stance on the subject of speciesism.