Terry O'Neill on Animal Rights

In a recent article in the Vancouver National Post Terry O'Neill says:

"Along with its decadence, the drive to confer human-like rights on animalsis also both obscene and trivializing: obscene in its misguided focus on dumb beasts at a time when there is so much human misery in the world; trivializing in the fact that it elevates the fight for animal personhood to the same level as that of the Famous Five or, for that matter, pro-lifers’ continuing campaign to have unborn children declared legal persons. How ironic and sad it would be to see animal rightists succeed where pro-lifers have failed."

What's wrong with a "human-like right" for sentient creatures to live their lives without being killed for the pleasure of someone else?

And as for "dumb" beasts, does that mean mentally handicapped humans shouldn't have a right to their lives? Denying the right to live its life to another creature just because it is a different species is called speciesism. It is just like denying rights to others of a different race (racism) or gender (sexism).

And why care at all about animal rights when there is "so much human misery in the world"? Well how about the misery of 800 million starving humans? Do you realize that the world would have plenty to feed those people if so much food didn't go to feed livestock? It takes many pounds of grain to produce one pound of meat -- so meat-eaters are contributing a lot to human suffering.

And is it really trivializing to compare the plight of 20 billion (yes Billion) land animals raised in horrible conditions and killed every year just for human pleasure to the struggle for women to get the right to vote?