Dear Editor:

In the article A Change of Heart about Animals by Jeremy Rifkin published in Los
Angeles Time, September 1, 2003, Rifkin discusses about how and why we should treat
animals equally to us, humans. It is a very interesting article talking toward the intelligent
and animals knowledge; additionally, with many of your research and experiments you
have done leads you to comparing us, humans, to animals in many different ways and
calling for animal rights as well. It is an awesome academic and scientific article you have
published. However, I do not agree with your position of giving animals their rights in our
society, yet we should not treat them the way we treat garbage; for animals are nothing
but animals.
Base on Rifkins research and experiments, Rifkin states that animals can easily get
depressed when humans did not give them attention; animals are having emotions just like
how humans expressed their feelings. One of Rifkins experiment that he mentions in the
very top of his article is that pigs crave affection and are easily depressed if isolated or
denied playtime with each other. (Rifkin 2003); hence, it might destroys their health,
yet their physical and mental issues at the same time. Rifkin mentions the German
government encouraging pig farmers to give each pig 20 seconds of human contact each
day and to provide them with toys to prevent them from fighting. (Rifkin 2003).
Nevertheless, pigs are one type of specie that, sooner or later, will be consuming by
humans; furthermore, why should humans, specifically farmers, have to spend money to
buy toys for such specie will soon be eaten up by themselves, nor the people. While
German government is encouraging farmers to buy toys for pigs, there are thousands of
children in German individual and around the world as a whole; those who do not even
have enough foodstuff to survive throughout a day.
Another compelling research of Rifkin claims that animals are intelligent in many different
way. Rifkin states that Koko is ...understands several thousand English words. On
human IQ tests, she scores between 70 and 95. (Rifkin 2003) which is amazing for an
animal. Depending on human IQ test scale, a normal IQ that all human being should have
is above 100 which means any score below it will be considering as a standard below the

median. Many people have taken the IQ test and scores below standard are borderline
retarded and those who scores 70 or below considers as mentally retarded. (Dr. C.
George Boeree). Dr. C. George Boeree is a retired professor, and previously in the
Psychology Department at Shippensburg University, where he taught personality theories
and the history of psychology was once published one of his article toward Intelligence
Quotient and scores scale. Rifkin compares a gorilla, who scores below standard in IQ
test, to us human is unacceptable. For there are only 6.7% of the population scores below
standard deviation from median and only 2.2% of the population scores below 70, an
animal can not be compared to a human being. The evidence once again separates us from
animals; animal is just another animal.
A numerous number of people nowaday are fighting for animals rights; additionally
German becomes the first country out of all have animal rights. Rifkin adds Harvard and
25 other U.S. law schools have introduced law courses on animal rights, and an
increasing number of animal rights lawsuits are being filed. Germany recently became the
first nation to guarantee animal rights in its constitution. (Rifkin 2003). It is great to
know that people now are concerning, and worrying so much to animal; however they are
overlooking the environments and the people around themselves. There are myriad
homeless, who has no shelter, suffering from their hunger and weather climate change.
Why do the government not create a better place for those people, and make their nation
become much more stronger in economic and the citizens standard of living instead of
voting for animal rights, nor actually have animal rights in their constitution? If the world
is being influenced by the ideal of giving animals their rights meaning that eating meats is
illegal, and the population will all become vegans within a few hours? It is a natural cycle
of life when the strongest survive by eating the weakers; for us, humans, are carnivores.
Even though the constitution did pass through the law, the people will still consumed just
like how alcohol was prohibited in the United States in January 1920 when the eighteenth
amendment was passed. Therefore, providing animal their rights should not be allowed in
the nation.
As a result of Rifkin research and his position, we can view his perspective through our
imagination. Rifkins words choices are inclining towards science, yet as a reader, Rifkin

shows agility by walk us through many emotional states, from surprise to delight because
of their abilities. However, animals are animals, they are nothing comparing humans.
Hence, we should pay more close attention to the environment in our standing ground and
people around us. For humanity continues to flow to the new generation, humans should
corporates to prepare for the glory future when new generation arrived. Animals should
be treat no more than an animal.
Sincerely,
Bao-Vi Doan