Are Animal and Human Life Equal?

Aug. 31 -- In our Aug. 12 show, commentator George Will referred to a quote from the National Review Online that was attributed to Ingrid Newkirk, founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Following is a transcript of Will's remarks, with a response from PETA.

From This Week

George Stephanopoulos: Sharks and chickens. George, you've been struck by some recent commentary on people and animals?

George Will: I have. Abortion, partial-birth abortion, euthanasia, cloning, embryonic stem-cell research, we've been doing a lot of talk as American people together about the value of life in its various stages. And in this welter of talk, some rather strange things have been said. For example, Don Imus, the radio talk show host, he said the following about the treatment of animals raised for markets: that it is sometimes "worse than Auschwitz." [As quoted in the National Review Online July 26.]

Now Mr. Imus is a warm-hearted, high-spirited man speaking extemporaneously and surely he did not mean that. But what are we to make of Ingrid Newkirk, who's the founder of People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals? This is what she said: "Six million Jews died in concentration camps, but six billion broiler chickens will die this year in slaughterhouses." [As quoted in the National Review Online July 26.]

What is she driving at? She does seem to be suggesting a moral equivalence between human beings and broiler chickens.

Now we come to the New York Times, which has risen in defense of sharks. It says the following: "In 1999, 58 people were attacked worldwide by sharks.... In contrast, the estimated number of sharks killed annually by fishermen.... stands somewhere upwards of 50 million." [New York Times, July 27.]

"In contrast." What are they implying? The New York Times is written by good liberals who are probably worried about anti-shark prejudice and discrimination and all that, but surely we should have some caution here about the way we talk. We are, as a people, in deep ethical waters right now, and we have to be very careful about how we talk because if we do not speak sensibly, we will not be able to act sensibly. End of sermon.