Sunday, June 27, 2010

I Want to Build a Human Zoo

Is it possible to create a "zoo" where we can observe humans in their native habitats? After a visit to SeaWorld, I began to wonder about the possibility of putting humans in their "environments"' and thinking they are better off. Yes, I know that animal rights people have been arguing this point for eternity but I am actually envisioning such a place. I think we could put certain classes of people in their respective environments and call it an experiment in science--a study in the habitat of a group of individuals. Think about it. We could put a group of Inuits in a small enclosed "arctic" environment and observe their habits--similar to seeing polar bears in a man-made den made of rock and fake ice for the sake of human entertainment and calling it a "study" on their behavior. Even better, we could throw in food based on what we think they eat as opposed to actually hunting and doing what they do best. The human rights people, in a similar argument to the animal rights folks can justify it as more humane than actually letting them alone in the wild where they are exposed to too many dangerous elements. We must keep in mind that these are "natural" dangers. A better example would be to stick an affluent family in a display of life in a Manhattan penthouse. We could fabricate their home and feed them what we believe they are accustomed to. Imagine walking through this exhibit, taking pictures of the humans in their "natural environment" and thinking, "Wow, I never knew they lived like this." This is actually funny and very entertaining for me to imagine but also serious when I walk through places like SeaWorld and see animals at the mercy of humans thinking they know what is best for them. Ultimately we must decide; what is best for these animals? That, in my opinion, is even paradoxical. Who is anyone to decide anything for any one species? Nevertheless, for you activists that think they are better off in this sort of controlled environment, ask yourselves the following; if you are given the choice between freedom and the ability to choose your destiny or living a life as a pawn or slave to a "master" life form that decides when you eat, when you act and when you can breed, what would you choose? In my opinion, I would choose the former and allow for my instincts to determine my destiny as opposed to allowing a species that thinks they are superior to mine, the ability of determining to whom or what I am entitled. While we love vilifying sharks and what they have come to symbolize, is it acceptable that we limit these creatures to a predetermined amount of space knowing that the majority of them need constant movement to keep the oxygen flowing through their gills? ARE WE NOT ENTERTAINED? I could go on but I hope I have made my point in that no species should be contained in an environment that some other species has determined as suitable for them. Let animals be animals regardless of their species. For those that study animals and insects in their natural environment, I have the utmost respect for you and what you do for the sake of a biological science. For those of you who think that keeping any animal in captivity for the sake of science, I ask you if you would do the same to humans as you do to animals. I could go on but space is limited. As in all of my posts, I welcome any comments, dissension, or any other feedback.

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