The Rights of an organism

Humans were once locked in to a fierce, life-or-death competitions over resources, influence and procreation. The stakes aren't as high now in some ways. What emerged fairly recently is the concept that humans deserve freedom of and/or access to certain things, simply because they're alive. This notion is most feasibly entertained wherever luxury prevails...the people making your sneakers have fewer rights than you. It's quite interesting to note the order and ease (or lack of) in which Australians and others have gained their rights;

The right to not be physically harmed or stolen from. The right to not be enslaved. The right to vote. The right to freedom of speech and other expression. The right to unemployment benefits and shelter. The right to not be threatened, stalked, slighted or misled financially by another. The right to legal representation and a fair trial, and to remain silent. The right to treatment devoid of discrimination based on a sex, race, orientation, age and religion. The right to damage your own body if you're not harming another's (sometimes). The right to 10 days paid sick leave and earmuff protection in intensively noisy environments. The right of the wheelchair-bound to easily navigate sidewalks and buildings. The newly proclaimed right for all school-children in NSW to have reasonably fast internet access. It's a source of wonder and gratefulness but also slight apprehension for me that our rights continue to expand. Our prosperity is fragile, and so therefore are our rights.

Where concerns for human rights are most prevalent, so too generally are the concern for the rights of other animals. It's not only that comfort and wealth raise our consciousness level, comfort and wealth limits the all-or-nothing nature of the balancing act between the rights of humans and the rights of other animals. The RSPCA, for example, works tirelessly to give household pets the right to not be cruelly treated, including adequate provision of food.

Yet we're still not comfortable enough ourselves to focus on animals. The unceasing misery and abuses which other intelligent, emotional creatures are subject to is sad, but will only come in to sharper focus where humans are prosperous. Only when (or where) almost all humans are comfortable will the voices for animals be heard loudly enough for any real change. I predict that later on in this century, there will be a revolution in the way that animals are treated and they will end up with almost as many rights as they are able to enjoy. That is, if these other species still exist at that time.