[hurlyburly]

I hope I understand what your asking, but here goes:

We get one shot at life. Everything gets one shot at life. If there is something alive that is more destructive than beneficial, it's rational to kill it.

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it is immoral to torture a rat, or an unwanted mut, or to mass slaughter cows. Why?

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What need does torture satisfy? Certainly nothing beneficial. Torturing it for no reason other than that it's alive and you want to watch it suffer? Boys will be boys, I suppose. I have more trouble when adults do this.

Killing any non-rational animal is not immoral, but torturing them to death is wrong for two reasons; it doesn't satisfy the intent conveyed to the recipient for past crimes and it can do irreparable harm to the perpetrator. If a pit bull mauls a child, it won't find remorse by being skinned alive or drug behind a car. Killing it quickly is sufficient, as much for future danger as past crimes.

As far as cows go, they're bred and raised as food. If beef and poultry went off the market tomorrow, there would be a lot fewer cows and chickens. They only exist for their utility. So they are "paying" for their lives by being food later. Harvesting millions isn't the same as torturing one, but I don't agree with their treatment in many cases while they're alive, so I'm choosy about meat. But that's a personal choice.

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However, I think there is a big difference between feeling that killing bunnies with butterknives is wrong, as I strongly do, and thinking this behaviour is wrong, which I, frankly, don't.

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The next time you need a babysitter, hire the person who is willing to kill a bunny with a butterknife.