Animal Liberation

“We have always liked to think ourselves less savage than the other animals. To say that people are ‘humane’ is to say that they are kind; to say that they are ‘beastly,’ "brutal,’ or simply that they behave ‘like animals’ is to suggest that they are cruel and nasty. We rarely stop to consider that the animal who kills with the least reason to do so is the human animal. We think of lions and wolves as savage because they kill; but they must kill, or starve. Humans kill other animals for sport, to satisfy their curiosity, to beautify their bodies, and to please their palates. Human beings also kill members of their own species for greed or power. Moreover, human beings are not content with mere killing. Throughout history they have shown a tendency to torment and torture both their fellow human beings and their fellow animals before putting the to death. No other animal shows much interest in doing this”