Giving A Voice To Those That Cannot Speak

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Running Head: GIVING A VOICE TO THOSE THAT CANNOT SPEAK

GIVING A VOICE TO THOSE THAT CANNOT SPEAK

Kelsey Noriega

Fall 2015

AG 401

D. Farias

GIVING A VOICE TO THOSE THAT CANNOT SPEAK

Introduction

Human beings automatically know their natural given abilities of having the five senses.

A person can smell, hear, taste, touch, and speak. What if a person had no voice, or furthermore

the ability to communicate the other four senses that are entitled to being human. Does that take

away the morality that is given to human life? One can argue the same reasoning for animals as

well. Most animals have the ability to smell, hear, taste, and touch in it’s own individual ways.

Although animals cannot speak, human beings know from experience that domesticated animals

can communicate basic needs; for example, a dog will let its owner know when it wants to be

given affection, when it wants to eat, or when it has to go to the restroom. Scholar Carrie

Packwood Freeman points out a significant difference between domesticated animals versus non

domesticated, “With the exception of our companion animals, most humans will likely not pay

much attention to the needs and desires of countless other animals unless conveyed to us by

others, especially through media” (Bekoff, Bexell, Freeman, 2011). Media has become a

substantial way for people to give a voice to those undomesticated animals that cannot speak for

themselves. Director John Heminway deliverers a voice for elephants in Africa through various

ethical dilemmas with his documentary entitled The Battle for the Elephants. Through this

documentary Heminway relays a dark crisis with elephants being poached for their tusks and

sold illegally to other countries, specifically China, for the craft of creating religious statues that

also state a ranking in class for the Chinese people. There is a choice that is given to viewers

while watching the film if the craft of using ivory to make incredible sculptures is more valuable

than the life of an animal that cannot speak for itself. As a viewer it is essential to consider the

perspective of both sides of the hunted and the benefactor in this documentary. Furthermore, that

GIVING A VOICE TO THOSE THAT CANNOT SPEAK

choice needs to be given for the world to decide, but it will only be ethical to make sure that

elephants that cannot speak for themselves be heard and justified as well.

Kantian Ethics

Kantian Ethics, otherwise known as ethics of duty, plays an important role for two sides

of the documentary. A former lawyer now turned journalist was sent to go to China to see the end

result of the illegal ivory trade. He wanted to go into the store with an open perspective for their

business, but has a trait explained as the white knight complex. He tells viewers that a white

knight is some one that is exposed to an unfair fight and that person cannot stop themselves from

getting involved. By definition, ethics of duty is justified that moral life is centered on duty

(Kantian Ethics, Page 2). Most people have this white knight characteristic of having the