British Princess: Animals Don’t Have Rights Because They Don’t Pay Taxes
Some people have bizarre and often stupid ideas. The latest, and one that made me blink with confusion, is that uttered by Princess Michael of Kent.
From TrueActivist.com
by John Vibes
Princess Michael of Kent thinks that animals don’t have rights and that people only have rights if they pay taxes. She made these outrageous claims while speaking to an audience at the Henley Literary Festival, saying that while she is an animal lover, they don’t have rights because they don’t vote or pay taxes.
She said, “I’m a great animal lover and I’m involved in a lot of conservation, but animals don’t have rights. They don’t have bank accounts. They don’t vote. We have obligations. We have obligations to animals, but to say they have rights? They don’t have rights. You only have rights if you pay your taxes. You earn your rights.”
Elisa Allen of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), told The Times “Peta urges Princess Michael to study the subject, rather than making an off-the-cuff statement that reflects ignorance of the issue of what fundamental rights animals have, which do not include the right to drive a car or build up an overdraft. She should also exercise caution in opining at all on such issues because her daft assessment would mean that children and certain classes of human beings are also not entitled to rights.”
Her comments call attention to a deeper question: Are we born with our rights, or are they granted to us according to our subservience to a specific government or monarchy? While her comments are threatening to animals, they are certainly also threatening to humans as well, who according to her don’t have rights unless they are voting and paying taxes. Also, it is important to point out that the princess doesn’t pay any taxes either, nor does any of her royal relatives, so with that being the case can we suggest that they don’t have rights either?
The princess is fairly well-known for her rude and unsettling antics. Back in 2004, she was in the news for telling a group of black customers at a restaurant to “go back to the colonies.” When speaking about the event she referred to the group as “a bunch of rappers” when in reality they were high-class clientele that included an investment banker and a lawyer.
Well she’s German or something anyway – thankfully 🙂
That is some serious chutzpah from a member of the lucky sperm club.
I think Queen Elizabeth has been paying income taxes since 1992. Victoria voluntarily payed them and so did George VI, her father.
Somehow I think she also pays the taxes on the subsidies the Government pays to other royals, but I’m not sure.
I have to remember when the late Leona Helmsley told the court that “only little people pay taxes.” Judge didn’t find it amusing. The Brits can, I guess get rid of or stop subsidizing these arrogant bastards, but Americans seem to be stuck with our own plutocrats who always seem to outvote us.
By that same thought process I would think that children have no rights either. That would certainly kill (pun intended) the abortion issue here in the states. And, I must wonder, exactly how much the Queen pays in taxes.
I guess sometimes we need a reminder of why, in establishing a new nation, we rejected the idea of royalty and the idea that our rights are earned rather than endowed.
Strangely I heard the same argument against animal rights in Florida. Protecting wildlife seems just silly to some Floridians.
If the UK ever acquires the gumption to get rid of the Royalty, things like this should certainly help.