Animal Rights came before Children's Rights

[SoulRiser]

This seems to be legit as far as I can tell...

Source: here’s a fun historical fact for anyone who... - excuse me, I'm making perfect sense.

Quote:here’s a fun historical fact for anyone who doesn’t believe in ageism: the first organization for the protection of children’s welfare formed out of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. there were proposals to expand the Society to cover both children and animals, but the leadership was worried this would undermine societal and political support for their mission.

in other words, not only did stopping child abuse come after stopping animal abuse, but it was considered a less respectable movement.

Source: The History of the RSPCA | Animal Legal & Historical Center

(found by miserere mei)

Quote:Now comes a fascinating slice of history even if it is a digression- the curious manner in which the RSPCA by chance became involved in leading the way to the formation of another great society-the NSPCC.

The trail that was to help children can be said to have started in New York where-as a direct result of British efforts-magnificent work had been done in suppressing cruelty to animals in the US. Two men were responsible for the early efforts: the Secretary of the RSPCA in London, Mr John Colam, and Mr Henry Bergh of New York who, helped by Mr Colam, founded the American SPCA in New York with branches soon flourishing in many American cities. But what had this to do with children?

One day in New York a woman who did a lot of charitable work was sitting by the bed of a dying woman and asked:'Is there anything more I can do for you?' To her astonishment she received an incredible reply. 'Yes, please, madam. In the next room there lives a woman who has a child. She leaves it alone every morning without food, and when this woman comes home at night, she beats the poor child so severely that her shrieks distress me.'

'A little animal'

The lady accepted the message as a dying charge and went to the police. There she was told firmly that the police could not interfere between parents and children. She then consulted her lawyer. He tried to persuade her from pursuing the matter. Indeed he refused to take up the case. Undaunted, the lady went to Mr Bergh whose work for animals was well known,- and told a white lie. 'There is a little animal suffering from the unkind treatment of a bad woman.' Bergh immediately promised to interfere on behalf of the 'little animal.' Only then was he told that the victim was a child.

'Well! You've done this cleverly,' replied Bergh. 'But don't worry-I will not go back on my promise.'

Sure enough, the SPCA investigated the matter and brought the case before the court where it was contended successfully that the child was an animal. Mr Bergh was commended and the child was given proper care. The immediate result was that Mr Bergh was inundated with so many cases of cruelty to children that a New York society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was formed.

Wikipedia agrees also:

Source: New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

Quote:In 1866 Henry Bergh had founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, partly in response to the creation in Great Britain of the RSPCA some years earlier. In 1874 he and other officers of the society were approached by a church worker named Etta Agnell Wheeler regarding the mistreatment of a child called Mary Ellen McCormack, who was being beaten daily by her foster mother.[2] Wheeler had approached several others before appealing to an animal charity.[3]

Bergh swiftly managed to secure custody of the child. After the trial and conviction in April 1874 of the foster mother for assault and battery, Etta Wheeler is said to have approached Bergh and asked him why there should not be a society to protect children just as there was one to prevent cruelty to animals. He promised to create one.[1] Bergh and his ASPCA legal counsel Elbridge Thomas Gerry approached the Quaker philanthropist John D. Wright to gain support for the creation of a child protection society. On December 15, 1874 the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was formed.

[Superkamiguru]

That's seriously fucked up.

[The man]

This NEEDS to be listed under important threads.....

[James Comey]

Tbh this is a stretch.

[brainiac3397]

To be fair, animals still get treated shitty in a lot of instances. Bringing animal rights up to par with children rights would actually be an improvement these days.

[DreamRebel]

If compulsory schooling and core curriculum must exist, there should be pet care classes. Too many people end up buying pets without knowing how to care for them, and the effects can be lethal.

[James Comey]

(04-18-2017 11:21 AM)brainiac3397 Wrote:  To be fair, animals still get treated shitty in a lot of instances. Bringing animal rights up to par with children rights would actually be an improvement these days.

I was actually thinking about this lately. Imagine if animals were treated like the shit, rather than shit...