Jeremy Rifkin A Change Of Heart About Animals Summary

I am writing to you regarding Jeremy Rifkin’s article, “A Change of Heart About Animals.” I agree with Rifkin’s claim that inhumane treatment of animals needs to stop, but I think that he is addressing the topic in a way that is not as effective as it should be. Rifkin’s short study on Koko the Gorilla is accurate, but could have more detail. Just by going to the Gorilla Foundation’s website, I found out more about the project that would have supported his study findings. The claim that “fast food purveyors such as McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC are research sponsors,” is weak and unsupported. Rifkin follows up by stating that these food establishments were simply pressured by animals rights activist. I think Rifkin could have gone deeper

into explanation, to further support this claim.
Through Rifkin’s writing tone, I feel uncomfortable and guilted. He says that Germany is encouraging farmers to give pigs human contact and toys. I think that this fact definitely has an emotional impact on the reader, because from the statement one can infer that the pigs are normally neglected of human contact and toys. I think that Rifkin is trying to manipulate the reader’s emotions, but to get them to consider his point of view. I think this writing strategy is smart, but he may have gone too far in exaggeration. In paragraph three, Rifkin states that, “...researchers are finding that many of our fellow creatures are more like us than we had ever imagined,” but what he did not discuss is how animal nature and human nature are different.