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CrueltyYou could say that human behaviour that causes suffering is cruel, especially if intentional. Harming an animal could be cruel. But there is no clear definition of what makes something that is harmful also cruel. The specific meaning of cruelty and when cruelty is said to happen boils down to opinion.One way around the vagueness of cruelty is to interpret cruelty as 'unnecessary suffering', which is the chosen way for some countries that follow the British legal system. But how do you define 'unnecessary suffering'? The law simply substitutes one ambiguous term for another. It is then up to lawyers in court to argue whether a particular case of cruelty to animals is 'unnecessary' and the cause of 'suffering'. This is why in Britain and countries with similar law so much emphasis centres on the term 'unnecessary suffering' and not on some other expression. Not only unfeeling people can be cruel. Most people will tolerate some degree of cruelty, such as raising and killing food animals. And if people believe they can gain by a cruel action, they will justify it, animal experimentation is an example. Nor is it always apparent when cruelty occurs; it can slip by all of us unnoticed. |