Animal Animus

Re Shirley Carroll O’Connor’s Dec. 21 letter, stating she had never seen animal abuse in circuses and that she wishes that “these supposedly concerned animal rights people would be just as concerned about homeless, mistreated and starving children”: What makes her think we aren’t? Has she gone into our bank books? Is she so informed of our deepest feelings about the world and its victims?

I am so tired of that old saw: “If you are for animals, you are against people.” There are few animal rights people whom I am aware of who do not believe that all creatures on Earth deserve to live and be cared for with compassion and humaneness. The trouble is that not enough “people rights people” also believe that other species are worthy of their lofty human concern.

Rachel Rosenthal

Los Angeles