Common Denominators

Tomorrow at 10 a.m. EDT, I will be speaking at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and you can watch it live here. The invitation to speak at the Center came from its director, former Congressman Lee Hamilton, whose name should be familiar for his service on both the 9/11 Commission and the Iraq Study Group.

© Constantin Jurcut/SXC

In my speech, “Making the Connection: Animal Protection as a Domestic and International Public Policy Issue,” I will take a big-picture view of animal protection and discuss its moral underpinnings. I’ll talk about how animal protection is a worthy moral subject in and of itself, but I’ll also discuss how its strength is further reinforced by its connection to other social issues. The Michael Vick case and the Hallmark slaughter plant investigation are just two examples of that principle at work. There is no question in my mind that the respectful treatment of animals is intertwined with some of the most urgent problems of human welfare, planetary health, and global survival. Whether the issue is abating climate change, curbing the spread of violence, assuring food safety, reducing crime rates, or mitigating the global risks of bird flu, I’ll argue, a proper regard for animal welfare must be at the heart of good public policy.

I was excited by the chance to speak at the Wilson Center, for it is known throughout the world as a center for joining the world of ideas to the world of public policy. Please attend if you are in town, or join the webcast.