I’m surprised that so few states have such laws: even with Pennsylvania joining the fold, it will only be four. I’m not surprised that I have read so many headlines in conservative media deliberately misinterpreting the bill. “Pennsylvania To Pass Law Giving Animals the Rights of Humans,” one read. “Dogs to Be Treated as Sentient Beings in Quaker State” read another. These are deceitful headlines, but as they used to say, “What else is new?” Several sources declared the law to be a slippery slope, allowing PETA crazies to get their way by making various forms of “animal labor” illegal while making veganism mandatory. That is a more justified position, but a basic ethical principle is not to hesitate to do the right thing because some may exploit the change to do the wrong thing.

Good for Pennsylvania. I can’t see an ethical argument against this measure.