Animals Quote by Jeannette Walls
““One day we heard on the radio that a woman in the suburbs had seen a mountain lion behind her house and had called the police, who shot the animal. Dad got so angry he put his fist through a wall. "That mountain lion had as much right to his life as that sour old biddy does to hers," he said. "You can't kill something just because it's wild.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, 2005
A father reacts violently to a police killing of a mountain lion, arguing that wildlife has an equal right to life and should not be killed merely for being wild.
In simple terms: Wildlife deserves the same respect as humans.
Key Takeaway
Respect all living beings.
Themes
animal rights
violence
environmental ethics
Mood
anger
defensive
reflective
Type
narrative
ethical
When to use this quote
- family conflict
- wildlife encounters
- law enforcement decisions
- ethical debates
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
human-animal relationship
Questions to Reflect On
- Do we value animal life equally?
- How do personal experiences shape our moral judgments?
A Different Perspective
The father’s anger may stem from personal trauma, not purely ethical concern.
