Fifteen years ago, when I was a semi-leading light in the College Republicans group at the University of Washington, this article on the rights of plants would have set me off, either humorously or indignantly, depending on my mood. Now that I’m a dirty socialist ivory-tower liberal, I believe it’s actually instructive and thought-provoking to consider the arguments without a knee-jerk reaction.

This was perhaps the most contentious statement of the document:

The Committee members unanimously consider an arbitrary harm caused to plants to be morally impermissible. This kind of treatment would include, e.g. decapitation of wild flowers at the roadside without rational reason.

What do you think?

(h/t Mark Mattingly)