Vampires and Humans: Some Thinky Thoughts
So, I was contributing to the comment spam fest on Snickfic's journal entry about vampires and humans. In discussions such as this, my position is always "Vampires can't murder humans because they are a different species," which a lot of people (apparently) disagree with due to the fact that vampires are so "close" to humans--they laugh alike, they walk alike, at times they even talk alike--
But that's neither here or there for what I am about to discuss. The general consensus seems to be that because they are so similar to humans, then why don't they treat humans better? Or at the very least, not kill/murder them.
But when you think of it, why should we expect vampires (who still are not human beings, no matter how alike they are to us--nature gave them fangs and a liquid diet for a reason) to treat humans equally or close to, when humans can't even treat humans equally or close to? Humans have committed major atrocities against other humans for simply being different--race, religion, gender, sexual orientation...
Not that it matters in the Buffyverse--vampires are the natural enemies to humans. There's a reason why a vampire can't enter a home without an invite.
It's doubtful that if one of the Scoobies were out patrolling one night, came across a vampire who was willing to change on his or her very own and stay to cows and/or pigs blood, would be able to get out his point of turning over a new leaf before he or she was being staked (or "it," depending on which character and which season we're talking about). And even if a vampire was able to get out such a statement, it would probably be written off as the vampire trying to spare themselves a slaying, cause they're evil and are lying, and would eventually get staked anyway.
There's no room for true equality amongst the entire race of vampires and the entire race of humans. Especially when there's no true equality amongst the entire race of humans alone.
It becomes a bit of a moot point for me, in the end...
Unless we're talking about the Angelverse--that 'verse followed the "good is good and bad is bad" as opposed to the "humans are good and demons are bad" mentality.
But that's neither here or there for what I am about to discuss. The general consensus seems to be that because they are so similar to humans, then why don't they treat humans better? Or at the very least, not kill/murder them.
But when you think of it, why should we expect vampires (who still are not human beings, no matter how alike they are to us--nature gave them fangs and a liquid diet for a reason) to treat humans equally or close to, when humans can't even treat humans equally or close to? Humans have committed major atrocities against other humans for simply being different--race, religion, gender, sexual orientation...
Not that it matters in the Buffyverse--vampires are the natural enemies to humans. There's a reason why a vampire can't enter a home without an invite.
It's doubtful that if one of the Scoobies were out patrolling one night, came across a vampire who was willing to change on his or her very own and stay to cows and/or pigs blood, would be able to get out his point of turning over a new leaf before he or she was being staked (or "it," depending on which character and which season we're talking about). And even if a vampire was able to get out such a statement, it would probably be written off as the vampire trying to spare themselves a slaying, cause they're evil and are lying, and would eventually get staked anyway.
There's no room for true equality amongst the entire race of vampires and the entire race of humans. Especially when there's no true equality amongst the entire race of humans alone.
It becomes a bit of a moot point for me, in the end...
Unless we're talking about the Angelverse--that 'verse followed the "good is good and bad is bad" as opposed to the "humans are good and demons are bad" mentality.