The Measure Of A Vampire

[white avenger]

(This thread is inspired by the episode "The Measure Of A Man," in which a trial was convened to determine whether Data, an android, was due the rights of a sentient being, and is posted in the Season 9 section because I believe that it is an issue that will arise at some point, in this season. For those not familiar with Star Trek...)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PMlDidyG_I[/ame]

Should a vampire be afforded the same rights as a living person? He or she is legally and medically dead, possessing neither heartbeat nor respiration. On the other hand, he or she possesses some degree of intellect and is self aware. They are capable of free movement, and can react to stimulus. The Buffyverse vampire has no human soul, so does that one fact disallow their humanity? Given that consideration, are Spike and Angel, because they do possess souls, humans, therefore unique among their race?

These are things that will have to be considered if vampires will be able to possess property or enter into any sort of legal contract or association with "normal" humans.

So, what do you think?

 

[InsaneMystic]

I'm gonna avoid a rights debate (never works out well on here, right? 😉), just saying that that's the one point where I vastly prefer "True Blood" over the Buffyverse - actually dealing with societal ramifications of questions arising from the existence of a parallel society of intelligent non-humans instead of glossing it over with a version of The Masquerade.

 

[dexeded]

How would you define rights? If they have rights, they need to respect the rights of others too. They need to go by human law. Vampires need blood to live, prefer to take it from live prey--humans--and kill for it. They have no soul, which is significant in the Buffyverse because it means they have no moral compass. Spike was an exception; he changed, but so he could get Buffy, because he could love. Why should they have the rights to own property, or go into dealings with humans, if we are their natural prey? As Buffy said "Human rules don't apply! There's only me. I am the law."

As for True Blood, I don't watch the show, but I assume there are 'good' vampires who don't kill humans. And drink some kind of synthesized blood (from what little I know)? Well, every show has a different version of vampires. Some even sparkle! Maybe the True Blood vamps have a moral compass, I don't know, possess the ability to refrain from killing, but Buffyverse vampires certainly don't have that kind of restraint, for the most part. Unless they have a concrete reason to change, like Spike had, they won't. They love killing and feeding and hunting. Plus, the chip also acted as a catalyst for Spike to change. So a benign, good vamp would be an exception with a very specific set of circumstances. And you can't take the chance that the vamp might be different, not without a human death.

 

[InsaneMystic]

As for True Blood, I don't watch the show, but I assume there are 'good' vampires who don't kill humans. And drink some kind of synthesized blood (from what little I know)? Well, every show has a different version of vampires. Some even sparkle! Maybe the True Blood vamps have a moral compass, I don't know, possess the ability to refrain from killing, but Buffyverse vampires certainly don't have that kind of restraint, for the most part.

Just about everyone on TB (humans, vampires, werwolves, etc.) is VERY DEEP into shades of (often pretty dark) grey, even those that (mostly) feed on the synthetic stuff. (Some few are absolute bastards, though... so there's a backdrop against which the lighter grey still manages to look ok. 😉) I don't think there's even one character that would look "completely good" to a moralist... but that's actually how I prefer it.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I'm gonna avoid a rights debate (never works out well on here, right? 😉), just saying that that's the one point where I vastly prefer "True Blood" over the Buffyverse - actually dealing with societal ramifications of questions arising from the existence of a parallel society of intelligent non-humans instead of glossing it over with a version of The Masquerade.

Agreed. I always that was the most interesting aspect of True Blood show as well, especially in the first season...the idea of using vampires as metaphors for civil and human rights. Good stuff.

 

[Moscow Watcher]

I guess it's an unsolvable dilemma. If vampires will be afforded the same rights as a living person then Buffy automatically turns into a serial killer. If they won't be afforded the same rights as a living person (on condition that they abide by the law) then humanity is a bunch of blind idiots and narrow-minded bigots.

 

[Aloverssoulz]

"Should a vampire be afforded the same rights as a living person?"

No, they're Vampires, they should be staked on sight.

As for Spike and Angel, they shouldn't be treated any differently by the public because as shown with Angel, souls can go bye bye.

Vampires having rights makes the whole thing boring >.<