| Today's Message | 21-Day Meal Plan | Nutrition Webcasts | Celebrity Tips | Community Forum | Resources |
| New Topic Reply Subscription Options |
Page:
1
|
| Forums: January 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Animal cruelty ... | |||
|
|||
Cinnamon
 Location: Ohio Posts: 36 |
Animal cruelty ... Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 7:16 AM I don't understand why, when the 'meat industry' keeps getting exposed through videos and reports, are animals killed with such violence? Why are there no laws to protect the way they are 'slaughtered'? And if the meat industry and milk industry are paying off government in some way in order to 'keep them quiet' why is that being allowed to happen? Those of us who are boycotting meat and animal products is a good step but what more can be done? There are videos showing how these animals are mistreated. I just don't get it! |
||
|
|||
| shanna
Joined: 12/30/09 Posts: 287 |
RE: Animal cruelty ... Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 9:05 AM Yes, Cinnamon, it's super frustrating! Money talks, and these industries have lots of political influence. Combine political power with *willful ignorance* of the consumers and that's how we got here. Nobody, even the most diehard omnivores, really wants to know what happens to animals raised for food. (I don't mean "ignorance" perjoratively here, but just in its simple sense--lack of knowledge or information. Because food is fundamental and also emotionally charged, disturbing traditional ideas about it is difficult for everybody. Was for me!) The trend of paying more attention to food, whether people are coming to it from a health, environmental, or animal-rights position, is helping so much! More and more people are realizing that animal foods are not only unhealthy and cruel, but that they are "artificially cheap" when the costs of government subsidies, resulting health problems, and environmental impact are really figured in. I believe we're on the path to real change. But that it may take some time. http://www.Vegan.com is a good site to check the daily news. Erik Marcus does a great job staying on top of industrial news, animal activism, yummy vegan recipes and restaurants, and highlights from other vegan blogs. He used to do a regular podcast series that you can still get on his site. He just posted a roundup of the top vegan news of 2009, called The Year in Meat, that gives a sense of how things are moving. Here is the link: http://www.vegan.com/articles/yim/ He also has two books that might be helpful: The Ultimate Vegan Guide and Meat Market. Some other great books on this topic: Making a Killing by Bob Torres (cohost of the Vegan Freak podcast) is all about the politics of animal agriculture. Howard Lyman (a former cattle rancher gone vegan) has Mad Cowboy and No More Bull. Gary Francione (a professor of animal law and vegan activist) has several terrific books and a website here: http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/. And FOOD POLITICS by Marion Nestle (a research nutritionist) is very eye-opening--if a little academic--though her position is not one of veganism or even vegetarianism. T. Colin Campbell's The China Study (which I think is a must-read anyway for anybody interested in nutrition), also details some of his own experiences with political influence and how dietary recommendations are "watered down" thanks to underestimation of the public and heavy industry influence. I find this fascinating and infuriating at once. The only thing to do is keep learning, and keep talking and sharing information with as many people as possible (in a friendly nonpreachy way). Once the information gets through most people are dismayed and ready to change. |
||
|
|||
| veveveveggie
Joined: 12/28/09 Posts: 114 |
RE: Animal cruelty ... Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 11:22 AM Don't under-estimate the power of being vegan. Let's say the average omnivore eats one chicken per week. You have cut the market by 52 chickens over the course of 1 year. Stepping away from the trough is the most important move you can make. |
||
|
|||
| noodles
Joined: 01/06/10 Posts: 2 |
RE: Animal cruelty ... Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 1:18 PM Hi, I am anti-anything that involves cruelty to animals, and I realise that this may be a little controversial, but I subscribe to an organisation called 'Compassion in World Farming' which aims to make improvements for the lives of farm animals. I wish that everybody chose not to eat meat, but unfortunately they don't. I've realised that you can't always get from A to B in the shortest possible time, and am trying everything to influence the way farm animals are treated until, hopefully, one day they are not farmed at all. My belief is, and always has been, that eating meat is wrong, frustratingly a heck of a lot of people don't agree..... yet. |
||
|
|||
VeganRecipeGuy
 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 131 |
RE: Animal cruelty ... Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 1:27 PM I don't find that controversial at all. The farm I grew up on treated the animals very well. Carnivores killing and eating animals is a natural cycle. You will never convince the wolves to be vegan. In fact, there is no naturally vegan ape on the planet. That doesn't stop me from making an informed, personal decision to reduce my grief footprint as much as possible. The difference is, no other predator tortures an animal from birth, THEN kills and eats it. That is a disease that is uniquely human.
|
||
|
|||
| Cinnamon
Location: Ohio Posts: 36 |
RE: Animal cruelty ... Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 2:50 PM Thanks for the interesting responses. I agree, that is not controversial at all. And, that is right - animals do kill other animals for food, but I think it is without torture, and probably a quick death. Needless suffering of animals is inexcusable! |
||
|
|||
| Mariberry
Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 297 |
RE: Animal cruelty ... Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 9:23 PM I am with you all when it comes to ending animal abuse in any form. Even "food animals" raised organically (i.e. allowed inherent behaviours - not raised on a cement floored enclosure with no sun, fresh air etc.) face the same abattoir when it's their time to become a package of meat at the grocery store. It's also true that not all animals are quick to kill their prey (ever watched a cat with a mouse...?). The difference is we can CHOOSE what we eat based on informed decisions. Animals cannot jaunt on down to the local grocery store and pick up "cruelty-free" food. They hunt and are hunted. Big fish eat little fish. Gawd, I can't tell you how upset I get when I hear of fishermen shooting seals because they're eating "our" salmon. Humans have such a bloody sense of entitlement, eh! What I also struggle with is the mental/emotional stability of people who work in abattoirs. How could you do that day in and day out without it having a negative impact? Are they that de-sensitized and disconnected from another living being? It's very disturbing to me. All we are saying is "Give Peas a Chance" |
||
|
|||
| jgk177
Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 29 |
RE: Animal cruelty ... Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 10:23 PM All I can say is never ever ever give up the fight. Saving even one animal is better than not saving it. And as vegans we certainly are saving more than one. Support cruelty free businesses and become active (activist) when you can. I have been to several fur protests and anti carriage horse protests, as well as marches for Farm Animal Sanctuary in the city (brought my kids, they loved it and they got very involved). I talk to people about these events and several people I talked to (from local vegan/raw meet up groups ) have supported the activism either personally (by showing up at an event and volunteering) or financially by making donations to different organizations that rescue animals. Get involved where you live.. there are "meet ups" all over the place, and great people taking part and taking action. Even if you cannot do it regularly, try to get out there and be heard. It DOES make a difference! |
||
|
|||
| veveveveggie
Joined: 12/28/09 Posts: 114 |
RE: Animal cruelty ... Posted Friday, January 8, 2010 at 9:54 AM Mariberry, I worry about the people who slaughter animals for a living too. I don't know of any studies on this group. I can't imagine this is a job of choice. It is dangerous and awful working conditions. I've read some articles in Mother Jones about it. Compassion for these people is another very important reason for eating vegan. |
||
|
|||
| smith6104
Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 1 |
RE: Animal cruelty ... Posted Friday, January 8, 2010 at 10:28 AM Hi veveveveggie-- Your post really resonated with me. The effects on slaughterhouse and processing plant workers is something I've been thinking about a whole lot lately, and I agree with you wholeheartedly: I have real compassion for people who work in these industries. The process of desensitizing that they must go through is difficult, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Thanks for sharing -- |
||
|
|||
| shanna
Joined: 12/30/09 Posts: 287 |
RE: Animal cruelty ... and people too Posted Friday, January 8, 2010 at 11:10 AM There are so many labor violations in slaughterhouses and meat packing plants as well. Agriprocessors was caught last year employing nearly 400 underage, undocumented workers. (They were fined millions and have now filed for bankruptcy. The story is quick to google.) A turkey plant based in Texas was caught last year employing mentally disabled men--some for more than 20 years--who were living in deplorable conditions at their plant in Iowa, and not only being paid less than the minimum wage (which is outrageously legal for disabled workers) but also having their pay docked for "room and board" which was in reality a dilapidated shack. Considering that these are some of the most dangerous jobs in terms of injury and death rate, and that workers have been shown to be frequently disadvantaged in terms of legal status (or mental ability in that turkey case), it's too much to think that they also work up to 80 hours a week and are given few breaks to eat or even urinate. When they are injured, undocumented workers are afraid to get medical treatment for fear of being deported, and also often threatened with termination (or actually fired) by their abusive employers. And really, who takes one of these jobs? Someone who really must have few other options! Would you choose it, unless you had to? That makes the situation ripe for abuse. Fast Food Nation (book and movie) contains a few prominent examples, as does the more recent Food, Inc. And http:/www.Vegan.com does a good job tracking these stories too. The more I read about these labor practices, the more obvious it becomes that veganism is not just about animal rights or environmental concerns or health, but also concerns human rights--right here in the US. And there's a very simple way to opt out. Quit eating the stuff. The consumer has the ultimate responsibility. If we don't buy it, they won't make it. |
||
|
|||
| New Topic Reply Subscription Options |
Page:
1
|
| Subscription Options |
| Subscription options are available after you log in. |
There are 105 active user sessions right now.
|
home | contact us | about us | support us | full disclaimer | privacy policy PCRM Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine |