I’ve been a meat-eater all of my life, but this shocking video from Meat.org “The Web Site the Meat Industry Doesn’t Want You To See” may get me thinking and acting quite differently. This is severe cruelty and so very sad.
Update: I just want to throw Todd’s comment right into this post as I think it expresses an important idea … consumer choice, whether one chooses to be a vegetarian or not.
If you have a philosophical objection I say fine, but consumers have *choices* about the food they eat. We buy grass-fed, pastured beef (hormone and antibiotic-free), milk, chickens and eggs. We know the farmers that raise the animals we end up eating. PETA would have you believe the horrors in the video happen everywhere animals are raised for food. It’s simply not true for those of us who care to educate ourselves, eat healthier foods, and support the local economy and sustainable agriculture.
Update2: And to give equal credit to a great counterpoint, I thank Jaclyn for this comment which I choose to paste below. I won’t summarize as it’s certainly worth the read.
Yes, we have choices. But for many people they aren’t *meaningful* choices.
First, there’s education. Many people have no idea *why* they should buy these better meats, eggs, milk, etc. They may not know about the treatment of the animals involved — if they’d even care — and they really don’t know why it’s better for their health. The news most likely never reaches them, and if it does, it comes side-by-side with the standard claims by big agriculture.
Second is availability. I’m in a college town in the south, and it’s really very difficult to find organic food. We have a small farmer’s market that doesn’t operate year-round (or week-round either), and it’s primarily vegetables. I can’t tell you of a reliable source of local chickens, eggs, or milk. I do know of one source of grass-fed beef, but it leads into…
COST. This is one of the biggest problems. Does it not seem ridiculous that we have to pay more to feed healthy food to our families? And I’m not talking about junk food. I’m talking about the major difference in prices between grocery store meat, milk, and eggs and their hormone-free, antibiotic-free, cage-free, cruelty-free and everything else-free counterparts. For many people, the diet you suggest is not possible from purely a cost perspective.
I do eat animal products, and I try to buy responsibly. But I don’t think that we as a country gain so much from debeaking chickens and battery cages, for example, that those practices shouldn’t be gotten rid of completely.
Obviously this is a very complex subject, and I thank those who have responded with their insight. I’d love to hear more from others.
One thing I should add here as well, is an older site known as “The Meatrix” which focuses on the same issue, but in a much less graphic manner.
“If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made.” – Otto von Bismarck
And no – I haven’t seen the video, nor do I intend to. I like my pork chops too much to give them up!
If you have a philosophical objection I say fine, but consumers have *choices* about the food they eat. We buy grass-fed, pastured beef (hormone and antibiotic-free), milk, chickens and eggs. We know the farmers that raise the animals we end up eating. PETA would have you believe the horrors in the video happen everywhere animals are raised for food. It’s simply not true for those of us who care to educate ourselves, eat healthier foods, and support the local economy and sustainable agriculture.
Yes, we have choices. But for many people they aren’t *meaningful* choices.
First, there’s education. Many people have no idea *why* they should buy these better meats, eggs, milk, etc. They may not know about the treatment of the animals involved — if they’d even care — and they really don’t know why it’s better for their health. The news most likely never reaches them, and if it does, it comes side-by-side with the standard claims by big agriculture.
Second is availability. I’m in a college town in the south, and it’s really very difficult to find organic food. We have a small farmer’s market that doesn’t operate year-round (or week-round either), and it’s primarily vegetables. I can’t tell you of a reliable source of local chickens, eggs, or milk. I do know of one source of grass-fed beef, but it leads into…
COST. This is one of the biggest problems. Does it not seem ridiculous that we have to pay more to feed healthy food to our families? And I’m not talking about junk food. I’m talking about the major difference in prices between grocery store meat, milk, and eggs and their hormone-free, antibiotic-free, cage-free, cruelty-free and everything else-free counterparts. For many people, the diet you suggest is not possible from purely a cost perspective.
I do eat animal products, and I try to buy responsibly. But I don’t think that we as a country gain so much from debeaking chickens and battery cages, for example, that those practices shouldn’t be gotten rid of completely.
I don’t seek meat. That is, if it lands on my plate serendipitously, I eat it (i.e. when it’s served to me). The only other reason I would eat meat is for survival reasons but I’ve never been in a position in my life where I had to choose between meat or death.
I used to eat meat and one day decided to question that. Eventually, I came to the stark reality that I was a hypocrite. Since I don’t like being a hypocrite, I stopped seeking meat. “How was I hypocritical?” you might ask. Speaking only for myself, I can’t slaughter a complex animal. Sure, call me an empathetic wimp, but the reality is, I can’t. I couldn’t imagine taking a knife to a chicken’s neck or a cow’s throat – even if I had a technique that did it swiftly and with little pain to the creature. Perhaps this is strange to some, but this is the way I am. Just a fact.
Being honest with myself, I had to face the fact that if I eat complex animals, I’m simply foisting what I can’t do onto someone else’s shoulders. This would be fine if what I couldn’t do was a technical skill, but the ‘reason’ I can’t do it is purely empathetic. That is, it’s psychological/emotional.
I’m not commenting on whether or not eating meat is moral or not. I’m just simply stating what I personally feel. But if one cannot personally kill a cow or chicken then it seems undeniable that to actively seek such food in restaurants or supermarkets is hypocritical.
So now I’m rid of this particular hypocrisy/contradiciton. Only a few hundred more to go. :)
One only needs to read the book, “The Gospel of the Holy Twelve”
to learn that even Christ didn’t eat meat, and cared deeply for
animals.
No, I’m not a religious fanatic, just someone that has also made
a concious decision to give up meat.
In the last 12 months, I have lost 23 pounds, and never felt
better. If only the knowing public knew what is fed cattle before
they go to slaughter, or chickens, or pork, they would never
touch meat again either.
It’s all about the money and nothing else. Call it what you will,
big Agri, Big Pharma, and the FDA are all in bed together. The
meat marked USDA approved is a joke.
I personally know people who have worked at slaughter houses
that have dragged sick and injured beef off the truck to be killed
and eaten by the unknowing public.
Again, one only needs to read the book, The Gospel of the Holy
Twelve to learn the real truth….But even then the die hards will
only laugh and keep eating their pork chops and red meat, and
die an early age….
Oh, and you might want to look at the book “Cleanse and Purify
Thyself” by Richard Anderson….It’s the bible on cleaning our
bodies of toxins and living a disease free life…..
Patrick Spencer
I don’t see what the problem is. People raise these animals for resources. So what if they get slaughtered? It’s all beneficial for us.
i saw the videos, and its very sad to see people treat animals like this,and i did not even finish watching them…… but theres one thing, i dont think the treatment of animals is like this everywhere and even dough there is no easy way to kill an animal for food it still has to be done, meat feeds the masses and like it or not it the meat industry plays a role in our economy. Another thing is that being vegetarian is probably not the best health choice, sure you’ll loose weight yea, but you can do that by going to the gym and eating smaller portions, also.. and this is a FACT, meat has essential amino acids, vitamins and proteins our body needs a vegetarian diet cant fully provide, you wont see the effects now or in 2-3-5 years but! without a doubt your body wont be as strong as a person with a regular diet, you wont have the same energy or strength as a regular person with a regular diet your body would be weaker as it is missing essential nutrients your body needs to function at is best, besides keep certain vitamins out of your body for long time, and don’t meet your body’s minimum needs for that specific vitamin (either being a fat soluble vitamin or water soluble vitamin) and you develop a vitamin deficiency and guess what these deficiency’s do happen and can kill you, we just dont see it here in the USA because we have all the foods we want, but in 3rd world country’s this is not uncommon as people can hardly meet their dietary needs….. don’t believe me? Google “pellagra” “beri beri” these are just some deficiency’s. and yes i am a nutritionist as you might of guessed by now, i have also heard this line alot…. “dont eat meat if you love animals” this is like something you tell a five year “if you dont go to sleep the monster will get you” wtf! thats a line to get to people to feel bad about them selves, i own 2 German shepherds and a husky and i love my dogs! and i eat meat!……. so animals are treated badly ( yes i think its very sad )? stop eating meat?….. think about all the other products, food or non food products you buy that probably have inhumanity behind the production of them, and worst that inhumanity is probably not 2 animals as if to human beings , so think about it and stop buying/consuming those things and lets see, don’t just stop with meat……. you guys/girls probably think im insensitive but you do have to be realistic about this. we live in a world were nothing is fair, those animals should not be treated how they were treated in the videos nor should any living thing for that matter but its just life and i try to remain optimistic that not everyone in this world is cruel like the people in the videos.
consumers have *choices*?! dont be stupid, its not about choices, its about cruelty, torture, murder.
we have no right to exploit and kill inocent beings. ITS JUST WRONG!
my friends a vegetarian, and she has been for her entire life. she is as healthy as anyone else. There are fake meats that meet the dietary requirements, and at her house I tried some of it. I think that fake meat takes almost the same if not better. her moms a vegan, and there are fake eggs and milk. with all these things, I think we could handle not eating meat