Thursday, January 31, 2008

Do you want to eat tortured cow?

The Humane Society released a video they shot last fall with an undercover worker showing workers mistreating downed cows. It's got some lawmakers in an uproar because of the potential of introducing disease into human food sources by slaughtering downed cows that you torture into standing (current law prohibits slaughter of cows that cannot stand on their own). I can maybe see the concern there.

My problem is the actual actions taking place. My little stint with vegetarianism didn't last more than a few months, but I still have a problem with aspects of the food animal industry. If we are going to raise animals as a food source, we have an obligation to make their lives as comfortable as possible. We are also obligated to make their death quick, as painless as possible, and not to freaking torture them! Jabbing them with prods and a forklift is torture. Better to captive bolt them on the spot and put them out of their misery.

It really is as simple as that. I don't know how a person could possibly argue otherwise.

1 comment:

Anna said...

I have to say that I agree with you. Yes, I participate in animal research and yes I eat meat willingly, but I definitely think these animals should be treated with respect. I can remember a few instances when I worked with pigs when other students would punch them because they were acting up, etc. and that was always pretty upsetting. They're just scared, and if someone had a hold of you and was trying to draw your blood, you'd freak out too, right?

I'm assuming they did this to cows because losing a cow because it can't stand would decrease their profits? I'm not really sure. If I worked in that industry and I thought a cow looked sick I think I would just let it lay there... I don't want to end up with that as my dinner. Yuck.