 5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe. As long as Eatocracy has been around, we've talked a lot about where our food comes from and how it's grown. Some of it's pretty and shiny and heirloom(!) - some of it, not so much. Ultimately, how you choose to process the information is up to you and we welcome all to our table - whether vegan activist or meat-loving chef - but that doesn't mean there isn't room for passionate dialogue, which we'd love to hear in the comments below. Bruce Friedrich is a well-known animal rights activist and senior director for strategic initiatives at Farm Sanctuary, a farm animal protection organization with a mission "to end cruelty to farm animals and promote compassionate living." He was the former Vice President for Policy of PETA. Five Things You May Not Know About Animals Raised For Food: Bruce Friedrich What this means it that for most Americans, their primary interaction with animals is when they’re eating them. We’re a nation of animal lovers - 97 percent of us support laws to protect animals - and yet the place where we most interact with animals is when we’re paying for them to be badly treated on factory farms and killed in slaughterhouses." 2. The egg industry is even worse than the veal industry for animal welfare In these torture chambers, hens are given no mental stimulation and are unable to spread even one wing, so that they go insane from lack of mental stimulation, and their muscles and bones atrophy. Tens of millions of these inquisitive and interesting animals are starved for two weeks to shock their bodies into another laying cycle. Their suffering is beyond our worst imaginings, as you can see in this undercover video. (Editors' Note: Viewer discretion is advised). Although cage-free egg production is better, it’s far from idyllic, as we discuss in our “truth behind the labels” campaign. Most cage-free producers cram the hens into massive, fetid, warehouses and although the animals can go anywhere in the barn (a huge improvement over cages), they are not allowed outside, and still can do little that is natural to them. Because males are useless to the egg industry, the male babies are still ground up while they’re completely conscious, and even cage-free hens usually have their beaks seared off with a hot blade." 3. Broiler chickens are given more drugs than any other farmed animal And it’s not just the drugs that are fed to farmed animals you have to worry about: Meat from factory farms is also often contaminated with PCBs, flame retardants, and all kinds of other chemicals (including arsenic—yes, arsenic) that collect in the animals’ flesh. So avoiding meat isn’t just good for animals; it’s also good for your health." 4. There is no national legislation to protect 98.5 percent of farmed animals This is a very big deal, because we eat more than 100 times as many chickens as pigs, and more than 200 times as many chickens as cattle - more than 98 of 100 land animals eaten in the United States are chickens. And yet anything goes with chickens, both on the farm and at slaughter - the way that all 9 billion of them are slaughtered would be illegal under the HMSA. It’s worth taking a moment here to say that Americans are not happy about the way farmed animals are treated. More than two-thirds support strong legal protections for farmed animals, and when they’ve had a chance to vote, they have turned out overwhelmingly in support of animal protection. The United Egg Producers has seen the writing on the wall, and they’re working on legislation with the Humane Society of the United States that will, when it’s passed (and we’ll be supporting it), represent the first federal law to protect animals on farms, the first federal law to protect chickens, and the first federal law to protect farmed animal welfare in more than 30 years. At Farm Sanctuary, we would no more eat a chicken or her egg than we would eat a parrot or her egg (or a dog or her puppy), but we support positive change for animals, and encourage others to do likewise." 5. Farmed animals are interesting individuals, just like the dogs and cats who we know a bit better Did you know that chickens have a capacity for foresight, and that pigs play video games better than dogs—and better, even, than some primates? It’s true. And anyone who spends time with farmed animals learns that just like dogs and cats, some are shy, and some won’t leave you alone. For the same reason most Americans wouldn’t think of eating a dog or a cat, we at Farm Sanctuary wouldn’t think of eating any animal. They are, as the saying goes, our friends, not our food." Is there someone you'd like to see in the hot seat? Let us know in the comments below and if we agree, we'll do our best to chase 'em down. |
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So, while so many Americans can barely afford to keep food on the table for their children this doorknob wants to double the prices of the largest parts of our menus. Why, because chickens go insane? WHAT??? how can something with 10 brain cells, 8 more than the author of this story, go insane. It's that kind if idiocy and comparing animals to human attributes that we bestow on them (and they actually don't possess) that makes people tune this idiots out. We should treat chickens better because they beat pigs in video games, that must have been one heck of a tourney, sorry I missed that on ESPN 12. Get a life. Just because you are only capable of socializing with animals doesn't make them anything more than food. True, we should not be cruel to anything living without a reason but we also have to get real with the fact that production costs are going through the roof while our economy is rapidly dying on the vine and we can't afford to license and give citizenship to every farm yard animal and create a new class of people: Poultry-Americans!!
Well thank you for your rude remarks. Speaking of little braincells, it is clear to me than as you said the chicken possesses ten, the author possesses two and you must possess one because, if reviewed instead of just being a typical person with little connection to the outside world other than the shoe store, you may have noticed the error in every statement in your comment (whether that be grammatical or factual, because you had both several times.) Also, I have a cat and several chickens, the chickens are far smarter than my cat and have much more personality, in fact they kill more mice than my cat! You probably would not have guessed that though because as a typical person like yourself, you know with no actual recollection of an chicken other than the puree' of chickens in your 20 piece McNugget on your way to your office job where you have the time to mock and make fun of several heartfelt messages and attempts to make people see things in a different perspective, which you are obviously incapable of because like most people you think a pet is a dog and food is a chicken, well, some, like myself, see it a bit different, not saying the dog is food and the chicken is pet, but seeing both as possible companions instead of pets or food. Try seeing things a bit different if you think you could be capable of the complicated procedure in order to see things in a different light. Think about this on your next trip to McDonalds.
frustrating. Egg chickens have not had hormones or medicine in the food since the 1950s. Why do people still say it. It's false or a lie.
I'm a crack addict. Shell we dance?
Romans 14:1-3: 1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.
Wow. Cherry-picking passages out of the Bible DOES have some advantages. KUTGW.
Why thank you! :) And spread the word! ;)
What you eat is all about choice. You can choose to eat things grown locally or in season. You can choose to eat meat or not eat meat. You can choose red meat over white. And it’s all about personal choice. No one should push their “beliefs”, ideas or half researched “facts” on other people in hopes that they will make your same choice.
Unfortunately too many people don’t research all sides of a story. Trusting one source (meat eating or not) is the WORST way to get information about your food. Many published articles are all or nothing and food is not so black and white. Anyone can make the numbers or “facts” or find an example to prove any point. I had a whole class in college about statistics management. Long story short there is a way to prove any point with numbers.
No meat, no meat it’s cruelty to animals -and- eat more Meat, are not the only two options. Screaming either of these is a waste of time.
A great example of the many choices can be found in eggs and poultry . Just a few options include conventional, organic, cage free, or colony housing system. There are options in types of eggs, where they come from (California, US, or out of country) and where you buy them from (Whole Food, Raley’s or WinCo). And this is just chickens. Look at the options folks. Choosing what you eat is all about picking what options work best for YOU and, for some, what makes YOU feel best. Pushing what makes you feel best on others doesn’t help others looking for real answers.
No one is going to say yes I support animal cruelty; I wouldn’t expect that. The problem is most typical farms and ranches are not what make headlines. Check out http://www.knowacaliforniafarmer.com to see real farms and ranches (shameless self promotion I know, sorry I can’t help it’s a great source!) Too often unreal, uncommon and unusual situations are featured to grab people’s attention. These videos and articles that “expose the truth” are exactly the opposite. They are unique cases that rarely happen on conventional farms and are not something the rest of the agriculture community supports or is proud of.
I am excited that we live in such a great place with many different food choices. Choose wisely and educate yourself on your choices.
“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility” –Eleanor Roosevelt
See below for some sources that may help you making choices about your food:
Happy Chickens:
http://jswest.com/index.php/component/content/article/118
Happy Farm Animals:
Curious Dairy Cows:
http://www.adfarmonline.com/blog/aroundthefarm/tradition-and-innovation-at-giacomazzi-dairy
Information about Pork Producers:
http://www.youtube.com/adfarmchannel#p/c/1/I5yGDMkcoOY
Question: How can you tell when you are talking to a vegan?
Answer: Oh, don't worry, they will tell you. Repeatedly.
Biased article much? I love how the farming population is such a tiny percentage of our total population, yet so many non-farmers think they know what they're talking about. I think a lot more people need to leave the farming to the farmers. I have no problem with having concern for where your food comes from or even how the animals are treated, but the media makes all of this so much worse than it really is. And it kills me. I think the US needs to take a big field trip to the farms and ranches that produce their food. And meet some of the health conscious, intelligent people full of integrity that care about their animals and the people (YOU) that eat them.
Very, very, VERY well said! Thank you!
I actually took a field trip to a working farm when I was younger. It was an interesting experience.
What I got from this was that we need to reform the way we raise animals for meat – I didn't really see much of an ethical argument for not eating them. Also, how do I teach my dog to play video games, and where can I try a parrot egg?
Epicmealtime FTW! And kobe beef cows are treated like royalty, they are fed beer, get daily massages and eat organic foods. And they taste delectable with gravy and mashed potatoes, wrapped in bacon.
@farmerjean: Animals are more intelligent and have more feeling than you give them credit for. Thank God there are more people in the world who share my love and compassion for all animals. "Love all creatures, great and small, for the Lord created
us, one and all."
If anyone wants to extoll the "intelligence" of chickens, Google "Mike the headless chicken"....a chicken that managed to live for a year and a half with only his rudimentary brain stem and one ear. Yup, super smart!
Having farmed in the past (had to sell) I can tell you this: in our effort to bring down grocery prices (i.e. subsidies) this nation has pushed the small to medium farmer out. What does that mean? That means that instead of the local grocery store buying beef, pork, eggs from my farm, they choose to buy, under contract, from extra large conglomerate farms. The huge farms keep prices down on hens/cattle/hogs which from what they tell me, is what we need. Well, I can tell you that huge farms are the ones that can afford to produce the lower quality meats in quantity all in the name of the dollar. I had 150 head of beef cattle, 50 milkers, and at anytime about 100 pork bellies. I tried so many things to stay afloat...I could never sell enough at the prices I needed too. I was never charging really high prices, maybe $1 – 1.50 more per pound, but folks just wouldn't buy at that price point (strange though that they would pay alot more for some Flax, or even Egg Beaters, but not for quality meats and dairy...), which might I add was just under the break even point. Finally I decided after alot of years to throw in the towel and just go to work doing something else. Wouldn't you know it, I saw a sign on what used to be the "back forty" of my farm, "Summer Pines! Price starting in the $140's". Honestly I'm not upset about it, I am making more money now that I ever have and we are doing well. But instead of the morning latte, big screen TV, or newest phone, we buy our meats locally for about $2-$3 more per pound, as well as eggs and dairy. You should give it a try. Now as far as the vegan angle goes – please do not attach human emotions and/or human qualities to farm animals. They do not have "feelings". They do not sit down and scribble out future plans, or save for college. Look at it this way – let's say for instance we didn't domesticate the cow (this is a small for instance, not a thesis)
. There would not be as many of them around (pressure for food/resources) and also I don't know if you know this but wild animals do not go about living their lives in relative comfort. There are other animals designed to eat them. Ever watch the Animal Planet when a pack of wolves sets on a deer or bison? THAT's far from humane... Move back to buying locally, and you start to force the collective hand(s) of the larger farms. But, if you can afford to form a retirement farm for cows all the more power to you, I just can't seem to figure out how you're going to stay afloat... My $0.02...
very well put, and very sorry you lost your farm. I don't know how anyone does it other than the way it's being done now. I support local local producers and businesses every chance I get but the reality is if we don't do things the way the mega-farms are doing it, we will simply end up buying from across the border where they will. Sad really that REAL farmers are a thing of the past when this country was built on their backs.
Why do these people write this stuff? It shows complete lack of common sense and knowledge. They make themselves out to be simple dullards. Mental stimulation in chickens????? So, chickens can be intelligent creatures? I'd love to see the studies that back up these embarrassing lies!
Bruce how do you suppose we mentally stimulate these chickens? I'd love to hear your suggestions!
Bring on the red meat!!! And fish and fowl!!!!! Thank God for the farms, I wouldn't know how to raise and slaughter my next meal.
You lost me in the first paragraph. Is it 9bil or 10bil? If you can't get a statistic straight, why should I believe anything else you say?
I read it to mean 9 billion land animals and over 10 billion sea animals.
Why does anyone pay attention to these nuts?
Because you can burn up to 500 calories an hour baiting trolls – especially when they bite!
An animal that is to give up its life for your table should be treated with respect. Period. Decisions are make in executive board rooms to drive profits, and that is where the respect is lost is the name of driving profits. "Respect the Meat!" theres a slogan for you. (Would also make a great t-shirt.)
Great read!
@grease fire,good post,few will read and learn though.perhaps you have gluten issues.As for the grain problem you probably thrive on the caveman diet .You sound educated enough nutritionally to solve your problems.As good as grains are they bother some people.Don't forget the correlation between blood type and diet.
For many of us who are unable to eat grains because of allergies and intolerance and even blood sugar problems, it is difficult to avoid eating meat especially since your nervous system cannot function properly when starved of animal fats. Once you restrict your diet in such a way, depression can ensue and it may become difficult to function. I have close friends that had done their research and knew what to eat as vegans, yet still lost their hair and felt weak on a daily basis. Of course we need to pass laws to change the way animals are raised, and we should all raise a few of our own livestock, but one cannot expect the human body to be deprived of valuable nutrients. Also, there are many people who suffer from dangerous and potentially deadly seizures who would not survive if they had to eat grains since a diet high in animal fat and protein replenishes the cholesterol needed to keep the nervous system stable (and such carbs raise the blood sugar level hindering the proper absorption of cholesterol causing it to be dumped into the fat cells). These kinds of diets save human lives and allow people to live relatively normally. The purpose of everything living is to die and nourish something or someone else albeit, when possible, we should avoid torturing that gives us life. Certain animals eat insects, certain animals eat plants, certain animals eat other animals, and certain bacteria eat all of the above. I would think that eating the meat coming from an animal that was happy as opposed to stressed out releasing stress hormones into the flesh would be a better choice. Kill swiftly and as painlessly as possible but there is no need to turn farming into an industry. We also need to be aware of the rising global rates of diabetes in countries where pasta, bread and rice are staple.
http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20040426/diabetes-rates-worldwide
Being raised in Italy, I have always enjoyed eating pasta, but also loved to eat fish, lamb, chicken, etc... and luckily I was fed a more varied diet than many Americans. We also often use most of the organs of the animal and by doing so you can feed more people. By eating every single edible part of the animal you make the butchering of such animal more efficient and the best parts are the ones butchers usually throw away in the US. Also, insects seem to be almost completely absent from the American diet even though they are a very sustainable high-protein source of nutrition, and those who grew up on insects gather gleefully around as they are being prepared, especially children. It seems that we have severely limited our diet by making certain sources of food taboo which in the end puts unneeded pressure on the same usual three sources of meat we have been left as choices - beef, chicken and pork. I am now unfortunately unable to eat pasta because they cause anything ranging from severe digestion issues such as painful bloating (to the point I've almost lost consciousness several times) to dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar to yeast infections in the digestive tract. I am very healthy otherwise and do not suffer from any auto-immune diseases, yet every time I cook pasta or make bread and eat it, I suffer dire consequences. The fact that I used to eat a lot of pasta and vegetables in college has pushed me closer to being a diabetic even though I'm thin and was constantly on the move - walking, on my bike, up steep hills and in the hot desert heat. In fact, since I've restricted grains, I no longer have had to deal with chest pain in my lungs (though I have no idea how that is related). It isn't a diet that needs to change, but laws. And also, I'm pretty sure we could all do fine by eating meat a few times a week, and even every other day, as opposed to eating it multiple times a day as many seem to do.
And don't forget the garlic with that lamb,I ripped it out of the ground w/o regard for it's feelings.Yum.
Lamb is delicious!
Imagine if PETA put as much energy and resources into combatting child exploitation and health issues as they do about naming animals and providing gym classes for food stock.Seriously God provided these animals to nourish us.Regurgitating the same tired stories of abusive killing methods is just another scare tactic.It's on CNN for a reason ,where liberals just eat up this nonsense.Recently a PETA member told me of course she wears leather,should they just throw away those hides? Can you say hypocrisy? While in China I learned that if it swims,flies ,walks or crawls it is fair game for the table.There are more small farms now than ever before producing hormone free,antibiotic free animals.Find them and support them.I am also a member of PETA,people eating tasty animals .And yes we should eat dogs,better than having them defecate all over good play areas for children .Remember children? The future of our country.the ones who will pay your SS.Currently "Fuzzy" is racked out on my grill filling my yard with the aroma that only baby rack of lamb can provide.Bon Appetit!
What bothers me the most about PETA is that these people disperse false information about the animals they seek to protect. I agree some chicken production facilities are abominable. I have owned chickens for a large portion of my life.
Believe be a chicken cannot go insane-they don't have the brain power. They aren't interesting or cute. Although I have never used the practice of cutting off the tips of their beaks, there is a perfectly good reason for this. They will start pecking on an individual and continue to peck it until they have literally eaten it alive. Then they will start on another. There is no 'thinking' involved here. Chickens don't think, they operate on nerve endings which trigger instinct. Chickens will run to food. Period. They don't like you or love and if you were to lie down in their presence they would eat you. I had countless pet chickens growing up. I named them, carried them around, put little strings around their necks to lead them, and not once has a chicken ever returned the least interest or affection for me. My 'pet' rooster spurred a two inch gash in my leg for no reason other than I was in reach. I happen to love chickens. I like to feed them and collect eggs and watch them peck around the yard, but people! They have no brains! Its nice that Peta members want to set all of the animals free, but who will care for them? Are you going to adopt a cow and put it in your city back yard? Or do they suggest that all the cows, chickens, pigs, goats, sheep etc be set free? Who will feed them? Or should we just kill them all and proclaim how humane we are? They are totally off base in their approach. Animals aren't people and they don't have the same feelings you do-ever. Many livestock animals have affection for their owners, but it is based on your usefulness to them. You bring them feed, they love their feed and by association, you. They may enjoy your scratching, your soothing voice, your protection, but your favorite horse will deliver a killing kick for no reason you can fathom, my great grandfather was killed by a bull he raised on a bottle and you have all heard hair raising (but true)tales of some one's pet cat feasting on their body after they died. If you have ever seen your kitty torn to pieces by a dog, or a cat torturing a small animal, you should realize they aren't murderer's, they are animals; they did not have compassion or guilt, they aren't human and they don't suffer from being imprisoned in cages and pens. If they have food, water and shade they are happy. They don't have an imagination to long for freedom. They just want to eat and sleep. ANIMALS, people!
Amen farmerjeani!!!!
Subtle law of universe u eat animals I will be born animals to be eaten
PETA is a horrid organization. They are DETRIMENTAL to both human and animal welfare!
PETA's goal is the extinction of domestic animals and the end of interaction between humans and non-human animals.
A few things PETA is against (far from a complete list):
- pets
- no-kill animal shelters (they want all shelters to be "kill shelters" only!)
- service dogs for the blind
- police dogs
- meat, eggs, honey, and any other animal-product food even if the animals are unharmed (they even want people to make their dogs/cats in vegetarians/vegans!)
- World Wildlife Fund
- March of Dimes
Some suggested reading/watching:
http://www.petakillsanimals.com/
http://www.targetofopportunity.com/animal_rights_quotes.htm
http://activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/o/21-people-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals
http://www.animalscam.com/
http://www.nokillnow.com/PETAIngridNewkirkResign.htm
http://www.workingpitbull.com/truthaboutpeta.htm
PETA also prays on children, and tries to use children against their parents. In these comics they gave to kids, they say at the end that the parents are going to kill the family pets:
http://www.petakillsanimals.com/article_detail.cfm?article=156
I love animals. I am a strong supporter of animal WELFARE, and adamantly against animal rights.
Animal WELFARE's philosophy is to protect animals from cruelty and neglect. Humans and animals can co-exist. If an animal is going to be killed for food, it should be as quick and painless as possible.
Animal RIGHTS' philosophy is to end all human-animal interaction. No pets, no service dogs for disabled people, no using or interacting with animals for any reason.
If someone from PETA turns into a zombie, what would they eat?
It's amazing what you can do with selective editing. PETA could take pictures of our hens in their nests to "prove" the inhumane treatment. They are packed in so tight, that you can't see the ones buried under the others - much less stretch out their wings.
They have enough nesting boxes so each hen could be solo - but **they** choose to pile up that way. (and no–it is not weather-related. It can be 30, 110, or somewhere in between- they still pack it in). Oh, yea - they have acres to run around in.
as the name says i eat meat. If you don't want to eat meat that is fine with me just don't try to ban it (see Chicago and foie gras) as it is your choice not mine. I love animals grilled, sauteed, smoked, steamed, or even raw.
Humans are omnivores and are designed to eat meat and anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong. If you don't believe me just look at our jaw and tooth structure.
Until I converted to vegan, I had no idea just how decadent and a delicious a vegan diet is/can be. I regret having eaten animals for so long before converting. I am proud to be able to show true respect for life in what I do everyday, three times a day.
I take a crap three times a day yet,it's not a religious experience like yours.
Go to your local craigslist. Find a local producer who will sell you the live animal. Go see the conditions under which your animal has lived. Agree on a slaughter house. Go pick up packages. This is ethical, healthy, and not at all difficult.
Having visited numerous farms around the US, the animals that I have seen are very well cared for. The majority of them are on family owned farms. Farmers raise these animals as a passion and a business. The animals are healthy and given love.
I have also been to the slaughter houses, and you should visit them- every precaution is taken to have these animals stress free. Read up on Temple Grandin and then make your opinion.
The fact is that humans do not need to eat animals to survive and thrive. And in fact, it is BAD for their health to do so. This is why cancer stills runs rampant. Humans were meant to live in the Garden of Eden and be plant eaters, humans are not built to eat meat. And the worst thing about eating animals is how they are treated with cruelty and disregard...this shows our real humanity more than other any other demonstration of kindness. Gandhi said that you can judge a society by the way they treat their animals = and you know that serial killers treat animals the worst.
It is not bad for your health to eat meat. That is perfectly ridiculous. Eating meat is natural for humans and is how we evolved these brains – despite now that you are using yours to overthink everything and rewrite your biological history.
Humans have been around for thousands of years, cancer is a fairly new disease. It began to proliferate as the world industrialized. The very chemicals that allowed man to improve farming production and eliminate the natural cycle of plant animal rotations may have been a trigger. If you believe in the garden of Eden, then you must also believe in God. God instructed the people to eat the flesh of animals. You can't have it both ways.
I believe that all animals should be raised in a cruel free environment and be killed in as humane a manner as is possible. I raise chickens for eggs as well as for meat, I also raise a large vegetable garden and fruit trees and shrubs. I try to buy responsibly raised and slaughtered pork and beef. It takes a lot of work to raise the food for my household. I think more people should raise some of their own food, a vegetable garden or even a patio pot with tomatoes or other vegetables in it. Perhaps then they would understand the effort that needs to be put into feeding themselves.
Not all farmland is suitable to raise vegetables and fruit. These crops require huge investments in irrigation and are labour intensive. Some land is only suitable for grazing by animals, it can't be farmed for grain or vegetable production. People need to look around themselves and come to the realization that the earth is populated by animals and people and we need to ensure that everyone and every animal has the right to live as cruel-free life as possible. People are going to eat animals as we are supposed to, our bodies are made to do so. We do need to think about how the food gets to our table though.
I used to eat meat, wear fur and scoff at animal rights folks. Then, by accident or was it providence, I witnessed how farmed animals were living and then being killed for their body parts, I became accutely aware that the bird on it's way to slaughter was a living breathing being and not just a thing. That was the day I said "no" to the colassal & merciless buchery called the meat industry. I atopped eating animals.
My first concern was the suffering of animals but as a bonus I also experienced great leaps in energy, my skin began to glow and I lost those nagging pounds. I can't tell you how good it is to not only loose flab but to experience life that is not so self absorbed. I spend far less on groceries and eat more interesting meals than the boring meat, potatoes and vegetables that I grew up on.
My hope for anyone is to try to leave the animal off your plate for even one day a week to start.You'll make a difference..
Good luck with making that choice, it is a personal one. If you feel that has made you healthier, then kudos.
owever, who would care for all the animals left off the dinner plate? What financial reason would tyson or any other meat processing company have to support animals tha are not being harvested? Are you willing to adopt a few cows or chickens, as it is most likely that these companies will either euthanize or abandon these animals en masse to avoid the cost of raising them.
Also, do you have anyidea howmuch farmland would need to be added to the planet in order to make up for the lost animal food supplies? In all effects, all the planet would need to be converted, where do we put the animals then?
I've got a question for PETA. If they care sooooo much about "farm" animals and compare chicken and cows to dogs and cats, why dose your organization euthanize OVER 2/3rds of the dogs and cats you "rescue"?
Should we torture animals, treat them poorly, and kill them for fun? NO.
However, perhaps PETA should remember that even animals eat other animals. Should we make the rest of the world's animals go vegetarian/vegan too? Or do wild animals, for example, have the right to eat what they want? If we respect the natural food chain, perhaps we should respect the fact that humans, being the smartest, are at the top.
P.S. the whole being-vegan-is-healthy thing is not necessarily right, as is personally made evident by the fact that every time I go for long periods of time trying to eat other forms of protein instead of meat, my stomach feels like it is about to explode and I am hungrier. Also, there are people with allergies (such as my brother) to basically every non-animal form of protein. Everything in moderation seems healthier to me. I know it feels healthier.
The federal government are the last people you should enlist to protect you from dangerous food, or protect animals from abuse at the hands of their owners. This is an issue better addressed at the state and local level.
I don't understand what gives vegans the right to torture helpless plants. Shouldn't plants be allowed to roam free? Shouldn't plants be allowed to reproduce without having their lives cut short? Plants give us beauty, help cheer us up, and give us something to care about and nurture. Don't plants have a right to live a full and productive life just like animals?
I think that it was rather uninformed and very shortsighted. One, if Americans and person around the world switched to vegan as PETA (admitted terrorist organization) wanted, there is no way the Earth could support half the population of humans, let alone the seven billion we currently have. How does PETA suggest we cure that problem. Then again some the rhetoric PETA is known for, I can guess that if they starved PETA would not care one iota. To meet those needs, or even come close we would have to turn nearly every inch of land into farmland. That does not bode well for what forests or areas for wild animals we have left.
Also, I would pose this question, what would happen to the animals (cows, chickens other animals of such that PETA wishes to make into citizens)? Do you think that Tyson or King Cattle Ranch would continue to feed these animals at a loss or just let them die? I doubt they would pay for one ounce of grain or vet bills on them.
Does PETA have even a single viable solution for starvation of humans? Lets face it, as omnivores we kill both plants and animals for our sustenance. There is no excuse for cruelty to the animals we do slaughter, that is criminal. But ask yourself this, which would you rather see, responsible farming of animals or starvation on level that would cost the planet billions of people.
It's simple: if you have any issues with the way an animal is raised, transported or slaughtered, do not eat it. Do not knowingly purchase it's byproducts (it's nearly impossible to avoid all animal products, as they are used in soaps, cosmetics, medications, and on and on and on). If you don't care about how living, sentient creatures are treated, you need to examine your values, in my opinion...but don't trash the good people who do care and are trying to do something about it.
Love to see this kind of story on CNN, keep it coming!
Every vegan I know is a retard. Case closed.
Wow... intelligence at its finest.
This is nonsense. Animals are treated better in the US than anywhere else in the planet.
I have worked on farms, butchared animals and hunted, and animals are treated more humanely than many humans get treated on this planet. We were careful how we slaughtered the animals and frankly, in my state it requires about 12-24 hours of hunter safety classes and trainging to hunt. Hunters are responsible and CARE about nature. MOST of us donate money to habitat programs. We read about wildlife and are aware of it.
We KNOW that all species in an ecosystem are important not just the game species and our magazines even discuss this.
We are part of the environement and frankly the Earth is going to be a MANAGED Planet.
There really are NO wild places left that are NOT impacted by humans or at least impacted by our visits or even overflight or pollution.
The Humane Society of America is gradually becoming an radical Animal Rights organization. People are omnivores and we NEED to eat animals of all kinds.
We also need to be good stewards of the envirnonment and wildlife.
It is unrealistic to think we won't eat animals. Death is NOT pleasent. But animals eat animals and so do we!
Humans are NOT herbevores. It is not our natural state.
Pablo... I've heard all of your arguements before, none of them honestly work logically. We are Omnivores... and we also have this thing called Choice. We could do a lot of things physically that we shouldn't because they are not in line with our true values. We are decades behind many other countries when it comes to animal welfare, you obviously are not informed in this area. Most other countries won't buy our meat exports because our animal ag industry is basically self-regulated and disgusting. Hunting is usually more humane than paying other people to torture and kill animals via factory farms which is where 98% of food animals come from.... but it's still killing an innocent animal that has a will to live and life worth living. Might doesn't make right. There is no fundamental difference between us, our dogs, a deer, or a pig... food/companion/wild/entertainment are man-made categories. Just be honest, you eat meat because maybe you don't want people to look at you weird or make fun of you but probably because you LIKE the taste of meat. You eat meat to make yourself happy or comfortable or both and everything else is a justification so that you can go on living in your bubble. I used to say the same exact things you are... less than two years ago.... but I realized I was wrong. My husband used to hunt and now he's a vegan because he couldn't come up with a good explanation as to why he loved our dogs but killed other animals for sport.
I find it ironic how the former VP of PETA wants to tell us about how interesting the animals we use for food are once you get to know them, when there is no effort to get to know the pets that are euthanized at PETA headquarters. That's right, PETA euthanizes most (90%+ per annum) pets that are dropped off to them at their headquarters in VA than adopt them out. I wonder how much time was taken to get to know these animals before they were put down.
Wow, there are many ignorant and angry statements here by some who apparently feel threatened by the subject of being more humane. That's very strange, isn't it? Let's correct a couple of things quickly. 1) Vegan and near-vegan diets are not expensive unless you choose the organic, ready-made, specialty meals from Whole Foods. I've eaten more cheaply on a vegan diet than all my years on a meat-laden one. 2) You can support animal welfare at the same time that you try to do your part with other big issues in life. Why would one think that's so difficult??? - Stop making excuses for supporting cruelty to animals. Really.
Vegan diets are a fad pushed by the people trying to rip off the ignorant.
Yes a do it yourself vegan diet made by someone who cooks is dirt cheap. ASIDE from freash produce! If you cook grains you don't have to pay much.
But frankly high quality produce and processed vegan foods are overpriced and overrated.
I eat a fair amount of vegan foods even though I am a carnvore/hunter. I like some of the brands and we have food allergies and milk allergies.
A good vegan mean is delicious with MEAT.
7 Things You Didn't Know About PETA
1) According to government documents, PETA employees have killed more than 19,200 dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens since 1998. This behavior continues despite PETA’s moralizing about the “unethical” treatment of animals by farmers, scientists, restaurant owners, circuses, hunters, fishermen, zookeepers, and countless other Americans. PETA puts to death over 90 percent of the animals it accepts from members of the public who expect the group to make a reasonable attempt to find them adoptive homes. PETA holds absolutely no open-adoption shelter hours at its Norfolk, VA headquarters, choosing instead to spend part of its $32 million annual income on a contract with a crematory service to periodically empty hundreds of animal bodies from its large walk-in freezer.
2) PETA president and co-founder Ingrid Newkirk has described her group’s overall goal as “total animal liberation.” This means the complete abolition of meat, milk, cheese, eggs, honey, zoos, aquariums, circuses, wool, leather, fur, silk, hunting, fishing, and pet ownership. In a 2003 profile of Newkirk in The New Yorker, author Michael Specter wrote that Newkirk has had at least one seeing-eye dog taken away from its blind owner. PETA is also against all medical research that requires the use of animals, including research aimed at curing AIDS and cancer.
3) PETA has given tens of thousands of dollars to convicted arsonists and other violent criminals. This includes a 2001 donation of $1,500 to the North American Earth Liberation Front (ELF), an FBI-certified “domestic terrorist” group responsible for dozens of firebombs and death threats. During the 1990s, PETA paid $70,200 to Rodney Coronado, an Animal Liberation Front (ALF) serial arsonist convicted of burning down a Michigan State University research laboratory. In his sentencing memorandum, a federal prosecutor implicated PETA president Ingrid Newkirk in that crime. PETA vegetarian campaign coordinator Bruce Friedrich has also told an animal rights convention that “blowing stuff up and smashing windows” is “a great way to bring about animal liberation,” adding, “Hallelujah to the people who are willing to do it.”
4) PETA activists regularly target children as young as six years old with anti-meat and anti-milk propaganda, even waiting outside their schools to intercept them without notifying their parents. One piece of kid-targeted PETA literature tells small children: “Your Mommy Kills Animals!” PETA brags that its messages reach over 1.2 million minor children, including 30,000 kids between the ages of 6 and 12, all contacted by e-mail without parental supervision. One PETA vice president told the Fox News Channel’s audience: “Our campaigns are always geared towards children, and they always will be.”
5) PETA’s president has said that “even if animal research resulted in a cure for AIDS, we would be against it.” And PETA has repeatedly attacked research foundations like the March of Dimes, the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the American Cancer Society, solely because they support animal-based research aimed at curing life-threatening diseases and birth defects. And PETA helped to start and manage a quasi-medical front group, the misnamed Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, to attack medical research head-on.
6) PETA has compared Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust to farm animals and Jesus Christ to pigs. PETA’s religious campaigns include a website that claims—despite ample evidence to the contrary—that Jesus Christ was a vegetarian. PETA holds protests at houses of worship, even suing one church that tried to protect its members from Sunday-morning harassment. Its billboards taunt Christians with the message that hogs “died for their sins.” PETA insists, contrary to centuries of rabbinical teaching, that the Jewish ritual of kosher slaughter shouldn’t be allowed. And its infamous “Holocaust on Your Plate” campaign crassly compared the Jewish victims of Nazi genocide to farm animals.
7) PETA frequently looks the other way when its celebrity spokespersons don’t practice what it preaches. As gossip bloggers and Hollywood journalists have noted, Pamela Anderson’s Dodge Viper (auctioned to benefit PETA) had a “luxurious leather interior”; Jenna Jameson was photographed fishing, slurping oysters, and wearing a leather jacket just weeks after launching an anti-leather campaign for PETA; Morrissey got an official “okay” from PETA after eating at a steakhouse; Dita von Teese has written about her love of furs and foie gras; Steve-O built a career out of abusing small animals on film; the officially “anti-fur” Eva Mendes often wears fur anyway; and Charlize Theron’s celebrated October 2007 Vogue cover shoot featured several suede garments. In 2008, “Baby Phat” designer Kimora Lee Simmons became a PETA spokesmodel despite working with fur and leather, after making a $20,000 donation to the animal rights group.
http://www.humanewatch.com
http://www.animalscam.com
http://www.naiaonline.org
To bad CNN does not have a 'like' button for replies like this!
Chicken is tasty. Bacon is tasty.
Chicken wrapped in Bacon is extraordinarily tasty.
You know, I do not mind people having their beliefs or opinions, but please stop being mean to people who disagree. I am from Iowa and every year at the Iowa State Fair PETA people were just ugly. They would be so mean to the fair queen, even throwing paint on one girl one time. Sad, PETA people want to be respected but don't respect others. Of course I know this doesn't apply to every PETA person. I have seen the worst of the organization. I do agree that there is animal abuse out there, but telling people to stop eating meat is too far fetched.
PETA is just a bunch of ecological terrorists who want to trample on your rights and have you living in their chains where you are subservient to them... just another bunch of commie pinko leftists who know what's best for everyone.
This article makes me feel guilty. I support the vegetarian/vegan cause; and I think it is amazing how people can do that, but I just don't have the self-discipline to stop eating meat. I've tried in the past, but it never worked. It's HARD. Kudos to those who can go without. I'm sorry I can't join you.
The article makes me feel guilty that we have allowed people to become that stupid.
It's the lack of saturated fat in their diets which is causing brain shrinkage. Hence, their blatant stupidity.
This moron should actually visit one of the 99% of real farms that treat farm animals in a humane fashion as should everyone who buys into this crap. I've been to thousands of farms with my work and have not once seen the kind of environment this idiot protrays.
By the way, how many pets did PETA detroy last year again? In 2010, it was well over 90% of the pets they received. Funny how that never comes up in these propaganda they pass off as news articles.
It is a little known fact that PETA-sponsored kill shelters kill more animals than any other. They don't even try in most cases to rehome the pets. They just euthanize them within hours of intake. They get government money the more animals they take in, and the faster they can kill them, the more they can take in. Then they use that government money to sponsor their terrorism.
If you wish to be a vegan, vegatarian, or carnivore is a personal choice. Why shove your agenda down my throat? Humans have a hard time being humane to other humans. If I had a dime for the road kill I have seen on Wisconsin roads, I could retire by now.
Because PETA is a bunch of commie pinko leftists who know what's best for you better than you do.
As the debate rages on concerning whether or not animals that are raised for their: meat, fur, eggs (in the case of chickens) feathers, livers (in the case of ducks and geese raised for pate) and other animal "by-products, some human beings continue to show no regard for the animals that share this planet, but are only considered a commodity to be exploited. If there is no humanity shown to these creatures, then we are no better than the dinosaurs who wantonly killed their prey. I pray that God (if "He" exists) will show us the mercy that we have shown other creatures that we rely on for our continued existence. And if God doesn't exist, then what does it cost us to respect the lives of the creatures who we have killed in order for us to survive? End of sermon.
Very well written article. Had some good points. Im still gonna eat animals, but would be nice to have laws to make em safer on the farm.
Yes, more laws. That's what we need. More laws to drive up the cost of food. Are you willing to pay $10/lb for chicken?
I think I'd like to be the asshole who condemns millions around the world to death. Vegans and fat-american carnivores are both wrong in their own ways. The fact you should agree on, is that unless massives reforms in eco-friendly, sustanible farming are developed and pushed into the individual hands of the people, we will all soon starve to death in the the coming decades. It is possible eat meat and yet raise it in more humane ways. And it is possible for some of you lazy, fat Americans to plant a garden to help feed your family. The trick is a balance of the extremes. Got it, morons?
You hit the nail dead on with a sledge hammer....
Got it.
Such ignorance, ugliness and broad generalizations from both sides of the fence. Chill folks. No need to act like gradeschoolers.
This article makes me want to have a bacon cheese burger with a fried egg on top. If you think all the people of the world could live off of vegetarian life style, you are sadly mistaken. You would need significantly more farm land, most of which would have to come from forest land (the same rain forests you want to protect). You can't go to the urban land scape, because that land can no longer support farming. All of the farm animals you want to set free will need their own grazing land, which means it cannot be farmed. Animals that are farmed, are not over bred, because you have to have enough feed for the animals. You let them all go free, then breeding will grow rampant, therefore more land will be needed for them to graze. If you force the world into a vegetarian lifestyle (which is really what you want to do) I would bet that 1/8 of the population of the world dies in the first 10 to 20 years from starvation, because there are not enough food stocks to feed all the people, the way you want them to eat.
Where exactly do you think the grain comes from to feed those animals? If cows magically grew on trees, perhaps consuming them would require less resources, but they require a hell of a lot of farm land to produce the food that is funneled, incredibly wastefully, through their digestive systems. Also, I don't think you'll find a single vegan who wants to open up the gates and let all farm animals free. The first step would be to reduce (and eventually stop) breeding them, and then to stop killing and consuming them. No one, not even the most extreme of the extremists, expects the world to go vegan overnight (resulting in the insane cow-infested horror scenario you seem to be imagining).
The only way to then viably feed the human population in the same time frame would without turning every available inch of land into farm land is to significantly reduce the human population. Does PETA propose mass euthanasia or som eother form of population control to meet these goals? Maybe removing reporductive rights from entire populations. Even at the Chinese restrictions of one child per family it would take centuries to reach the population numbers necessary.
Be honest, PETA has called man a blight on the face of the Earth (Newkirk) and would think nothing of killina billion or two. You willing to be part of that number?
Yes a cow does consume some grain but most of their life they are raised on grass. They are only fed a grain rich diet at the end of their life. The arguments made here suggest that the farmland that is used to raise grain for cows should be used to produce food for people. Most of this land can only be used to produce grain. It is not suitable to produce vegetables or fruit. Where vegetables and fruit are produced it is a very labour intensive and irrigation intensive undertaking.I agree that we should allow the animals that we eat the best possible life that can be given them for the time they are alive. I raise my own chickens for eggs and yes for meat and I try to get beef and pork that are raised in a responsible manner. I also raise a large garden and preserve as much of it as I can for the long Canadian winter. This way of life is vanishing rapidly. Most people have some space that they can raise somethings for themselves (even a pot of tomatoes is better than nothing). If more people had to try to raise some of their own food vegetable or animal they may be better informed of the work and care that goes into raising food for the multitudes.
Please refrain from contributing if you have absolutely no idea what you are saying. You are entirely inaccurate with your "facts" and conjecture. If you think you are right, kindly share the scientific papers that informed your claims.
We've got American families living with hunger and we have left wing intelligentsia hippies more concerned with animal welfare than American children going hungry. I have never seen such misplaced intentions in my life which is why I detest PETA.
No, no, no, you have it all wrong. PETA LOVES starving kids. Starving families will vote democrat every time, and democrats will give PETA lots of money.
And kill babies while they're at it....Sorry, democrats. Couldn't resist. :-/
@Karyn – you are incorrectly assuming that compassion for farm animals and compassion for humans are mutually exclusive. In fact, people who care about animals are far more likely to care for their fellow humans, also.
I spent most of my life as a city boy, but had the opportunity to live on a remote ranch for several years. While there, we adopted 2 3-day old calves, and fed them and cared for them. They developed into loving creatures that we petted, hugged and kissed and took for walks. They especially loved to be brushed, and were quite responsive to words, but more so to our attitudes. They lived out their lives as animal companions and enjoyed both human and animal company. My fondest memory is of sitting on the ground between these huge (1,200 lb) creatures while we stared off into the distance and admired the mountains and the clouds in the sky. Peace, serenity, happiness.
Looking forward to my bacon and egg and cheese bagel that I got at the McDonalds Drive through in my SUV.
Nothing beats firing up my Piper and flying it to my favorite burger joint in the next State. The burgers are worth $200 worth of AvGas...
Most vegetables are still alive when people eat them. They live in cramped conditions, forced to line up in perfectly straight rows, never being allowed to co-mingle with other types of plants.
Ha ha. I once read a magazine article entitled 'rights'. It went into great detail describing the poor treatment of a living thing: how it had no good treatment, was filled with drugs, was eaten alive, etc.. At the end they revealed that they were talking about an ear of corn.
Suggested reading: The Omnivore's Dilemma. If you're going to eat meat, why not choose organic?
I think a substantial amount of these moronic replies would go away if we required the commenter's weight with their signoff.
Mark (172 lbs)
I think Professor Temple Grandin has a more balanced and logical approach to this entire issue. I would not speak for her, but I would paraphrase her arguments as follows: "It is true that there such a thing as "prey" animals. Those animals are part of the food chain in nature. As humans, we have a choice to try to avoid suffering and make the lives of these animals "decent" until their humane death. We should use our technology to try to obtain that goal."
sanjosemike
I agree completely. There is a balance that can be struck, and MUST be struck. I raise chickens for eggs, I have four and try to be as free range as possible. I could not bring myself to harvest one since I have other avenues to obtain chicken meat, BUT if I had to in order to survive, I could. A prey animal can be harvested in dignity and compassion.
All organisms are food. Ask sharks and grizzly bears. Ask the buffalo that eats the prairie grass. Green plants make their own food from sunlight, water and carbon dioxide. All other organisms live by feeding on other organisms. Why would someone think they are morally superior because they argue we shouldn't eat what was designed by nature to be our food? Evolution at work! Population is the problem, compounded by our quest for moral superiority.
all animals on this planet have a place in this world, most are best exemplified when sitting next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
What a load of crap. Yesterday I had ham, turkey and shrimp. To celebrate this article, I'll see how many additional animals I can eat. Carnivores rule.
Unless your diet consists entirely of meat, you're an omnivore. Idiot.
Mensaboy, yikes! That diet you're eating will give you a heart attack (nevermind cancer). You might want to check out "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell. I've been a cardiac nurse and have never had a vegetarian patient who suffered an MI (myocardial infarction/heart attack).
The China Study has been debunked several times over. The scientific community can't condone "research" that leaves out a great deal of the facts and findings, not to mention how the researcher was biased from the start. Keep on truckin'...
Human beings consume so much animal and vegetable matter that it is nearly impossible to feed us without some type of factory farming. But producers do not have to make animal cruelty a necessary evil. I eat eggs produced locally from free range/cage free chickens. I hunt deer for meat and don't buy beef and grow most of my own vegetables. I feel very lucky that I can choose to eat better "home grown" food than most people, but people can be better educated about their food choices and pick ones that are not grown under cruel and inhumane conditions if they really care.
Sounds logical to me.
sanjosemike
There is something inherently lacking in someone who doesn't have compassion for animals. Go vegan and live a Much healthier lifestyle. Seventy-two and in perfect health from a lifetime of practicing what I preach.
All animals have rights!
Rights are a human concept and not all humans have rights. In fact, only a minority of the planetary population enjoys any rights. Animals have NO rights. WE have responsibilities. It is irresponsible to treat any creatures and our fellow humans with cruelty.
Saying that animals have rights doesn't make it so, just as killing an animal isn't murder. We have the means, and as the top beings on the planet, the responsibility to be good stewards of each other and every living thing. We fail miserably at this.
I simply don't care. How is that for you? I could not care any less if chickens (which will drown if not brought in out of the rain) have any "mental stimulation". That is absolutely insane.
But, I will compromise. Let's make sure the cages are lined with the works of Shakespeare, Huxley, Dickens and Augustine. They can be mentally stimulated while crapping all over the great works.
PETA and their ilk are imbecilic buffoons.
I do not care about you either OkieFarmer. It is of no concern to me if you live or die. However, I would not want you to live your life in absolutely inhumane conditions. If I were the one causing you the pain and suffering then I would do what I can to eliminate that. But I still do not care at all about you because you appear to have no moral compass or any compassion. I feel sorry for your family.
Sure – It's a free country. You're at liberty to do, say, or think anything you wish. I would never deny any idiot his fair turn at the soap box.
However, your information about drowning chickens is based on an urban myth about young turkeys. Please get your species right... That myth is based on fact that young turkey chicks for several months, depend entirely upon their mothers for instructions on how to survive. You know... Not unlike humans who can't/don't leave "the nest" even well after their 20's & 30's.
That you don't care about birds, pigs or cows is really a sad statement as to the limited, narrow minded view you have towards others who've never done you a single bit of harm. Were you taught to be this mean – Or did you learn it all by yourself?
That's the problem here....self-important narrow minded people like you. I fervantly hope u come back in the next life as a factory chicken. Maybe then you'll get a clue.
No, what is absolutely insane is that you have zero compassion for animals subjected to unnecessary cruelty and suffering on a daily basis.
This is too funny! Comparing my dog to a cow and how I wouldn't eat my dog....Ive tried dog and it doesn't taste good, now cow tastes great! Chicken tastes better than cats so I will eat chicken. YUM YUM YUM Meat, its whats for dinner!
Will somebody please shut these urban radical animal rights weirdoos up? So sick of Petards,HSUS wackoos,ALF freaks.I want these creeps out of my refridgerator,out of my community and off my planet.
@Ray3221 – and I'm sure they feel the exact same way about you.
RE: veganism. It is impossible to be completely vegan. You simply do the very best you can. By making the decision to never consume any animals or byproducts we unfortunately are bombarded with people who can't resist calling out any hypocrisy they can find about how we're living out lives. Just because we can't avoid ALL animal products doesn't mean we should give up completely being a conscious consumer who does their best to choose nonviolence over violence.
I disagree. I've been 100% animal free and now RAW for over 14 years. The trick is being intelligent enough to learn how to read labels, and know what nutrition is essential for health. Try reading Thrive, talking to a RD, or researching the hundreds of studies out there (thanks WHO, NIH, and CDC for agreeing "plant based" is the healthiest approach).
Most of society is too distracted, ignorant, or lazy to actually care about what they put into their bodies. As long as it tastes good and it's cheap, they'll eat it.
Obesity anyone? Garbage, whoops I mean processed food, is a very bad thing in the large amounts that most Americans eat. Ask any MD, they will agree, if we ate more raw veggies, that would not be a bad thing.
My question for you Sarah, is what animal containing products can you not avoid? I admire anyone who makes a conscious effort to limit the animal products in their lives, but I am befuddled by your remark.
How have you managed to survive without killing harmful bacteria, many of which are animals?
I completely agree that we need more humane standards for raising the animals that will become our food. However, to say we should not eat meat is just counter to reality. We were biologically designed to eat meat and greens and a lot of science proves that a diet devoid of meat is just as unhealthy as a diet overloaded with red meat (but in different ways.) Also, you have to take this into account. Does a Lion take into account pain and suffering before he grabs a Zebra by the neck and rips it's throat out? No. I realize we are humans and we are better than animals. However, it is in no way morally wrong to consume animals. It is human, it is natural, and it is healthy.
But was that zebra stuck in a small pen it's entire life and then released right before it was slaughtered by the lion?
I think Cashmi's comment is right on point. If you want to run around the forest with a spear and hunt a wild boar, be my guest. But don't buy bacon in a styrofoam tray at the supermarket and claim you're just doing what's natural.
Some of my best friends are animals....and I don't eat my friends.
This article makes me hungry for a steak with a side of buffalo wings.
I don't care–they're chickens! CHICKENS! These are purpose-bred animals that have been so selectively bred as to be incapable of independent existence outside a farm.
We have millions of children starving and dying of vaccine-preventable illness. I just can't bring myself to care about the welfare of a d@mn chicken.
Why not use natural chickens which can eat things people don't – typically, I should say. In a natural environment chickens would eat bugs that can harm crops, thus eliminating the need of pesticides. People don't typically eat bugs, but we do eat corn and soy and other things fed to chickens. Likewise, we feed cows massive amounts of grain, when they've evolved to eat grass, something humans aren't capable of digesting. Also, cows take in more calories than we can get from eating beef. Instead of feeding poor children chicken and cows, why not allow the animals a more natural diet and turn the soy, corn and grain typically fed to animals into feeding people?
That's actually a good idea. It's really too bad that none of our farmers seem to have realized that. It'd lower the cost of a lot of things too. Though I guess it might be hard to get grazing land and grass for the cows to eat...
That's part of the problem....too many people like you on this earth. Feeling entitled, thinking only of yourself. Karma will swing down on you and you will be a factory chicken in the next life. Do the world a favor and don't breed.
Oh, the famous there-are-too-many-problems argument! I can't care about the chickens because of the children! Sorry if some of us pick our battles. I respect your right to curl up in a ball and resort to inaction because animals don't rank high enough on your Hierarchy of Issues. I know you can only handle one thing at a time, and you're recycling, so I'll give you a break. No one is attacking you here, so leave those of us who have picked our battle to it. Just because I decide not to eat a chicken, it doesn't mean that I don't care about air quality, or the homeless, or cancer, or whatever your issue is. My chicken isn't going to have any effect on the starving children. When people see that others have identified a wrong and wish to right it, I think they feel like they're being attacked as inadequate. The answer isn't to throw up our hands since we can't solve all the issues at once. We all pick out causes according to our values, and hope that everything can be resolved.
PETA? LOL. They murder over 97% of the animals they "rescue". Their biggest capital expenditure in 2007 was for a huge walk-in freezer to store the animals they murder. Their vice-president, Mary Beth Sweetland, is a diabetic who uses insulin derived from animals when synthetic insulin is readily available. Hypocrites, every last one of them. Educate yourself.
http://www.petakillsanimals.com
yep, I will support peta just as soon as we get ALL the people on earth taken care of. Until then peta will just have to wait at the back of the line.
Don't support PETA even then! PETA is detrimental to both animals and humans. No animal lover with even 1/3 of a brain would support PETA. There are even many vegans against PETA because what PETA appears to be and what they actually are don't coincide.
People for Excellent Tasting Animals !
All these points /would/ be valid if factory farmed meat was the only possibility, but healthier and more humane alternatives are rapidly becoming more available again.
I have tried to teach you all about the evolution of man,yet you still don't understand. You complained about the way the apes peeled and ate their bananas. You complained when the caveman used rocks and boulders to kill the Dinosaurs. You complained when the cavemen changed over to spears and cooked over a fire. You complained when the caveman moved to the ocean areas and started eating fish. You complained when the Native American Indians started eating berries and grains. What you haven't complained about is that your fat azzes are still alive. Maybe I should complain about that.
They do not understand.
I'm so grateful for the increased awareness of how food products–particularly meat, dairy, and eggs–are produced. Current-day practices do run counter to what we, as a society, perceive as being "acceptable." Kudos to Mr. Friedrich for shining light on the abuse prevalent in the intensive raising of chickens for meat and hens for eggs.
The natural world is an incredibly savage and brutal place. Animals tear their still living brethren apart. They poison them. They swallow them whole. They eat their children. They kill massively, for the pleasure of killing (they really do!). They starve. They freeze. This everybody live happily together and respect each others feelings Sesame Street worldview is infantile.
Rigel, what separates us from the animals is highly developed intelligence and evolution. Except for you. You're a troll.
I agree free all the chickens and put all the PETA wackos like this author in 6' x 6' cages. The world would be a better place.
Thanks so much for the article....everyone should have to know...
Wow that was a good opinion piece being passed off as a news article. How about posting something from the Meat eaters and not the lunatic fringe?
Opinion? I'm sure if you checked the facts, it is pretty accurate.
As soon as the chicken cages were called 'torture chambers,' any respectability went out the window.
Vegan fluff piece, no more.
Lunatic fringe? Hardly! A remarkable number of geniuses eschewed eating meat, including Pythagoras, Leonardo da Vinci, Leo Tolstoy, Thomas Edison, George Bernard Shaw, Albert Schweitzer, and Mohandas Gandhi. I would say that it's a higher level of consciousness.
It's hard to understand how some contributors to this page can be so poorly informed and/or antagonistic. It's truly in your interest to reduce or eliminate meat and seafood from your diet. A diet based on grains, fruits, and vegetables consumes far fewer resources and reduces your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. We Americans have become a pathetic overconsuming population. There are so many overweight carnivores who couldn't run a few hundred yards to save their lives. By contrast, relatively few vegetarians are obese. You should try it for a few months.
Humans are omnivores tendering toward carnivores. It's NOT in our best interest to not eat meat.
Wasn't Gandhi a giant racist?...... Yea I'll think I'll choose meat
And Hitler. Don't leave Hitler off the list.
The point, of course, is that your list is meaningless. One has nothing to do with the other.
@ Don – what makes you think humans are carnivores? Our claws? Our razor-sharp front teeth, perfect for tearing raw flesh? Our lack of plant-grinding molars? That long intestinal track which keeps rotting meat around for hours and hours? Our hydrochloric stomach acid that can eat through bone? Our super-speed, capable of bringing down prey?
Humans have only eaten meat on the scale we currently do since the invention of refrigeration. Our diet was primarily plant-based for thousands of years. We are not carnivores.
And those of us who don't digest grains well? Not everyone comfortably eats or even likes grains (whole or refined). I fall into both catagories – most (not all) don't digest well and taste awful, not matter how you try to dress them up and disguise them. It's all about balance, moderation and eating as wide a variety of food as you can. I make healthy choices based on that and try to make and use non or lightly processed foods.
@Allen957 – why are you calling the author a "lunatic" because he does not support cruelty to animals? Who's the real lunatic here?
Everyone celebrate not devaluing life because we will eventually consume it (some of us, anyway)! RESPECT!! http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2011/07/07-3
You're right. I don't devalue life, because I will eventually consume it! I value it highly.
Concerning #2: http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2011/07/07-3 A BIG BIG victory for the treatment of commercially farmed hens... One giant leap for food!
So if PETA actually supported traditional methods of animal husbandry and promoted awareness of where food comes from, I would SUPPORT them. Instead, they spend far too much time bullying people and shouting "nobody eat meat! Nobody eat animals!"
Who cares about supporting PETA? All they are trying to do is inform you about where your food comes from and the amount of suffering behind it. Ignorance to the production of your food is a really sad state to be in.
Jimbo: we reallly don't care what the wingnuts think – as long as our dinner tastes great we're quite happy. Moo.
Look the bottom line is that when someone comes up with a cheap and productive way to produce food then that is what they will use....whether it is cruel to animals or not....its about humanity not animals.....
Humanity encompasses all animals. Plants-derived foods feed much more people than the animals that eat them and it much healthier. Just because we can control an animal does not mean it is right to treat it cruelly. It would be sad if you actually thought that was right.
Jim: If they DID spend more time trying to educate people rather than bully them, I would support them even though I will be eating the meat of animals for the rest of my life with a perfectly clear conscience. Then again, I guess they are too busy killing healthy, adoptable animals to worry about actually being a productive organization.
PETA isn't really against the consumption of animals, they're against animal suffering. Hence the name People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, not People for Meat Free Lifestyle or something. Members of PETA will humanely put down farm animals when they are too ill to survive, much like how many of us would humanely put down a pet too ill to survive. As a vegetarian myself, I would rather an animal be humanely and painlessly killed then die suffering, diseased, malnourished, and in pain.
PETA is a known terrorist group. They believe that people should not own animals, they kill 93% of the animals they take in each kill. Google PETA Kills, and you will find startling statistics they that released. For a group who supposedly cares about animals. They kill an awful lot of them. I am ALL for animal welfare, but NOT for animal rights. Animals are not people. They deserve good treatment but not equivalent to a human being.
You need to be some more research on PETA. PETA is very much against eating animals! They are even against eating honey! They even want people to make their carnivore pets into vegetarians/vegans!
PETA would prefer that you don't eat any animal products. However, even Ms. Newkirk recognizes that every little bit helps, and PETA supports lessening the suffering and abuse of animals where they cannot end it altogether. They also believe in humane euthanization when necessary. PETA does outrageous things to get attention for their cause because the media will cover it for free, thereby freeing up money to spend on investigations, education, etc. Pretty smart.
And how many thousands of mice, rabbits, birds, voles, etc died for your wheaties? Anyone who has ever seen the carnage in a wheat field after a harvester has been through would never think it kind.
Why can't they be friends AND food?
Seriously? I don't eat my friends.
Maybe they are just as tasty as our animal 'friends'. I HAVE noticed that if you name your food it actually DOES taste better. Try it.
No wonder you have such a hard time getting dates..
I dont eat my friends either.....but then again...my friends arent stupid animals.
Real free range chickens:
Now that's what I want on my table! The choice between free range and battery cage chickens and eggs is a no-brainer. Thank you!! (Oh yeah, and great video too!)
Thank you... be sure to check out my other videos about lots of other types of farming/ranching!
I didn't know that farm animals were exempt from the Animal Welfare Act. In parts of some other countries like China and the Phillipines, they eat dogs, which would probably horrify a lot of Americans. And some people in other countries like India, people believe it is wrong to eat cows. Thanks for this very thought-provoking article.
Cole, you make fabulous points. Perhaps we can all become better informed and make appropriate changes in the way we live our lives to benefit all inhabitants of this Planet
O M G. Inhabitants? You make them sound sentient! Chickens? Cows? I suppose you haven't been around them much. Porpoises maybe. Crows? Nah. Chimps, gorillas (~).
@Rigel. Are you kidding? Cows and pigs are just as sentient as dogs and cats. You haven't been around many to know this I assume.
@ rigel54....
omg you can't be serious, I suspect you are just a purposeful troll trying to rile up the vegans in this comments sections, but still... omg you can't be serious, animals not sentient? I lived around animals on a farm until the age of seven watching them get castrated, de-horned, sheared, fed, slaughtered etc, and I have lived with cats in the house, for you to say that animals are not sentient, is just beyond absurd.... i should not even have dignified it with a comment....
Rigel54, even if animals weren't sentient, they have a nervous system and therefore can feel pain. A compassionate person will avoid inflicting pain on another because they can imagine themselves being subjected to pain. You should ask yourself whether compassion matters.
Those are nice glasses. How much wildlife was sacrificed in order to build the plant that made it? How much harm was done to nature and its creatures when minerals were mined for it?
That's a nice shirt. How much wildlife was destroyed in order to plan the cotton field? How many countless creatures were killed to create the factory and machinery for make it?
You've good teeth. I'm curious how much animal testing was done in figuring out fluoride was key for good oral hygiene.
Good close shave too. You didn't buy a razorblade, right? I mean, after all, they're incredibly wasteful and the resources needed to make them costs nature dearly.
Really hope you don't go to the doctor or rely on modern medicine. After all, pigs are constantly killed in the name of education and not even a deity can keep track of all the other animals that were killed in order to benefit human lives.
Think of the animals!!!
You're missing the point. The point being made by the article is to improve the lives of the animals that we use for food. What is so wrong with that? Why cause needless suffering while the animal is alive? Yes, other creatures suffer at our hands just by how our society is run. Does that mean we just give up trying to improve the lot of those creatures we are responsible for and CAN help? I don't think it's wrong to eat animals, but I think it is wrong how we go about treating them during the whole process of getting them from farm to table.
It is not economically feasible to properly feed this world without modern farming methods. I am not going to subsist on sawdust and beans. Man rose to the beginning of civilization when he began eating meat. Want paradise? Reduce the population to 500 million and maximize automation. Then you can have your leisure farms.
Yeah great idea, as long as you don't mind condeming to death millions of human beings because there will be insufficent food supplies just because a bunch of food nazis want to relieve their own personal guilt and psychodrama.
Vegans hate human beings and wish most of us would die, because that's exactly what will happen if their ideas are adopted.
After the pig is dead, it no longer cares how it was treated in life.
Bacon is tasty.
Okay, for all of you forecasting death if we decreased the livestock count, you really need to think this through. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, 60 percent of US corn crops and 40 percent of soybeans are used as animal feed. We could be using the land and resources needed to produce these crops to grow food for human consumption. Instead, we are using it to feed farm animals, which are extremely inefficient converters of grain — Note: it takes 6 to 10 pounds of grain to produce a single pound of beef.
When just one person adopts a vegetarian diet, that action frees up land to feed as many as 19 other people. If just 10 percent of American meat-eaters adopted a vegetarian diet, there would be 12 million more tons of grain to feed to humans, enough to support the 60 million people who starve to death each year.
Thank you Celeste! I agree that if each person did just a little more towards not eating animals, it would improve the situation for MANY creatures. I visited Farm Sanctuary about a month ago and have gone from vegetarian to mostly vegan. I've cheated a bit but I feel that I no longer and contributing to the callous behavior of farm animals. Not everyone has to become a vegan but you would be AMAZED at the food selections available to you! I feel better and have lost 10 lbs this month. Not that I was trying to lose weight but instead a side-effect.
I feel so good that I am finally doing right with animals. I'm 44 and couldn't feel better about myself about this decision. Try it!
Animals are yummy! We should do whatever is economically possible to make conditions more humane, but animals are yummy, and good for you (brain food!).
Rigel, your suite of entirely trite and predictable (and endlessly regurgitated by your ilk) rationalizations for refusing to examine the impact of your deliberate choices on other creatures belies your claim that meat is brain food. You won't, but I hope others who read your claptrap realize that the vehemence of your denial only shows that you know, deep down, that you could be living a less thoughtlessly cruel life, you just don't wanna. But your appetites do not constitute a moral stance any more than your dopey "analyses" constitute a rebuttal of the FACTS in this article. Fact is, you wouldn't be protesting so much if you didn't feel the sting of truth. Face that fact.
Thanks for the article, Mr. Friedrich. Although I have no use for much of PETA's moronic PR plays, I admire Farm Sanctuary and the work they do. Don't let the squirmy, defensive masses get you down.
you know how to reduce your "footprint" on this planet? go kill yourself.
JimC, congratulations. Since I've gone vegan (nearly vegan, because I have a cookie once in a while), I feel so much better too! I lost 15 lbs and am at my ideal weight. So it's not only good for you, it's good for the animals, and good for the planet (reference "The Long Shadow of Livestock, UN Report).
I don't think he has good teeth. They look rather yellow to me...
What a well-informed, well-written and englightening article. Everyone should know what it is that they are supporting with their food purchases. Please print more articles in the same vein and kudos to Mr. Friedrich!
It is impossible to successfully, much less economically, feed the population of this planet without modern farming methods. As pointed out below, even vegetarian production kills countless animals, they're just not eaten. Anyone who wants this pie-in-the sky world must immediately and aggressively push for population control. First you will have to battle the worlds religions, all trying to breed easy converts and keep people ignorant. Good luck.
My pork chops and spinach were great.
I agree whole-heartedly with this statement. After spending time overses and volunteering at the orphanges and seeing the large number of homeless, family deprived children, then coming home to my neighborhood where there seems to be a competition to see who can have the most children disgusts me. I have neighbors who spout off to me about how I should be more this and that and vegan and what not while trying to rein in their 3 children. What many vegans fail to bring into account, mostly because they are if not upper at least not hand to mouth wage earners, is that vegetarianism, though wonderful for the environment and your overall health, is expensive. And, when you add in the large numbers of people that need to be fed due to population growth, it becomes obvious that vegetarianism is not going to solve the problem. Now, I will say that there could be more humane ways of farming, but before you tell me the world should go vegan, let's first tackle the problem of overpopulation. BTW, I am adopted and have adopted so I am doing my part of not overpopulating an already taxed planet.
One can be cruel or kind in anything they do and that applies to the food industry. There is absolutely no reason for treating animals in such a cruel manner because they were born to die for food or so they can produce food for our overfed bellies. They also can be killed and butchered and processed in the same kind manner. Using a front end loader to push a half dead animal down a concrete ramp is uncalled for. The same applies to puppy mills. It's all about gread.
I have seen Tyson chicken trucks on the road with such over crowding the chickens couldn't move a feather much less have air to breath. They were dying in route to be slaughtered and in a most inhumane way. The odor of dead chichens on these trucks was most offensive. Common sense will tell you Tyson's will not let the dead chickens in route interfre with their profit.
Also the USFDA allows ammonia, meat gluing and carbon dioxide to be added to our food chain which are carcinogens not to mention the additives to the animals food.
Hopefully you enjoyed that contamined pork chop enough so when you develop cancer or some other dreaded disease due to the additives or unsafe handling of food that you will not "belly ache" about your condition and just think about what those poor animals were forced to endure.
Why would you bring religion into this? Anyway, everyone should watch the movie, "Food Inc." You may change your mind about "modern farming" after that one. Did you know that there is so much bacteria on the meat after proccessing that it's standard procedure to rinse the "beef'" in ammonia? Yup, that"s right, gotta love those Macs! MacDonald's is the biggest purchaser of all the food groups out there. You want fries with that heartattack and fat butt?
"It is impossible to successfully, much less economically, feed the population of this planet without modern farming methods. "
If by modern farming, you mean tractors and irrigation, ok. If by modern farming methods, you mean eating meat, I'm not sure how you come to this conclusion. We continue to subsidize meat and dairy industries. If they are economically stable, they should no longer need subsidies. Also, if you take into account the true water and environmental costs of some practices in the industry, I think you would find a different conclusion.
I actually think if we were to just moderate our consumption a little, we may find a healthier nation. As a nation we cry about lack of medical care. However, free solutions (such as eating more vegetables, exercising, not smoking, not doing drugs, etc...) are mocked.
Study the industry and total economics. I believe if more people grew more in their home gardens and ate meat in moderation, we may find that the actual costs to the economy and country can be reduced.
Please feel free to make fun of my spelling and grammar.... it's much more important than having intelligent discussion :-)
"It is impossible to successfully, much less economically, feed the population of this planet without modern farming methods."
wow! you're kidding right? this is a blanket emotional statement with no consideration for facts.
"Animal protein production requires more than eight times as much fossil-fuel energy than production of plant protein while yielding animal protein that is only 1.4 times more nutritious for humans than the comparable amount of plant protein"
""If all the grain currently fed to livestock in the United States were consumed directly by people, the number of people who could be fed would be nearly 800 million," David Pimentel, professor of ecology in Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, reported at the July 24-26 meeting of the Canadian Society of Animal Science in Montreal. Or, if those grains were exported, it would boost the U.S. trade balance by $80 billion a year, Pimentel estimated."
educate yourself: http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/aug97/livestock.hrs.html
Vegan hate human beings because everyone of their "proposals" would lead to the mass starvation of millions, if not billions of human beings. So, we can't eat eggs, chickens, beef, or actually and animal. And the same nut jobs want to force all farmers to "go organic" which would further reduce food levels to all time lows. The deaths would exceed even worse time sof teh black plague or the World Wars.
I always suspected BEgans hated human beings, but this article just proves that you all fervantly hope for a human genocide. You're all whackjobs and should be locked up.
Blimey. Care to cite some sources there, buckaroo?
I'm not a vegetarian but the land actually feeds MORE people when you feed the grain directly to people instead of first feeding it to animals and then eating the animals.
Maybe you should reread your post. Aside from exhibiting absolutely terrible grammar, you fail to provide anything even remotely close to fact. You talk about farmers being forced to grow organic foods. While I try to ignore your unnecessary quotation marks, I must ask you, is anything wrong with growing food contaminated with fewer chemicals? Surely all that can do is lead to better human health, as opposed to the death and destruction you predict.
As far as eating animals go, did you know that meat consumption in the U.S. far exceeds that of the rest of the world and far exceeds the recommended amount of meat for a healthy diet? Eating too much red meat has been linked to such diseases as colon cancer. It seems to me that a less meaty, more vegetable-heavy diet might lead to better health and not the death and destruction you predict. Why is that a bad thing?
Vegans and vegetarians I know don't go around preaching to non-vegans and non-vegetarians about meat eaters' horrible habits. Those I know who have chosen that route do it for themselves and for the animals. I very rarely eat meat myself, maybe once or twice year and I eat fish more often than that. My reasons? The way factory farmed animals are raised is horrific. I've watched videos of these farms and read more news stories, essays and animal behavior books than I can count, and my conclusion is that there is no need, economically or otherwise, to do the things we do to animals. If I do eat meat, I am very conscious of where it comes from (you can buy non-factory farmed meat) and only eat fish that has not been raised on farms. I am not saying everyone should be vegan or vegetarian or give up most meat; I would just argue that a more humane approach to farming is appropriate.
What's wrong with being cognizant of animal suffering and doing something to minimize or end it? Or perhaps we should all adopt your attitude and spelling habits, becoming poorly educated, callous morons who, in response to this article, run around shrieking, "OOOeeeee, I love me some MEAT and I'm a'gonna eat me six pounds o'that thar cow!"
Holy shit your grammar is poor pork chop boy! I'm not a vegan or vegetarian, but we buy our meat through local farms. That way we can see the conditions that the animals had lived in previously ensuring that they lived and died humanely. I believe that we are meant to be omnivores , otherwise we would not have canines and molars.
To: Researchthencomment. High-five, that was well typed and well thought out.
@research...
How would you propose to feed the planet without meat? Most reports that I have read from National Geographic, Mother Earth News and even the Agriculture Department suggest that we would need to turn every square inch of the planet into farmland and still not be able to meet the basic caloric intake of the planet.
I am not attacking, just asking. I have seen many talk about going vegan or vegetarian, but most have given lip service to that question. Also, what do you suggest be done with the animals that are owned by cattle ranches and companies like Tyson? Should they be unable to farm these animals, I highly doubt that they will pay to raise and feed them. Who would feed and care for them, or would you suggest we just let them die?
And I have seen very militant vegans. They are called PETA. PETA's founder Newkirk called mankind a blight on the Earth and suggested burning down medical research centers. Groups like ALF, who have conducted violence has actually recieved support in words and donations from PETA. newkirk once said a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy, I would say if you speak like a terrorist, aid a terrorist, and act like a terrorist, you are a terrorist.
Although I would agree with most of what you say, the only reason to avoid farm raised fish is for your own selfish reasons since harvesting wild caught fish to feed the world is one sure way to wipe out the world's fish populations, it would be akin to trying to provide red meat by commercially harvesting deer, which would surely wipe out the wild deer populations. (I am a wildlife biologist by education)
If showing compassion to defensless animals which are born to die for food and giving diginity to thier death means we need to be locked up then you need not worry about looking through bars. After being raised with farm animals I know there are ways to produce meat products without tortuing the poor animal to death. That is much like a human who is facing the death penalty being hung by the toes and beaten to death. That is extreme and unusual punishment.
Could the food that is used to feed the hundreds of million animals be used to feed humans instead? I'm not sure what would happen to the animals if meat farming suddenly ended, I'm sure we are intelligent enough to come up with a solution that doesn't end in a world war. There is the same argument over here in the UK concerned with fox hunting; what would happen to all the beagles and horses used on the hunt? I do not, and have never thought that is a valid argument to carry on something so cruel. Surely it is to do with ending the breeding of animals for such things, rather than needing to adopt or abandon the ones we already have.
I have been vegetarian since I was 11, I am not a nutjob as far as I know, and I hope I am not going to be killed because I believe killing animals for us to eat is wrong. I never preach my beliefs, in fact sometimes I don't like it when people find out that I am vegetarian, as in the past I have immediately got earfuls from people saying how argumentative veggies and vegans are, before I have even said anything. When it does come up in conversation, I have intelligent, respectful discussions, and if anyone needs any recipes or advice about being meat free they come to me. I think respecting animals goes hand in hand with respecting people, and all I am after is a long healthy happy life, and I wish the same for other people and the animals I call my friends.
Love from Manchester, UK.
animals are indeed our friends, but they are such good tasting friends...
AGREE.
I love animals. Especially when sitting in between a side of mashed potatoes and veggies.
See if you can put yourself in the animals' place. How would you want to be treated?
I wouldn't care. I'd be dead.
I would disagree about the quality of this article due its obvious bias to promote vegan diet and PETA. How about the side about organic and humane farming? I agree that some of the intensive farming methods are bad – they are bad for environment and, not less important, bad for quality of food. But this article ignores that because those would not be scary enough by PETA standards. This section should be about eating well not about propaganda.
Basic biological fact, like many say in comments, people are meant to eat at least some quantity of animal proteins. Although not impossible, a balanced healthy vegan diet is an extremely difficult and expensive deal. I know because I have friends who are vegan. I also know a couple who had a failed pregnancy because they jumped on the hype and she refused to eat meat without proper vegan substitutes. So it also a deal for well-educated otherwise it is dangerous.
Saleks, you are quick to attack this piece and assume that the author is condemning all meat eaters. It is clear that, while the author would encourage readers to reconsider eating meat, he also supports humane farming methods as an alternative for those who wish to continue eating animals:
"At Farm Sanctuary, we would no more eat a chicken or her egg than we would eat a parrot or her egg (or a dog or her puppy), but we support positive change for animals, and encourage others to do likewise"
And I am sick of people offering up the story of that one person they know who knows someone who stopped eating all meat products, did it wrong, and experienced a problem. It's not like you never hear of people who eat meat and are just as unhealthy. How many people drop dead from heart attacks after a (shortened) lifetime of eating fast food and porterhouse steaks? Whether you eat meat or not, you need to be aware of your dietary needs and eat accordingly.
The author makes a valid point – our society makes an irrational distinction between different animal species. People are disgusted by the inhumane treatment of dogs and cats that they hear about in the news or on television shows, but they think nothing of sitting down to eat wings and a bacon cheeseburger that came from animals who are systematically abused in far worse ways. We all need to educate ourselves so we can make choices that align with our values. Even if you come to the conclusion that you're okay with eating some animals and treating others like family members, it would still behoove you to think about the effect these farming methods have on our health.
This topic always seems to set off a firestorm of comments, but if you want to live in your ignorant plastic-covered polystyrene bliss, just leave the reading to those of us who don't mind a little education and go fry something.
whoa... back the turnip truck up... this article was neither well researched or well written. First as a poultry producer of organic free range heritage birds, your first fact that is wrong is "starving them for TWO WEEKS" it takes just a few days for a bird to die from lack of feed and water. When you starve anything, you aren't getting the best out of your livestock and when you don't get your best, you don't get top dollar and when you don't get top dollar you go belly up faster than a two week starvation diet.
Wake up people, go visit responsible farmers and support the farm to fork initiatives around the country. The more you know, the better consumers and producers we all are – this article has that much right.
The other glaring problem with the research behind this article is the United Egg producers are working with PETA to avoid another horse slaughter fiasco and to educate radicals that farm practices are done not out of greed and cruelty but developed from generations of active farmers.
Lastly, antibiotic use is livestock is the biggest myth of all. Us farm folks are out to make money, we don't raise livestock and grains for our amusement. To dump drugs like this article suggests is a huge waste of resources and time. The current practices in raising livestock is as close to organic as a person can get without the paperwork. Less is more – the less you buy, and can produce without expensive chemicals and drugs, the bigger the bottom line is.
Farming is a business, not a feel good hobby. We do things to produce the best we can with the resources we have.
BTW – Temple Grandin is awesome and even she would strongly disagree with this article if she felt the need to read it – which she wouldn't.
Let the vegan hand wringing begin in...
3...
2...
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I could read this at the coffee shop in the front of the nearby granola store – the Clear Conscience Cafe, while I'm sitting in a leather living room chair.
You should consider taking the weekends off from being an a55hole.
Broaden your perspectives.
Expand your life.
Drew, I am very open on nearly every facet of life. I shop regularly at the aforementioned granola store, Harvard Coop, and Whole Foods, buying anything that looks interesting as well as what I came for. I decide where to eat out with the same mentality. PETA takes their "Save the animals" mission as the world's top priority. I merely pointed out a contradiction of store that is flooded with signs about the superiority of organic, gluten free, vegan food and has a coffee shop named Clear Conscience Cafe. (I went out for a burger today for lunch. Am I going to hell?)
You should broaden your narrow perspectives, and not speak until you're able to articulate your argument better than name-calling.
"Truth", shut the frack up.
Wow. Another example of a liberal encouraging opposing viewpoints and showing nasty conservatives for the facists they are.
The only difference I see between commentators at FOX and CNN on the boards are who is being attacked or defended. The hate is the same.
Perhaps we could buy some time by eating the wolves who eat organic beef, but don't let money or greed or the supression of scientific fact disturb you, like BoB Marley said, O O time will tell, money and greed rule, and before you know it, until you wake up, everyone will start to like wolf so much, everyone will be eating them from the cages, then they will be dogs, what's wrong with that? well he really did not say that, but Legand is most popular, but I am saying it, good thing for frozen sperm, and legal drugs, for our food, because of money, but not for us, until you get the go ahead for the behavoir modification Pharmies, since your bugged out like a veitnam protestor being spied on by your own government, just like the peta people, meanwhile, the old landmines are still blowin peoples legs off, we can't ignore enough shit if were not fat and chowed down, and we want that quick, but who really needs comfy at a time like this ---You are delousional, or you are too slow, or you are insensitive. I feel bad for the old Fucks Propaganda and the guilt they will have to deal with, eating meat is an addiction, but there could be some other factors involved that have nothing to do with meat. Bitch back at me after you tell me all about the covert research that was done in the name of science on marijuana, and where are we now? Well, if eveyone performed acts of kindness in this country and did something compassoniate in some relation to the time they spend watching television and playing the ref "to a new study found" or some other pile of garbage, where being delusional would be the best thing for you, then things would be better. bottom line is, you can only eat your own shit so many times, national smoke out day went over good, national meat out day, not so hot, must of been the blood throwers I suppose, but we have come a long way, with all the blood thrown for soy patties. ps I have a hunch, does that count for anything
Did you mean to type "Let the omnivore DEFENSIVENESS begin... " It takes an awful lot of it to avoid the cognitive dissonance. You could eat the grain that the cattle eat, but yet you chose to eat the cattle. Why? Because you can. But it must bother you on some level, otherwise you wouldn't be here defending yourself (anonymously.)