On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 12:10:18 +0100, Geoff
wrote:
http://vanguardpublications.blogspot.com/
PART FIVE - Can We Help the Animals?
Published September 26, 2006
by Larry Parker
Polls have shown time and again that the American public is not in
agreement with the way farm animals are treated today. And yet weeks,
months, even years pass with no action being taken to correct the
situation. Agribusiness corporations, in the meantime, methodically
and with unwavering determination, move ahead with their plans for
expansion - a new breeding sow facility here, a new egg-laying
operation there; more cheap low-quality meat for the masses, more
infestation of our air and our water, more health hazards to our
children, more profit for the rich at the expense of, well, everyone;
and lest we forget, more animals bred to a life of undeserved agony.
Why do we stand idly by as time and again these cancerous tumors take
root in our land?
Is the reality of the situation simply too unpleasant for us to look
squarely in the eye? Do we instinctively avert our glance from the
images of graphic suffering, choosing instead to push these horrors to
the farthest recesses of our minds? And do we then return to the
familiar trappings of a sanitized universe, having successfully
distanced ourselves from this transitory glimpse into hell, ensuring
ourselves a good night's sleep, and persuading ourselves that someone
else is responsible for the misery and wretchedness of the poor
creatures who just happen to comprise a large portion of our diet?
But what if we were forced to take a closer, more defining look at the
problem? What if, for example, our job was that of feeding a veal
calf? Could we in all consciousness administer a formula to this weeks
old infant that we knew was making him sicker and sicker? And as he
strained against the tether about his neck, would we see that he
wished only to be able to walk, play, or even just stretch his legs?
How easily could we bear witness to this constant agonizing struggle,
knowing one day his resolve would begin to weaken, as he slowly gave
in to depression, becoming listless and dispirited, but still unable
to escape his physical torment?
Or what if, instead, we were assigned the task of force feeding ducks
being raised for foie gras? How easy would it be for us to forcibly
grab the neck of one duck after another, jamming a long feeding tube
down their throats, while pumping obscene quantities of soggy mush
into their stomachs? And as this regimen wore on for days or even
weeks, would we take the time to notice the increasing numbers of
birds clumsily trying to stand or walk, but unable to do so without
toppling over? As they lay on their abdomens, crippled and in pain,
would we even perceive the ones pushing themselves along with their
wings across a feces-covered floor trying desperately to reach a water
nozzle?
Is it possible that even these horrifying images would fail to stir
us? Have we truly become so indifferent to the tragedy of real-life
suffering that nothing lights a fire beneath us?
Maybe our problem is that we're too distracted by an environment which
promotes and even rewards our self-indulgence. This would be a nice
way of saying that we're selfish, and through the eyes of the rest of
the world, it must certainly seem that way. We're affluent,
comfortable, well-fed; possessing magnificent homes, lavish wardrobes,
cars, computers, cellphones; taking for granted the benefits of
regulated climates, effortless transportation, and nightly
entertainment; materially fulfilled beyond the wildest aspirations of
our ancestors. Yet, in the process of achieving these lofty ambitions,
have we possibly lost sight of the fact that, as we knew all along,
there would be a price to pay for our accrued wealth? And while
focusing on the rewards, were we not paying enough attention to the
fact that this price was being extracted from us every step of the way
- a slice of our humanity here, a piece of our soul there? Bit by bit,
matching our progress at every turn, gradually transforming us from
what we used to be into what we are today?
And do we now wander a bit too carelessly through our gilded lives
possessing a degree less of sensitivity and a degree more of
callousness, having allowed ourselves to become unsympathetic and
uncaring to all but that which affects our own sphere of influence,
our inner sanctum? And though we may still care about things like
cruelty to animals, have our priorities become so skewed over time,
that we discover with increasing ease we can convince ourselves there
are simply too many other "more important" things to worry about?
I wonder how many hundreds of communities have come to the realization
too late that factory farms were one of the things they should have
been worrying about, as they woke up one morning to a foul stench in
the air, their water contaminated, their land devalued, an unusual
number of their residents taken ill. I wonder, too, if they possibly
noticed the presence of a new neighbor in their midst - a gulag of
insidious proportions and incalculable torments. Venturing close
enough to this beast might they even be able to hear the screams
emanating from within? I also wonder how many more communities will
allow their vision of America to be tainted by these corporate
cesspools, spewing pollution into their environment while causing
agony to untold numbers of innocent creatures.
So at what point will we decide to stop turning the other way? How
close will the problem have to get before it becomes our problem?
Close enough to smell? Close enough to hear? Close enough to slap what
remains of our humanity in the face, and scream at us to wake the hell
up? What will it take to make us recognize that when an environment
exists which allows for the wholesale treatment of animals as though
they were objects or machines rather than living beings, something is
horribly wrong; and that it's not only our problem, it's our
responsibility to act and to act quickly, lest we wake up one morning
and find that the time to act has passed us by?
Many have responded to the situation by adapting a vegetarian or vegan
standard. This is a good thing, since every person who makes this
choice translates to one less person lending financial support to
industrial farming. However, as much as I respect and admire anyone
who would completely re-evaluate their eating habits or even their
entire lifestyle on behalf of a mistreated animal, it simply isn't
enough. Successfully purging meat and dairy products from our table is
one thing, but how much will such actions contribute to actually
stopping the pain and abuse? Right now, about 6.6 billion people, all
but 1% of the world's population, depend on a meat-based diet. One
day, this may dramatically change, but over the course of the next few
decades, I seriously question whether enough people will ever abandon
their carnivorous values to have a significant impact on the current
state of agriculture. Meat is a cornerstone of our lives. One might
say we're addicted, fixated, even enslaved.
No, something far more effective is demanded of us. To bring about
significant reform, what we really need is the rule of law. While one
person can make a difference, one law can make an enormous difference.
And even people who're unwilling to give up their dependence on meat,
might still be persuaded to support legislation which would guarantee
a more compassionate treatment of the animals they consume. In short,
we need to be practical and pursue those actions which will bring
about real relief to the victims in question.
One thing is certain. To a large degree, we can no longer depend on
our elected officials to come riding in on a white horse and save the
day. Over time, corruption in government has become the rule rather
than the exception, while special interests and elected
representatives walk so closely in unison with each other it's
actually getting hard to tell them apart. Like siamese twins they
traverse the halls of assembly, their very presence making a mockery
of the institutions they've been designated to uphold. I sometimes
wonder, in fact, if special interest groups could possibly squeeze one
more unscrupulous politician into their back pocket. Honestly, it must
be unbelievably crowded in there.
Corruption notwithstanding, however, average citizens still possess
the power to control our legislative processes. In approximately half
the states of this nation, an electoral procedure known as the voter
initiative allows citizens to circumvent their elected representatives
on virtually any issue. Clearly, this is no easy task, requiring a
submission process that must meet specified regulations, formats,
deadlines, etc., not to mention the garnering of a substantial number
of petition signatures from registered voters. Fortunately there are a
large number of state animal welfare and protection agencies, as well
as numerous national animal rights organizations, who are more than
willing to offer their support for these efforts.
A prime example of how such an endeavor can succeed is Proposition
204, currently on the Arizona ballot, which according to polls should
have no trouble in passing this November. Proposition 204 is a
landmark voter initiative which will ease the living conditions for
breeding sows and veal calves contained and processed anywhere within
the state; and has not only been tirelessly supported by the Arizona
Humane Society, but has also received generous financial assistance
from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Farm
Sanctuary, two highly-respected and powerful animal rights
organizations.
In those states not offering the initiative process, a more
community-minded approach becomes necessary, involving the
organization of grassroots movements and campaigns, again with the
help of statewide and national animal rights agencies. By tapping into
the inherent compassion that most of us feel for animals, it then
becomes possible to develop a strongly united constituency, motivating
even the most corrupt of politicians to re-evaluate the terms of their
professional survival.
And what about the federal arena? In June of this year, a
groundbreaking piece of legislation, H.R.5557 was introduced in the
U.S. House and referred to the Committee on Agriculture and the
Committee on Government Reform by Representative Christopher Shays of
Connecticut. In a nutshell, the provisions of this bill would prohibit
the federal government from purchasing food derived from any animal
not raised in compliance with a stipulated set of humane requirements.
At a minimum, the bill would positively impact and improve the lives
of millions of animals throughout the nation.
But now for the bad news. Little if any action will doubtless be taken
on H.R.5557 till after the Legislature breaks for mid-term elections.
And even then, if you know anything about Congress, you know that
massive amounts of bills are being introduced to committees on a
continuing basis. The odds of any one statute surviving amidst a
countless throng of legislative wishlists and local concerns is slim
at best. What a bill needs to rise above it's peers is sponsorship,
and at present, H.R.5557 is sponsored by only 13 members. Please
contact your representative in the House (find out who this is here)
and ask them to offer their sponsorship. You can also contact members
of the two relevant House committees (find out who these are here and
here) and ask for their support. I can guarantee you these congressmen
are already being bombarded with correspondence from those who would
like nothing better than to see the factory farm environment remain
exactly as it is.
I don't know if farm animals sit in their caged prisons day after day
yearning for someone or something to rescue them or whether they
simply pass the time, languishing in misery, believing this is how
their lives are supposed to be. What I do know is that these are
sentient beings. They think, they feel, they learn, they remember,
they forget. They're capable of experiencing joy, excitement, stress,
anxiety, and fear. And right now, they're enduring a great amount of
injury due to the actions of humans, actions that are an abomination.
At times the idea of their torment consumes my thoughts, keeping me
awake at night, filling me with rage, moving me to tears, and stirring
me to action. There's no doubt in my mind these poor creatures are in
desperate need of rescuing. Their pain is unbearable. It's unjustified
and unwarranted. It's a crime against creation and an insult to the
creator.
Won't you please help them?
See
http://www.ciwf.org/
http://www.viva.org.uk/
www.animalaid.org.uk
www.hillside.org.uk