A tombstone on the grounds of the former Northern Michigan Asylum in Traverse City, Michigan:Traverse Colantha Walker
361604
Born 4-29-1916
Died 1-8-1932
World’s Champion Cow
Milk 200,114.9 lbs.
Fat 7,525.8 lbs.
Nine Lactations
Bred, Owned, Developed
By Traverse City Hospital
I bring this info to hyperspace in the hopes that it will bear witness to the fact that food production animals are not all treated as a commodity. They weren't in the past and they are not now. There are always some bad actors out there and they anger and embarrass me when they show up but my experience tells me that these are rare rather the norm. I have witnessed the care provided to dairy animals in particular and to the efforts put forth to produce a food that can be used to feed the world. Yes, feed an often times starving world. with a quality, nutritious product. And it can be and is done humanely. And our farmers are not making a lot of money doing it. Especially this past year.
Now I am loath to even mention the following two organizations names but I will. They get enough press without my help but they just make me so sick to my stomach that I have to do it. I am so tired of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) (and I wish to note here that they are in NO way your local animal shelter) and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)shocking our society with disturbing images that more often misrepresent and distort the mainstream. Look up those organizations on the internet and find out what they really are all about. They are simply another group of "radicals" that are trying to once again force a group's personal issue on a whole of society. Disguised as a moral issue, like we need more of those burdening our troubled collective soul.
I don't criticize them about the pain and suffering that go into the harvest of a carrot, stalk of celery or a turnip. I imagine they would have issues about eating a nut that fell from a tree. Murdering an oak tree fetus, perhaps? And I am no way mocking the serious issue of abortion.
Understand, I realize that in order to eat meat an animal has to die. I am OK with that. I am a hunter and I have killed animals for that very reason. I have also humanely put down the family dog when she was suffering. Leave my choice alone. Realize that the soils of the world are also vanishing right out from underneath our boots due to overproduction of grains, vegetables and other food crops. Look it up. The United States had in happen during the time of Oklahoma dust bowls. Seen the sand dunes that dominate the once "Fertile Crescent" in the Middle East? You can't grow much on a sand dune. I guess you start to make glass jars to put food in that you can no longer grow.
We have to work together to create (or fix for that matter) a food web that is sustainable yet can meet the growing population of the world. The world needs quality protein as much as the other building blocks of good nutrition.
I wish that people would just breathe and think, breathe and think and breathe and think some more.
Posts
7 comments:
Oooh I've seen that headstone in person! Very neat
I will have to visit it myself, Emily. Share the post with your Traverse City Peeps.
Nice Post! You said it all very well. Nothing more to add. Very interesting headstone we drove thru there but never saw the stone,will have to find it when we go to TC.
Great Post Mitch!
-Mindy
The only thing I would add to this is that it's not the over production of all grains, fruits and veggies that is causing soil erosion it is the farming, irrigation, and fertilization methods employed that cause topsoil erosion. In itself eating a vegan/vegetarian/raw diet will not cause topsoil erosion especially if you purchase organic crops from local farmers who practice low impact farming.
I don't support the groups you mentioned but there are a lot of unethical practices that go on in this country (and others) that are a bigger problem than just the, humane treatment of the animal. I recently stopped eating meat because of all the information I learned on how it is mass produced and handled, it made me sick... however, I don't and will not tell anyone that they need to quit eating meat. All I would ever suggest is that they buy meat from a local person who raises the animal without antibiotics, feeds them food that doesn't cause them to have ulcers and die within a year and allows them out into the sunshine .. then kills them humanely.
But it is a choice that everyone is entitled to make for themselves, I just hope that people will educate themselves and make a socially responsible decision, meat or no, because you can be a vegetarian and still make socially irresponsible decisions.
Here is a site done by a woman I know who supports humane treatment of all animals:
http://www.weanimals.org/index.html
It has a lot of interesting imagery.
I would welcome everyone to look at the practices of the farmers that they purchase their food from. Many will let you visit their farms and talk about what it takes to produce food. And also, not all science is bad and can be a useful tool to improve our food production practices, both animal and vegetable. Being aware and listening is a great start and what and how you purchase your food will move how it is produced in the right direction.
Post a Comment