| World Vegan News | August 3 2007 |
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Animal advocates who have received DawnWatch for a while know that DawnWatch strongly supports welfare improvements for farm animals while at the same time encouraging a gentle move towards a plant-based diet as the most compassionate choice. I am therefore delighted to share Bruce Friedrich's current blog on the popular Huffington Post site headed:
"Humane Meat: A Contradiction in Terms." Friedrich asks three questions:
"First, is there such a thing as truly 'humane meat'? Second, would consuming only humane meat satisfy the demands of ethical living? And third, do we, as individuals, have good reason to promote 'humane meat' rather than vegetarianism?"
He also asks and comments,
"Would you be willing to cut an animal's throat? For most of us, taking an animal's life is anathema; we just wouldn't do it. Of course, all of us could spend an afternoon shucking corn, watch a cornfield being tilled, or take part in every other aspect of getting plant foods to the table.
"But how many of us could spend an afternoon cutting animals' throats, or even watching it? And then ask yourself in what other areas of your life do you pay others to do things you find too repulsive? And how ethical is it to pay someone to do things that are wholly unnecessary and too atrocious to watch?"
Friedrich makes a point with which I concur: "I want to be clear that, as I've argued before, working for improved living and dying conditions for farmed animals is a critical element in the animal rights movement, and I spend a large portion of my time, day in and day out, working to change the way animals are raised and slaughtered. Victories like the banning of gestation crates in Oregon, Arizona, and Florida are real victories for animals."
He makes further points and then goes on to end with:
"But for individuals who care about cruelty, vegetarianism is the only choice. Vegetarianism makes a statement against oppression at every meal. It is incredibly fulfilling to know that, where you can, you are promoting practices that are kind rather than cruel, and helping to create a society that is life-giving, rather than life-taking.
"Remember, it's not a matter of putting animals ahead of human beings . Vegetarian advocates are simply suggesting that meat-eaters not ignore the concerns of animals entirely by dining on their corpses.
"It's not that much to ask, and lives are depending on you."
Some people on this list will agree, others will not. But anybody who cares about animal suffering should read this sensitive article and post a comment at the bottom of the page so that Huffington Post knows that these issues are important to readers.
Read the entire piece at Huffington Post, then take a moment to register and comment.
Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn.
(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. You may forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts if you do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this parenthesized tag line. If somebody forwards DawnWatch alerts to you, which you enjoy, please help the list grow by signing up. It is free.)
