Help Californians Pass Prop 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act
This piece originally appeared as an Op-ed in the Los Angeles Times Oct 28, 2008
California's farm animals and consumers deserve Proposition 2's protections.
Two weeks ago, video from an undercover investigation at Norco Ranch, owned by Missouri-based Moark, was released to the public showing pitiful images of animals abused at a California factory farm. The undercover investigator not only recorded images of four to six birds crammed into small cages and unable to extend their wings, but also dead birds in cages, birds with legs or other body parts caught in the wire caging, and the animals living in absolute filth and squalor.
A California initiative on the November ballot -- Proposition 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act -- would phase out the cramming of veal calves, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens into small cages and crates. Moark and Norco together are the largest funders of the campaign against Proposition 2, and Norco is the largest egg factory farm in the state, with 8 million birds crammed into tiny cages.
If you only listened to the arguments of the opponents of Proposition 2 or read their news releases, you'd think they were the greatest caretakers of animals and protectors of food safety. Their self-image is miles from the reality.
Earlier this year, there was another investigation that shocked Californians and the nation. It showed the mistreatment of "downer" cows at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. slaughter plant in Chino. An investigator from the Humane Society of the United States went undercover there and documented sick and crippled cows being brutalized in order to get them into the "kill box."
Government inspectors and plant management either missed the abuse or allowed it to persist. Agribusiness apologists tried their best to deny that this happened until confronted with graphic videotape evidence.
These two investigations show that we cannot allow the factory farming industry to self-regulate, nor can we wait for government to step up and protect animals from abuse or to guard us from food safety threats. That's precisely why Proposition 2 is so important and timely.
Animals with wings and legs need to be allowed to use them, and they should not be denied enough room to stand up, turn around and stretch their limbs. That's the simple fix behind Proposition 2, and it's phased in over a six-year period to allow farmers to transition to more humane production practices.
Proposition 2 will not restore the placid imagery of "Old MacDonald's Farm," but veal calves will no longer be chained by the neck and confined in tiny stalls until slaughter; pigs will not be imprisoned in metal cages that are barely larger than their bodies; and eight hens at a time will not be crammed into wire cages with each bird having less floor space than a letter-sized sheet of paper.
The greatest nation in the world, with the most innovative farmers, can do better than immobilize animals in severe confinement systems for their entire lives. Family farmers know food quality is enhanced by more humane farming methods, and they know there is a balance between animal care and economics.
The Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production issued a report concluding that Proposition 2 includes "the types of modest animal welfare public policy improvements that the commissioners recommend implementing." This independent panel, chaired by former Kansas Gov. John Carlin and including among its members former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and leading veterinarians and farmers, said, "Practices that restrict natural motion, such as sow gestation crates, induce high levels of stress in the animals and threaten their health, which in turn may threaten human health."
Science has confirmed what common sense already tells us: Cramming animals into filthy, unsafe cages leads to higher rates of diseases such as salmonella, which can spread to people. It's on the basis of human and animal health concerns that the California Veterinary Medical Assn., the Center for Food Safety, the Consumer Federation of America and the Union of Concerned Scientists, along with more than 40 newspapers, have endorsed Proposition 2.
These modest reforms of farm practices won't be costly to implement. The egg industry's own California-based economist reports that producing cage-free eggs costs less than one penny per egg more.
For consumers, it's such a small price to pay. For millions of farm animals, though, a yes vote on Proposition 2 means so very much.
WATCH THE NEW YES ON PROP 2 AD
Wayne Pacelle is president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States.
www.YesonProp2.com
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This issue may only appear on the ballot in California, but it plays out in towns throughout this country on a daily basis. Too often, people are myopic and self-centered. Whether one is wont to admit it or not, they are usually focused on their individual needs, the outcome that best benefits them. You do not have to be a vegetarian, animal rights activist or a hippie to recognize that abuse is apt to occur whenever products are derived from animals for human consumption. In many of these food factories, abuse is rampant because animal care is a hurdle in the path towards profitability. The welfare of the animal is secondary - at best.
This is another reason for all of us to do our part in buying locally grown/raised food products. Small family farm operations understand the need to care for their livestock not only to consider the health and wellbeing of their brood, but to also increase their businesses viability. Once again we are reminded of how big business negatively affects and industry that was once successful without the corporate mentality of bigger and faster is better.
Wayne - we went to Sheriden Middle School together 100 years ago, but I am always proud when I see a hometown boy standing up for animals everywhere!!
Was he perfect back then too? Lol!
You rock, Wayne. Thanks for all your work. Fingers crossed for victory tomorrow. Tuesday will quite possibly turn out to be the best day in a loooong time for a lot of people - and animals!
Compassion is often not practiced by more than half a nation's populace especially when it comes to preventing farm animal cruelty. In commercial farms these animals are seen as products. Free running chickens grow slower whereas caged chicken are fed 24 hours under controlled condition. In just under 30days the chickens are ready for the frying pan. Layers are even worse as the hens are squeezed into tight cages. Usually these chickens are grown for the fast food chain.
If those who eat chickens are ready to pay for more expensive free running chickens then maybe these animals will suffer less.
Those who really care about sufferings to animals are usually non meat eaters. When you bite on a piece of fried chicken how many will give a thought to does suffering animals. The fried aroma mixed with herbs and chicken blood drowns out any sense of compassion.
Yes there are still hippies, and yes they grow local organic veggies and meat, and often at lower prices then you would find in the store. Ok I admit that getting my veggies from our local hippie is a challenge in two ways:
1st, you really have to get past the fact that some insect will have eaten some of everything, organic is organic.. But the taste is great compared to store bought and no nothing on the product... clean and natural.
2nd, you have to get used to cooking stuff you had no idea you were getting, and often in large amounts. Getting potatoes in large quantity with squash makes it easy, have a week with huge amounts of bitters and a single pepper makes it harder.
Still it is fun, I raise chickens and sell eggs, they are as free range as you can get (i am not a hippie, but try to act like on on the weekends), to the point I have to kill predators all the time (I do like guns). We raise beef at another friends house and the are free range grass feed, nothing else unless they fall ill, and they are slaughter in as humane a way as possible. You simply have to look, and instead of supporting Wally World you support your local hippie. Everything you buy can come within 100 miles of your home. Cuts your carbon footprint, supports local business, and is healthier.
the destruction of rights is usually not a big step. It's several small incremental steps.
So the animals may have the ability to move around in the cage if this prop passes. Assuming the farms don't just move out of state does anyone really believe the animal rights activists will stop there? Could their next complaint be that these animals have to spend their entire lives inside a noisy, smelly building and demand that these animals have the ability to walk about in the sun? Every time we concede to a bullies demand they just demand more. We need to stand up to this thuggery and vote no on prop 2. My animals are my property and if you don't like how I treat my animals then don't buy from me.
Hmm interesting that BIG AG speaks now, other wise they'd prefer consumer don't ask questions about where there food comes from, they think yup just buy based on price don't question anything,
they could raise their product in Kenya, load em up with drugs confine em any way they can, feed em GMO laced feed, have children tend them in slave conditions and air freight (big carbon footprint) it here and sell it 'cheap', but don't question that, because it cheap, good and super profitable. (when really it's not)
for the most part that does describe how I decide what food to buy. Price is a large determining factor larger than any other. The conditions the animals are raised in falls around dead last in my concerns. So long as the food is cheap and tastes good I don't care about where the animal was raised, what conditions it lived in or the people who tended the animals or how it was transported to my plate.
Now some would panic that this would result in unethical behaviour by the food producing companies and I concede that it probably would to a small extent. This is evidenced by history. However, history also shows us that some producers would go out of their way to demostrate that their food is good for us to eat and has no impurities. Such as when Heinz switched to using clear bottles so customers could see what they were getting before the purchase. This forced other producers to do the same to retain their business and lead to improved food quality for everyone. No business would be around long that would not comply to the new standard or that allowed excessive impurities into the food that injured or killed their customers (the dead don't eat).
The free market system works better than anything else.
Another good reason to be a vegetarian!
I'm all for treating animals as humanely as possible, but the vague language of Proposition 2 is very problematic. It does not take into account all aspects of animal welfare...
The problem with this proposition is that it makes an emotional appeal to Californians who know absolutely nothing about animal behavior or farming practices. Most people misplace their own emotions and ideals of comfort on animals who do not necessarily have the same needs or wants. The proposition sounds good, but most people will just vote with their emotions without looking into the research that is already out there on animal welfare and farming practices to see whether the proposition is actually the best option for California.
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Well, I'm an old lady & if I live for two more days, I hope with all my heart to see the United States elect a black president. As a white child in the south, who's grandfather was a proud member of the kkk,
I knew from a very young age just how very, very wrong & cruel the kkk was, as were the jim crow laws and all that stupid, bigoted crap. [even though it was all very, very popular back then]
Just as I've always known racism is an ugly , disgusting thing, so is bigotry against animals.
I won't live to see it, but I'm betting a child born at this time will also live to see an end to legal
cruelty against animals. I'm quite sure by the end of this century the idea of eating the cut up insides of animals will be as unthinkable to the general public as it is to me & other AR activists today.
And oh yes.....YE
I voted Yes on 2. Along with 11 these are the two important Props.
Vote Yes on Prop 2. Check out this video for the true solution to our climate crisis!
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I became a vegetarian last year. I swore that until the meats available in our markets all came from animals raised with respect and slaughtered in a clean and dignified way, I would not be eating any meat.
I still hold to that.
As an aside, I have lost over 45 pounds solely as a result of going vegetarian. So maybe I will never go back to meat.
This proposition may also help smaller family farms by giving them a little bit of a competitive edge.
I was active in the Humane Farming Association in the 80s. We were trying to get exactly this same thing done then. I can't believe so little progress has been made.
"The greatest nation in the world, with the most innovative farmers, can do better than immobilize animals in severe confinement systems for their entire lives."
I agree, but what has this got to do with America?
It's where we live. It's where my food comes from.
Raise chickens in your back yard. Most cities as a reaction to the depression have no ordinance against having them in the city limits. They eat ALL your table scraps, keep down insects, and provide a sustainable egg and meat production. Easy to keep, they take care of themselves. typical 1 rooster to 8-10 hens. You have to have the rooster for social aspects, but not needed. Just make sure your neighbors are cool with the roosters prior to buying them, they can get quite loud, at least mine are.
Sometimes I hear people say, "They are just gonna be killed anyway so who cares!"
Well, we're all gonna die too but I would sure like to have as pleasant a time as possible while I'm here.
I voted early. I voted YES ON PROP 2. I hope all Californians will do the same and set the example that the rest of the Country will surely follow.
All of us will benefit, not just the Animals.
YES ON PROP 2! And thank you Wayne!
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