Live & Let Live

Health and environmental impacts are extremely important to me, but the one argument that is used time and time again is animal rights. And it's really a reason that I hold very close to my heart. I'm an animal lover, and I can't stand the thought of something so innocent being treated poorly.  

PETA has fought for years in order to promote the humane treatment of animals, and vegan and vegetarianism to prevent their unnecessary deaths. PETA describes the factory farming industry as striving “to maximize output while minimizing costs – always at the animals’ expense.” 

It’s difficult to paint a truly clear picture of the torment these animals live in with only words, but below are some examples of the treatment and living conditions of livestock animals.

When a cow is born, it is torn immediately away from its mother. Cows are very similar to humans in that they form a strong maternal bond during pregnancy, so often mother cows will cry for their calves long after they’ve been taken. After birth, calves are branded for identification purposes, and males are castrated without sedation or pain relief. Often, young cows will have their horns burned or cut off. PETA explains on their website that the cows are then sent to “dirty feedlots, where they are exposed to the elements.” The organization notes that female are used to breed over and over again, until they are physically incapable to become pregnant again. They are then sent back to the slaughterhouse.

More than “seven billion chickens” and “300 million turkeys” are slaughtered per year. The birds alike are caged in small spaces, genetically enhanced to grow faster which results in their legs becoming entirely crippled under their own weight. To keep them from pecking or scratching each other, their toes and upper beaks are cut off.

We usually consider pigs as being dirty animals. In actuality, pigs very similar to our canine companions, as they are very devoted and affectionate animals.  PETA’s website comments that pigs are “considered by animal behaviorists to be smarter than 3-year-old children.”  The pigs on farms are cramped in filthy warehouses under constant stress of intense confinement. Similar to cows, mother pigs are forced to become pregnant over and over again, only to have their piglets stripped away from them within weeks. The baby pigs are then shipped to live in pens with thousands of others. In the boredom and stress, pigs often revert to fighting or biting on each other’s tails. To avoid this, the factory farmers ensure that the pigs’ tails are chopped off, the ends of their teeth snipped off with pliers.

These are only some examples of the living conditions of these animals. It's very hard for me to imagine my sweet kitten in conditions like that, so why should a chicken, cow, or pig be any different? They're all innocent creatures, that haven't done anything to deserve that torment. 

TOPIC RECIPE: Crispy Barbequed Tofu Slices
torment Tofu is a scary word for most people. It's odd looking and doesn't contain much flavor when it's raw, but can be a remarkable substitute for meat products if cooked and flavored right. This recipe is proof of that.