We all know what goes on in slaughterhouses. It’s not a pretty thing. But once you’ve actually seen it in detail — everything seems to change.

I saw some of the videos on ChooseVeg.com about investigations within places where livestock is processed into food. It was the most deeply emotionally damaging thing I had experienced since reading about the Holocaust.

I just can’t believe some of the hell that exists on our own planet. For humans, and in this case, beasts. My faith in humanity just sloped downward when I witnessed some of the cruelty that took place (and God forbid, could be going on as we speak). Like somebody had put it: When you see something like this, you lose that feeling of “Oh, everything is gonna be okay. Nothing that bad could ever happen”.

I cried, and had trouble sleeping that night.

So, getting to the point, I’m not a vegetarian. I enjoy eating meat. Sure, I try to cut down on meat intake, but I find a vegetarian diet might be more of a hbumle than I could deal with.

We’re having turkey for dinner, and I get sick when I look at it. I didn’t take any.

But this is what’s been going on in my head: Even if people stopped eating meat, how would that help put an end to the merciless, often illegal practices used on livestock? There would always be someone eating meat, wouldn’t there? And, if I do eat meat, does that necessarily mean that I support animal cruelty?

I wouldn’t want to eat something that could have been beaten and left to die slowly and excruciatingly. It seems insulting. But what am I supposed to do?

In short, I don’t think it’s bad to eat meat. But it’s unforgivable to practice such abominable torture on those poor creatures.

What do you think?

You need meat. Everybody needs meat.

Fingerz Posted:

If you want to continue to eat meat, INSIST on only buying free range and/or organic meat products. These animals are fed and treated better than the ones sold by discount meat packers. In addition they won’t b treated with unecessary drugs or hormones so you can feel safe when consuming it.

Also, consider buying products certified as Kosher; Kosher laws dictate that to be deemed Kosher “We may not eat animals that died of natural causes (Deut. 14:21) or that were killed by other animals. In addition, the animal must have no disease or flaws in the organs at the time of slaughter” and “The method of slaughter is a quick, deep stroke across the throat with a perfectly sharp blade with no nicks or unevenness. This method is painless, causes unconsciousness within two seconds, and is widely recognized as the most humane method of slaughter possible.” Sure it’s still a dead animal, but it was healthy at the time of slaughter and it was killed as painlessly as possible.

Oh and if you wanna see more ****ty videos, check out http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com ; it showcases the torture KFC’s “best” chicken suppliers inflict on the birds they feed us. I’ve been boycotting them for years because of what I saw and read on that website.

I think I went to the same KFC site. There wasn’t much there, but a repeat of what I had already seen, but it’s definitely changed my attitude about that place.

In one of the videos I saw, I think there were Kosher cattle that were not killed very humanely. They had their trachea extracted while being held in some machine, and were dumped on the ground, convulsing with an open, bleeding throat, suffocating and dying slowly. Jee-ZUS. Log in to see images!

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I will definitely pay more attention to packaging labels that indicate free-range, etc.

Log in to see images! TUBSWEETIE edited this message on 09/20/2011 2:23AM

I hate the **** out of organizations like PETA that have a self-righteous, in-your-face attitude, and seem to spend a lot more money on publicity than actually saving the animals (this despite being a tax exempt “charity”Log in to see images!.

That said, yeah I can see some legitimate reasons why factory farming is an issue. Prioritizing it over other vital issues? I don’t know about that.

Oh and keep in mind that plenty of human activity harms the animals – logging, development, pollution, and vegetable farming; wheat/soy harvesting alone kills millions of animals annually because they’re living in the fields when the tractors come. It’s not “unintentionally” killing them because we know it happens; we just don’t care to admit it.

Just eat vermin. I live in australia, and Kangaroo is vermin, becuase they eat everything. Its like killing rats, cept you eat them and they tast great! Just go shooin’ them.

Nicco Posted:

You need meat. Everybody needs meat.

I’m vegetarian, have been for years, and I bumure you you do not NEED meat. You need protein and vitamins that can be gotten from meat, but not meat itself.

That being said, I’m vegetarian for culinary reasons, not moral ones, so I’ll keep my animal opinions to myself.

Xylon Posted:

I like meat. It makes me happy.

“Meat” is a euphemism for “male reproductive organ” here, right?

It’s all about cost effectiveness. Any little way these companies can save a dollar per cattle, that doesn’t have a law prohibiting it, they’ll take advantage of. And it won’t change anytime soon, since most people don’t know, don’t care, or want the lowest price they can get for their food.

STGill Posted:

Gather up all the members of PETA, put a bolt in their head process em and then send em on over to burger king for some flame broiled goodness, I mean what with their began diets and all they are bound to taste at least as good as a cow!

PETA BURGERS!

QFT. As a matter of fact, save a cow, eat a PETA member.