Humane Humanity?

Dear Reader,

A few nights ago I saw the news footage they were broadcasting (MSNBC, at least) of the ill cattle being fork-lifted, and otherwise prodded, to their deaths, and subsequent butchering and distribution. This is why 143+ million pounds of beef (71,500 + tons/at least twice that many animals) have been recalled, although a lot of the beef from this particular processing center has already been consumed.

I was horrified by what I saw. Now, I don't "horrify" easily. I can watch TV shows like CSI and even "Dexter" without blinking, because I know it's fake. I can watch the "real crime" shows on Court TV and MSNBC because I know the perpetrators (mostly) have been caught. I can watch Freddy and Jason and all the rest; heck, I watched "Dark Shadows" back in my youth, when that was considered "bloody." What unifies all of these things I can watch is that they involve humans harming/killing/butchering other humans. Oh, yeah, and that they are, mostly, fake. So, as I look in shock and wonder at humans' capacity to torture and kill other humans, when I see humans abusing animals, who want nothing more than something to eat and a place to sleep, I am even more horrified.

These were awful images; they made me cry, and these days that's hard because of the meds I'm on. But what a terrible, heartbreaking sight: poor, sick cows being pushed, prodded, or even hauled by forklifts; shocked repeatedly by electric prods; mouths opening in pain. Thank heaven there was no sound on the tape, but you could see that the cows were reacting in agony.

What is wrong with humans? How can they think this is the way to treat other animals? How can humans do the things they do to even their domestic animals, like dogs and cats? How can anyone think it's okay to beat or drown or electrocute or choke a dog to death (Michael Vick)? How can people douse animals with gas or lighter fluid and ignite them? How can people involved in the meat industry treat living things this way?

I am not a vegetarian. I love a good hamburger, steak, hotdog, or even a good piece of chicken or turkey. I love eggs, and cheese, and other animal "by-products." However, it shocks me that there are so many horrible practices in the meat/food industry that, if they were common knowledge, would lead to a wholesale rebellion against the meat-factory practices as they exist now, and to a more humane, less industrial track for the meat products we consume.

The last time I had a reaction like this was when my younger sister told me that after Easter, most of the unsold baby chicks and ducks that are hatched for Easter basket sales are simply killed. The sidebar to this is that, when batches of eggs hatch and there are already enough (a full quota) of baby chicks/ducklings, the hatchlings are incinerated. That is, put by the tray into a furnace and simply burned alive.

This image has haunted me for years. I think it's why I stopped eating cornish game hens; tiny little chickens. Again, how can humans be so cavalier about other living things? I know that not all people, not even most people are like this. But so many "ordinary" people seem to see no problem with these sorts of atrocities. What does that mean; where does it come from?

Many folks didn't "get" why there was such outrage at Michael Vick's actions in his dogfighting career. It seems as if the Congress is more upset by sports "heroes" taking steroids, and only harming themselves, than by their killing animals and showing no contrition. I know there is a very active animal rights "movement," but sadly, most of the people involved with it, and most of the spokespeople, come across as unreasoning and unreasonable hysterics. They also always look like wild-eyed fanatics, with more than a touch of "hippie" to make the image even less attractive to the general population.

We are also dealing with a vast array of different cultural approaches to animals and their treatment. For example, apparently in some Asian countries, it is acceptable to torture dogs to death, so that their MEAT is tender for human consumption. Oh, MY GOD!

So, what to do? Treat my cats as well as I possibly can; be nice to the dogs I meet; try to provide a sanctuary in the Park for domestic and wild animals and their people; eat as little meat as possible, and never hunt or harm or kill an animal. Well, I'll make an exception for roaches; okay, roaches and flies and mosquitoes, but I allow spiders to make themselves at home!

Meow,
Catbird