Animal in Transport

After a TV documentary exposed the harsh, obscene, and deadly conditions cattle endure while being exported to Indonesia on ocean-going vessels and being mistreated in their abattoirs, and the public outcry that followed,  Australia suspended cattle trade with that country.  Now, a month later, and certainly many dollars lost with Australia’s largest live cattle market, the ban has been lifted.

As reported by the BBC:

Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said he was satisfied that the animals would not be mistreated.

That’s it.  The end.  The 700,000 cattle transported to Indonesia- on ships- worth AU$300,000,000- per year- will no longer be mistreated.  “New guidelines” have been put in place despite Indonesian officials denying the reports of animal cruelty.  What a difference a month makes, right?

Forget Strategy, Advocate Veganism.

via bbc.co.uk

As reported in an appropriately titled section of military.com’s entertainment blog, Under the Radar, UK Special Forces are using dogs to do the dirty work of war in Afghanistan.  Dogs are being forced to parachute in tandem with soldiers to insurgent locations for the purpose of searching buildings.  Eight canine casualties have so far been reported.

PETA has already started complaining.- military.com

“Already started.”  What did you think they would wait for?

And then, as if on cue, the mouthpiece of stupidity, James Wilson (I’m sure it’s not you James Wilson, but the other James Wilson), comments with his $.02,

Animals were put on this world by God to serve man.  I have dogs and I love them very much, but they are here for our needs.

Fuck you and your God, James Wilson.  Neither of you sound very nice.  Did I just say that out loud?

Anyone remember Laika?  Another dog tortured for “our needs.”

So, there’s this company that’s selling a bank, you know- for coins?  Yes a, “piggy,” bank.  Anyway, this guy seems to think that they should be made from real piglets, aka baby pigs.  So. Um, yeah.  That’s a picture of it up there.  The banks retail for $4000, though that number really isn’t fair when you look at the real cost of the bank.  What is the price for losing a life?  Oh right, apparently $4000.

As expected the story is making all kinds of headlines.  People seem to be outraged by this and, well quite frankly, I’m confused.

This bank, this ridiculous bank that humans don’t need to make out of the skins of others, is no different than a leather purse or shoes.  It’s just another thing to add to the long list of things that humans are doing to non-humans.  So what’s the problem then, really?

Is it the fact that the bank still looks like the animal instead of a pretty pair of suede pumps?  Just curious.

My problem isn’t that they made a bank out of a piglet, my problem is that humans are still using non-humans at all- for any purpose or reason.

The November issue of FHM Australia has Kelly Brook, an incredibly hot chick- complete with boobs hanging out, on it and I still immediately thought of veganism when I read the cover’s headlines.  Specifically the headline, “Punch a Shark in the Head,” along with, “Plus 72 other great adventures.”

(The emphasis on ‘other’ is my own – as are the arrows on the cover of FHM)

Soooo, it seems that FHM is saying that punching sharks is a great adventure.

. . .

. . .

(Crickets and wind rustling……..)

Uhm….

. . .

What. the. fuck?  You have to wonder about a species of animals that finds it fun to torture other animals.  Imagine if the headline read, “Punch a Dog in the Head plus 72 other great adventures.”

Not quite the same meaning is it?

Now ask yourself why.

Now wonder why we find it horrible to hit a dog but not a shark.

Now wonder how I applied that thought process to veganism.

Here’s a clue, it has to do with compassion.

I know that there will be a lot of discussion on other blogs and websites about the Mercy for Animals undercover investigation on an Ohio Dairy Farm, so I’m not going to beat the same drum- if you know what I mean.  But I need to address it.

First, I’m going to admit right here and right now that I did not watch the video.  I have seen enough violence from humans that I can imagine (after reading about the video elsewhere) what occurred.  Hell, even Erik Markus from vegan.com could only make it through the first 20 seconds of it, and he’s watched every one he’s ever posted.  So you know what?  I’ll just take other people (like Bernard Rollin) at their word when they say that it is probably “the most gratuitous, sustained, sadistic animal abuse” ever seen.

The sad fact is, it’s not uncommon.  Not only that, it’s subsidized by the government (US).  In fact, Conklin Dairy Farms received subsidy payments totaling $35,282- of which $27,666 is due to dairy subsidies.

The outrage to this video is what you would expect it to be, but here’s the thing- is it really that outrageous that the people who are in the business of killing might abuse animals?  Any farm that is used for animal production hires people to kill animals- regardless if the animals are shipped elsewhere first or they are processed on the farm, they are still killed for profit.  We give these folks a license to kill sentient beings under the guise of “human need/want/desire,” then become surprised to find out that they might have abused the animals before killing them.  I, for one, am not shocked- not totally anyway.

There have been many studies done showing a connection between violence towards animals and violence towards humans.  I’ve mentioned it before but, “…Up to two-thirds of those who commit animal cruelty also commit at least one other criminal offense, including drug trafficking, assault, rape, theft and homicide. Most troubling of all is the strong connection between violence toward women and children and animal abuse.”

So in some twisted way, it almost makes sense that the workers in these death factories lean towards the violent.  And let me clarify that for the people waiting to jump down my throat saying how Dairy Farmers Care for their Animals, I am not suggesting that every single person working in the animal industry is violent- surely that isn’t the case.  But I will say this, I question how non-violent you can be if you kill a non-human simply because you want to use their skin for a new handbag or shoes (or clothing, or furniture,  or food).

Remember how I am obsessed with an ex-vegan?  I knew that he would have something to say on the matter, and I was right.  Let Them Eat Meat had this to say (the bolding and emphasis is my own):

Conklin Dairy Farms is clearly awful, but that doesn’t mean no one should ever eat cheese again. If anything, this video shows the ludicrousness of vegan arguments that equate all animal use with sadistic torture. This video contains actual sadism — it is the gratuitous violence and not the mere fact of animal use that is upsetting here.

If the abuse documented in this video is an argument against dairy, it’s also just as compelling an argument against humans and animals ever interacting. These workers tortured cows for fun, not to get milk out of them, which is possible any time a cruel human and a relatively defenseless animal are in a room together. If this video means we should stop eating dairy, it also means no one should own pets, since dogs and cats might be tortured too (and pet owners are even less regulated than dairy farmers).

Obviously, again, we disagree.  Violence breeds violence- whether you try to justify it by putting it on your plate or not.

And, of course, the Agribusiness folks have taken the opportunity to turn this into an attack against vegans.  Chuck over at AGWired, a website for the industry, had this to say about the video (again, emphasis is my own):

This is a heads up in case you haven’t heard about it. Yesterday the Associated Press published a story about a video that was allegedly taken undercover at an Ohio dairy farm by the group Mercy For Animals. It is a shocking and disturbing video and whoever is actually involved should be put in jail for a very long time. If you click through and watch the video be warned. It’s graphic and bad.

Regardless of who is responsible for the violent acts in the video this will be used by animal rights activists to tarnish the image of good dairy farmers everywhere. This is a group of militant vegans with an agenda so it is good to question their credibility and motivation.

Shocking.  Disturbing.  Be warned.  Graphic.  Bad.  Regardless of who is Responsible for the violent acts.

You know what Chuck?  At least we can agree on that.  Regardless of who is responsible for the violent acts, it is shocking, disturbing, graphic, and bad so- be warned.  Question my credibility and motivation, as a vegan, as to why I would encourage the dissemination of the video.  I’ll say it over and over again, so  you won’t even have to guess-

Non-humans are not property.  They are not a commodity.  Non-humans are not property.  They are not a commodity. Non-humans are not property.  They are not a commodity. Non-humans are not property.  They are not a commodity.

Compassion, that’s my motivation.

Iris, one who made it out alive