It's quite gruesome so don't watch it if you get queasy easily. The thing is that I believe whatever is in the video because someone I knew worked at a chicken factory. Basically, his job was to slit the throats of the chickens that came on a conveyor belt. Why did he do it? He was an immigrant with a wife, a 5 year old daughter, and the job paid much more then minimum wage. Without knowing English well this is an excellent "monetary" opportunity, don't know how he felt psychologically after it. So yeah...
I had a discussion with my grandfather because he grew up in a village. He told me that they used to have a cow, and he would always hand feed it some grains (as a treat). Then one day they had to butcher it (after years of having the cow) and they especially called in a butcher. This guy was a professional, he would first feed the animal with treats, pet it, and then when it was unaware he would jab a knife straight into its heart. Hence, it was an unexpected, quick, and not very painful death. My grandpa told me that his mother cried after they had to kill the cow :( That's how it was done before... People would eat meat on special occasions and festivals not EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Very, very, sad...
This is something I think about often. I'm vegetarian for many different reasons, one of which is ethical. However...I feel like the dairy industry is often just as horrible as the meat industry...
ReplyDeleteFor sure! If you watch the video it talks about the dairy industry. Basically the cows are confined to a cage and don't move... The poor things have a lifespan of 5 years instead of 20 :( I'm sure the egg industry is messed up too and same with the seafood one (I didn't watch that section yet though)
ReplyDeleteMy grandparents were farmers and they did a great job loving the animals but things have definitely gotten out of hand. Yesterday at Costco I spent $50 on organic chicken and wild salmon. 50 bucks!!!! I got about 7-8 chicken breasts and about 8-10 salmon fillets. But I'd rather spend more on quality and eat less of it. I am a huge fan of grains and lentils & fruit and veggies, meat is not an everyday thing here.
ReplyDeleteWow that is uber expensive! I guess that's why people didn't eat meat that often before. Real meat is expensive to raise...
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me why I've been a vegetarian since I was 12!
ReplyDeleteI am fine if others want to eat meat if they are humane about it...
*If they are human about it... It's nice that people take the effort to buy grass fed beef or cage free chickens but it's really expensive! Hence, I try to avoid meat until I can afford the real kind. We are what we eat. If you eat something so miserable, abused, and in pain then how does it reflect on the consumer?
ReplyDeleteYep, where you put your money tells the world what matters to you...
ReplyDelete