According to meat processors in North Carolina, if you’re against puppy mills and keeping dogs chained up 24/7, then you’re a vegan fanatic who’s trying to ban the eating of meat. And you thought people were freaked out about swine flu. Well, yes, they are, but they’re not the only ones. In fact, it seems to be a newly revived national habit, particularly for folks on the right. Conservatives aren’t merely concerned about President Obama’s left-leaning policies, they’re freaked out about the U.S. going socialist — hell, communist! — and black helicopters coming in the dead of night to steal their guns and tinfoil hats. Their paranoia and sheer unhinge-itude may have to take second place, however, to the N.C. meat producers, who are virulently opposed to a bill pushed by the national Humane Society that would regulate and license commercial dog breeding, and crack down on puppy mills. They’re also going nuts over a bill which, if passed, would prohibit keeping a dog chained up for more than nine hours a day. Reaction from the meat-packing companies? Kay Johnson, executive VP of the Animal Agriculture Alliance, a livestock industry lobbying group, says, “… the Humane Society of the United States has a very direct agenda to eliminate the use of animals for food. Nobody would have steak, hamburger, eggs — everyone would have a vegan diet.” And no, this is not a joke. In fact, Peter Daniel of the NC Farm Bureau adds to the insanity by saying that since the Humane Society launched a successful campaign in California to give farm animals more room to move in their surroundings, they must be planning the same thing here — a charge denied by a puzzled Humane Society spokesperson. What brought on this pandemic of paranoia and deluded nonsense? Get this — the Humane Society has hired one lobbyist to work for it in the NC legislature. One whole lobbyist! That’s what they’re freaking out about. The question that comes to my mind is how meat producers and their spokespersons expect anyone to take what they say seriously, after making such outlandish, not to say lunatic, leaps of illogic.
This article appears in Apr 28 – May 5, 2009.
Talking about comming off as a nut case! Grooms is brings up tinfoil hats, black helecopters and communisim. We are talking about how companies treat animals right?
Anyways this all boils down to money. If NC passes these laws the companies will move to a state that is more profitable. The citizens of NC will then pay more money for its meat products due to shipping costs and we will lose jobs.
Most people do not know it but splinter groups of PETA have been identified as terrorist organizations. These animal nuts have killed people by setting bombs and sabotaging peoples cars. If only they would stick to tinfoil hats like the meat eaters do, according to Grooms.
Consumers want animals to be raised in humane conditions. The cost issue is a common argument against basic animal welfare standards, but it just doesn’t hold water. When a measure to provide egg-laying hens and other farm animals with enough room to stand up, turn around, and spread their limbs passed in California, economists estimated that the additional cost per egg would be pennies. And as far as puppy mills go, hopefully we can all agree that these horrendous mass-breeding facilities should become a thing of the past. Thank you to John Grooms for providing a sane and humorous analysis of the situation.
When possible eat and buy food
local… Slow Food U.S.A.And not
necessarily Manic Organic
“Everything in moderation, even moderation.” The Lost Horizon
Who’s economist hehe. Even if it is true that its will only be pennies per egg that adds up to a lot when you think about it. twelve eggs at say 2 cent extra each would add about a quater per dozen. I have seen eggs for 99 cent a dozen so that would be a 25% price increase. It does not sound like a small amount anymore. The hit per egg will probably be less if the companies just leave the state and then ship eggs in from else where.