Help with a paper I am writing

[drizzt_fan14]

I'm writing a paper partly on the mistreatment of animals in the meat industry. How would you answer the question of: "They are just going to be killed anyway so why does it matter how they are treated?"

I'm having trouble coming up with a logical answer that doesn't sound like something from a crazy PETA member.

Any thoughts?

 

[leone]

It's a living critter so it deserves respect... or is that the crazy PETA member answer?

(I like a word "critter" leave me alone. )

 

[drizzt_fan14]

No, I might use that. Thanks

I was also thinking how the phrase 'humane killing' is somewhat of a paradox, but at the same time we are all part of the food chain. A hyena isn't evil for eating a zebra alive for example, but we as humans have the intelligence capacity to know better (though in our case it's not eating them while they're still alive, but the abusive treatment we use on them).

Does that make sense? :huh:

 

[leone]

You mean that what the hyena is doing is necessary because it needs to survive, as opposed to the meat industry's mistreatment? If that's what you meant then yeah, it makes sense.

 

[goodasgold]

I've seen animals cry. This shows me that they are at least capable of having some feeling. To what extent? Hard to say.

When I was a boy I got a puppy for my birthday. I could tell that it was lonely for its mother and it was crying. I held it close to me to comfort it.

I also lived on a farm and we had cows. Whenever we separated the calves from their mothers, calves would start calling out to them. I don't know if the sound they made was technically crying, but that's what I always thought it was.

 

[drizzt_fan14]

I agree. But I'm trying to stay away from the topic of vegetarianism, it would be too much of a stretch for the audience I'm talking to.

 

[goodasgold]

Hmm, then I have no more ideas. Sadly I'm too dumb. Good luck with your paper though.

 

[sketchyrx]

Humane killing is not really a paradox. Vets and animal shelters kill animals all the time. Euthanizing is the best way to put it I think. It's the WAY in which the killing is carried out. If it is carried out in a 'cruel and/or unusual way' (think death penalty just for reference) then it is not humane. To be humane one must have a conscience and empathy for ALL others. Killining without regard to the animal's pain (and I'm talking body/nerve pain not mental pain) is reprehensible. Just because they're a huge industry does not mean they get to operate in vacuum outside the general concensus. If you ask most people, the mistreatment of animals in the meat industry is NOT OKAY.

Who knows...maybe if they were killed humanely with drugs would they still be edible?? :huh:

Alrighty it's late for me. *yawn* I hope I said something worthwhile. I'll reread tomorrow. :zzz:

 

[givemfitz]

The treatment of animals for slaughter is rough no doubt. They are processed with no concern for their comfort while waiting to die so that we can have our Big Macs and McNuggets.
I've always wondered how many people would be up in arms about it when they realized that changing the industry so that the animals were pampered would mean $10 Big Macs

 

[leone]

You can also mention kosher foods. I'm not sure about all of the details so you'll have to research it. But basically to prepare kosher, the animal is "killed with honor" because they try to minimize the animal's pain as much as possible. Like I said, I don't know much.

 

[givemfitz]

click me

 

[Scythe]

Insane: Heck, why bother with palliative treatment? People with cancer are gonna die anyway.
Informative: Companies that produce eggs... the chickens there spend their entire lives in a small cage that doesn't even get cleaned out as long as they're alive.
PETA: Barge in their room and throw a huge rant. Of course chain yourself to something solid and swallow the keys
Humorous: Dress up as a little piggy and sing the little song: 'I'm a little piggy here's my snout oink oink oink oink oink oink'.
Insane + Humorous: Dress up as a little sausage and sing the piggy song
Insane + chaotic + humorous: Dress up as a lambchop and chase everyone saying with a sheep voice 'why did you eeaaaat meeeeee'

 

[drizzt_fan14]

:lol: :lol:

The first two would work, but I'm not so sure about the rest of them :lol:

 

[Bloodlessr]

But I need steak guys, you don't understand.

 

[Scythe]

Get a steak from an animal that died a natural death!!

It's solid and jummy! It will last twice as long because you need to chew twice as long!

 

[drizzt_fan14]

Originally posted by Bloodlessr@Mar 6 2008, 01:16 PM
But I need steak guys, you don't understand.

I don't think its wrong to eat meat, its the unnecesary violent treatment the animals get that I think is wrong.

 

[givemfitz]

But if they were treated all namby pamby you couldn't afford the steak!!!! :banghead:

 

[givemfitz]

HERE have some humanely raised and treated beef.

 

[leone]

Originally posted by givemfitz@Mar 6 2008, 04:52 PM
But if they were treated all namby pamby you couldn't afford the steak!!!! :banghead:

I couldn't afford it even if they weren't treated all namby pamby. :lol:

 

[drizzt_fan14]

Yeah I know. The world runs on money. They put poison in our foods to make it last longer, taste better, and make more of it- thus increasing their profits. If they didn't, everything would be grown organically and cost a fortune. Money over health. Treat the animals like crap, give them horrible living conditions, and inject them with hormones--that way more money is made faster. No time for 'humane treatment'. The extra money it would take to treat them better certainly isn't worth it. Once again--money is everything. -_-