I just saw a video online about the farming industry and the inhumane treatment of animals on goveg.com entitled: Meet Your Meat. It was AWFUL! I am a meat-eater and I heard that some of the animals were mistreated, but I never thought that it was a common practice, let alone industry standard! If you choose to watch it (if you eat meat I think you really should) please beware that what you will watch is truly gruesome. That being said it is essential that everyone who eats meat knows what is happening in the meat industry.
I know what you're thinking if you are a fellow meat-eater. "It can't be that bad." or "I'm sure those are only isolated incidents." Well, after watching that video you won't think that anymore. Take it from me. I used to think those horror stories were just minor incidents blown out of proportion by organizations like PETA, but that isn't the case. These stories are the harsh reality.
After Dana and I watched the video we decided to adopt a primarily vegetarian diet. I say primarily because I looked into humane farming online and there are farms out there that do follow strict humane guidelines in their farming practices. Those guidelines are designed to protect the animals from birth through slaughter. There is a lot of information available on what "humane treatment" means exactly. After looking it over I would feel comfortable consuming meat occasionally, but only if I personally researched where it was coming from and how the animals are routinely treated. That's just my decision. I believe that everyone is entitled to decide for themselves what is right for them. I just don't think that any compassionate human being can support the factory-style farming industry after seeing what I saw the other night.
Sorry if this comes off as being preachy or depressing. I just felt like I had to inform everyone I know. I hope this strikes a chord with you too.
