In my opinion, the true cost of eating meat cannot be measured only in dollars and cents. In fact, for people of compassion, the cost is not even important. For us it can only be adequately measured in terms of the suffering of the terrified animals facing death in slaughterhouses. I truly cannot understand how people knowing about the horrors involved therein can still order a Big Mac or a steak or any other animal product without giving a thought to this. Every day I am grateful to God that I am vegan.
So what does this say about those people who are not vegan or vegetarian? It may indicate that they are either not very compassionate or maybe they are ignorant of slaughterhouse horrors. And then one time I learned of a woman whose doctor told her that her health needs required the eating of meat. Does this sound plausible to you? Not to me. I think I would have reminded him that the Divine Physician in the Garden of Eden prescribed a vegan diet for Adam and Eve. I think he should bone up on the reading of Genesis. At least it might cause him to reflect.
Today I received a petition to sign which would tell the Attorney General of Vermont to shut down a law-breaking slaughterhouse. The writer graphically describes the situation --" Stench, blood, terrified screaming animals -some running around with bullet holes in their heads-body parts falling out of trucks, dripping blood as they leave the slaughterhouse for rendering plants, reveal a brutal ending for animals, who have no voice and no choice as to what happens to them."
It makes me also recall what Paul McCartney said one time about slaughterhouses in general. He said that he wished that they had walls of glass so that all passing by would see the horrors the animals face in them. One time I read that even a pregnant cow was in the slaughter line and she dropped a live calf there. How horrible for her. How horrible for her calf. I believe these people were heartless to put a pregnant cow in the slaughter line. I wonder how many people viewing a slaughterhouse of glass would change their diet. And of course, it makes me truly wonder how we could be so lacking in compassion if we didn't.
On TV I recently saw a 4-H girl parading around the cow she had raised. I believe that she would be only too happy to get a first place prize which would possibly mean that her cow would be sold to someone for slaughter. Again- I wondered about her seemingly lack of compassion or is she unawares of this happening? I'm not sure that I approve of 4 H clubs if they teach children to view animals with a dollar sign which, of course, will mean death for the animal. Maybe these are farmers' kids and accept it because it is part of their family's livelihood. Still, I believe that young people can make compassionate judgments and decisions on their own. I was a teacher of young people for years.
As for the horrible animal suffering at the Vermont Packinghouse in North Springfield, Vermont -it has been fined repeatedly for violating state and federal humane slaughter laws. Per the article -"It has also been listed on the USDA's website as one of two slaughterhouses having the highest number of suspensions resulting from repeated violations while slaughtering animals, who were not stunned properly and were still conscious while butchered." Frightening. And, according to reliable sources, the slaughterhouse employees have a high rate of drug use which may explain some of these problems. Is this supposed to be an excuse? I feel sorry for the good people of Vermont. I know most don't deserve this blotch on the integrity of the whole state.
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