Where does you meat come from?

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Do you ever wonder where you meat comes from? Or do you rather now think about it, in an "ignorance is bliss"-sort of way? Everyday in America, hundreds of thousands of animals live in their own chemically-enhanced manure. There are egg-laying hens that live their entire lives in a cage that is the size just a little bigger than their bodies. Their male offspring, dubbed non-egg-producing and therefore useless, are often executed. Pigs, cows and goats are crowded into cramped stalls, fed unnaturally "enriched" grains and in turn pollute the air and earth with laced excrement. All of the above is just so our increasingly rotund people can have a nice fatty plate of meat. Wouldn't the cow be thrilled to know he died in vain to have his body butchered and served at a drunken barbeque? How proud the chicken would be to learn her life spent in a incommodious wire cage would amount to scrambled eggs on a greasy grand slam platter, to be grossly mutilated by a picky eater. And wouldn't the pig be simply ecstatic to learn the purpose of his untimely death was to have his rump end up on a griddle? Animals are indeed living beings. Pigs are more intelligent than dogs and small children. They are well aware of their surroundings and are actually very clean animals [if they are given the living space they deserve]. When hens lay eggs, they are very aware of the chicks growing inside. Cows can be great parents and form sorts of friendships with other cows. They take turns “babysitting” their calves and will huddle in groups when threatened. Your meat doesn't come from Old MacDonald's farm anymore. A huge majority of the meat and dairy Americans eat comes from factory farms. These factories breed animals at a rate almost too fast to be natural. They confine many animals in small spaces, letting their manure accumulate in mass quantities. The chemicals used in the animals' feed ends up in that accumulation, and pollutes the air. The manure is also sometimes washed into rivers and streams with rainwater, and that in turn harms the fish. The affected fish can be eaten by larger fish, which will in turn be affected by the chemically-enhanced poop; it’s just one big, ugly chain reaction. Not to mention the food that comes from these factories is also shown to cause health problems in humans [e.g. salmonella, e coli, hormone fluxuations]. When it comes time to kill the animals, factory workers leave it to machines. They heard animals together, tricking them into what is the start of a production line. As the animals enter, they first encounter some sort of crushing mechanism that is meant to snap their necks, decapitate them or kill them in some other awful way. However, these machines do not guarantee a quick death. Many animals are still alive as they continue through the production line, facing skinning, slicing and chopping while still fully conscious. There is no biblical or governing commandment that entitles humans to control "less intelligent" forms of life. And yet, here we are breeding meat-animals in factory farms, as if it were the same as producing some sort of manufactured products. It is wrong to treat animals in such a manner. Every living being has a life, no matter how they physically appear. Animals should not be kept in miserable conditions with a bloody death looming right above their precious little heads. Certainly no person would stand for human beings being treated that way. It wouldn't be necessary for all people to go vegetarian to help solve this issue. The bottom line is, if you're going to eat meat [or any animal products], know where it comes from. Buying industrialized meat means supporting factory farm production, and that is not right. Most people agree that it is natural for humans to eat meat. After all we are omnivores, just look at our teeth for proof. But it is not natural to create meat. As long as people are going to eat meat, we must treat the animals they come from fairly. All animals deserve to live freely, in open spaces and not be confined in cages and stalls crammed with many other animals. They should also be allowed to graze at their leisure on grass that is not chemically or hormonally enhanced in any way. That way the problem of manure pollution would also be solved. And when the time comes to kill the animals, the process should be done in a humane manner, with someone making sure the animals are really dead before the butchering begins. A great example of this type of farming can be found with the production of Kobe beef. The cows in Kobe, Japan are treated with utmost respect. They are allowed to run, sleep and graze freely in open pastures, and are even occasionally treated to beer. Quite simply, they are allowed to live. And the beef that results from this is considered one of the best kinds in the world. For now, if you chose to dine on animal products, be sure to only buy meats and dairy that are labeled “free-range.” This means that the animals the food came from were raised in open fields and fed more naturally. Don’t stand for industrialized meat.