I have a double-dose of fed up. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), as well as other animal rights groups, continue to mislead the public on animal abuse and food safety with today’s release of an undercover video of an egg production facility in Texas.
On one hand I’m sick of those bad players in the livestock industry who mistreat their animals. On the other, I’m sick of the animal rights activist groups who promote these isolated incidents as an indictment of the entire meat and egg industry.
Texas Farm Bureau Yes, HSUS is an animal rights group. And just to clear the air, there’s a distinct difference between animal rights and animal welfare.
Livestock producers are believers in animal welfare. They believe in the proper and humane use of animals. They believe they have a duty to treat animals properly. They make a moral distinction between animals and human beings. They ensure the health, well-being and safety of their animals through proper food, management and shelter.
Animal rightists believe—with almost religious fervor—that livestock such as chickens, pigs and cows are equal to humans. The ultimate goal of the animal rights movement is the complete elimination of the livestock production. They’ll stop at nothing to achieve that objective.
I’ll repeat what I’ve said in the past. The small number of producers who abuse the privilege of raising and caring for food animals give a black eye to those who do it right. There is no excuse for animal cruelty. Individual producers should adopt a zero tolerance policy and work to get those who abuse animals out of business.
In the eyes of many animal rights groups, livestock producers are on the same level as dog beaters. That’s not news to me. Painting all livestock producers as sadistic fiends by associating them with bad apples is a proven winner in the animal rights activist playbook.
Animal rights groups use “animal abuse” and “food safety” issues to mask their real intentions. They care a lot more about getting consumers to quit eating meat than harboring a real concern for animals. Take a look at the Mercy For Animals, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or Humane Society of the United States websites and it’s pretty self-explanatory.
I’m not making excuses for the livestock industry. Those who inhumanely treat animals should be punished. Seems to me though, that the compassion, honesty and integrity of dealing with humans has been lost by animal rights groups who claim to hold the moral high ground when it comes to the proper care and treatment of livestock.. They are trying to force their views on animal rights on everyone. They overstep the bounds of decency when they smear an entire industry as evil because of the actions of a few.
Author Resource:
Mike Barnett is Publications Director for the Texas Farm Bureau and a regular contributor for the Texas Ag Talks blog. He writes on a variety of topics including Texas animal welfare , water rights and agriculture trade.
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