The disconnect between humans and where their meat comes from is appalling. People gorge themselves on burgers, steaks, veal marsala, without a contemplation that a cow was on the other end of it. Everyone happy about the delicious meal that filled their stomachs for the time being, no guilt for consuming another life.
A cities worth of cows packed together, one- against-another, wanting to roam. Eventually when they are big enough, they forced down the cattle shoot to where they beat them to death, put a bolt into their brain, or what ever awful things you could think of. At chicken factories the workers go through pens of birds packed like sardines with a shovel and a wheelbarrow, removing all of the dead creatures who are then just thrown into the trash like a piece of junk. The rest just get to witness the horrors until they are put out of their misery. They are then processed after their sad meaningless lives to make meat products for us to consume.
If you are okay with that, then go ahead and proceed eating the mass produced meat products available in all chain super markets. Meat processing plants take these dead animals and package them in ways that do not resemble the original animal form. Allowing people to eat meat without a qualm about it. Studies have shown that a majority of children do not actually know that burgers come from cows, etc. The numbness to animal products is so sad.
I am not a vegetarian or a vegan; so do not take this as a biased report by a disapproving hippy. I used to love red meat; I would eat a steak basically raw until I came to the enlightenment that with my consumption I am taking a life. 20 years of consuming meat without the awful thought about what the poor animals went through. I used to think, the animal is already dead and packaged it wont make a difference if I buy it, its already there. However, once I take that package off the shelf it has to be replaced by another package of meat and so on and so forth.
I did not realize how many animal parts are processed and consumed until I started to work at a deli. I wrap dead animal after dead animal day after day. Turkey, chicken, roast beef, ham. I then started to think of my anatomy class I took 2 years ago. You can see the striations in their muscles and the similarity between their structures that we consume to our own muscular formations. It gets to the point where it makes me sick to my stomach. They were alive once, but a miserable life they had to endure.
We can stop that mass pollution and animal cruelty from the food industry by limiting our animal product intake. I mean you can go as far as raising your own chickens, monitoring their lives making sure they get the best care possible. Going to local farmers markets, or a near by organic food store and paying the extra $2 for peace of mind that a creature was humanely treated is not an expensive price. Consider it. If we all limited our intake we can help prevent the suffering of innocent beings. We have the power and control to do so.
I do not want you to stop eating animal products from this article. I need you to be conscious that there is a life in your hands.
