News
Iowa ‘undercover’ bill elicits strong emotions
The Iowa legislature’s passage of a bill designed to crack down on undercover stings in livestock operations is eliciting strong emotions on both sides of the issue.
Supporters, like Iowa Farm Bureau, say it’s about misrepresentation of character and securing the food supply. Opponents argue that it will discourage “whistleblowing” at the expense of public health.
The bill would make “agricultural production facility fraud” a serious misdemeanor. It would apply to individuals who make false statements to gain access to a farm or misrepresent themselves on an employment application.
It would also penalize organizations who aid or abet those individuals in their undercover efforts.
During debate on the bill, Senator Joe Seng of Davenport, who is a veterinarian, said animal rights activists with an agenda to expose conditions inside livestock confinements can expose animals to disease.
““People are trying to get into these places, saying they’re a plumber or they’re this or that—they’re going to take care of your livestock—with no intention of that whatsoever. They’re trying to bring down this business,” Seng says.
“That is false pretenses. It’s a claim that they’re going to do one thing, but they’re not going to do it. They’re going to do something else.”
Senator Herman Quirmbach of Ames, opposed against the legislation.
“Passing this bill will put a big red question mark stamped on every pork chop, every chicken wing, every steak, every egg produced in this state,” Quirmbach says, “because it will raise the question of ‘what have you got to hide?’”
Represenative Annette Sweeney of Alden, who is a farmer, says “it remains to be seen” whether this type of law will be a deterrent to those who are trying to infiltrate farming operations.
“But I’m hoping that it sends the signal that if you do commit fraud, it’s illegal,” Sweeney says, “and they do need to be mindful of that.”
The bill now goes to Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who is expected to sign it into law.
Radio Iowa contributed to this story.
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THANK YOU IOWA LEGISLATORS…This is an important bill and greatly needed. We have seen too many cases across the US where animal rights activists have entered facilities, made videos, edited videos, and even worked with “hired hands” to create abuse to make a film. So, this bill is needed.
That is also why the Animal Enterprise Terrorist Act was created. If activists were really honest, instead of faking abuse, then it would be one thing. But, in order to further their agenda, they have to go beyond the facts. Then even with a routine unedited video, they can add words which cause the members of the general public to misunderstand what is happening and why.
Most farmers and cattlemen would be really stupid to spend their hard working days taking time out to abuse their animals because that would extend their work hours and decrease the value of the animals at sale time.
THANK YOU IOWA LEGISLATORS FOR STANDING UP TO ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS!!!
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There should be video cameras 24/7 in ALL animal food processing farms and plants in which the public can see ANYTIME of the day or night! People consume this food! We are the farmers bread and butter and as concerned consumers, we have every right to know what is happening to the animals! There are too many questions about the safety of the food we consume and too many concerns about how the animals are treated. There are too many unedtited videos of the inhumane way that animals are treated in factory farms for people to ignore. Why would “animal activists” waste their time? This ignorance has gone on for too many years to ignore as well! Wake up people and speak out!
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So, Chris Vaughn thinks the public should be observing everything going on in farm barns…who likely knows zip about appropriate animal husbandry practices! I think it is outrageous that anyone in the public would dream of demanding to see what is going on inside a farm. This smacks of the animal rights cult ideology and their goal of control of ALL animal use…Shameful. Arrogant.
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Thank God for the people who really care about the humane treatment of animals. What are you hiding? Why such secrecy? If there is nothing to hide, then why not cameras in industrial slaughter plants and anywhere there could be animal abuse?
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I will not vote for a bill to be passed that is against activists seeing what goes on behind closed doors of factory farms!!!! I hope to GOD this doesnt pass. Animal abusers should be shot . Just because ppl eat meat,eggs..blah blah blah doesnt mean that gives the workers a right to abuse them ,period. I think we should be able to walk freely into a factory farm to for ourselves what kind of torture is happening. We buy the stuff so we should be allowed to know. I stand behind every caring soul that would have to lie to get into these places,if thats what we have to do then all means we need to do it..Im also all for cameras being put in. Web cams ..so we can watch .All those who do not want us to see whats happening is for animal abuse. It should not be tolerated.
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Simply put. This bill incriminates itself. What’s to hide? Furthermore, we are talking about people’s food production here, and the paying consumer has the absolute right to know that high quality sanitary and humane conditions exist on these farms. People have been charged and prosecuted for animal abuse on animal farms so apparently – IT HAPPENS, and obviously people are not doing their job and seeing that animals are treated humanely. Furthermore, the public has more than once contracted bacterial infections like e-coli and salmonella from unsanitary conditions on animal farms. Disgusting! This legislation is all about pandering to Big Ag and keeping the filth hidden and turning it around and criminalizing people who expose abuse. Excuse me, but the criminals are the ones perpetrating the abuse and allowing unsanitary and inhumane conditions to exist and continue. The American people do want to know that strong animal welfare and clean conditions exist on farms. So why is Big Ag and the politicians afraid to prove that it does! You tell me that.
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Laurella Desborough said: …….appropriate animal husbandry practices!
I’m glad she thinks that animal abuse is ‘appropriate’ and acceptable behaviour in raising animals for the food chain.
Any comment on this type of thinking is not printable here.
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no laurella, what it is is common sense. if these places pass ‘inspections’ and then get busted by undercover video, then something is very wrong and needs correcting. the answer isn’t to find better ways to hide their dirty little secrets. transparency should be a priority in every industry. no closed doors equals no corruption and no abuse.
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I heard that china is buying up our farmlands,,, 125,000 acres in Iowa. I want to thank those in office for selling out the American people and this ag gag order makes perfect sense now. It’s unconstitutional and fits right in there with china’s record for NO human NOR animal rights . china is taking over our country and our constitutional rights without firing a shoot. Its passed time to throw all these traitors out of office
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The only reason for this ban is they have something to hide. It used to be that people were proud of their farms and would show off their ‘wares’.
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Quite simply , What is there to hide ?
Animal activists have no need to invent these abuses as there are far too many .
100 % Of any activist I know or have known would rather they could apply their efforts & energies
elsewhere , As animal exploitation and abuse is rampant , To quote a friend ,
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Laurella ~ If the farm barns are SO UP AND UP and these farmers and cattlemen are so pristine, then they should NOT mind having cameras in the barns/areas! What would be the problem, NADA, thus, Ummm– makes me think that there is something rotten in Denmark “Stinks”. They should have 24/7 cameras installed and quickly! My family were farmers and they sure wouldn’t of minded cameras on their farm, but they were small FARMS Hogs, cattle, not the big ones that shove cattle and pigs around like they are piles of hay! That is SHAMEFUL, Arrogant, ETC!
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Everything that lives on this earth belongs to all of us. God mad everything for a reason! and it wasn’t to kill live animals for fun, money or superstition reason. No more killing of Rhinos should be allowed any where. If you want the Rhinos to be like other animals that no longer excess on our earth, then stop them from making such a DUMB LAW…….”Indian Boy”
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All lives matter as we treasure our own. Do to all others what you yourself is prepared to experience. Animals have the right to be treated with kindness & respect, they are not things or possessions, but a living, breathing being who feels pain & bleed like us! In my eyes they have the right to live life as they were meant to be free. I am pleased to say that I do not contribute to this atrocity & cruelty, it is a choice everyone can make to a more compassionate world! Be the change you wish to see in the world. It all starts with each & everyone.
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If every human being had a kind heart and just a fragment of integrity…these comments back and forth, Care2 and its petitions, etc., wouldn’t be necessary. There are just too many people in this world who have no empathy or compassion for anyone but themselves. For years I didn’t want to know about animal abuse because I couldn’t function or sleep at night…I figured I was only one person so what could I possibly do. Then I came down with a disease much like MS and my world became filled with days of being poked, prodded, gouged, zapped, and hours of chemo. I still get through such by thinking of all of the poor innocent animals being used for research and medical training, the bears in the bile farms in China, the animals being skinned alive for furs, the hens crammed together in battery cages, the dogs and cats being slaughtered for food in Asian countries, and all of the horrific animal abuse in so many places. It’s everywhere…oh my God…it’s so sickening!! If those animals could talk, they’d be begging God and everyone else for mercy!! I know that no matter what medical procedures I have to go through, it’s absolutely nothing compared to the horror they’re experiencing! I have a voice and laws to protect me; they can only hope that people like me will push to put an end to their excruciating torture and torment. I can’t understand how anyone, a farmer or otherwise, can hurt or kill an animal…anyone with a caring heart that is…and I’ll never understand it! I’ve always been passionate about animals, and when I get well, I’m going to use the spine, the spirit and the brains God gave me to stand up for what is right, for the innocent, and for the voiceless!! And…I thank God for all those who feel like me.
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If these places had nothing to hide, they’d be only too pleased to be seen as open and above-board, and doing the right thing. The installation of CCTV in all of them would guarantee that there were no “lies.”
This secrecy smacks of dirty deeds and dastardly doings! Shameful. Abhorrent.. -
If we keep quiet about the cruelty inflicted upon animals then we are contributing to their deaths!!
I will always fight for animal rights and for justice to be done for the innocent ones!!!
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So, Laurella Desborough thinks that the public should just BLINDLY buy anything and never know what’s really going on? My my how ARROGANT and PUSHY and CLANDESTINE a demand THAT is, no? Get a clue: “husbandry practices” has nothing to do with kicking animals, beating them over the heads, and dragging “downers” to be slaughtered. It’s YOU who need to shake wake up from your industry-stupor and understand that some folks don’t automatically trust any industry that intentionally hides the truth. Get it now?
Big Ag, like Big Oil, doesn’t want anyone/thing standing in the way of their almighty profits. This is an example of crony crapitalism, where industries use the government as its enforcer arm, to get away with and do anything it pleases ALL THE WHILE they are able to push their tainted, horrible “products” on you, the “consumer” (who is expected to merely obediently purchase and consume). You know, this is AFTER the industries manipulated the USDA into palming off that ridiculous food pyramid crap on people for years and years which claimed we needed to consume lots and lots of animal products.
Why should any of this surprised us? The evil among us, the types who abuse others with no conscience, they will do anything to ensure they get their way at the expense of all – humans and animals. This is why humans with a conscience who wish to help and protect animals (and those humans concerned about corruption in business and government) have to fight that much harder, overcome attempts at being censored by the authorities they industries have blatantly manipulated, amongst other things.
Keep trying to shut people up, Big Ag, it merely serves to increase the public’s scrutiny of just how corrupt, filthy and horrible Big Ag and it’s “products” truly are and now everyone will know how desperate Big Ag is to cover it’s own @$$ and keep the ill-gotten profits rolling in…you know…by treading on the First Amendment, conscience, right-to-know by the public, and abusing the (albeit paltry) humane livestock laws. Keep protesting about how “has to be done”, you fool NO ONE.
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Disgusting.
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If the animals are treated in an ethical manner why is there a need for this bill? This only makes it seem as though there is something to hide. If the treatment of these animals were open to public scrutiny perhaps the groups representing the ethical treatment of animals would not have to resort to “deceptive practices” The characterization of anyone that supports the ethical treatment of animals as cultists is shameful and disingenuous.
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Do not p;ass this ridiculous bill. It damages the rights of all animals and the people who love them. This is precisely why I gave up eating meat.
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Talk about arrogance, who does this species think it is?
Can anyone fathom the depths of my disgust?
To put into law, the rights of transgressions for one group, the owners of animal stock, and impinge on the rights to know, should such transgressions take place.
Of course, in that line of reasoning, one would assume that all is always proper and kosher in all operations of livestock, I think by now we know better. The can has been opened, thanks to the courage’s efforts of people that believe that to cause animals inhumane treatment should be exposed, and so have enlightened us to the immeasurable scope of suffering, that takes place in many such operations.
It is indeed sad, that it would take the courage’s efforts, of a few to expose the lack of care of those in charge, be it the operators or the authorities.
Now the question comes to mind, who are they protecting; well I would assume you’ve figured that out already.
At a time a while ago in history, when slaves ran away, and then informed others of their cause it stirred a whole country into action, will we do the same for these poor slaves of a different species, whose suffering shall remain silent, for we can’t hear them, unless of course someone speaks for them. Iowa, with this outrages law has taken away the only chance to hear them in their misery, for what reason? You guessed it well, pretentious issues. Iowa, if you have nothing to hide, why, and if you’re proud of what you are doing are you worried about a few well meaning animal lovers? Why? Had you a label on your meat, as to where it came from, I would now, avoid it as the plaque. It might well be that well meaning people, people that care about creatures, might respond in kind and push for such labelling. After all if money talks, it seems in your case anyway, can we not let you hear our crispy soul searched dollar bills give you a message, and to all others, that would think of a similar disgusting law, such as this one?©04/03/2012 -
I totally agree with Karen King’s post of Feb 29th!
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Let’s support animal cruelty!!! How can people be so stupid and heartless. I know it’s not on Every farm that people abuses animals, but if a farmer treat his animals correctly then why it is a crime to go in and film on it. People here are saying that activists are making up videos of animals abuse… This is so stupid, if it’s not true then someone’s gonna find out. And if it’s true, they gonna find out too… Of course I don’t want to see animal abuse, but I don’t want people to hide those heartless morons that are enjoying abusing animals… This is sick.
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Whenever I read this kind of stuff, I think of a “Planet of the Apes”-like scenario, where some species likes to eat humans, and cages us and feeds us drugs to fatten us up, and kills our babies because young meat tastes better than old meat, and we have no rights and we are ONLY food – nothing more, nothing less.
And it seems to me that the entire structure of civilization, in which we see so much of life as NOTHING MORE than a commodity to be consumed, for food and clothes and so on, is sick. Ironic is the sense that many of the people who are farmers are “pro-life” (LOL) Bible-thumpers.
Being anti-abortion and anti-birth control doesn’t make you pro-life, just an idiot.
I AM pro-life because I believe that ALL LIFE needs to be respected, honored and loved – and this can be so even as we eat life, but not when we engage in the agricultural holocaust.
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I totally agree with Chris V.
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Animals deserve advocates, not abuse. Since they are vulnerable and innocent and cannot speak for themselves it is very important that people can witness what is going on to be able to protect them from harm. Evil can lurk behind closed doors, and an open policy is always healthier. Please stop animal abuse.
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This bill is so obviously sponsored & supported by the Big Industrial Farm lobbyists. Wonder how much contributions they made to those supporters of the bill , including a veterinarian- Senator Seng whose concern for the animals is that those coming in could invite infection to the animals. That is so laughable. If that would be the case they would suffer less than they do through the majority of industrial farming practices. If they did not practice their horrendous & inhumane ways of farming, there would not be a need for others to come in & take undercover video to provide proof of the abuses that they so heavy handedly place on these animals for the sake of business. Shame on the State of Iowa for allowing this.
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This bill is so wrong and should never be passed, Animal activists are only trying to make sure that these animals are not being abused, We are not terrorist, If you are not doing anything wrong then what is there to hide, People have been charged and prosecuted for animal abuse on animal farms so apparently – IT HAPPENS, and obviously people are not doing their job and seeing that animals are treated humanely. Furthermore, the public has more than once contracted bacterial infections like e-coli and salmonella from unsanitary conditions on animal farm. Stop trying to hide what you are doing wrong to these animals.
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If you have nothing to hide, you would not feel the need to cover up what you are doing! Why can’t I as a consumer know what is happening in my food supply?
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S-H-A-M-E on the IOWA Government for passing this …….animal abuse law………that is exactly what it is!! As I follow other commentators…..”just WHAT are you trying to HIDE or COVER-UP???????| My heart just breaks for these magnificent sentient beings…..I love animals and respect their right to live…..therefore…I do NOT ABUSE or EAT them….end of!!!!!!!! They want to live, just as much as you and I do!
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We ask for the exercise of WELFARE intended for ALL animals in the world.; recognized as sentient beings with capacity to experiment sufering and recommended to the whole world by institutions related to animals as important as: The World Vet Asoc, World Health Org, World trade Org, FAO, OIE, WSPA, IFAW, AVMA, FECAVA,FVE and many others. We want what these and many other institutions, groups, labs, manufacturers and even UN wants.
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I would like to know how many of the posters who do not want this bill have ever been on a farm?
How many have ever worked with ANY kind of animal, outside of a pet? The problem is that too many people have NO CLUE as to what is appropriate animal husbandry. You can photograph many normal things and the public will be aghast. Now, those who don’t want the farrowing sows to be in crates…I guess they would rather see the sows lay on the piglets and squash them to death, or simply turn around and EAT them as they are born! Would they rather see a pen of sows with various ones fighting for dominance? Most farm set ups have a reason. Farmers do not go to the trouble to create these facilities for the fun of it and the expense of it…they design the facilities so that the animals will be safe and be able to get their fair share of the food. When animals are together in pens, that is not always the case. When you have not kept or raised pigs, poultry, cattle, etc. then you are NOT QUALIFIED to comment because you don’t understand what you are seeing, you don’t understand the behavior of the animal breed, and you can easily be misled by a video and selected wording.Now, I am not talking about the OBVIOUS abuse that was shown in an Ohio milk barn where the worker was “working for the camera” as he used a pitch ford to stick cows and beat calves with clubs…this guy was a mentally challenged person who had been sought by the animal rights group to work there…then they sent in their videographer to film abuse…created abuse in this case. How many other cases are similar?
If real abuse exists, it should be stopped and punished. BUT, real abuse is one thing and the manufactured abuse of animal rights radicals is something else. We have seen too many instances where that is what is happening.
As far as thinking that anyone should be allowed on a farm IF the farmer has nothing to hide…have you never heard of TRESPASS? Have you never heard of INSURANCE LIABILITY? Have you never heard of PROPERTY RIGHTS? Have you ever heard of ANIMAL THEFT. Should we be sending a videographer into your home to see if you are treating your kids right? Should we be sending a spy into your back yard to see how you are treating your dog or cat? Some people do abuse their pets…maybe we should be checking on all pet owners! Maybe all parents, since some torture their children! Why not??
You are assuming that ALL farmers are abusing their animals. That would be totally stupid. I grew up on a farm and never ever knew of abusive farmers. Most farmers enjoy working with animals and that is why they choose farming instead of some other type of job.
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Yes, I’ve been on a farm. I have Histoplasmosis in my lungs, eye, and my other four (4) soft organs from breathing in air-born spores from being around so many chickens and hen houses, and as such, I lost the center vision in my left eye. And yes, I’ve known of hogs laying on their young and killing them; makes me absolutely sick! Yes, I’ve heard of property rightsl I’ve owned my own home since I was in my twentys. I’ve worked in corporate legal for years so I know what lawsand rights are. I’ve made my living negotiating with greedy jerks….only in a different arena. I also know that if someone wants to come into my back yard or my home to see how I treat my kids, my pets, or my 85 year old mother…I wouldn’t care one tiny iota! I’d probably ask them for some help because I believe in doing everything right, top-notch, and perfect! Honestly, they’d be so bored, they’d be begging to leave. Only people with something to hide fear being watched! Where there’s a will to do the “right” thing, there’s a way!! The ones wanting to hide behind closed doors, without being checked on, don’t care about doing the “right” thing.
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Bernell Trapp wrote: …Only people with something to hide fear being watched! Where there’s a will to do the “right” thing, there’s a way!! The ones wanting to hide behind closed doors, without being checked on, don’t care about doing the “right” thing.end quote
I do not agree. Right now in the US we have quite a number of animal rights radicals who are looking for anything they can find to allege abuse, whether or not it is there. And, for some, when they find no abuse, they create it…as in the Ohio milk farm case.
When you have ideologues with an agenda who are seeking to change our meat eating society into a vegan society, as they themselves have stated, then you are not dealing with an unbiased viewer of farms and ranches.
You are working from the assumption that ALL viewers have an unbiased approach to farming and ranching…when the opposite is true at this point in time. When animal rights law conference speakers state that they have a goal of NO ANIMAL USE in the USA by 2050…that is rather clear. When you have staffers for the HSUS stating that they are working to eliminate animal agriculture in the US, then that is also clear. Do we want individuals who are that biased doing any monitoring of animal agriculture?
I do not support animal abuse in any form. Any animal abuse is EVIL in my opinion. There is simply no excuse for it, under any circumstances. Those committing abuse need severe punishment.
But, I do not want to see radicals making the decisions about what is appropriate animal husbandry practices on US farms and ranches. That needs to be in the hands of those who are experts.
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You say things need to be in the hands of those who are experts…well, just because someone’s an expert at something, doesn’t mean they have a heart. Mighty fine words, a diploma, or a life-time of experience doesn’t grant or give you a kind heart and that’s what this whole fight and debate is about. Animal activists have too much meanness in this world to deal with without wasting their time foolishly making crap up! China is baking dogs alive and skewering and cooking anything that swims, crawls, slithers, walks or breathes. In Norway and Canada, seals are being clubbed and beaten to death, seals, minks, rabbits, etc. are being skinned alive for their furs, and on and on. Everywhere you look…there’s animal abuse. When people are children they cuddle with their stuffed animals and look at animals in the way they deserve to be treated…then, I don’t know where the turning point is but many later cross over to a cruel and ugly dark side to where they only care about the bottom dollar and their pocket book. Those of us who continue to have a heart, passion, and compassion for animals have to stand tall for the voiceless. I’d give my life if it would stop all the animal abuse, but there are too many low-life heartless people out there who’ll never care about animals and their feelings.
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An expert is generally a trained and educated professional. Such a professional will be implementing the regulations with regard to the specific mission…and that always includes animal welfare. While animal rights radicals may “have a heart,” it is generally an “uneducated” heart. Compassion works when coupled with knowledge. It does not work when knowledge of the situation is absent. That is why it is so ridiculous for animal rights radicals to release domestic bred mink from mink farms…most die on the highway or die of starvation unless they are caught and returned to their facility.
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Well, I have worked with “other” animals (and I’ve been out in very wild places, much wilder than I suspect you’ve ever experienced. How does being charged by a lion or ambushed by a leopard sound to you?).
And members of my extended family ran a farm, too, with animals. They switched to raising fruit crops, smaller scale. That answer your question? Asking someone if they’ve “ever been on a farm” as a way of justifying what’s done in factory farm “operations” won’t wash. Be careful about enthroning yourself as the only “authority” on how animals act, animal behaviour, or anything else – you have no real clue as to the experiences, credentials or anything else about anyone else here (but your assumptions and inaccurate tales of animal behaviour and how they react because of the unnatural and stressful environs forced on them speaks VOLUMES about your biases, ignorance, and agendas).
Moving right along!
“If” real abuse exists? Excuse me, did you say, IF?! Seriously?? Are you attempting to claim that the violation of even very lax and paltry humane laws – from which birds are NOTORIOUSLY excluded – does not exist? Who are your trying to fool, yourself? Or, should I ask, who are you trying to defend? I *could* point out that the very act of “making” foie gras is animal abuse, never mind the incidental other forms of atrocities, such as birds being kicked and thrown around like grain sacks.
The very nature of a factory farm IS animal abuse, and that’s not even counting the use of electric prods to force animals who can’t walk to get up and march. Oh, but you count that as “husbandry” according to your earlier comments, right?
You want to know what the difference between trespassing and exposing bad behaviour is? In trespassing, I walk across your lawn without your permission. In exposing bad behaviour, I walk across your lawn to stake out your house and get incriminating evidence that you’re beating your dog every night at 7:00PM so I can turn you in to authorities for prosecution on animal abuse statutes. That’s the difference.
And this bit about “property rights?” It’s interesting how that always pops up when people have something to hide. Asserting we “own” other species by denying their lives as creatures and instead calling them “property” and “products” is merely abusing other species instead of being good stewards, rights? We were never “given” the planet to use and abuse as though it were our personal pantries (and alternately, garbage heap). That wasn’t the objective at all. We’re supposed to be guardians of other species, but the only ones I see filling that position description are the ones doing investigative journalism and other types of check-and-balance reporting.
So you tell us that you grew up on a farm and that you never saw any of the farmers abusing the animals they kept. Did you observe the animals? What about looking at it from their prospective? Should we force you apart from your mother, fatten YOU up (forcibly, with a tube down your throat if you’re a bird or with hormone laced “feed” if you’re a mammal), brand/tag you, pen you up, and then kill you on whim and arrogantly assume we’ve been so “good” to you? How about that? Would you even do this to your dog? No? Then how is it you can call the same actions acceptable merely on the basis of species?
You don’t see because you don’t want to see. Animals are a means to an end to you, and only the very egregious forms of abuse, such as “used a pitch ford to stick cows and beat calves with clubs” seems to “trip” the empathy neurons in your brain. Anything short of that is apparently “acceptable” to you because animals are just a way to “earn a living.” Their lives don’t mean much to you, do they, because they just represent a paycheck to those who keep them. Hard to feel empathy for anything you view in that light, huh. Oh, and just so you understand, the person who stabbed the calf with a pitchfork isn’t “mentally challenged,” it’s what a medical professional would diagnose as pathological. There’s a difference – a HUGE one.
Farmers aren’t farmers because they “decide” that they “like animals” and therefore take up farming. It’s generally an occupation passed on and passed down. Maybe you would benefit from taking a Sociology 101 course to clear up that little misunderstanding/myth for you. Please read what you write before you write it – telling us that farms are “designed to be safe for the animals” is a real stretch, even for the teeny tiny small farms. Herding and animal farming, regardless of where it takes place, is designed to control animals – the captives and the external predators – and to make it safer and easier for the humans to keep control. It’s not the “save haven” you’re trying to dream up.
Face it, you’re on shaky ground trying to defend Big Ag’s co-opting of the government via puppet politicians to push this attempt at obfuscation through the legislature.
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Laurella-
Exposing animal husbandry practices sets aside any necessity of these practices and gives consumers an opportunity to decide for themselves if the costs of these “necessary proper husbandry procedures” are worth the benefits of an inexpensive food supply. It does not take experience and/or education in animal husbandry to look objectively at a practice and decide for oneself rather that practice is humane or inhumane. For example, keeping a sow continuously caged is deemed by many to be an inhumane practice, even if the reasoning behind the practice necessitates the practice, many consumers are coming to the conclusion that the practice is still- regardless of necessity- inhumane.
Moreover, I’m curious to know where you have come across information offering evidence that undercover investigators compensated an individual to perform acts of animal abuse. It seems to me that this would not only goes against the personal values and ethics of the animal rights advocate, but would also be a conflict of interest for the advocacy organization the investigator is working for. It does not seem plausible to me that an individual who has devoted their career to protecting animals would in fact compensate an individual to harm an animal in order to produce public outcry.
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To Jessica. First, the sows do not LIVE in the gestation crates. They are there during the time the piglets are born and small. Practices regarding pigs do vary and not all farmers handle farrowing sows in the same manner. Now, as regards the members of the general public SEEING something and KNOWING it is abusive. I don’t buy it. I will give you one excellent example.
At a county fair one year in California a local exotic bird club had an exhibit. One person brought in a plastic aquarium with shavings in the bottom and about six baby cockatiels in it. The cockatiels, although appearing to be feathered, were still at the age where they are not able to maintain their appropriate body temperature, so they huddle in a mass. One woman approached the exhibitor and complained that the baby cockatiels were seriously crowded and needed more space. (Note that the brooder has plenty of space but the baby birds had all grouped together in one corner.) This is the kind of person who will claim abuse when there is none because they do not understand the appropriate behavior or needs of a specific species.
Members of the general public are so far removed from animal husbandry that I personally would never trust them to make a decision about ANY animal species and its care. That includes pet owners. When we have pet owners who have obese pets, dogs that can hardly waddle around the house, cats that have hanging rolls of fat, then I do not think these people are in any position to be decision makers about those who actually STUDY animal husbandry and WORK on farms or at facilities.
In terms of the “paid” activists….Perhaps you are not that familiar with the animal rights radicals who are anxious to visit facilities and prove abuse in order to turn the USA into a Vegan Nation. One statement that is commonly made by the leaders of these radicals is that “the end justifies the means” and that they will use whatever works. We have seen this with the PETA spies, one at a reptile facility, others at farm facilities. These are the radicals who release domesticated mink to be killed by autos on the road, to starve in the forest as they have never been in the wild. These are the radicals who destroyed 20 years of genetic research on aging with a special colony of mice located at a college in the SF Bay Area…turned these lab mice outside to be eaten by predators and destroyed the data. These are the radicals who set fire to automobiles of animal researchers and cut the brakes on their vehicles when they live on hills. Check out Steven Best and Gary Francione and ALF and ELF. The animal rights radicals targeting farms and ranches are just one step below these leaders. That is why some groups and some individuals are on the FBI domestic terrorism list. They are terrorists.
While every business, industry, farm and ranch can no doubt need to constantly monitor the work practices and seek to improve them for the benefit of the live animals, the workers and the community at large, this does not mean that farm and ranch practices should be “open” to public viewing and then result in the public making decisions about farm or ranch practices. I would like to know how many members of the general public should “observe” surgeries and then make recommendations about improving surgical practices? How many members of the public do we want to be “observing” the building of jet engines and making recommendations?
IF the monitoring of farms and ranches was being done by EDUCATED and TRAINED and EXPERIENCED specialists, that would be one thing. These “farm/ranch specialists” could understand what they were seeing. If they saw something problematic or abusive, they could make recommendations that were appropriate for improving the care of the specific type of animal. That would make sense. However, it makes NO sense for members of the general public to be making these kinds of recommendations when they do not even understand what they are seeing, whether or not it is abusive, and if it was abusive, what would be needed to improve the situation.
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I am ashamed of Iowa passing the AG GAG bill…politics like
Washington. I am ashamed that money & special interests are more
important than the living beings that are abused cruelly and treated
horribly in these big factory farms! My soul tells me how wrong this is.
If there were inspectors not working with their hands in the big money
pockets of these big industries that checked on these farms on a regular
basis & did their jobs then undercover videos would not have to happen. I
will NOT vote for anyone involved with a YES vote on this bill. I AM
ASHAMED OF IOWA!