What will you do with your power?

America is falling behind in the race to end factory farming.  If anything, the government is showing less concern for the animals that are being tortured.  Laws are in the process of being created to ban videotaping within factory farms.  These laws are to protect the criminals, not the innocent.  According to an article from The New York Times, the American Legislative Exchange Council is in charge of creating model bills and, “One of the group’s model bills, “The Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act,” prohibits filming or taking pictures on livestock farms to “defame the facility or its owner.” Violators would be placed on a “terrorist registry,” (Oppel 1).  How can we possibly think it is okay to strip defenseless animals of basic living rights?  Using these undercover tactics help us see how these animals are really being treated and we can now start to find a resolution.  The only problem is these law makers.  Other countries have already begun to solve the maltreatment of these animals.  Sow stalls are small, metal barred compartments meant to hold pregnant pigs.  These pigs have no room to turn around or move.  Most pigs can only lie down, and not even comfortably; if they lie down, they invade a neighboring stall.  How far behind is the United States? According to The Australian, “Sow stalls are already banned in Britain and Sweden. New Zealand will ban them from 2015. Switzerland, The Netherlands and Finland have implemented partial bans and an EU directive restricts the use of sow stalls to the first four weeks of any pregnancy by 2013,” (Kirby).  America should have never allowed sow stalls in the first place.  Kirby later writes that a handful of states have begun to look over restrictions, but that is still no excuse for how animals are treated in factory farming.  In this same article from The Australian, Kirby states that Australian consumers are more aware of what his happening and thus opening doors for law makers.  “The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recently began legal proceedings against three large industrial chicken producers for misleading conduct. New bills are being introduced into our parliaments requiring fairer labeling of animal products,” (Kirby).  This is the example that should be set for America, as well as the banning and restrictions on sow stalls by Britain, The Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, and Finland.  If we, the consumers, can start a movement as big as Australia’s, we could show lawmakers and the factory owners that we will not stand for the mistreatment of animals.  If we can show them that we want healthy living conditions and healthy food, then we will be in control; not these big companies.  The future of America truly does lie in our hands.  The only question is: what will you do with this power?

Sources:

Oppel, Richard A., Jr. "Taping of Farm Cruelty Is Becoming the Crime." The New York Times 7 Apr. 2013: A1. The New York Times. 6 Apr. 2013. Web. 3 June 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/07/us/taping-of-farm-cruelty-is-becoming-the-crime.html>.

Kirby, Michael. "NATION SHOULD BE A LEADER IN ANIMAL WELFARE." Australian [National, Australia] 29 Nov. 2012: 12. Global Issues In Context. Web. 23 June 2013.

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