This video is very hard to watch, but maybe someone who sees it will be reinforced to stay vegetarian.

[www.butterballabuse.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2011 06:43AM by suncloud.

Your right Suncloud, not easy to watch but sometimes necessary. On another post I recommended the DVD 'Food Inc.' It's not all about cruelty, but alot of footage on mass production, unsavoury practices, industry monopoly, chemicals and feeding methody etc. Also, some producers that aren't afraid of the multinationals and that are holding their own. It's really a worthwhile view.

Cheerio chaps

God, that brings me to tears. I can't believe I ever ate turkey. I used to work at a hatchery and a canery. Its very desensitising work, that was over 20 years ago. At the very least we were instructed on quick killing methods, and I don't remember any rough treatment. That would have damaged 'product' or damaged the eggs or sperm, killing them and making the operation totally useless.

Still, there is an inherent lack of dignity in animal harvest industries. The more closely one can relate to the animal, the more emotionally damaging the work. I remember reading about a high rate of suicide, alcoholism and drug use amoung those that process cattle and pigs. Its also inherently dangerous work. I remember that I never returned to the cannery, and I am so glad. A friend of mine reported that someone lost an arm working at the very cannery I worked at. She got it caught in the cannery processing equipment. Potentially that could have been me. I worked near some pretty dangerous stuff. Other people worked in a freezer that was -70 F, with fans bringing it down to -100 or so. That always freaked me out.

Well, to this day I don't like knives, clevers, deep friers, meat slicers. I used to clean deep friers and was always afraid of them. All of those things freak me out.

I think you probably have that exactly right Mislu. It must be very desensitizing. The workers probably have to find any way they can to do their job without feeling it. And that probably often leads to alcohol, drug use and/or just plain cultivating a cruel outlook - all of which lead to worse treatment of the animals.

I think it's possible that just eating meat comes with it's own desensitizing process. How many people even think about the cruelty suffered by the animal that they're eating?

That's why I agree with geo that spreading awareness of what's going on is necessary. Then at least people know what they're doing. If a person's livelihood doesn't depend on slaughtering animals, they may be more likely to choose sensitivity over cruelty. Hope so!

Oh, I forgot this. My sister-in-law sent a comic strip:

On Thanksgiving, 2 turkeys were talking. One turkey asked the other turkey, "What are YOU thankful for?"

The other turkey replied, "Vegetarians!"

Suncloud,
I just remembered somethings about the particular workplaces. Yes, those workplaces were more crass than usual workplaces. Someone had painted some tanks flesh coloured to similate large female breasts. I recall one worker started the day with a morning joint. Another worker didn't condemn his smoking, but said to him "you have a problem". There were some pretty big parties that took place during the slow periods, with heavy drinking. The location was rather isolated, so there wasn't much to do after hours if and when there were slower periods.

I can't think of any other places I worked at that encouraged heavy drinking, or condoned language and visual imagery that would be banished elsewhere. I guess its a different environment altogether, than cleaner and relatively safer environments, physically and emotionally.

I like your thankful thanksgiving turkeys!

Are they all Butterball animals? I have seen those videos before.

Yes, coconutcream, you are correct. It's Butterball.

And here's AN UPDATE apparently from just 4 hours ago: A NC Dept. of Agriculture official tipped off the farm that they were going to be raided.

[www.wral.com]

The official who tipped them off was the director of animal health programs in the Poultry Division of the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

According to this article, no charges have been filed against the official, Dr. Sarah Mason.

I'm sorry, but I just can't imagine a well-known and respected company such as Butterball would allow this kind of behavior in their keep. Honestly, it makes you wonder exactly what the hell is going on in these places. I mean, what? Is it a phony video? Who would hire people who would treat their "product" like that? I mean, maybe someone is just trying to slander Butterball.

rawalice,

Fake video? Are you not aware of the large dossier of undercover videos of animals abuse at "respected" companies that process animals, as well as at smaller outfits?

I assumed this was common knowledege, at least to vegetarians . . .