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| Alec Baldwin narrates "Meet Your Meat" |
"PETA" stands for "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals." I'm not a member of PETA, but I am a person for the ethical treatment of animals.
Or am I?
Ms. Moore's letter asks whether we "want to be truly horrified this Halloween?" Assuming we do, she suggests that we "forget Friday the 13th and watch 'Meet Your Meat'—frightening footage from factory farms and slaughterhouses, chilling places full of panic and bloodshed...."
In writing to commend her, I came to an unexpected, and self-challenging, conclusion:
Thanks to Heather Moore of PETA for reminding us how horribly we human animals treat other animals, many of whom have sufficient intelligence and consciousness to suffer terribly in the process of being fed and slaughtered for our unnecessary culinary pleasure.I like it that there's a religious angle to all of this. If God wrote the Bible (and God were ethical), there'd be no animal sacrifice in it, Old or New.
Ms. Moore asks whether we "want to be truly horrified this Halloween." The answer, of course, is that we do not. We'll not spend a second longer on this topic than we need to realize that we must change the subject to preserve our peace of mind.
We won't stop eating animals, however beneficial to our health, or however much they suffer. Just don't make us think about it.
Philosophically, I'm not one of the "we" or the "us," but out of courtesy to my host I will eat animal flesh if it's served. Ms. Moore prompts me to reconsider whether that courtesy is morally justified.2
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- The full text of Ms. Moore's letter, which may not be available on the web for long:
Want to be truly horrified this Halloween? Then forget Friday the 13th and watch "Meet Your Meat"—frightening footage from factory farms and slaughterhouses, chilling places full of panic and bloodshed. Nearly 10 billion terrified animals are killed in slaughterhouses every year. They bellow in pain and agony and fight for their lives, but they are no match for the knife-wielding killers who string them up, slice their throats, and often dump then in scalding water to soften their skin and remove their hair or feathers. Many are boiled alive or dismembered while they're still conscious.
This eerie scene plays out not just on Halloween, but 365 days a year. See it for yourself at www.PETA.org. But I warn you: It will give you nightmares. The only way to make the horror stop is by switching to a vegan diet. - The Herald-Sun ran my letter on October 25, under the title, neither reviewed nor approved by me, "Is there a moral way to eat meat?"
Mr. Skeptic here. It's true that culinary pleasure is unnecessary. In fact, all pleasure is unnecessary. Monks, hermits, and all sorts of historical ascetics have demonstrated as much. But saying that pleasure is unnecessary is far from an argument that we shouldn't indulge in it. And who's to say that my pleasures must match yours? Sounds pretty dogmatic.
ReplyDeleteAnother point... Of the 10 billion animals that are slaughtered yearly, how many "bellow in pain and agony and fight for their lives"? All? Half? A tenth? Only those whose minders are careless sadists? I have a hunch that Ms. Moore has no idea. She probably also has no info on whether the industry is getting crueler, trying to reform, or acting indifferently.
Of course, esteemed Mr. Skeptic, the "culinary pleasure" meant to be unnecessary is that taken from eating animal flesh, not from eating in general. I.e., eating animal flesh is unnecessary. My letter to the editor could admittedly have clarified this point (and perhaps even have done so within the 150-word limit).
ReplyDeleteIn what way is it pertinent precisely how many animals are suffering? Ms. Moore can't possibly know precisely, nor can anyone, especially since factory farms take extraordinary measures to keep snoopers out.
I'm sure, though, that she knows more about it than we know about what she does or doesn't know about it.
A suggestion... The next time you want to enjoy a glass of wine with your dinner or a beer with your veggie pizza, think of the death and devastation that the consumption of alcoholic beverages causes every day. You'll realize that the desired beverage is an unnecessary pleasure. Ice water is just the ticket.
ReplyDeleteThe snippet from Ms. Moore is hysterical propaganda. She implies that millions of farm animals are in agonizing death throes every day. I don't think of extreme accusations as a form of "knowing." Take a step back and you might hear the madness of it resonating.