Do you still want to eat pork?

[bobbbiez]

My niece emailed me this undercover video of cruelty on one of the nation's largest pig farms. It might be too graphic for some and is pretty disgusting. For those who want to view it go to: www.foxnews.com and click on: cruelty caught on tape

I know animals have to be killed so we can eat, but this treatment is pretty damn cruel and some of the injuries shown on these animals leaves me wondering if the meat is safe for us to consume.

[Clipper]

Send me a recipe for sausage made with cabbage instead of meat and I will try it. You would not eat beef either if you saw some of the cows that are sold to slaughter houses from the "baloney pen" at the auctions.

The big pigs shown are brood sows, and hopefully inspectors would not allow them to enter the food chain if they had sores or an infection.That is why we have inspectors at slaughter houses. They could damn sure be more careful in handling the piglets, but I don't put a lot of stock into the ramblings of animal rights people who would have you think that every animal that is killed for food is treated in a cruel manner.

If you want to see cruelty, check out where your eggs come from, and how your chicken is slaughtered and processed.

I guess maybe that those that don't like the video can eat tofu and wheat germ shakes. I don't like animal cruelty, but it needs to be regulated and monitored. It will not stop it to simply have a few people quit eating meat in protest.

[bobbbiez]

Damn Clipper, you don't trust or believe most government departments but yet you're willing to put your trust in inspectors at slaughter houses.

Most of those injuries look pretty bad to me and I do question what effect it would have on the meat that is evidently passed to the consumer.
Where were the inspectors when this type of handling the animals was taking place?

[Clipper]

The large pigs in the video are "brood sows" sunshine. They are not "sausage sows". Their only mission in the process is to produce the little piglets you saw being tossed around.

The video actually showed that the big pigs were in "gestation pens" where they would have their litters and nurse them until weening, not holding pens for slaughter. I am sure the sores were from laying on the cement floor or rubbing the steel pen sides. They would most likely be treated for the sores, because they are valuable assets to a breeding operation.

Simple fact is that pigs and cows that are destined strictly for consumption are not bred and raised to live happily ever after in a pasture of clover and wildflowers. They are kept in small areas, confined to prevent activity that would build muscle and make the meat tough. They are fed a diet and bred through genetics to produce large and lean product for market. The brood sows are no more than a vending machine that vends piglets.

No, it is not a good way to treat the animals, but the demand for the product dictates the process that you see.

If we don't like the process, we can eat nuts and berries. Eating animal protein requires raising and KILLING animals, quickly and efficiently if there is to be a profit.

I don't like the cruel way that the animals are treated either, but it has nothing to do with the sows in the video ending up on our plates. I am selfish. I love pork chops and beef steak. I am not about to protest by eating yogurt and granola to save a damn pig.

As far as where the inspectors were when the video was filmed, they are at the slaughter end of the production. Watching to see that pigs with sores are not slaughtered or put into the food chain. They are MEAT inspectors, not PETA policemen. They are not concerned with the pig as long as it walks and oinks, only in it's cold dead carcass.

[Swimmy]

I read somewhere that there is an ever-increasing number of vegetarians largely resulting from these videos. That can only mean one thing: MORE MEAT FOR ME

lol

When I was studying for the bar at SU, I walked passed a protest for cow cruelty. The vegans and vegetarians were trying to convert more people. I, being the ass that I can be, bought the biggest juiciest hamburger I could find. I walked in front of the projection screen and took a huge bite out of the burger. I moaned at how good it was and finally said, "Now that's a great piece of meat."

To this day, I have not figured out why they suddenly packed up their film and left. Nor am I entirely sure why campus security showed up and surrounded me facing away. Eh, at least I was able to finish the burger without being yelled at.

[chris]

Whats up with everyone posting gross stuff. The other day I am about to eat, turn on Oprah and she is showing the lady whose face was ripped off by chimp (did not look) And earlier in the week was another lady who's face disappeared. Then watching one of the programs CSI maybe same thing. Are people becoming desensitized to this that they view it as entertainment.

[snickers]

"If it bleeds, it leads" is a saying that has been around the media for a LONG time.

[bobbbiez]

Hey Swimmy, don't be so quick to make fun of vegetarians. With all the recalls in the last few years and most recently one in the last two weeks having to do with tainted beef sold by Price Chopper the vegetarians might be alot smarter then us devoted meat lovers.

All the recalls should tell us "someone" is not doing their jobs in making sure what we consume is safe enough but do we follow up on finding out the reasons......Hell No! Unless we are personally affected and are victims, we tend to care less.

I know I learned my lesson the hard way were it comes to recalls. Three years ago I lost my, YogiBear, because of tainted dog treats. At present we are part of a pending nationwide class action law suit on Yogi's behalf.
Now, our little Phyllis is some what of a vegetarian. Her food is prescribed only by her vet and her treats are all veggies, carrots, cauliflower, green beans and peppers. She especially loves her peppers.

I guess with this video, I feel if these people are capable of such definite cruelty, then they are capable of just about anything harmful.