The food industry has a history of animal abuse. Here are a few examples from the many cases that have been criminal prosecuted. They were brought to the public and the legal system’s attention by animal right activist who secretly recorded the abuse. But the videotaping of animal abuse on farms is becoming the crime.
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| Drop that camera or else. |
Dec 2007 - A local
prosecutor in North Carolina is investigating allegations of animal cruelty by
a pig farm supplying Smithfield Foods, the nation’s largest pork producer. The
investigation comes after an animal rights activist secretly videotaped workers
beating and dragging swine, gouging out their eyes and cutting out their
testicles. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316624,00.html)
Feb 2008- Prosecutors
filed animal abuse charges Friday against two former Chino slaughterhouse
workers who were secretly videotaped ramming cattle with forklifts, shocking
them with electrical prods and using a water spray torture the district
attorney called "water boarding."
July 2011 - Four
former workers at a now closed North Carolina testing lab have been indicted on
felony animal cruelty charges. The charges follow Norfolk-based PETA's
undercover investigation at Professional Laboratory and Research Services, Inc.
in Corapeake that captured video images of animals being hit, kicked and
thrown.
Feb 2012 - Six
workers at a Butterball turkey farm in North Carolina face criminal charges
after an undercover video revealed alleged animal abuse, and a state employee
who tipped off Butterball before a police raid on the farm has pled guilty to
obstruction of justice.
In each one of the above cases people and companies were successfully prosecuted. But thanks to our old friend the American Legislative Exchange Council (See my blogpost - http://cakeordemocracy.blogspot.com/2012/04/wednesday-warns-us-about-american.html)
it may become illegal to covertly videotape livestock farms, or apply for a job at one without disclosing ties to animal rights groups.
it may become illegal to covertly videotape livestock farms, or apply for a job at one without disclosing ties to animal rights groups.
You may remember the American Legislative Exchange Council also known
as ALEC as a “business advocacy group”. They are behind such creative business advocacy
efforts as “stand your ground” gun laws and tighter voter identification rules.
You know things every business needs to succeed, like continuing to abuse
animals without the fear of being caught.
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| ALEC's logic makes my head hurt |
ALEC in a brilliant twist of Orwellian logic generated “The Animal and
Ecological Terrorism Act,” which prohibits filming or taking pictures on
livestock farms to “defame the facility or its owner.” Violators would be
placed on a “terrorist registry.” It only makes sense that Orwell wrote Animal
Farm. Remember “Four legs good, two legs bad” unless you happen to be in the
food chain.
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| so help me I will shoot you in the nuts |
So the people who document animal abuse are now terrorists.
