When Pigs Fly (you just won't be able to videotape it)

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.

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."

(http://www.pe.com/local-news/reports/beef-recall/beef-recall-headlines/20080216-abuse-charges-filed-in-chino-slaughterhouse-case.ece)

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.

(http://www.wvec.com/news/Former-NC-testing-lab-workers-indicted-on-animal-cruelty-charges-125131164.html)

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.

(http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/butterball-workers-arrested-animal-cruelty-charges/story?id=15637180#.UXRh7Mo09GM)

 

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.

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.

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.

so help me I will shoot you in the nuts

So the people who document animal abuse are now terrorists.

Given that we were once again reminded in Boston what terror really is, ALEC should be ashamed of itself for the misuse of the word.