Student Advocacy: Voices for Change
Factory farms ignored as source of abuse
Tricia Carr
Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: News
At Warped Tour, a nationwide punk music tour which attracts millions of teens, a Peta2 tent is set up that distributes free stickers and pamphlets. Peta2 is an extension of PETA specifically aimed at young people. Many of the bands at Warped Tour are known to have vegetarian members like Pete Wentz and Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy, Benji and Joel Madden and Billy Martin of Good Charlotte, and Ian Grushka of New Found Glory.
The exposure of factory farms is vital in the process of eliminating animal cruelty. In fact, there has been various legislature passed in certain states concerning factory farming.
On April 26, 2006, a vote 48 to 1 at a Chicago City Council meeting decided in favor of banning the sale of foie gras. Chicago, one of America's largest cities, is the first to make this cruel practice illegal.
Foie gras is produced by force feeding ducks and geese about four pounds of grain a day through a pipe stuck down their throats. This severely damages the esophagus and causes the birds' livers to grow to 10 times their usual size. This produces foie gras, which means "fatty liver."
Chicago's City Council voted in favor of this law after viewing a video co-produced by PETA showing the production of foie gras. Chicago City Council member, Joe Moore, stated to PETA, "The fewer restaurants that serve this product of animal torture, the fewer animals who will be subject to this unspeakable cruelty."
Another big step in animal cruelty legislation happened in Arizona on Nov. 7, 2006. Arizona citizens voted yes to "Proposition 204," a proposal to ban gestation crates and veal crates on factory farms. These types of crates are 2-foot-wide crates where animals, especially pigs and calves used for veal, are kept for their entire lives before they are slaughtered. This notable decision by the public made Arizona the second state to ban gestation crates after Florida banned them in 2002 and the first to ban veal crates.
These types of legislation, while they may seem to be significant steps for the conditions of factory farms, are still extremely trivial. In 2006, PETA investigators entered an Oklahoma farm and witnessed workers killing pigs by beating them with hammers and slamming their heads against walls.
The exposure of factory farms is vital in the process of eliminating animal cruelty. In fact, there has been various legislature passed in certain states concerning factory farming.
On April 26, 2006, a vote 48 to 1 at a Chicago City Council meeting decided in favor of banning the sale of foie gras. Chicago, one of America's largest cities, is the first to make this cruel practice illegal.
Foie gras is produced by force feeding ducks and geese about four pounds of grain a day through a pipe stuck down their throats. This severely damages the esophagus and causes the birds' livers to grow to 10 times their usual size. This produces foie gras, which means "fatty liver."
Chicago's City Council voted in favor of this law after viewing a video co-produced by PETA showing the production of foie gras. Chicago City Council member, Joe Moore, stated to PETA, "The fewer restaurants that serve this product of animal torture, the fewer animals who will be subject to this unspeakable cruelty."
Another big step in animal cruelty legislation happened in Arizona on Nov. 7, 2006. Arizona citizens voted yes to "Proposition 204," a proposal to ban gestation crates and veal crates on factory farms. These types of crates are 2-foot-wide crates where animals, especially pigs and calves used for veal, are kept for their entire lives before they are slaughtered. This notable decision by the public made Arizona the second state to ban gestation crates after Florida banned them in 2002 and the first to ban veal crates.
These types of legislation, while they may seem to be significant steps for the conditions of factory farms, are still extremely trivial. In 2006, PETA investigators entered an Oklahoma farm and witnessed workers killing pigs by beating them with hammers and slamming their heads against walls.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
daniela
posted 3/24/07 @ 6:10 PM EST
Dear Tricia Carr,
I am 12 years old and i live in Bristow,VA.I have noticed that you really appreciate these animals and want to help.When i grow up i want to do the same thing like you. (Continued…)
fr8bench
Tim
posted 3/25/07 @ 7:20 AM EST
Thank you for that very eye opening article. This is one area where each of us can really make a positive difference in this otherwise seemingly unaffected world. (Continued…)
Robin
posted 3/25/07 @ 3:51 PM EST
AWESOME JOB TRICIA, WAY TO TELL IT HOW IT IS!
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