A Video That is Powerful in the First Half, Not so Good in the Second... And Here's Why...

Please watch this devastating video, made by the Humane Society of the United States, depicting the horrific conditions inside Smithfield Foods, with a focus on the company's use of gestation crates. The video is both powerful and disappointing. And you'll see why when you watch it.

I applaud this HSUS video in some respects and disagree very strongly with it in other ways. The part of the video I like best is the first half, where the HSUS very bravely exposes the deplorable practice of gestation crates inside of Smithfield and documents exactly just how horrible and destructive these narrow confined spaces really are.

The second part of the video is less impressive. HSUS spokesman Paul Shapiro praises other pork producers in the U.S. and the E.U. for getting rid of gestation crates. When the video quotes Temple Grandin two minutes in, then it really begins to go downhill.

The real crime is not gestation crates, and the HSUS needs to be reminded of this. Gestation crates are a symptom, not the root, of the problem. The root of the problem - and I know I'm preaching to the converted when it comes to most of you who read this Blog, but what the hell? I'm going to say it anyway - the real root of the problem is the violence inherent in all industries that produce animal products.

Suppose all pork producers get rid of gestation crates, which, as this HSUS video points out, has happened already throughout much of the industry. It is still killing machine that destroys the lives of millions and millions - ultimately billions of pigs - each year.

So yes, let's dismantle all remaining gestation crates. But let's not stop there. What is happening in this racket is, in the words of John Steinbeck (from The Grapes of Wrath) "a crime that goes beyond denunciation." Tinkering won't change it. Reform won't change it. This is a Lernaean Hydra we're talking about here, and the only way to stop its rampage of destruction and terror is to sever all of its heads. Nonviolently, of course. But if you stop at gestation crates, the monster will live on, and will continue to devour innocent beings that deserve to live.

Battle lines being drawn: The struggle over puppy mills in Missouri

There's a battle taking shape in Missouri. It pits animal rights activists who are supporting a ballot measure known as Proposition B, which is designed to crack down on the state's notorious puppy mills, against John McCain's former lackey Joe the Plumber (a.k.a. Joe Wurlitzer-something-or-other), who, despite his phony horse shit "populism," pretty much loathes all living beings with salaries under a quarter of a million dollars.

Proposition B, according to the wonderful Baltimore Sun blog Unleashed,

would crack down on larger-scale dog breeders, prohibiting them from keeping dogs in wire cages, requiring kennels be climate controlled and that dogs have access to the outdoors. It would also force breeders to wait a healthier time before getting a dog pregnant again.

So why would these right-wing extremists hate such a humane law? For the same reason they oppose virtually all regulations, laws and reforms that protect the vulnerable and powerless. Because they detest those groups. According to Joe the Plumber, this is part of an evil conspiracy by the to destroy the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the ordinary folk of America. Here are some highlights from Joe's "analysis":

“This bill is just a stepping stone. HSUS eventually wants to extend this law to ALL animals. Their idea of utopia is a United States with NO animal ownership; NO meat to eat; NO pets; NO hunting; NO fishing; NO service animals.”

“Even the extinction of our food industry isn’t the scariest part of this whacko liberal agenda. A law is only as good as it’s enforced. And HSUS is happy to fill the void. HSUS has now become the self-appointed law enforcement of the animal world. We have to draw the line and hold these radical animal rights activists back." (Source.)

There you have it, straight from the plumber's mouth. And once the HSUS takes over, we all know that America will become a nation of socialist-supporting, Prius-driving, Birkenstock-wearing, tree-licking, bird-watching, limp-wristed, Obama-loving pinko Muslims, forced to limit their diets to fruits and veggies. So long steaks. So long pork. So long ribs. So long barbecued chicken. Hello tofu.

But not all conservatives are jumping on the anti-Prop 8 bandwagon. St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who backed Glenn Beck's Restore Honor Rally and has supported the Tea Party and Arizona's tough immigration laws, is also an unwavering defender of Proposition 8. In this Blog, I've praised La Russa for his support of homeless companion animals. He has done wonderful work for cats and dogs, mainly through his Animal Rescue Foundation. La Russa is the perfect example of how some conservatives genuinely support weak and vulnerable animals.

Sadly, Joe the Plumber lacks La Russa's heartfelt compassion for animals. Joe is trying to make a comeback, an attempt to return to the limelight he so enjoyed back in 2008. We can only hope this descent into obscurity accelerates and his inane conspiracy theories lose credibility. The guy is such a dim bulb he makes Glenn Beck look bright.

As for Proposition 8, its passage will help a hell of a lot of dogs across the state of Missouri. No wonder Joe and his comrades oppose it.

Some Compelling Reasons to Steer Clear of Dairy & Veal

If you can spare two minutes and 17 seconds, watch this terrific Humane Society of the United States video about veal and baby calves.

This is actually a very mild video compared to another video about the slaughter of calves that I watched on YouTube. I am linking to the video, titled "Calves Slaughter," here because the imbedding has been disabled for it, so I can't post it on this Blog. Of the two videos, "Calves Slaughter" is much more difficult to watch. It's more graphic. It doesn't have narration. It relies on the power of the image to convince the viewer. If I could post it on this Blog, I would. But I can't. So you'll have to follow the link. Please. The video is three minutes and fifty seconds of brutality.

These videos are difficult to watch. No two ways about it. But I must confess: There are times I really miss dairy products, particularly cheese, ice cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese and whip cream. The other day, I yearned for something - anything - with melted cheddar cheese on top of it. That's pretty normal for a vegan who has spent most of his life as an omnivore. These are the foods we've loved our entire lives and giving them up isn't easy. It was easy to give up meat. It's flesh. I don't miss it one iota. But the cheese - oh the cheese! - was not easy to cut out of my diet.

Every time I get an itching to go back to eating cheese, I watch these videos. I can't say my craving completely goes away, but these videos remind me - in very emotional, primal, meaningful ways - what, exactly, is at stake here.

We shouldn't go vegan because it's the "politically correct" thing to do. We shouldn't go vegan because it will seem to cool to others. We shouldn't go vegan because loved ones are vegan and we want to be accepted by them. And while a healthier diet is a good reason to go vegan, it is by no means the only reason. For many of us, animals are the main reason we go vegan. There is not much in this world that I'm rigid about, but I am rigid in adhering to a vegan diet. I miss some of the foods I gave up. But these videos remind me that giving those foods up was the right thing to do.