Okay - I finally understand the official reason behind this recall. Supposedly, if a cow is to weak to walk to its death (down a narrow shoot to a "kill box") the slautherhouse is not to force the animal - they are to get an inspector who may say the cow can not be used for meat. Apparently the weakest cows are the ones most subject to eColi and other disease - making them dangerous for human consumption. You can read more about the undercover investigation of the Humane Society here (click).
The thing is - aren't slaughterhouses by nature, cruel? At the end of the day - the animal ends up - well - dead, right? Sounds pretty cruel to me. They have caught these folks in the act - doing probably what all slaughterhouses do. I am sure at some point they have all poked and prodded a weak animal to its death - after all - that is quicker and more efficient than calling the inspector, right?
Look - it is no secret. I don't eat beef. I don't eat pork. I would like to claim that the reason is because of this sort of bullshit that goes on behind the scenes, but the truth is I just can't digest it. I still eat chicken and fish. It is just easier to get protein that way. I will say that coming in Summer of 2008 is Meat-free Mondays here in our house. Like it or not - those who eat at my counter will not be having meat on Mondays.
I'm upset about this whole situation but feel like a colossal hypocrite at the same time. I want to work harder to get meat out of my diet. I can tell you that aside from chicken nuggets, William rarely eats meat. He doesn't even like it. He eats veggie burgers with me when the others have hamburgers here, So it will probably be William and me going veg...
Poetry Sisters Write Haibun and/or Haiga
4 days ago
3 comments:
I was a vegetarian for a few years in my late teens through mid-twenties. Then I started eating meat again, but I gave everything except dairy up about 2 weeks ago. Although it has only been a short time, I can't say that I miss it.
It was after I made that decision that I saw the appalling videos from the slaughterhouses. Then I saw a repeat of "The F Word" where Gordon Ramsay takes his turkeys to a mobile slaughterhouse. It has just reaffirmed that I made the correct decision.
Still cooking meat for my family - that won't change any time soon, but I continue to be glad that I made the decision to go veg.
Thanks Mindi - I think my son will happily go along with me on this. If he had ANY idea how things went down at a slaughterhouse he would likely be emphatic about it. I struggle the most with ensuring we get enough od and the right kinds of protein. Do you know a lot about that? I know you have to combine to get what you need, but I am not all that skilled at it yet.
Well good for you. I myself love a nice big fat juicy steak... my wife doesn't eat red meat (unless you count a bit of ground from time to time), neither does Will, but I think Iain will be joining me in the steakhouses when he gets a little older :)
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