I suppose we think that we have come a long way when it comes to trying to protect animals from human cruelty, but the sad fact is -- that we probably really haven't.
This morning I watched a documentary on the production of milk. The owners of this milk "factory" proudly showed us the long lines of cows who are milked at least three times a day--side by side--unable to move much at all from their position in line. This can't be comfortable. Are they ever let out in the fresh air and sunshine? I truly doubt it.
I remember once reading that man was the only animal that drinks the milk of another animal. Thank God--I am not one of them. As a vegan, soy milk and soy products are more than adequate for me and those like me. Yesterday I finally decided to do some baking and made a vegan cookie. Yes, I enjoyed it since I haven't had a cookie in a long while. Recently our neighborhood vegan store shut down to my dismay. Obviously, there weren't enough compassionate eaters in this neck of the woods.
About the milk program I watched--someone reading about my dismay re the long milk line might think -- so what? Well, in my opinion, people of compassion feel it is wrong to keep cows in close confinement day in and day out-depriving them of any freedom of movement, which we all enjoy unless confined to a wheelchair. In my opinion, people of compassion also feel it is wrong to artificially inseminate cows ad infinatum--depriving them of any normal sexual experiences. And lastly In my opinion, it is wrong to deprive them of grazing periods in a sunny meadow with their calves.
Today I received a letter from the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Their beginning line revealed the major content of their letter--"Sadly, in America, whether animals are protected from cruelty and torment or simply forgotten depends largely on one thing: location, location, location."
Where animals live can determine whether they enjoy happy, healthy lives or endure slow, painful deaths. According to their rankings in this regard, people In Illinois, Oregon, Maine, and California are top ranked and the animals in these states fare much better than in bottom-ranked states like Kentucky, Wyoming, and Utah.
The goal of ALD for consistent legal protections under the law is still far from a reality in the U.S. This results in justice for some of the cases of severe animal abuse--while for others where the state laws are lax or almost non-existent--these animals will continue to endure sad inhumane treatment.
Sadly, my home state of Ohio ranks 27th, which is in the middle tier for animal-protection laws. While they applaud my state for having made some important progress for protecting animals, they acknowledge that there is still much we can do to move Ohio to a top tier. I'm all for that.
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