I am sure that you are aware as I that these very rich
Walmart family owners don't believe in sharing their
wealth.
I understand that the salaries of Walmart employees are sub-
standard. When workers have protested and picketed
their stores, I believe they lost their jobs.
I hope you believe as I in unions which help workers get
just
wages and health benefits. Obviously, Walmart does not.
Yes, we want cheap goods -but at the price of a less than
decent living wage for its employees?
PIG FARM ANIMAL CRUELTY
As an ethical vegan, I try to avoid any stores which
condone
animal cruelty. Of course, that's difficult -almost
impossible, but I do try.
Today Mercy for Animals sent us an e-mail entitled
WALMART CRUELTY with the sub title - New MFA Investigation
Exposes Walmart Pork Supplier. With the thousands and
thousands of Walmart stores nationwide, you know that that
must equate into a lot of pig suffering.
I didn't have to click onto its video with an
introductory
picture showing a gloved hand painfully grabbing a young
pig by the neck. I have seen enough of farm animal
cruelty videos like this one to last me a lifetime. I
only wish that people who still feel they need to eat the
tortured products of these poor defenseless farm animals
would view them. Hopefully, they would come to the same
realization and conclusion of those of us who have become
vegan as a result.
We decided that we don't need to eat meat. Sadly though
for the animals, we are still in the minority and most people
seem to choose to ignore farm animal suffering.
I hope that Pope Francis would view the video. Does he
already know about farm animal cruelty? How could he
not? Is he a meat eater? Probably. If so, until
he changes his lifestyle in this regard, I guess I cannot
hold him in the high esteem I would wish to.
This video was secretly recorded by a Mercy for Animals'
investigator at a Pipestone System factory farm. It shows
how this Walmart pork supplier allows the systematic torture
of mother pigs and their piglets. And this is the THIRD
time MFA has found unconscionable animal cruelty at a factory
farm supplying pork to Walmart.
If you can't bear to watch the video or are not
concerned
enough to find it on the internet, I hope you will at
least
read MFA's written account re the horrific abuse to
innocent
living beings:
"Thousands of mother pigs are confined to filthy, metal
gestation crates so small they are unable to even turn around
or lie down comfortably for nearly their ENTIRE lives.
Workers beating, throwing, slapping. hitting and
screaming
obsenities at pigs.
Workers slamming piglets into the ground and leaving them
to suffer and slowly die.
Workers ripping out the testicles and slicing off the tails
of
fully conscious piglets without the use of any
painkillers."
Anyone with an ounce of compassion should be horrified by
this cruelty. I hope you, the reader is. I hope
you will decide that it is time to take a compassionate
stance and will stop buying pork at Walmarts. Don't think -
it won't make a difference. If enough people object to the
pork Walmart is buying and selling, the loss of sales may
make them find more compassionate pig farms.
Imagine -Randy Spronk, the president of the National Pork
Producers Council owns the factory farm which MFA
investigated. You can well imagine what this means to
all the other factory farms across the country. In
plain terms- it means they can also do whatever they want
with impunity to these poor defensless animals, and until we,
as a people, decide enough is enough - this cruelty will
continue unabated.
Thankfully, MFA's evidence was given to the local law
enforcement, and they have raided the factory farm- launching
a criminal investigation into animal cruelty. The case
is ongoing.
I hope and pray that this investigation will bear fruit, and
that this factory farm from hell will be dismantled. Of
course, my prayers our grandiose. They will probably
just get a fine, so if you REALLY want things to improve for
the pigs and other farm animals, you will just have to stop
eating them.