all-creatures.org

SHOOTING OURSELVES IN THE FOOT
The Sanitizing of Violence in Our Society

By: Frank L. Hoffman flh@all-creatures.org
©1998-2000 - The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation

Throughout the ages, we have accepted killing, violence, and violent behavior as just being a part of life - it's time we change!

| Home Page | Table of Contents |

Violence on Our Plate:
Sanitized at the Roadside Farm Store
By: Frank L. Hoffman with commentary by Sue Holloway, Creatured Connection, who photographed the animals at a roadside farm store

There seems to be a  concerted effort in the animal agriculture business to deceive the public by attempting to sanitize what really happens between the farm and the plate of people who eat animal flesh and by-products. The intent of this article is to help expose such an attempt to hide the brutal truth.

Many larger roadside farm stores are using animals as an attraction to draw families to stop and shop.  The children look upon most of the animals as "pets", further disconnecting them emotionally from the source of the hamburgers and other animal products upon their plates.  They fail to see the reality of what happens to animals such as this bull, because we have "sanitized" or hidden how the animal really ends up.  The animal agriculture business doesn't want the public to see the truth as depicted in the slaughterhouse photo (right) from Farm Sanctuary.

Sue said, "When I was visiting at this farm/vegetable/fruit/flower market, I saw the creatures and asked permission to take photos. I also asked the creatures' permission and told them I hoped it would help people understand their need for more freedom and that each is an individual, as we are.   The bull was lying down, but he got up and started pushing around the hay, clearly posing for this photo (at top).  I didn't even realize he was munching some until I saw this picture.  It's a more 'humane' situation but why does he have to have this awful harness around his head/neck?"

They also had other animals at this particular market, including the llama (left), the ram (right) and the turkey (below).  Sue remarked, "I hope these photos help people see the creatures in a new light. There was an article in one of the environmental group magazines a few years ago, with individual photos of endangered species...each, a close up, the creatures looking at us...asking us to really SEE", as are this ram and turkey.

We need to SEE  the terrified turkeys hanging upside down as they enter the slaughterhouse in the Farm Sanctuary photo (right).  We need to SEE the truth about what happens to all farm food animals.   We need to SEE the total horror, the pain, the suffering, and the billions of deaths that lie behind the flesh foods upon our plates.  And even more than just seeing this horror, we need to FEEL these God created fellow creatures' pain and suffering, and do something to bring an end to it.

It's time we stop shooting ourselves in the foot by sanitizing violence in our society.

| Home Page | Table of Contents

Thank you for visiting all-creatures.org.
Since