Bills Pushed By State Legislators Would Make Farm Animal Abuse Investigations More Difficult

An undercover video that showed California cows struggling to stand as they were prodded to slaughter by forklifts led to the largest meat recall in U.S. history. In Vermont, a video of veal calves skinned alive and tossed like sacks of potatoes ended with the plant's closure and criminal convictions.

Now in a pushback led by the meat and poultry industries, state legislators across the country are introducing laws making it harder for animal welfare advocates to investigate cruelty and food safety cases.

HuffGreen

Of course they are - and it's absurd, right?

Some bills make it illegal to take photographs at a farming operation. Others make it a crime for someone such as an animal welfare advocate to lie on an application to get a job at a plant.

Critics say the bills are an effort to deny consumers the ability to know how their food is produced.

Again - of course that's their stance.

But - Here's the controversy.

What about the rights of the farmers concerning privacy?

ALEC has labeled those who interfere with animal operations "terrorists," though a spokesman said he wishes now that the organization had called its legislation the "Freedom to Farm Act" rather than the "Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act."

"At the end of the day it's about personal property rights or the individual right to privacy," said spokesman Bill Meierling. "You wouldn't want me coming into your home with a hidden camera."

Two debates here.

One - legislation protecting 'big meat' and to hell with the abuse.

Two - privacy. Do these farmers deserve privacy on their farms?

IMO - it's a tough one. We need people who're willing to take the risk to go 'under cover' to make sure farms and slaughterhouses are following proper procedure.

On the other hand - what about the farmers right of privacy against these undercover 'terrorists' (quote from link)?

peace

horrible that that happens to those animals my take on it is the same that i have for video taping of police if they have nothing to hide what privacy concerns can they really have if they aren't doing shady stuff( i know sounds like the well if your not guilty dont worry saying that is tossed around) but it will mostlikely end up being hinged on the privacy issue so who knows thanks for sharing this op

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reply to post by silo13


It makes me sick to see what happens to these animals.
I can't understand how anyone could do that and think it is ok.
How can someone watch another creature suffer without even feeling the slightest bit upset about doing it.
These guys are sick, the only thing that makes me feel better about this......
What goes around comes around in one way or another,
people can not treat "life" regardless of what form it is in as if it where meaningless without the karmic turn around, one day those people will regret what they did.
It is the way in which the spirit moves.

PLPL