The news of a steer in Long Island, who captured the attention of people
by escaping a terrifying and fatal fate at an abattoir, prompted Ralph R.
Acampora, associate professor of philosophy at Hofstra University, to write
an article about the ethical relativism of raising animals for food. He
talks about the "(dis)assembly line" at slaughterhouses and encourages
readers to visit one and see for themselves the horrifying end farmed
animals suffer. Acampora also notes the subtle tucking away of killing and
corpse-processing plants to the renaming of animals' body parts once they
are offered for consumption: steak and beef - never steer or cow; sausage,
pork, bacon - not pig.
Most of us would be horrified if presented with the images of the procedures
during life and death to which we subject farmed animals. It’s not surprise
then, that the meat and dairy industries do their best to hide from the
consumer the reality of animal agriculture. Therefore, it is the consumer
that has the responsibility to make informed choices when buying animal
products. These choices should ideally be prompted by a sense of compassion
and justice.
Read more at Animal Issues