Diana Galeana

Eric Dinsmore
English 6A
10 November 2015
Ethical Eating
According to the Bible, animals have been a part of our diet ever since man was created.
They were provided to us to survive, Everything that lives and moves about will be food for
you (Genesis 9:3). However, the consumption of animals is a social dilemma that many people
are unaware of. The way meat is sold to consumers is flawed. Few know the reality hidden
behind meat consumption. Not only is the consumption animal meat is unethical, it also places
an unnecessary economic burden on society, and it creates health problems that can be avoided.
The high demand for meat leads to destructive consequences. For these reasons, reducing meat
consumption would lead to a healthier population and an overall better environment.
Whenweconsumemeat,weimplicitlyacceptallofthecrueltythatcomesalongwithit.
Factoryfarmsarepartofamaliciousindustrydedicatedtoitsowneconomicgain.Iowaisoneof
theleadingstateswithfactoryfarms.Becausethemeatindustryinthisstatewieldssomuch
power,Iowaonlyhavesevenlawsprotectinganimals.ComparethistoCaliforniawhichhasten.
OnerightthatisnotmentionedintheAnimalProtectionLawsofIowa,isprohibitionofanimal
confinement.Withoutthislaw,animalsareallowedtobeexposedtopoorconditionsand
inhumanetreatment.Forexample,undercoverinvestigationsfromtheMercyforAnimals
organizationdiscoveredthatmotherpigsare,confinedinmetalcrates,wheretheyareunable
tomove,comfortablyfornearlytheirentirelives.Somepigseventrytochewtheirwayoutof

thecratesduetothetorturetheyspendinthere.Noanimaldeservestolivefencedforitsentire
lifehavingnohopeforitsfuture.
Factoryfarmsaredeathindustriesthathavetheirmethodsofslaughter.Somepigsare
killedwiththestungun.Butbeforegettingshocked,thepigisenclosed,sothattheotherpigs
cantseewhatsgoingon,orelsethepigwouldgetscaredandthataffect[s]thequalityofthe
pork(Foer154).Apigshouldnothavetosufferthroughthesemaliciouspractices,yet
industriesareonlyinterestedinthequalityofthepork.Itisbarbaricandmorallywrong.Inthe
interestofanimalqualityoverrighteousness,factoryfarmswilldoanythingforfastermeat
productionduetomoney.Thehigherthedemandsformeat,thefastertheprocessisspedup.
Thisleadstopoortreatmentofananimalwhichincludes,confinement,exposuretodiseases,and
nonfedgrassanimals.Factoryfarmswilldothingsthecheapestwaytomakegoodprofit.And
duethenonstopdemandonmeatitwillonlycreatealargermoneyindustry,moremeatmeans
moredemandforgrains(Foer262).Aninvestigationfrom2007concludedthatafactoryfarm,
Smithfields,madesalesof$12billion.Thatisalotofmoneyspentonmeat,nottomentionthat
isjustonefactoryfromalloftheUnitedStates.Thegovernmentisfundingthesefactoryfarms
becausethatiswhatisindemand.Thatmoneycouldbeusedonotherissuessuchashealth
advancement,schoolandeducation,orcreatingmorestableandethicaljobs.Insteadthemoney
isbeingusedontorturingmassamountsofanimalsforustoconsume.
Thelastgreatconcernweshouldbeworriedaboutisourhealthandhowmeat
consumptionisaffectingourbodies.Dowereallyknowwhatweareputtinginourbodies?
Factoryfarmsaresurroundedbydiseasedanimalsbecauseoftheconditionstheyarekepton.
Thereasonthemeatisstillsoldoutisbecauseanimalswillreceiveantibioticsorhormones

(sometimesboth)tokeepitstrong.Therefore,wearenotnecessarilyeatinggreatqualitynatural
meat,thenthemeatstillhastobeprocessedwhenshippedouttobesoldinthemarkets.Animals
alsoproduce,130timesasmuchwasteasthehumanpopulation,inthattypeofenvironment,
childrenraisedongroundsofatypicalhogfactoryfarmhaveasthmaratesexceeding50
percent...(Foer175).Withthehigherdemandinmeatmorechildrenarelikelytobeexposedto
thesediseasedindustries.ThetypicalAmericaneats,150timesasmanychickensaswedid
onlyeightyearsago(Foer137).Thatiswaytoomanychickensthatpeopleareconsumingand
itsconsequencesareshowntodayinoursociety.Theamountofobesityhasincreasedvastly
withinthepastfewyearsandwiththegrowingdemandsofmeatproductionitisverylikelyto
increase.Alongwithobesity,otherdiseasesthatcomealongarediabetes,heartproblems,
cholesterol,highbloodpressureandevencancer.StilltodaymanyAmericansthinkourfarm
animalsarebeingfedgreengrassandwholegrains.Incontrast,aturkeystypicaldietcan,
includemeat,sawdust,leathertannerybyproducts(Foer266).Thereasonwhymeatwould
beincludedinaturkeysdietisbeyondwords,aswellasalltheotherfoodsspecified.Will
thosefoodsreallynourishturkeysoraretheyharmingtheirbodies,includingours?Other
animalssuchaspigswilleveneattheirdeadcompanions.Inrealityweareconsumingunhealthy
animals,thataremostlikelysufferingfromtrauma.Butitdoesntmatterright?Becauseatthe
endofthedaywehaveourfavoritemeatdish.
Overall,theconsumptionofanimalsisimmoral,putsaneconomicburdenonoursociety,
andisaffectingourhealthvastly.Puttinganendtomeatconsumptionwillavoidallofthose
problems.Althoughtheconsequencesseemsmallnow,theywillgrowespeciallywiththe
growingrateofmeatproduction.Lettinggoofmeatwilltakesometime,butitisnotimpossible

anditwillcutdownthegrowingobesityrate.Aswellastheanimalcrueltythatgoesalonginthe
deathindustries.Allthemoneyspentonthosecompaniescanbeusedonabettercause.Weneed
tobetheanimalsvoiceandstopthecruelty.

WorksCited
Foer,SafranJohnathan.EatingAnimals.HachetteBookGroupInc.,2009
AnimalLegalDefenseFund.AnimalProtectionLawsofIowa.AnimalLegalDefense

Fund

2014.Web.9November2015.http://aldf.org/wpcontent/themes/aldf/compendium
map/us/2014/IOWA14.pdf
MercyforAnimals.ConcealedCruelty.24May2015Web.9November2015.
http://pigabuse.mercyforanimals.org/