The Harvesting of Animals as a Food Source.
Imagine you are out on a Saturday doing your normal errands which includes your weekly food shopping. You pull up to your favorite local butcher only to be greeted by an angry mob of protestors wielding signs that read “Stop The Killing” or “Animals Have Rights Too”. This group that has gathered is made up of animal rights activists and vegetarians trying to stop you from eating meat. They are telling you how meat is not necessary and that it is inhumane to eat meat. What would you do? How would you react? Would you simply get in your car and leave or standup for what you believe in and try to convince them you are in the right? Many people are faced with this dilemma every day. Maybe not to the extreme I have portrayed here but in an internal struggle of what is right and wrong. Animal meat is a vital source of nutrition, harvesting animals for food is not abuse, and their meat should be included in everyone’s diet.
The abuse of animals at slaughterhouses has long been a topic of debate. The animal activist will always argue that the animals live in very poor conditions, are routinely abused, and live a life of suffering. Whether or not an animal suffers and how and to what extent that suffering occurs is really unknown. We as humans cannot assess how we would feel in a certain situation and assume that an animal feels the same way. Production at slaughterhouses has increased over the years and has resulted in overcrowding in many situations. Overcrowding on these farms can be reduced through larger grazing pastures for the livestock. Government monitoring of these facilities is also on the rise helping to ensure animals are treated humanely. Activists also believe that the animal suffers greatly through the killing process. But, as with most technology, the method of performing the kill at these slaughterhouses has also evolved over the years. Today’s methods of killing are quick and humane to alleviate animal suffering.
Animal meat is a great source of nutrition and should be included in everyone’s diet. Some people view this as simply not true. A vegetarian will tell you that you can get all the vitamins, minerals, protein, and any other essential nutrition that your body needs from non-meat sources alone. If the entire world would turn to vegetarianism, there would not be enough farmable land or resources to provide food for everyone. One major alternative to meat that many