Animal Person

MAY 24, 2009

I received an e-mail from the well-meaning Wendy at Compassion in World Farming (which I find an odd combination of words) regarding Egypt's pig cull and asking me to send my protest to the Egyptian Government. But though the pigs weren't originally destined for a mass grave, weren't they destined for slaughter nonetheless?

Egypt 100

Egypt Culling Pigs Compassion In World Farming 100

Animal Person

JUNE 22, 2009

Their claim is that what has become the customary way to take sentient nonhumans from babyhood to untimely death is not humane. There's no "compassion" in the process. Yes, I do think it's better to have lived a comfortable life and then be slaughtered than to have been tortured the entire time and then be slaughtered.

Factory Farm 100

Factory Farm Factory Farming Slaughter Slaughtered 100

Animal Ethics

APRIL 27, 2008

April 21, 2008 To the Editor: Re “ Million-Dollar Meat ” (editorial, April 23): In vitro meat might not appeal to everyone, but I am guessing that the day PETA awards its prize money will be a happy day for the billions of land animals bound for slaughter. There is no happy ending for even the most humanely raised animal.

New York Times 40

New York Times New York Meat Sheep 40

Animal Ethics

AUGUST 2, 2008

The fact that geese mate for life, and that the mate of the poor goose that was slaughtered would step forward, was enough to make me swear off meat forever, if I hadn’t already. Since our food is delivered to us on a bun or in big bags of frozen parts, it’s easy to eat it and not think about what it was or how it was killed.

New York Times 40

New York Times New York Factory Farm Factory Farming 40

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2011

What could motivate gunmen (I cannot call them hunters) in two states to deliberately kill North America’s tallest and most critically endangered bird? Those who harvest are unfortunately myopic, seeing only the instant gratification of the meal or the kill. Speculation is useless in acts of vandalism. Thank you for your efforts.

2011 243

2011 Hunting Kentucky Hunters 243

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 23, 2006

He clearly thinks that it is wrong to cause animals to suffer unnecessarily, but he appears to be somewhat ambivalent about killing animals (provided the killing is carried out humanely). I suspect that underlying his thinking here is a common rationalization that many of my students initially embrace. Running time: 12 Minutes.

Factory Farm 40

Factory Farm Factory Farming Morals Meat 40