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Humanely Abused Cows
Feb 21, 2006
Focus: Women
Action Request: Read
Location: United States
Did someone say welfare is a good thing?
Humanely Abused Cows

By Robert Cohen

This week (February 17, 2006), a newly formed group of Wisconsin dairy farms (Grass Point Farms) came up with quite the creative marketing gimmick. They now label their milk, cheese, and butter:

"Certified Humane"

Despite the fact that each and every one of their cows ends up hanging upside down with her throat cut in a slaughterhouse, they now call themselves humane. Some people might argue that there is such a thing as humane slaughter. Those same people might offer you
shares of stock in the newly syndicated "Brooklyn Bridge Corp." In either event, don't buy it.

Despite the fact that each birthed calf is separated from her mother, they rationalize by calling themselves humane.

How does a dairy farm earn such a healthy designation? By paying a healthy registration fee to an organization that confers such titles, that's how.

http://www.certifiedhumane.com

You might wonder whether certified humane.com is an alias for PETA. If only it was so. Adele Douglass is founder and president of an organization that certifies humanely-raised foods.

Her labels appear on packages of hot dogs, hamburgers, arms, legs, stomachs and backs of animals who have been killed by humans attempting to be compassionate.

I called Adele Douglass to try and understand:

"What motivates you?"

Her response:

"I love animals. I've always loved animals."

I then asked her if she is a vegetarian. She told me that she was not, nor had she ever been.

"You don't find that a contradiction?"

"It's the personalizing. I once visited a friend who has a farm. She invited me to dinner. I brought my kids. During dinner, she asked me whether I was enjoying the steak. She then explained that it came from Bessie, the family cow. I could not eat another bite. It was personalized."

She continued to talk as I took notes. Adele related her experience of witnessing the process of animal slaughter:

"The reason I did this is the reality of our world. As long as this is happening, they should be raised in the most humane way. I was with Temple Granden."

(Notmilkman's note: Temple Granden designs efficiently compassionate 21st century slaughterhouses.)

"I was right there in the box where the cows go where they stun the animals. It was very peaceful. That really surprised me. Since they are raised and slaughtered for food, it should be done in the most humane way possible."

I asked, "Didn't it bother you to witness animals being killed?"

She responded, "My expectation was different. I was surprised. I thought that I would pass out and be horrified. If there were
glass walls there, I don't think people would be horrified."

I went for the kill and asked, "Do you remember the blood. The arterial spray?"

Somehow, she had forgotten. "I don't remember that. As soon as they are stunned, they are cut, but I do not remember that."

The Humane Society supports Adele's organization. So does the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as well as many other animal rights groups.

Ten billion animals will die this year. Many will die in the same so-called humane way that Adele witnessed. Adele's brain somehow forgot to permanently record the image of blood into her long-term memory. To Adele, death has been sanitized. It has become humane.

People eating humanely slaughtered animals do so with a clean conscience because of people like Adele. The top banner of Adele's certifiedhumane.com website announces:

"Better for them. Better for you."

I wonder. If animals were able to convene a tribunal for crimes against non-human species, would Adele top their list of people to be judged and punished for committing crimes against animalkind?

Who should contact the certified humane org?

Saadam, for starters. Bin Laden, for certain. Famed outdoorsman, Dick Cheney, perhaps...ok, I've gone too far. You get my point, though. Spending dollars to change your image from butcher to Saint will fool some of the people some of the time...

A string quartet played as Jews walked to their final solution, to be gased in Treblinka's compassionate crematorium. The gentle music relaxed the victims, and made Nazi slaughter more efficient. Are humane people who make slaughter more compassionate, playing
violas and cellos for the animals?

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Posted: Feb 21, 2006 8:19am

 
 
 
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