Midweek mowing, another visit, Glass Walls
So once again this week I am trying to cut down on my weekend duties so I hopped on the tractor last night to mow the yard. While I was mowing I had another visit from the German Shephard, she obviously remembered our interaction from the day before. As she was coming over I cringed as a vehicle was approaching, the dog was literally in the road as the small SUV passed.
I stopped the tractor and turned it off. As I walked over to her she again assumed the submissive position, looking for more belly rubs. I knelt down and petted her, looking over at her house seeing that not only the front gate was wide open but that two people were outside doing yard work.
Well I got up and walked over to the house with the dog by my side. I say hello to the hispanic couple, both very short and both seemingly in the landscape business, they were wearing uniforms that yard crews would wear. I said hello and asked if this was their dog. I got the impression the guys English was very spotty but he said yes.
I started to explain that the dog has been across the street and in my yard quite a bit. I told them she seems like a very good dog but I am worried about her getting hit out on the road since so many people choose to speed down it.
As I was talking the guy popped an ear plug out of his ear so I am not sure how much he heard or understood. His reply was simply “Ok”. As I walked back towards my place he called the dog, I think he called her “Nina”. At first the dog continued to follow her new best friend but eventually she stopped. A few minutes later he closed the front gate. We’ll see how long that lasts.
When I was listening to the Stern Show earlier in the week, Sam Simon, one of the original creators of the Simpsons, called in. Sam, besides being a multi, multi-millionaire, is also a huge dog lover and animal activist. The reason for his call was to bitch at one guy on the show, Jon Hein for a tv show he recently started that glorifies the fast food craze in America.
Jon Hein is a real good guy but he is also a physical mess. Despite being very overweight and suffering from diabetes, he still consumes fast food as the main staple of his daily diet.
Sam’s point was Jon glorifying a business that exists on the backbone of a factory meat farming industry that is responsible for incredible acts of cruelty on animals each and everyday is just wrong. In addition to the torture of animals, this industry is also responsible for many other related issues such as the techniques used to cultivate these animals in ultra high density/quantity creating health problems with the animals. These issues have repercussions further down the food chain when people consume them. Then there is the environmental impact of providing meat for the human herd, there are huge side effects that most people are probably totally unaware of. Let’s also throw in the obesity epidemic that now affects more Americans than not from eating fast food and other junk.
Well after getting nowhere discussing the point with Jon, whom claimed he was aware that his rampant consumption of factory meat via fast food chains had side effects he would rather not think about, he had no intentions of changing because he liked hamburgers so he was going to eat hamburgers.
Sam then just asked that Jon takes 15 minutes to watch a documentary called Glass Walls. It is hosted by Paul McCartney, whom I didn’t know was a big animal activist. The premise is if slaughter houses had glass walls, most people would be vegetarians.
Well last night I found the video on YouTube and started watching it.
Within the first 60 seconds I could already feel tears coming to my eyes as uncensored scenes of animal cruelty were displayed. It was absolutely horrible. I only made it to minute four before I had to click it off, I saw more than enough.
Now I have already been more or less on this path for awhile now. My meat consumption in the last 6 months is hovering just barely above the zero mark. I have had seafood occasionally, that industry hasn’t clicked in my head as being quite as heinous in my mind. However I have never in my life had a whole lobster and cringe at any restaurant that has a tank of live ones, awaiting execution by boiling water.
So if I needed any additional push to continue my meat moratorium, this certainly provided it. If you care to pull back the curtain on what is involved to put that pork chop or steak on your plate, take a look. WARNING it is extremely graphic and extremely disturbing.