Animals are just stuff

The struggle for the protection of animals' right to live free from the harm that humans cause them is a formidable one. That's because the balance of power is strongly tipped in favor of those (e.g. the meat and poultry industry, the largest segment of U.S. agriculture) who consider animals to be mere things, just other stuff that we can do with as we please. The pain and stress that factory farming and other practices in which humans engage actually cause for animals is apparently less than a faint glimmer on the horizon of rational people's conscience. 

Such people include American Farm Bureau lobbyist Mary Kay Thatcher. Yes, what a valiant crusader against those pesky people who advocate for animal welfare protection. I mean, come on, supporting legislation which would require that "food purchased for federal programs come from animals raised with enough room to stand up, lie down, turn around and stretch their limbs"? If that isn't an unreasonable, immoral, and- most of all- a radical legislative move, I certainly don't know what is. 

Ms. Thatcher agrees with me. Like she says, "The good news is that the people [Representatives Diane Watson, D-Calif., and Elton Gallegly, R-Calif.] who introduced it are a little bit lower ranking in the scheme of things than the people who did before." Thus, such legislation and others like it hopefully fail to find any traction. Yes, that is good news, indeed.

We're right behind you, and right behind those you lobby for, Ms. Thatcher; just wait for a sec while we get some photos of your clients' farms to show the public just how safe and comfortable the animals in them actually are. ...uh-oh, wait, that would be a criminal act. But why try to criminalize something that would make people proud to support and buy from factory farms?

Kudos, Ms. Thatcher. Kudos, Meat and Dairy Industry. Once again you show how, in this brave new world of ours, it truly is might that makes right.