Food, Inc.

I don't think I've ever mentioned a movie on this here blog, but I found "Food, Inc." (which I watched last night) worth mentioning. My obsession with all things animal-welfare and vegan related began with my reading of John Robbins' "Diet For A New America" back in 1992. Since then, I am constantly reading any book that promises to both greatly disturb me and simultaneously renew my awareness of why I maintain a vegan diet and lifestyle.

Every so often, a book (or film) comes out that makes the jump from being read (viewed) by only the AR/Vegan crowd to becoming a mainstream phenomenon. "Fast Food Nation", several books by Michael Pollan and Jonathan Safran Foer's latest work, "Eating Animals" immediately come to mind.

I think "Food, Inc." has the potential to cross over into mainstream. The cinematography is both beautiful and compelling, and the editing keeps things moving along nicely. Most importantly, the film focuses on the environmental, sociological and economic impact of our food choices rather than the impact it has on animals. It seems to me that a great many people are too uncomfortable to continue watching when confronted with the horrible realities of how livestock are raised and treated throughout their journey to our plates. This film shows the human cost of letting corporations oversee food production unchecked.

That's why I think "Food, Inc." has more of a chance of being seen by more people. The information within will surely outrage the average American, perhaps enough for them to consider changing the way they eat. I become more "realistic" the older I get, and so I don't expect the vast majority to ever embrace a vegan lifestyle. BUT, I do think that informed people make more informed choices, and so I whole-heartedly applaud this excellent film. Go see it, folks!

In related (sort of) news, a security camera caught a man abusing his tiny dog in an elevator. Watching the footage made me physically ill. The most heartbreaking moments are when the guy calls the poor dog over to be pet only to kick him across the room. At first I was livid thinking about what an a**hole this man is. Then I felt sorry for him, for surely something in his past caused him to treat his dog this way. I hope he finds some sort of release or therapy, but mostly I hope he is never again allowed to care for a living creature.

Animal abuse in the news

Most of the animal abuse that occurs on a daily basis goes largely unnoticed. As much as I disagree with most of PETA's tactics for raising awareness of these abuses, I have to admit that they are able to at least get the media's attention briefly from time to time.

This morning there was a segment on the local news about Ringling Bros. circus' abuse of their elephants and big cats (click here to watch the video). This comes as no surprise, as they've been doing it (and denying it) for years. I've seen undercover footage of the trainers whipping and striking their animals many times over the years, and it appalls me that they haven't been shut down or at least had their animals confiscated.

Ringling Bros. is well aware of the controversy, as they've even been sued by their own workers. They continue to paint concerned citizens as "extremists". It's a common tactic used to defend animal abuse, whether it's unnecessary vivisection, livestock in factory farms or animals used for entertainment. It is not "extreme" to want Ringling Bros. to quit beating their animals.

When I used to regularly attend protests, they would keep close watch on us. One night we put up hundreds of posters inviting others to join the protest only to have them all taken down before dawn (this was at 4 am, so they were obviously following us). We were almost arrested several times during the peaceful protest (had to physically outrun the cops).

I know that Ringling Bros. will continue to dodge the bullet and weasel out of any responsibility for their abuses, so I beg you to not attend their circuses. There are plenty of great circuses that do not use animals for entertainment, and they should be supported.

Here's another video of the head trainer instructing fellow trainers on the finer points of how to abuse elephants. He warns not to do it in the ring, only where people aren't watching.