I went to my Advertising Principles class today at SDSU, and my professor likes to use real life examples of effective advertising and means of communication. He started the class like this...
We have a blogger in this class, that I won't name because I don't want to embarrass her, that blogs at www.chewingthecud.org.
Oh crap, that's me!
She writes about an ad campaign launched by PETA and COK (Compassion Over Killing) that released anti-agriculture statements about where your meat comes from. Let's watch this commercial.
Am I going to get mobbed? I ask myself. No Amanda, this is what you live for. Stand up for animal agriculture. My heart is racing; I'm scared, but ready.
Students from every angle of the spectrum begin to chime in their thoughts:
-Farmers and ranchers wouldn't mistreat their animals, its their business and their livlihoods.
-I've been to farms, and they truly care about their animals.
-I tried vegetarianism, and I think these ads work for me.
-Nah, this is propaganda, PLAIN and SIMPLE.
-Those dairy ads, "3 a day- Lose Weight" had to be removed for nutritional claims, so why do these groups get to run smear campaigns?
-The professor chirps in with, I've even tried vegetarianism, but I'm a red meat eater through and through!
I guess when Trent Loos says we need to be thrown into uncomfortable situations to stand up for animal agriculture, THIS IS WHAT HE MEANS! Click below to read Trent's thoughts on this heated issue. And everyone, keep this discussion coming!
(Trent Loos is an agriculture activist fighting to protect the food production chain. Check out his website www.facesofag.com and tune in to his radio show called Loos Tales.)
The following column was printed in Feedstuffs Magazine...
We sure spend a lot time complaining about what the kid in grocery store doesn’t know about their food supply but trust me, it goes so far beyond the ignorance of kids that it is scary. For example, last week the 7th Circuit Court ruled on Cavel International’s appeal regarding the Illinois law that bans horse slaughter. The written comments of the three panel judges included these statements:
"States have a legitimate interest in prolonging the lives of animals that their population happens to like. They can ban bullfights and cockfights and the abuse and neglect of animals."
"Even if no horses live longer as a result of the new law," the court wrote, "a state is permitted, within reason, to express disgust at what people do with the dead, whether dead human beings or dead human animals.
Comparing the consumptive use of animal protein to animal fighting events is over the edge for me. I think these judges, along with the general population of this country, have watched one too many news stories about the Vick fighting dogs and they don’t know how to separate it from the proper end-use of animals. Furthmore, tell me how any state that wanted to ban deer hunting couldn’t get it done if they used the sentiments of our judgical system.
Someone posed this question: If we would load every American up and take them on a tour through all sectors of the beef industry, would we gain or lose customers? I know there are many among us that believe the visualization of the pasture, to the feedlot to the packing plant to the grocery store would be so alarming that we would chase them from meat consumption all together. I disagree completely.
You don’t know what you don’t know. Honestly, most Americans know less than they think they do because they are afraid of what might be lurking inside the walls of a packing plant. I have toured more than my fair share of packing plants and I believe if our consumers would actually see what goes on it would only improve their confidence in today’s food supply plus they would have a greater understanding of the purpose these food animals serve for humans.
All this reminds me of a statement made on my Rural Route Radio program last week by my guest, plant breeder Dr. Dave Nanda. Our discussion was about how long it would be until we see 400 bushel/acre corn yields. Incidentaly, the potential is quicker than you might imagine but Dr. Nanda made statement that hit me hard. He said, “You have got to remember that corn’s purpose is not to give us grain but it is to reproduce the species.” That, to me, creates the perfect visual for all of us. We, as humans, have this daily desire to eat and because we like to eat, we utilize all of the available resources to get it done.
We have worked in conjunction with nature to maximize the species efficiency to produce more reproductive material using less sun, water and nutrients to get it done. When our kids eat a bowl of Corn Flakes for breakfast, do you think they ever have the thought that they are eating an embyro that could have become another living thing? In fact, by eating breakfast at all you have prevented another life, be it a corn plant, an egg, a bowl of strawberries or piece of toast. We call it the cycle of life.
For those of you that believe we should continue food production behind closed doors and that the less our consumers know about how their food gets to their plate the better, I hope you will reconsider. Whether it be a circuit court judge or a Philidephia soccer mom, it is vitally important that we present the true facts to them. If we don’t, we will continue to allow the profiteering fearmongers to mislead our nation into believing that monsters are lurking behind the chain link fences of every processing plant in the country. --Trent Loos
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Comments (4)
If you are trying to protect the food chain, you need not include horses. You cannot sell horsemeat in the US. Horses are not food animals. They are raised as companion, sport and work animals. All three kill houses were foreign owned. It is not a US food industry. They are no different than dogs and cats. Americans do not eat their pets.
Posted by vicki | September 29, 2007 8:04 AM
Posted on September 29, 2007 08:04
Gee'' I can see why some cowboys of yestereday die hard today they fail to relize the truth hurts. To expose and abolish horse slaughter in the US has been a wonderful rollercoaster for me. I will continue to fight for the horses. I had injoyed reading and hearing about Trent Loos and his buddy Frank Bower in there little trip to springfield Illinois there they handed out horse heads on a stick to pass out to 3rd and 4 graders kids while lying to them that stopping horse slaughter is going to boast there health Insurance and S.S. Benefits.Let thoses cowboy clowns now explain to the public what really happen later that day. when they got stuck with thoses horse heads for lying to the kids. You think these clowns would have focus on registered adults unlike Romperoom kids. Horse Slaugther has always been linked to abuse,and negective situations.Now that slaughter is out profits for AQHA,APHA,AAEP,AVMA,HCI,Illegal aliens, and for foreigners are down and the clowns fill we are now focusing on the other slaughter facilities. Not true Trent and Frank dont know the difference between a horse and a cow. please someone give him a horse head on a stick and explain it to them. Sincerely Thomas Lee Trevino
Posted by Thomas Lee Trevino | September 29, 2007 11:28 AM
Posted on September 29, 2007 11:28
Thomas and Vicki,
Although I understand your arguments, I believe they are based on false claims. Growing up in agriculture, I quickly had to learn the circle of life. Animals don't have the same value as people, and if God created us equal, then why do we have the emotions of laughter, guilt, social responsibility, embarrassment, joy?
Horses also should never be equalized as pets. Although horse owners become extremely attached to their animals, horse meat is fed in zoos and in foreigh nations as a delicacy. Just because its not main stream here, doesn't mean it isn't right.
Imagine a horse, ripe with old age and the wear and tear of being ridden, worked with, and used...should it be left to die alone on a farm as its joints begin to deteriorate, its health begins to fall, and its strength gets weakened until nature's beasts come to feed off its weak body?
Or should it be euthanized? Quickly and efficiently, horse processing plants euthanize the animals using best animal handling practices. It's not profit, its the laying down of an animal that deserves a respectful death.
Finally, you mentioned some bad apples within this industry that have taken advantage of the situation. These bad apples don't represent everyone, and to prove it...listen to my show in a few weeks. I'll be talking about this very issue with horse enthusiasts from across the country.
Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by Amanda Nolz | October 3, 2007 6:55 PM
Posted on October 3, 2007 18:55
These first two posts are an eye opener on how misunderstood the horse harvesting issue is. Just last week a friend of mine had to part ways with a horse that is no longer of value to her family. Almost a year ago, Jean found her son's five year old mare with a deep wound to it's fore right leg just above the hoof area. She had it treated by the local vetrenarian and tended to it daily for months. Unfortuanatley the wound left the horse permently lame with a portion of it's hoof growing straight out from the coronary band. Her choices were 1.) Pay the vet $150. to enthenisize the horse and pay an additional fee for burial.
2.) Let the horse live in pain for the rest of it's long life 3.) Let the horses life end in a horse harvesting plant.
She chose 3) because ending the horses life this way has a giving value. It gives life to others, completeing the circle of life in two ways: 1. The byproducts of the horses body is used for human nutirition and nutriention for other animals. 2. It is life giving in that my friend now has a sum of money she will put toward a new horse for her son.
The people responsible for taking away a means of ending horses lives like to think they are being honorable, and doing the right thing for horses. I don't think they will ever realize what they have done. They do not understand the circle of life enough to understand. Horses will still suffer and die. Without horse harvesting as a way of ending a horses life in the United States more of them will suffer longer. There is no honor in that.
Posted by Danni Beer | October 3, 2007 11:47 PM
Posted on October 3, 2007 23:47