The Gist: Good afternoon VegNews Book Clubbers, and Happy Valentine's Day! We are in our third week of our discussion of Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I, for one, have really enjoyed this book. Though I might not agree with everything that Foer writes, it is very refreshing to read a well-written book on the subject of factory farming, and why we eat animals.For this week's discussion, I asked you to read the sixth section of the book, "Slices of Paradise/Pieces of Shit," which mainly deals with the pork industry. First, Foer introduces the independent slaughterhouse Paradise Locker Meats, which is located in the Midwest. Foer visited the slaughterhouse, which is known to be more humane in their slaughter methods. Specifically, that means pigs are killed one at a time, and not at the fast-paced rate as they are in bigger factories. Of course, there are still many issues with this plant, including issues with the meat inspection, and the obvious contradiction of the term "humane slaughter."
Foer continues to talk about the pork industry, mentioning how pigs are bred nowadays to be food, and not an individual animal, much like chickens and turkeys. He also brings up the fact that only four companies account for 60 percent of the pork produced today.
He then introduces Paul Willis, a pig farmer in Iowa, who produces pork for Niman Ranch, which is known to be a more humane producer of meat. Willis claims that on his farm, pigs can be pigs, until the time of slaughter, that is. While Foer is visiting the farm, the family finds out that a factory farm has purchased land nearby with plans to build a pork-producing facility, which would obviously ruin the land. This leads Foer to talk about the massive amount of pollution resulting from hog farming—specifically, the shit. He gives many facts and details regarding this subject, and then jumps into the actual abuses that factory-farmed pigs have to face. He relates it to a new form of sadism. It is truly unbelievable what happens at these farms.
Finally, at the end of the section, Foer goes back to the question of why we eat animals, especially now in the midst of the immense abuses of of factory farming. He brings up the issue of tradition, and talks about how remembering and forgetting are nearly the same thing, and happens quite often when it comes to our food.
The Discussion: Here's a discussion point to help get the conversation started. I look forward to hearing from you!
1. Many people are aware of the terrible conditions on factory farms, and the enormous amount of waste they produce. What are your feelings towards people who choose to "forget" about these issues?
The Assignment: Please read the rest of Eating Animals for our discussion on February 21. If you still need a copy, you can purchase one at the VN Store.
~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig
I have a really hard time with it, but I understand it. My mom is this way, she is well aware but is ignorant and addicted like most people. Sometimes you wish you could just knock some sense into them, but it's not always that easy. I just keep trying calm and tasteful (literally) approaches to the issue in hopes that people will one day change their minds.
ReplyDeleteNo one wants to hear they are a terrible person or what they have been raised to do or eat is wrong. I think the important thing is to be tactful, and you will get the best results.
Kaycee
Vegan Machine
1. Many people are aware of the terrible conditions on factory farms, and the enormous amount of waste they produce. What are your feelings towards people who choose to "forget" about these issues?
ReplyDeleteMost people I know are like this and my response is, "If you need to shelter yourself from it because you can't handle the thought of the suffering think about the animal who have to live 24/7 in their own waste, with no fresh air, who can barely move."
These people are egoists to the max. I ask, "If you aren't vegan now, why not?" These are the same people who claim to love animals. Anyone who loves animals cannot ignore this anymore. Only veganism saves animals.
My heart breaks when people support the meat, dairy and egg industries, but I must forgive people who choose to "forget" about these issues because I do too.
ReplyDeleteI am a vegan, I am raising my daughter vegan, and I work in a profession where I am helping animals. But I forget about the scale of our atrocities against other species, and I put off reading books about it (like this one, which sat on my shelf for months before I finally committed to it), because remembering can be too much to take.
In some ways, forgetting is what allows me to avoid burnout. In others, it's just plain selfish. Why should I enjoy a movie or play on Facebook, when I could be leafleting or engaging in other effective activism?
Ultimately, we need to commit ourselves to remembering and taking action, while continuing to care for ourselves. Sometimes it's easy -- "I can buy this amazing vegan product, ensuring there are more animal-friendly choices in the marketplace, and enjoy myself!" -- but a lot of the time it takes dedication and just plain isn't easy.
We all choose to "forget" about something. We might forget about our budget when we see a new electronic gadget we have to have. We might forget about our waistline when a box of donuts tempts us at the office.
ReplyDeleteOf course, veg*ns see the slaughter issue as one of life and death, more important than a budget or a diet. Most Americans simply don't care enough about animals to make a major and lasting change in their lives. I think a lot of veg*ns and AR advocates want to see Americans as a nation of animal lovers who are outraged by cruelty, but this simply isn't the case. The animals who are loved are only a small subset of animals, pets, and the cruelty that is punished is only a small subset of cruelty, usually that visited upon pets for no apparent reason.
Hi everyone,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments so far! I realize it's a bit of a loaded question, but one that I think is important to ask. For the past ten years as a vegan, I have been nothing but tolerant of my meat-eating friends and family—even when they haven't been tolerant of my choices—but there have been times where I became much more angry about the issue.
I also agree with Jessica and Sock about how we all choose to forget at times—even vegans. Like Jessica, I refuse to watch videos of animal abuse, because it's honestly too painful to watch.
I look forward to more discussion, and I'll be wrapping everything up on Friday.
~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig
To use an old turn of a phrase, "Here we're preachin' to the choir". As Vegan/Vegaterians, the reasons for changing our diets have happened. We subscribe to blogs that support our views. We've already made the connection or researched horrors that are inflicted on other living beings (be they human or any type of animal). We already know our "new ag" (not new age) diet is not a good for us as a species or a compassionate way to live. Many "standard American diet" followers know this too, yet continue to eat the SAD way for all the reasons discussed here.
ReplyDeleteGoing back to Week 1, food is highly social, not just a means of fueling our bodies. The types of food produced in this day and age are designed for convenience and self-satisfaction (reward triggers). They dull the taste buds (even the most elegant of meals), and people have lost the ability to taste the quality of a good apple or a well-made salad without gobs of dressings.
Why do people still eat meat or follow a path of personal deception or self-satisfying ignorance? It's all social. It's a heady blend of propoganda by the industries and government programs, lack of desire to change, and innate relation to "how i reward myself" that sustains many cultures very poor eating patterns.
I am continually amazed at how people do not think. They will spend $7-15 a lb. on meat, yet complain that organic produce is so expensive. I have yet to find an organic apple or turnip that costs more per lb. than any cut of meat in a grocery.
The focus of the book has to do with meat, but the same behaviors apply to all foods. I've been overwhelmed lately by the rows and rows of nutritionally vacant foods (including those made for veg and vegan) and how much space they take in stores. I look down the row and see a losing battle of brown food; bread, beans (good for you, but often eatn with a hand full of iceberg lettuce on a McTaco), fries, grilled cheeses, cereals with spray-on vitamins and minerals...how can a poor head of romaine win?
Until food is seen as medicine, meaning the health profession prescribes and supports plant-based, highly natural-state (uncooked) diets as means of maintaining or curing disease, and insurance is connected to outcomes making it hit people in the wallet if they refuse to stop going to Burger King after their 3rd heart attack, we will not see a grand change because society and tradition with foods are too engrained and easy to follow.
Meat is a very important part of a poor diet, but we, too, need to remember that as a veggie/vegan we can eat just as crappy a diet as a meat eater.
Foer's working the middle of the road to try and not alienate everyone "but the choir". Yet, each of us has a responsibility to look at processing, in general, and its impact that can be just as grievious as the meat industry.
It's hard for me to understand why people could just forget what goes on in factory farms. They don't like to see cats or dogs treated that way but it's okay for other animals. It seems like our society has people thinking that certain animals are for food and other animals are for pets. Then people just over look what goes on at these farms. Since animals at those farms are for food it's okay. One of my family memebers has told me "They have to die anyway." Every living creature has a right to live. Being a vegan and standing up for what I believe in no matter what society thinks is the best way to promote what Veganism is really about. When talking to non vegans about these issues I try to be kind, compansionate and understanding. Also not to judge or be preachy to get my points across. I remeber I once was a non vegan. Maybe one day the seeds I planted will take root.
ReplyDelete