If you Google Mad Cow Disease, you will see the video of the recent mistreatment of cows by the Hallmark Meat Company. If you can stand it, click on some of the other links to hear more animal abuse stories. I was appalled after watching and listening to this site for just a few minutes. Profit seems to be the motive in most of the abuse situations. The offenders have no respect for life or no concern over how the damaged animals will affect others.
The latest beef recall was appalling for several reasons. The company supplied food for school lunches, federal nutrition programs, and senior citizen facilities. It is unspeakable how the cows were mistreated but once they were part of the slaughter, the potential for E. coli or other diseases surfaced. This meat would then be sold to our most vulnerable citizens, the young and the elderly. In my opinion, the recent incident not only shows animal abuse but also child abuse and elder abuse. It doesn’t matter that there have been no reported cases of illness yet, some of the questionable beef had already been consumed.
The Hallmark Meat Company took great pride in being the Meat Supplier of the Year for 2004 and 2005. One can’t help but wonder how many times they had mistreated their cows before the video surfaced. What did they do to earn supplier of the year? Was it based on customer service, sales volume or something else? The Department of Agriculture stated they believed this to be an isolated incident. I’m not sure that I agree. Did the man driving the fork lift get up one day and decide; today I will run over and poke all the cows that can not stand up? The other workers standing around, who joined in on the abuse, are we also to assume they had never done this before?
As a child, I was taught all animals were God’s creatures. The Biblical story of creation tells how God made each animal. The animals were then placed in the garden with man, who gave each one of them a name. Animals and man lived in harmony. Animals were killed but only for food or for sacrifices to God. As a society, I fear we no longer respect our animals but rather use them for our personal gain or entertainment.
The Department of Agriculture has 7,800 inspectors with 6,200 plants. When they find a violation, they remove their inspectors from the facility. This results in a recall of the questionable products. In 2007, they suspended 66 plants; 12 of which were related to mistreatment of animals.
This is not my area of expertise but what happens to the plants that receive violations? Do they issue their recall and business goes on as usual? Two of the employees of Hallmark were charged with animal cruelty. Were they the only ones identifiable on the video? Having worked most of my life in corporate America, I know there is usually a manager telling you what to do.
I think companies that allow abusive behavior toward people or animals should be fined the maximum amount. A slap on the hand is not enough. As individuals we need to stand up and demand humane treatment for all creation. Those most vulnerable - our animals, children, and elderly - need special care. Our sick and dying deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. What happened to the principle “do unto others as you would have them do unto you?” No one that was sick and old would want to be pushed by a fork lift and poked with a pitchfork. We are our brothers’ keeper.