Bills seek end to farm animal abuse videos

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Bills seek end to farm animal abuse videos
Posted: Mar 17, 2013 1:27 PM CDT Updated: Mar 17, 2013 1:27 PM CDT
By TRACIE CONE
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - State legislators across the country are introducing laws making it harder for animal welfare advocates to investigate cruelty and food safety cases.

Some bills make it illegal to take photographs at a farming operation. Others make it a crime for someone such as an animal welfare advocate to lie on an application to get a job at a plant.

Bills pending in California, Nebraska and Tennessee require that anyone collecting evidence of abuse turn it over to law enforcement within 24 to 48 hours - which advocates say does not allow enough time to document illegal activity under federal humane handling and food safety laws.

Critics say the bills are an effort to deny consumers the ability to know how their food is produced.


Read more: http://www.wlns.com/story/21663986/bills-seek-end-to-farm-animal-abuse-videos

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(Short article, no more at link.)

[lunasun]

1. cuz you wont eat it once you see and know!!

I think most muricans do not want to see or know about food sources so bill will pass

Formal opposition to the California bill comes from the ASPCA, the Teamsters, the HSUS and dozens of others. They say these attempts by the agriculture industry to stop investigations are a part of a nationwide agenda set by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative think tank backed by business interests.

ALEC has labeled those who interfere with animal operations "terrorists," though a spokesman said he wishes now that the organization had called its legislation the "Freedom to Farm Act" rather than the "Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act."

[Cleita]

2. But not end animal abuse. How cruel and awful.

I have no words.

[Lenomsky]

3. Some bills make it illegal to take photographs at a farming operation.

INSANITY!

[ck4829]

4. Here's a better idea, why not end farm animal abuse?

[sulphurdunn]

5. I'm not even surprised

that I knew ALEC was behind this before even reading the article.

[subterranean]

9. Me too.

The fact that these bills are being introduced simultaneously in several states immediately made me think, 'ALEC'.

[n2doc]

12. ALEC is the real SPECTRE

For James Bond aficionados,...we have our real world evil organization, with the Koch brothers as Blofield. If only we had a real world Bond and MI to take them down. Instead they own the US Government, in essence.

[red dog 1]

21. + 1000

We need an organization to draft legislation in all 50 states to oppose any and all ALEC bills.....George Soros could fund such an organization if he wanted to.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. What about transparent government?

The public should be allowed to see animal cruelty videos. however, there is the problem of trespassing on someone's land.
There's the question of animal experiments too.

[penndragon69]

7. Do we need to ask....

WHO is writing these bills.....anyone,anyone??

[subterranean]

10. That's a rhetorical question, right?

[UnrepentantLiberal]

8. Chipping away at our democracy...

[robinlynne]

11. what a terrible terrible thing to do! Keep the crimes hidden?!

[veganlush]

13. The problem is that the vast majority of Americans

are guilty. This is not only about the sadistic individual worker who takes his frustrations out by kicking an already fearful animal, though most Americans would like to believe that's what it's all about. It's the SYSTEMIC and INSTITUTIONAL abuse. It's not the sadistic worker who designed the tiny cages or the hot wires to cut off beaks, it's not his idea to castrate pigs without pain killers, and it's not his fault that the animals sometimes get missed in the automated killing line, only to be scalded alive later on down the line. In parts of Asia they boil living dogs, here we just do it to pigs and chickens mostly. These systemic abuses account for the vast majority of the suffering, and THAT is the abuse that most people want to turn a blind eye to because THAT is the abuse that THEY themselves are guilty of every time they pay to make it happen, that is every time they buy the "products" of this abuse, namely meat and dairy "products". (we aren't really producing anything, we're just stealing it from our four-legged or winged fellow mortals)

[CrispyQ]

32. ++1

When Fast Food Nation came out, a woman I worked with read it. She said it was the most uncomfortable reading she'd ever done. Another woman sitting with us, stated, "If it's going to make me feel guilty about what I eat, then I don't want to read it."

[veganlush]

36. exactly.

my own sister who is an animal lover, who has adopted stray dogs and gave them care-free lives and who cries over the abuse of animals whenever she hears or sees of it, has told me "don't tell me about the suffering that goes into my food, I won't be able to eat it" or words to that effect. It's this amazing head-in-the-sand syndrome that just blows my mind. When you point this out to people of course they get defensive. I'm not claiming superiority, I just don't have the ability (anymore, i had it at one time too) to separate these things in my mind. When we buy pork "products" for example, it's like we're contracting out the awful treatment and brutal death of an animal that happens to be very dog-like in intelligence and who has the ability to feel things like pain, loneliness, fear, etc..and all this because we think we have to have this certain taste on our tongue. I gave up meat in 1987 after reading "Diet For A New America" and converted my wife shortly thereafter. We raised our two daughters as vegetarian. I and my oldest gave up ALL animal products in 2004.

[veganlush]

14. if you want to see an end to the abuse

stop buying meat and dairy products and spread the word.

[Flaxbee]

15. I agree with you, veganlush. If people even cut their meat consumption in half, it

could make a huge difference. Stop eating so much meat, and buy what you do eat from those who practice responsible animal care. Kosher, which means (or is supposed to mean) the animal did not suffer while living OR being slaughtered.

But it's weird, you mention making some sort of sacrifice (which isn't really a sacrifice if you consider the health implications of eating too much meat) and even liberals will scream "I can't not have meat!" Don't ask people to forgo their comforts just to make the world a better place for all inhabitants, not if it means giving up bacon.

Hypocritical, really. Especially if you take personal taste bud demands out of it, and just point out the huge adverse environmental impact "raising meat" has on our country - water, fuel, damage to open lands, etc.. People STILL won't not have that burger or that bacon. Makes no sense.

[veganlush]

25. i know, it's a very interesting

thing, the compartmentalization of the mind, the way people can "know" the detrimental effects and just go on buying meat. I know family members who wouldn't hurt a fly, who consider themselves animal lovers, and who would be up in arms if they ever saw what goes on in factory farming, but as long as they're NOT seeing it, i guess it just aint happening. Animal lover swho are enraged at dog or cat abuse, but think nothing of buying bacon. As for kosher, I'm afraid it's often WORSE. If you get a chance, read "Diet for a new America" by John Robbins. he was heir apparent to the "Baskin-Robbins" ice cream fortune, but he turned it down because it is animal "product"

[fasttense]

24. Or raise your own. n/t

[Brainstormy]

29. Absolutely!

Not only will you save money, and live longer, you'll be benefitting the environment. Even cutting down, just a little, on red meat can make a huge difference. Substituting chicken, fish, or eggs for red meat and dairy just one day a week for a year would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equivalent to not driving 760 miles. Going completely vegetarian one day a week for a year is equivalent to not driving 1,160 miles.

And don't even get me started on all the antibiotics you won't be ingesting.

[grntuscarora]

16. Pennsylvania H.B. 683

would not only prevent filming and online posting of farming operations, but would take it a step further and effectively prevent filming and posting of fracking operations, which are often done on private farmland.

http://www.damascuscitizensforsustainability.org/2013/03/say-no-to-pa-house-bill-683/

"Further, with the increase in gas drilling in PA, HB683 is doubly troubling: Line 9 on page 1 defines the proposed second and third degree felonies as those “Interfering with agricultural operations.” But Lines 9-11 on page 3 too broadly define “Agricultural operations” as “Any public or private property where an agricultural activity or farming is conducted or takes place.” This includes the sites of much of PA’s gas drilling, storage and transfer activities. Citizen activism is an increasingly important tool for We The People to find out about gas-related crimes and pollution. HB683 would seemingly outlaw reporting on these threats to our air, water and dirt."

See also JPZenger's post at: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10743405

[SunSeeker]

17. How could this possibly comply with the First Amendment?

This is just the sort of activity the First Amendment was designed to protect.

[The Stranger]

34. It doesn't.

Has the ACLU taken any action on this?

[Omaha Steve]

18. I thought this was such a good post...

Last edited Sun Mar 17, 2013, 10:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Edit: I'm against making it harder to investigate and prove cruelty!

I tried to dupe it.

K&R!

[red dog 1]

19. Thanks to Judi Lynn for posting this.

Last edited Tue Mar 19, 2013, 02:13 PM - Edit history (1)

It should come as no surprise that the evil bastards of ALEC are behind this.

"ALEC boasts on it's website that over 2,000 state legislators are members of their organization"
(From the Center For Media and Democracy's P.R. Watch)


http://www.prwatch.org/
On it's home page is a photo of some suffering cows will likely make you cry.
These bills are being called "Ag Gag"

[secondvariety]

20. This has already happened in Florida.

It was introduced as a first degree felony offense (same as murder) but that was tossed.

[Plucketeer]

22. Living in the land of "Happy Cows"

I often thought about taking photos of where this states dairy REALLY comes from. It's sure not the sunny, green pastures that the ad campaigns portray! The cows live and die in restrictive "feed lots", and get to live in their own shit day in and day out. The only green grass the cows ever see is just over the fence - the manicured lawns around the farmers home.

[marble falls]

23. The Sweep It Under the Carpet Act

[Newest Reality]

26. Why not

just require a license to own and operate a still or video camera? Everyone who uses one would then be required to apply for permission to take a picture or shoot a video.

Once clearance is obtained, you are then free to do so and simply submit a copy to your local Ministry of Truth to assure that it meets freedom standards.

After all, cameras now appear to be increasingly dangerous to the capitalistic regime.

Oh, wait ... I am getting a bit ahead of the game and don't want to seem prophetic.

(This message has not been approved or endorsed by Mini-Truth and may contain subversive, illegal content. The poster is required to self-arrest and report to a local process office immediately.)

[truthisfreedom]

27. This is a violation of free speech.

Scholars, we need lawyers to step up.

[get the red out]

28. Well I guess end free speech then

For anyone our corporate masters don't approve of anyway.

[Brainstormy]

30. They're called AG GAG laws

and they're spreading.

more here:

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/03/five-states-now-have-ag-gag-laws-on-the-books/#.UUcSNRzviSo

[MindPilot]

31. How did we get to documenting the act is worse than the act?

This is the same line of thinking that came up in the recent rape trial. The problem is not that you committed some heinous act, the problem is it was videoed.

What a weird and twisted line of thinking.

[The Stranger]

33. This is protected under the First Amendment.

http://www.aclu.org/free-speech/know-your-rights-photographers

[Blue Owl]

35. Creepy, evil, and dangerous side-effects of privitazation

This is not a bill for good. It is a bill for evil.