The Plight of the Pig

The plight of the pig.

Today I saw a semi-trailer rig hauling pigs.  The steel trailer was perforated with holes so air could circulate.   I could see the pigs inside, standing, trying to get air.  I could also see their bodies were badly scratched and scraped, and they were bleeding.

I started thinking about what our world has come to, and how I didn’t really like it much.  

A trailer of pigs doesn’t seem like a big deal.  And it isn’t.  Except.  They were bleeding. 

Yep, they’re gonna bleed when they get slaughtered.  Yep, I’m gonna buy some for dinner.  

Except. They weren’t in the slaughter-house.  Nothing should have to suffer while it is living.  We have to care about things like this.  It’s what makes us human.

I don’t understand what would be so hard about taking better care of the animals of this earth for which we are stewards.   Change a philosophy.  Make a vision-statement.  Create a more humane farming practice.

Build local farms that utilize old-time methods in a modern way  (in other words, use modern facilities but let animals “free range” graze in grass, not mud or concrete.) 

• local-- utilize urban prairie, employ local people, grow food and livestock, slaughter, bring to market
• trend-- better to employ people as farmers; we don’t need another mall, do we?
• trend-- show compassion and true stewardship for the animals we eat
• trend--teach new generations about proper care of land and animals; diet and nutrition for themselves and their families
• trend-- business can make a difference and foster respect and compassion instead of greed and hatred (make the world a better place)

Big farm corporations could really make a difference in the lives of people and animals by starting these local farms.  It would save money on transport costs, minimize losses from disease, too.  

How can we get to a place where we stop causing harm to animals and each other?  How can we get to a place where what we do matters in a meaningful way?  Greed hurts not just the pigs, but it hurts people too.  Because the less we care for the animals, the more we expose ourselves to their disease and/or chemicals they have to be treated with.

I want people to live better - happy and healthy.  I want people to be prosperous, for sure, but to cause no harm to any other living thing.  I want our society to get back to a place where doing the right thing is more important than money.  

Can we change?  Is kindness and compassion lost forever?