Factory Farm Burns Thousands of Live Chickens (again)

Stephanie Ernst at Animal Rights - Change.org posted this story on her blog: The Center for Consumer Freedom and its unscrupulous mouthpiece are fond of pretending that they do care about at least basic animal welfare but that they're just "normal" about it, as opposed to those of us who are extreme--that is, those of us who really care about eliminating unnecessary suffering rather than just occasionally pretending to care for sake of PR. Well, here's one of those great examples of how much they care:

What's he referring to? What's so funny that it calls for his trademark flippancy and sarcasm? Thousands of chickens were burned alive in Washington State late last night and early this morning. Clearly hilarious. Fellow animals able to feel terror and pain every bit as much as you and I were trapped inside enormous sheds, while smoke joined the usual burning ammonia in their lungs, while they panicked, while they screamed out and flapped their wings as much as their cramped quarters and burdened bodies would allow, while they burned alive, trapped and with no hope of escape. And a propaganda artist who likes to set himself and his clients up as the level-headed ones, as the ones who represent the majority of Americans and consumers, thinks it's funny. He's just disappointed that they burned to a crisp inside a shed rather than on his grill. The panic, the horror, the terror, the pain--it's all irrelevant. Screw you, Martosko. Screw you.

Thank you Stephanie for exposing this man's callousness.

I might further add that this is a horrible story for sure... of course for the chickens - I can't imagine a more awful death. But then, it happens very frequently in the animal killing business... these infernos that torture imprisoned animals to their last breath. Google "hog farm fire" and you'll see what I mean. But seeing that they loose over a million pigs a year in transport alone - it's no big deal for them. However, they always think it's a "tragic" loss in the financial sense and it's always the money they grieve most. And of course, it's no coincidence that these "accidents" happen when grain prices go up... or when the industry might be facing a downward trend. Better to let the insurance companies pay for the loss. A nice crisp fire in a hog barn or chicken house... who really can trace the origin?

I've blogged before about animal agriculture and fires... It is a common occurrence - imagine a culture that accepts the routine burning alive of imprisoned animals - and then jokes about it? If you are eating meat... and supporting this industry you hold just as much responsibility for such acts as if you had lit the match yourself.

Anyone with half a conscious can see that this is barbaric treatment of sentient beings... This totally unnecessary, vile, evil is in your power to condemn. Do so. Go vegan.