The Pros And Cons Of Ethical Factory Farms

“The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that’s wrong with the world,” Paul Farmer. At first glance, many people look at this quote and agree with it. We know on an internal level that there is value in the interactions we have with the lives around us. Yet, almost all of us will read this, maybe reminisce about it a little later, and then go and do something that fundamentally contradicts the idea that all lives, do in fact, mater. We eat. More specifically we eat food that comes from massive, unethical factory farms. In these “farms” animals are torchered in not only life, but death.
It is a sad fact that almost all Americans participate in a form of animal abuse. We buy, use, and eat products that come from inhumane factory

As the animals go to the slaughter, they face even more cruelty and pain. Unlike independent slaughterhouses that try and make their death as humane and swift as possible, industrial slaughterhouses prolong the animals suffering. Industrial slaughterhouses often have mistakes due to their rapid pace. Often animals are not fully unconscious before they are killed. Some are only stunned and then skinned alive (srpaproject). Some pigs are improperly stunned and conscious when put into boiling water meant to soften their skin for consumption (Peta). These animals suffer unimaginable torment. The idea of someone 's pet going through this kind of torture is unbearable to think about for most people. So, why is it okay for other

It has been argued that it’s okay for these animals to be treated this way because they don’t feel emotions. For instance, Kate Murphy, in the New York Times article, claims that it is okay to kill animals because “... there is no definitive scientific evidence that animals experience emotions.” Another example is Dr. Neel Burton, who declares that animals can not feel love, get mental disorders, or even think(Psychology Today). Despite these individuals claims, this is simply not true. They are obviously ill informed about the plethora of evidence that proves that animals do, in fact, feel all of these things. Dr. Marc Bekoff, a specialist in animal behavior, wrote a response to Burton 's Paper showing all the contradictory evidence. Also there has been an overwhelming amount of evidence that supports the fact that animals do feel. In the book “Beyond Words” the author shows that animals can even feel empathy by enlightening the public about a whale that risked its life to save a seal.. Dr. Jaak Panksepp proves in multiple experiments that rats make the same sounds and facial ticks while being tickled as they do in other joyful moments like finding food they like (The Guardian). There is so much evidence out there that the claim that animals don’t feel emotions, and are thus okay to be killed and tormented, is