Koch Foods--extreme cruelty to chickens

[Catherine]

Yet another chicken abuse situation. I did not know that chickens are excluded from the federal Humane Methods of Slaughter Act in the USA.
I have no idea what laws Canada has about such things.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/11/19/a...ick-fil-a/

Chickens are such harmless, helpless creatures. Is that why they are treated so cruelly. What does that say about humanity that we do this.

[LPC]

I read about this video a little while ago, having received an e-mail from Mercy for Animals. I didn't know until then that the USA has NO national controls for the treatment of chickens. It seems that they can legally be cut apart, scalded, interior organs removed etc. while fully conscious in the "land of the free". This is officially not allowed in the EU, although abuses do occur from time to time.

(11-21-2014, 03:44 PM)Catherine Wrote: Chickens are such harmless, helpless creatures. Is that why they are treated so cruelly. What does that say about humanity that we do this.

People often say, "Humans are superior" etc. But judging by this sort of behaviour, humans have a lot to answer for morally.

[Tobi]

This is very sad and needs legislation to change it. We must make a big noise.

I don't know where the erroneous notion comes from that somehow birds, and sea creatures are at some mythical "lower level" of sentience....that we can do what we like to them....
We are so wrong -i.e. we are so stupid.

I hope and pray this situation changes concerning chickens. They are sensitive creatures with intelligence and just as many pain-sensors as any other creature including Humans.

[Catherine]

I hope with all the publicity from Mercy For Animals, the lack of protection for chickens will get a reaction.
People have this idea that some animals don't feel pain and distress.
They used to do surgery on cats and dogs with no pain control. It has taken us a long time to become aware that animals feel pain.

Do you remember the chapter in David Copperfield where they discussed the lower classes and decided that they did not feel the way the upper classes do. They considered the poor people to be lesser human beings.

Now we struggle with the idea that some animals are lesser and feel less. It is going to take work to teach people that all living beings feel and deserve good treatment.

[LPC]

(11-22-2014, 03:10 PM)Catherine Wrote: Now we struggle with the idea that some animals are lesser and feel less. It is going to take work to teach people that all living beings feel and deserve good treatment.

The scientific community inherited the views of the vile Descartes, who tied up his wife's pet dog and dissected it alive to "prove" that they did not have minds, so could not feel pain. The cries of agony were like the sounds of a machine's parts in movement, he claimed. See http://knowledgenuts.com/2013/09/29/desc...e-a-point/

Thankfully, ideas are moving forward, see for example the Cambridge Declaration on animal Awareness: http://fcmconference.org/img/CambridgeDe...usness.pdf

How long it will take for these more enlightened ideas to filter through to farming (especially factory farming) and to general public sensitivity is difficult to say. But these poor chickens in the USA need the protection of federal law - and quickly.

[Catherine]

I did not know about Descartes. That was not mentioned in Philosophy class. My prof(s) must have known. Did they not want me to know or did they not think it was important?

When you think about it, Descartes was egocentric. I think, therefore I am. It is all about him and how he feels.

His whole philosophy is tainted by his outrageous behavior. I think we need some new kinder philosophers who respect life and live honourably.
Medicine and science have a lot of bad people in their history.

The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness is a tremendous step forward. I want to go through it in detail and really absorb what they are saying.

For now I hope something can be done to protect chickens. This applies to turkeys as well. Even when there are laws they do not do much good.

I am still in shock about Descartes. I thought he was one of the good ones. Who else is evil?