A visual understanding

When reading about these horrible slaughtering processes, it is hard to grasp the true feel of what truly goes on behind the scenes. Here is a video that may provide more of an understanding.

[WARNING]: Footage is graphic at some points.

The USDA supports this type of treatment towards animals by using these slaughterhouses as their beef suppliers for programs such as National School Lunch Program. Then, continuing the chain, a consumer supports this behavior by purchasing the beef. All we are doing here is tracing back the steps and gathering facts of what morals we are supporting. As we gather these facts, the true colors of the USDA are appearing and the secrets of the slaughterhouse are revealing.

Just make it simple; Say YES to life by saying NO to meat.

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Baby Cows

Not only does animal cruelty happen through the employees actions, but the processes of slaughtering are torture and animal cruelty in themselves, especially the process of producing veal. ‘Veal’ is the term used for the meat of baby cows. What most meat consumers don’t realize is that one of the by-products of the dairy industry, veal, is probably one of the cruelest meats available. After a dairy cow gives birth, the calf or baby cow, is immediately removed from the mother, although some producers wait a day before tearing offspring away.

The calf may then be raised for either beef or veal. If it is to become veal, it is kept in a veal crate, an extremely restrictive box measuring two feet across, where the calf cannot stand, move or turn around. To further restrict movement, the necks of these young creatures are restrained with chains. These methods prevent muscle growth so that the meat is tender. The calves are also fed on a milk substitute lacking iron and fiber so as to induce anemia, meaning that the flesh will be whiter and thus more desirable when sold to restaurants.

Typically a calf sold as “white” veal will be slaughtered at the young age of four to six months. Some calves are killed after only a few hours or days and this is known as “Bob” veal. Operations conducted on young calves include castration of males, disbudding or removal of the horns and tail docking, a process by which the tails are cut off so that they don’t get chewed.

So next time you consider eating veal, think about what you want to support.

Tom’s Reality Check

These are only two of the many cases of animal abuse in slaughterhouses, let alone what else happens behind the scenes that has not been discovered.. YET.

USDA let the past repeat itself, letting animal abuse happen in two different slaughterhouses that supply most of the beef needed for their programs. Tom Vilsack, secretary of argiculture, it is time to stop worrying about image and snap back to reality. The reality of it is that innocent living creatures of this planet we share are tortured by selfish human beings, all under your control Tom. Just because we are not physically there to understand the terror of the slaughterhouse doesn’t mean that you can make the issue disappear and not become involved. Tom Vilsack, you have a lot of power to make a change, but instead you have been stuck in the image and haven’t faced reality.

Let’s do some ‘reality’ thinking. Obviously, the current regulations placed on slaughterhouses are not strongly enforced. However, it will take more than just strengthening the regulations or making them more clear and precise to stop these heartless employees. To take true action, interaction within these slaughterhouses must be enforced in order to make sure these regulations are being followed. This can include video surveillance; placing cameras throughout slaughterhouses that are watched by USDA employees at all times. If it were not for the animal organizations who filmed the footage for the USDA, the animal abuse would still be unknown. We cannot rely on those organizations to help out every time because for all we know, the cows are being tortured at this very moment.

Back to reality. Interaction is key. Now make some moves Tom.

Dirty Secret #2

Now that you have a better understanding of what happens when meat is made (killed), I hope you can truly feel the animal love when I spread awareness of animal cruelty by sharing these case studies.

The Central Valley Meat Co. slaughterhouse investigation in August was not the first time that the USDA was involved in a case of animal cruelty towards cows. In January 2008, the USDA and Mike Johanns, former secretary of agriculture, received uncover footage from HSUS (Humane Society of the United States), showing employees of the Hallmark Meat Packing Co. in Chino, CA as they torture living cows that were obviously sick and suffering.

As soon as Mike Johanns was appointed secretary in 2003, he took steps to reopening the US beef markets, providing USDA with more beef sales.  Out of 116 markets, about half reopened and Mike Johanns seemed to save the day (in a superman costume and all).

Then, while examining the previous secretaries of agriculture on the USDA website, I noticed a connection between this investigation and the dates that previous secretaries were in office. When the footage was released to the USDA at the beginning of January, it just so happened that Mike Johanns resigned from secretary a few days later and a new secretary of agriculture, Ed Schafer, took place. Coincidence? Let’s be real. Mike knew well enough that his money-hungry actions had caused more harm than he imagined and his guilty conscious could not manage anymore.

RESIGNED with no change for prevention of animal cruelty to cows.

USDA: Hero or Villain?

Is it HALLOWEEN for the USDA everyday or what? Costume after costume, attempting to cover up their true colors.

Let’s go back to the recent animal cruelty investigation in August 2012, when an undercover representative from Compassion Over Killing captured footage of the employees in slaughterhouse Central Valley Meat Co. brutally torturing downed, sick cows multiple times. The footage was then sent to USDA in hopes that Tom Vilsack, secretary of agriculture, would take greater action and prevent this problem from happening ever again.

However, NO action took place. (This is where we rip off his superman costume and reveal the VILLAIN inside.)

In fact, USDA did a good job of keeping it out of the media as much as possible. Tom Vilsack and other people of USDA created a ‘moral’ image for their department by reaching out to the community and promoting good nutrition, gardening, and the conservation of energy. They care about protecting this image, while hiding away most evidence of buying beef from inhumane slaughterhouses from the public eye. What people don’t realize about USDA is that, it supports these slaughterhouses by allowing them to supply beef for hundreds of schools around the US through their National School Lunch Program and other federal food initiatives.

So, when USDA was informed of the animal cruelty occurring in Central Valley Meat Co., they simply shut it down and erased the issue instead of addressing the problem with a change for future prevention.

It’s not time for a costume change Tom, it’s time for an attitude adjustment.

If you enjoy eating meat, listen up.

Before discussing how we can make a change in the way animals are abused in slaughterhouses, people must understand the cause on a deeper level. Why should you care? Take a look.

A bit eye-opening I hope. Take the time to realize that there is suffering behind the meat you eat.

If you enjoy eating meat, the most you can do is fight for a cow’s natural right to live a peacefully life up and die an easy, painless death when it is time to produce meat for human consumption.

Whether a person is a vegan, vegetarian, or carnivore, we are all human beings and hold some sort of ethical code of values. It is obvious that torturing or killing the innocent is unethical, and cows are innocent living beings, so why is the human race allowing this type of behavior?

A human being holds natural ethical codes. Animal abuse breaks those natural ethical codes, unless you are a strange child growing up to become a psycho murderer. Therefore, if you are a human being, stay tuned to help solve this important issue and stop the suffering of cows and other living animals in slaughterhouses for good.

Dirty Secret #1

Recently, in August 2012, the USDA received uncover footage filmed by a Compassion Over Killing investigator, that proved employees of Central Valley Meat Co., a slaughterhouse in Hanford, CA, guilty of torturing sick cows in cruel, inhumane ways. Downed cows were shot multiple times in the head, and if the cow stayed alive, employees would stand on the cow’s mouth and nose to prevent them from breathing. Sick cows were jabbed and stunned to stand up and attempt to walk into the conveyor belt for slaughter.

When the USDA was informed of this horrible issue, Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, shut down the facility, citing “egregious inhumane handling and treatment of livestock.” Then the issue disappeared without a huge change in the policies or restrictions that are enforced in their slaughterhouses. Even though Central Valley Meat Co. was a major supplier of USDA’s National School Lunch Program and other federal food initiatives.

TIME FOR ACTION TOM.

[[WARNING]: Here is a website with the full, uncensored video of the animal cruelty that employees inflict on cows in the Central Valley Meat Co. slaughterhouse and in most cases, many other slaughterhouses around the US as well. Images may be graphic.  http://www.cok.net/californiacows/

Cows Cows Cows

Are you a compassionate person? If so, this is the blog for you.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Chelsea Rush, simply a 20-year old girl who has been a vegetarian for 20 years. I know what you’re thinking, and yes, I have NEVER eaten a hamburger, hot dog, steak, etc. I was raised a vegetarian by my animal-crazy mom: a vegan for over 35 years and ex-member of PETA. For me, vegetarianism is a lifestyle that I wouldn’t change for the world. However, I created my blog in hopes to make a BIG change in the slaughterhouses and stop animal cruelty for good.

My blog fights for the cows who cannot defend themselves.

My blog spreads awareness of the animal cruelty that occurs in the slaughterhouses all over the U.S.

My blog wants Tom Vilsack, USDA Secretary of Agriculture, to realize that the current restrictions are not stopping this abuse and step up this call-to-action.

And, of course, my blog supports VEGETARIANISM because the simplest way to stop this problem is to keep meat off our plates.

While attending Chapman University for the past two years, social media has become an area of study within my Public Relations and Advertising major because of my professor, Cory O’Connor, who teaches through application and thankfully, forced me to make a Twitter account. Now, I am forced to create this blog on a topic I feel strongly about, and I couldn’t be happier about it.