Gary Conklin, the owner of Conklin Dairy Farms in Ohio, was acquitted by a Union County grand jury of any criminal charges regarding accusations of animal abuse—despite video footage of animal abuse taking place at his farm. This protection of agribusinesses over farm animals is international: The Australian revealed that more than 90% of Australian food animals are factory-farmed. Farm animal abuse is a symptom of a global problem in which people want to stay ignorant of how their meat is slaughtered so that their consciences remain guilt-free. However, Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Eating Animals, reminds others that this is not just an animal issue: Agribusinesses emit 18% of all greenhouse gases, increase the likelihood of human pandemics, and abuse employees with little pay and frequent injuries. Unfortunately, these arguments prove that the immorality of murdering living things is just not persuasive enough to change the system.
“Farm owner won’t face animal abuse charges,” Holly Zachariah, The Columbus Dispatch. 7/6/10
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/06/cow-abuse-charges.html
“Reforming the farm,” Annemarie Jonson, The Australian, 9/01/10
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/reforming-the-farm/story-e6frg8nf-1225911725079
Student researcher: Alyssa Jarrett, CSU Fresno
Faculty evaluator: Michael Becker, PhD, CSU Fresno