New “Ag Gag” Laws Hide Atrocities Committed on Factory Farms
Recently in Iowa and soon in Utah, laws have been passed that criminalize whistleblowers in the agriculture industry. In this week’s podcast, we talk to Matt Rice of Mercy for Animals about the recent “Ag Gag’ legislation and the atrocities that it will further enable.
The new laws are called “Ag Gag” legislation. If an employee takes a video of animal cruelty or atrocities enacted on the farmed animals and gives it to law enforcement or an animal rights group, they can be arrested and prosecuted.
Most of us look at the eggs, milk or meat in the grocery store and see how appealing it looks. It is packaged with cute logos and lots of comforting words, like Fresh, Natural, USDA Approved, etc. According to Rice what most consumers do NOT know is how the animals we eat are treated, what inhumane practices are considered “standard” or that most of the food we eat comes from corporately owned factory farms.
Consumers have a right to know how their food is being produced and how the animals are being treated so they can make informed choices. Listen to this show and wake up to how the farmed animals are treated in many of these factory farms. Take ACTION to help end the use of battery cages in the United States. Learn what you can do to help stop the laws that block transparency and accountability.
Show Notes:
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We need to start banning any farm products that come from these states. There must be a way to stop these serial killers. Anyone who can brutally beat an animal can do so to a small child, elderly person or anyone of lesser power than them and the government lets them get away with this and then unleashes them into society. No one in their right mind would abuse any type of animal, human or not. Shame on the people that passed this law.
Thanks for your comment, Stephanie. Another way to take action is to hold the legislators accountable who caved to the influence of the Ag industry. Writing or calling them really does have an impact.
Excellent interview of Mercy for Animals’ Matt Rice. Thank you for this coverage of ag-gag laws and, more importantly, what we can do to prevent them.
You are most welcome, Janet. Thanks for your comment and for listening.
We do deserve the right as consumers buying these products to know how these animals are treated. If these farms have nothing to hide then what is the problem? We have cameras in every other part of our lives this is just as important! These animals deserve some dignity too. It makes me sick to see what is done to these amazing “living”, “feeling”, creatures. I personally have made the decision to not eat any more meat or dairy products after seeing what is done to these animals. I realize that we are not going to stop all people from eating meat. I don’t have a problem with that, choices are what makes this country what it is. The problem I have is how we treat these animals. There needs to be laws and guidelines for these farms and they need to be held accountable. Therefore, the cameras should be allowed.
I agree, Kari, and good point about having cameras in every other part of our lives. Thanks!
Undercover investigations play a crucial role in exposing cruelty to farmed animals and environmental violations. They also help to ensure food safety and protect workers’ rights. Undercover investigations by Mercy For Animals and other groups have led to landmark corporate animal welfare policy reforms, felony convictions of animal abusers, and other positive developments. Clearly factory farms have a lot to hide if they are willing to go to such despicable measures to hide their cruel and abusive practices from the public. Consumers have the right to know where their food comes from and how animals are treated before they reach their plates. This is a good, short video to watch about this topic: MeatVideo.com. Or visit ChooseVeg.com for information on adapting a more compassionate lifestyle.
Thanks for listening and commenting, Dyell.
Thank you for keeping us informed.
Marie
i come from an agricultural community and i was looking at this and was wondering why you think every farmer does this because of one picture?? I don’t understand why you are looking down on the industry that feeds you and many others, because of one person??
Kerri, we recognize that there are many producers in this industry that are of integrity. It is not the intention of this article to look down on the industry. The purpose of this show is to educate about legislation that prohibits filming inside of meat production facilities. A producer that has nothing to hide should have no reason for concern. The desire by some to have this law passed should be concerning in and of itself.
The world is full of horrible, greedy, evil people obviously. it never stops. I sign petition after petition and wonder if it even helps. The world WORSHIPS the dollar and the race to get more is ALL they think about. This world will probably meet the end it DESERVES.
Do you really think it’s doing any good? This crap has been going on as long as people have been here. The same ones sit in some church and stare up at the preacher with beatific looks on their faces.
ok. It’s daunting to keep seeing this stuff but I won’t send any more “inflammatory” comments. Heaven knows they need all the support and signatures they can get since the average person cares about nothing outside their own tiny worlds. I’m sure my previous comments will be deleted but I will continue to sign petitions, etc. if I continue to receive them.
Linda, don’t worry your comment wasn’t deleted. We have a system that requires new commenters to be approved to keep our site from getting filled with spam. We value your opinion and appreciate your taking action.
Bottom line? easy! if you do not “k-n-o-w KNOW” that the meat, eggs or dairy products you are getting ready to buy were fed natural foods and free-ranged (cage free is NOT free ranged), then you are about to put money into the hands of those that torture animals (and feed them genetically modified grains, other animal parts and inject them with horrific amounts of hormones, antibiotics & other drugs).
All we have to do to stop this is to stop paying & funding them to do it!
Go to YouTube and start searching and watching the videos. For those of us that feel we ‘must’ eat meat, eggs & dairy and cannot go to the time or expense to source our food from people that don’t torture and abuse animals…we NEED TO SEE THE TRUTH so we can make decisions that count.