Just finished watching the "Earthlings" film and I can't say I agree wholeheartedly with the movie. Likening the genocide of the Holocaust to factory farming is unfair and unrealistic. The Holocaust's intent was to remove "unworthy" races permanently by slaughter. Factory farms are not intent on making an animal extinct because they would go out of business.
I disagree with the notion that if slaughter houses were made of glass, we would all be vegetarian. People have been killing, gutting and eating animals long before slaughter houses, without issue. I think if slaughter houses and factory farms were made of glass that they practices within those walls would be better. Yeah some people would turn away and never eat a burger again, but many would make the connection of "That's where my food comes from" and accept that an animal died to fill their belly.
The notion on hunters and fishermen doing it all for the thrill of bloodshed and sport is highly misconstrued. I know dozens of hunters and fisherman who do it so they have something to eat because even the cheap factory meat costs too much. Some hunters do it for sport and nothing more, and that is a detriment, but more hunters kill only what they and their families need.
I also have to disagree that over consumption of meat is the sole reason for the increase in disease processes such as diabetes, cancers, heart attacks and strokes. Over consumption in general is the culprit for those. Society is more relaxed and more people have access to more food and will willfully eat until they feel ready to burst. Man kind has always consumed meat and this spike in disease processes is fairly new in mankind's history.
Overall the film hasn't changed my mind about eating meat. I am an omnivore, with teeth for rending meat and grinding plants. My digestive tract is designed to process both. I don't feel that becoming a vegetarian or vegan will make the practice of killing animals for food change. There are roughly 6.5 billion people on this planet, and there is no way every single one of them will stop eating meat. I will still eat hamburgers with cheese and bacon on them. I will still wear or use things made from animals.
The beginning of the film put up "stages of truth" which they listed as denial, violent opposition and acceptance. Both sides of the fence, people who eat meat and those opposed to the use of animals, experience this. Many for some reason cannot reach the acceptance stage on some matters, such as killing an animal for nourishment is a natural process. The treatment of these animals can be viewed as unnatural. Humans can be a vile lot if given the opportunity and incentive.
New laws and regulations are seen as the most effective methods. Does that instantly meant that small farms will suffer? Not necessarily. "Organic" and "Whole" foods movements benefited small local farms until rules were laid down for what constituted "Organic". (Those regulations were quoted earlier in this thread.) Factory farms use the loose terminology and vague wording to have what they can label as organic without changing much of their practices.
Perhaps a better move to making farmed animals lives better would be to encourage the use of smaller local farms, farmers markets, local butcher shops and places where you can find out the conditions of the animals before they are a meal. Encourage people to make groups to start new small farms and have operations in which the animals can be treated better, killed humanely and people can get fresh, untampered with products.
I've seen videos similar to what is shown in "Earthlings" with the end message of "Go Vegetarian/Vegan to end these horrors." That message is reliant on people being so shocked by what they see that they can't bear the thought of eating meat again, which really is a small number of people. I think that adding a message about supporting local farms and businesses who practice humane treatments would serve a wider audience.
I also have to agree again with Tailfeather's on the use of big names of celebrities. Those people have the means of keeping fit and healthy and have dietitians, doctors and personal trainers keeping them in good health. They are an unfair model of who living a veg/vegan life is. There are plenty of people who eat meat who are just as fit and healthy, and plenty of veg/vegans who are unfit and unhealthy. They will also have blind followers who won't think about the real impact of the decisions they are making and the causes they are supporting.
redux- you have a point about people being desensitized to slaughtering animals day in and day out, but if you distance yourself to a point of making an animal suffer for sheer joy, then perhaps you should get a little psychological counseling and find a new job.
