I would like to be God for just one day,
I'd give all the creatures a chance to play.
I would bring to the suffering quick release,
I'd give to the frightened comfort and peace.
And those that were suffering would hunger no more,
I would heal all the wounded, bleeding and sore.
I'd close all the doors where sadists reign,
With their tests and their knives so ready for pain.
I would open the doors of the cages wide,
And offer their freedom to those inside.
I would throw out the traps that lie in wait,
For a small furry creature, a cruel fate.
I would close all the bullrings and break every spear,
And the rabbit no longer the greyhound would fear.
I would clean all the oil from out of the sea,.
I would let all the fish in the nets go free.
I would throw out the arrows that pierce so deep,
I would give to the tired the blessing of sleep.
I'd close all the tracks where the races are won,
By horses abused to make them ru n.
I would teach little children that birds are frail,
And puppies and kittens.......don't hold by the tail.
And the bunnies and chicks and ducklings so small,
I would not let stores have for sale at all.
I would free all the animals raised for fur,
I would tear down the ranches where they were.
I would open the pens that are stacked so high,
So legs could run free and wings could fly.
I would silence the sound of the hunters guns,
I'd give speed to the legs of the fox that runs.
I would break every rope by the rodeo used,
I would comfort the cattle the cowboy abused.
I would make all the streams run pure and sweet,
I'd show mercy to animals used for meat.
I would offer green grass to the worn out nag,
I would throw out the snares in the hunters bag.
I would break all the clubs that batter their prey,
I would take all the poison and throw it away.
I would close the arenas and bloody pits,
Where roosters and dogs are torn t o bits.
I'd find homes for the homeless in cities and farms,
I would gather the strays in my loving arms.
I know it's not given to mind of man
The workings of God to understand,
But oh how I long for the day to come
Bringing help for the helpless, tortured and dumb.
And I mean no irreverence because I say
I would like to be God for just one day.

THIS IS HOW THE ANIMALS WHO SHARE THE EARTH WITH US ARE TREATED....REGARDLESS OF THE SMALL AMOUNT OF FARMS THAT MAY TREAT ANIMALS HUMANELY, EATING ANIMALS IS MURDER....YOU CAN SURVIVE WITHOUT EATING MEAT....PEOPLE JUST DONT WANT TO TRY....SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU THINK MURDERED ANIMALS TASTE GOOD.
IT'S A SAD WORLD.
AND ANIMALS DESERVE BETTER....I DONT CARE WHAT ANY OF YOU SAY.

quote:

Originally posted by mourning-raven:
We consume the carcasses of creatures of like appetites, passions and organs with our own, and by doing so, fill the slaughter houses daily with screams of pain and fear.

And then they fill my stomach, bwahahahahaha!

If animals don't want to be eaten, they should evolve and stop us from eating them.

wow, that's an original and funny response.
IF there is such a thing as reincarnation, with any luck, you'll come back as a cow who is to be slaughtered and "fill a stomache"

I haven't read all of this thread, but let me tell you -- this farm stinks! I hate this place.

My brother lives up the road and everytime we go to his house, we all have to hold our breaths. The entire neighborhood smells like a giant came and dumped a huge one right in the middle of the street. These are all new houses that go for $300k+ and there is a brand new middle school.

It hits you, especially in the mornings when you get up. The heat here is unbearable, and you can't even imagine the smell this guy's nasty farm puts out. It smells like someone who hasn't wiped themselves in weeks and then sweated for days and then sat down next to you.

I am a vegetarian, too, and I can't even imagine what kind of conditions those pigs live in. It makes me sick. Everyone in the neighborhood hates this guy. I heard they sold the farm, but that was like a year ago and it's still there!!!!

That said, the guy on the first segment, Turtle... he is the nicest guy. He took me (single mom) and my little girl to see Lance Burton along with my brother (his friend.) We had so much fun and my daughter and I wouldn't have been able to afford to see a nice show like that. He's just as sweet in real life and a lot of fun. I hope we can hang out with him again sometime, he's a cool person. And they didn't show -- he's in the show! He plays a corrupt banker. So he gets to do a little more than pick up the poo and help train the animals, hee hee.

I think we should enter mike in this


MOSCOW (Reuters)
Hundreds of Russians gathered for the first day of the annual "pig Olympics" on Saturday, cheering a field of 12 piglets who competed in three events: pig-racing, pig-swimming and "pigball".Each pig was carried into the arena, squealing angrily and dressed in its own numbered bib, while Muscovites laid bets on challengers such as Mykola from Ukraine, Nelson -- representing South Africa -- and the home favorite, Kostik Russisch Schwein.In pigball, contestants chase a sweet-tasting soccer ball around an enclosed arena with their snouts, scoring when the ball goes into a goal.The pig-admirers included ultra-nationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who put 100 roubles ($3.60) on Borka to win the running race, in honor of one of his political rivals

Mike could head up the team

Pigs tails and teeth are cut to prevent danger to themselves and other pigs while in pens. Some pigs/hogs are put outdoors and others are kept inside. Not all hogs can be put outside. You have to have proper ground to graze and sufficient cover for weather. What is sad is to see a hog that has been kept outside try to walk on solid ground like concrete - very sad.

Baby pigs are kept from the sow by bars so the sow does not roll over and kill the babies. Sows are very protective of the young, but mistakes happen.

AI is used to keep the breed from birth defects and deformities. This is not practiced by all farms.

Mad Cow. The USDA is very strict on the feed consumption to the livestock in the US. Cattle cannot be fed any type of ruminant feedstuff of any sort. Furthermore, all trailers have to be steam cleaned after hauling any type of ruminant (multiple stomachs - cows) material.

I am in the bakery recycling business, and we manufacture a high fat feed ingredient from the bakery waste around the US. This is ground up, dried and delivered to the poultry, cattle, dairy, and hog operations in a dried meal form. So basically, the livestock in the US eat the same baked goods we do - cakes, cookies, chips, and crackers.

I think that you're over-reacting about the ways that pigs are being treated. Pigs are wild animals, and as most wild animals do, they have sharp teeth.
Pigs can go wild in as short time as ten days, so if you want your pigs running free, I wonder how you plan to keep them from reverting back to their primal instincts.

There are many differences between wild hogs and pigs. Wild hogs grow tusks very quickly, and they are more lean than farm-raised hogs, so their meat is tough. They also become very agressive, charging at anything that comes their way. Wild hogs are like wolves, in that they pose a threat to livestock. So, in letting your "piggies" run free, you are basicially threatening yourself, your pets, and your food sources, even if you are a vegetarian. Soon, probably in the next two years or so, wild hogs will inhabit every state in the USA, and almost all of Canada.

People who want to play god and create a ”nature religion” in the face of human biological evolution as omnivores, placing an animal on a human level, are very sick disaffected people who are trying to strike back at the rest of society for not giving them what they want in terms of a job or family or boyfriend or looks or whatever they think human society cheated them out of.

It is basically a criminal mentality from people who have to have a hunting license that "Animal Rights" is suppose to give them to play judge and jury on a subway against some poor woman in a fur coat. I have no respect for you.

There was nothing wrong with the Pig farm. They are pigs. They live a lot more rustically than that given a chance in the wild. They would rip you to shreds if they were hungry and you were trapped under a log in the forest.

Shaydiej,

It is sad that you are stupid enough to listen to rumors. The builders that built the homes next to the pig farm lied to those purchasing the homes. The fact that the "neighbors", (although I am not sure how they can call themselves that)hate the pig farmer is such a contridiction to your statement on the treatment of animals. What about the treatment of your own race? How can you or anyone else for that matter hate anyone, based on what you think is happeing?

The pig farm has been there for over 30+ years. The original neighbors, where invited to the pig farm every year for a picnick and get together. The Colmes are some of the nicest people you would ever have the pleasure of meeting, of coarse I am sure that you and the "neighbors", think you are too good for someone who has spent his entire life working hard and keeping the American dream alive.

How dare you expect someone to pull roots just becuase your brother and his neighors are stupid enough to move next to a pig farm. Maybe you should tell the neighborhood to get a clue, why on earth would you ever believe a sales person when they say, "They sold the pig farm." Maybe the lack of meat and protien is turning your brian to mush.

I am sorry that I am being so harsh on you, but bottom line, maybe you should consider the fact that we as humans are so consumed in our own well being that we don't stop to think about everything. So you say the pig farmer is cruel, what about the builders that are buying up raw land to build "us", the human race BIGGER and better homes, what of the animals that live on that baron peice of land, that now had to relocate their family to a whole new part of the desert. I bet you didn't hate your brother for distrubing the wild animals that ran "free", in the same place where his home now sits.

From now on, when someone starts blabbing about cruelty to animals, next time think about everything you do that displaces yet another creature. I highly doubt you live in a grass hut that takes up no more than 500 square feet, never wear or use a product that may have come from an animal, or that you walk everywhere you go so as not to polute the atmosphere with toxins.

Get real...

To Dirtykidsmom:

That was an excellent piece you wrote!! And so true.

The "city slickers" who choose to purchase their home in a rural area have to expect rural smells, work, noises and such, that regularily come with the territory.

In our state, we have some neighbouring towns with well-to-do people, who buy homes next to a dairy farm, or horse farm, and they attempt to force the poor farmers to cease and desist. Well, how do these people expect to get their dairy products... and guess who lived there, usually for generations, before the wealthy moved to town...

Even though Bob's pig farm wasn't the ultimate in modernization, he is doing a great job of using surplus wasted food, with his ingenious machinery, for a purpose.

After all, man can't live on bread alone...

That was the most interesting, natural and best show yet! Bob and Mike got along famously!! I must say the food did not look too appealing to me, but the pigs certainly loved it.

Therese.

kidsmom , and therse, I agree with you both hole hardily but where i live we have just the other side of the coin here its huge dairys that are moveing in and yes its zoned ag. but here are famlieys who have lived there for years if not generations and now find there homes and land worthless less face it no one in there right mind want to move next to a 2000+ dairy farm [ even the owners wont live on the sight ] I truley am not putting them down or there right to byld but here it and they have contaminated the ground water and devalued the land what realy needs to happen is these dairys are no longer agurical there an industry just like any othere manufactering plant and should be held to the same rules as any other industry
[ ie overtime pay health insurance and other benifets which if there classifed as ag the dairy dosent have to pay]

quote:

What about the treatment of your own race?

Maybe the lack of meat and protien is turning your brian to mush.

than 500 square feet, never wear or use a product that may have come from an animal, or that you walk everywhere you go so as not to polute the atmosphere with toxins.

Get real...

A.) Maybe you mean species? I'm certainly not a racist. :P

B.) I get plenty of protein and it annoys me to no end when you meat eaters are so ignorant to assume that we need meat to get our protein. My nine year old daughter is as healthy as can be, and has never eaten meat. What about people in India and other counties where they don't rely upon animals for their protein? Virtually everything you eat has protein in it. I think you're among the people who think of a vegetarian meal as one of your steak/potato/salad meals, with the steak merely removed. You'd be amazed at the wonderful and tasty variety of cooking there is besides the typical American, "meat and potatoes" meal.

C.) I am not perfect, but I do not use leather or patronize companies that use animals or test on them. I do the best I can, although I am sometimes unfortunate enough to go to a restaurant (for example) where the waitress gives me a real burger instead of a Boca burger, and I take a bite before I send it back. But I actively seek out ways to help animals and the environment, as well as my fellow humans. I go around the neighborhood and clean up graffiti. I think others should take better care of the way we're destroying the planet. And lest you think I'm some tree-hugging liberal, I vote Republican.

There's enough torment, pain and terror in the world. Why inflict it upon animals needlessly just so you can have a burger? It's bad for you, anyways.

(PS -- this guy is constantly getting fined by the local government because there are ways he can decrease the smell, but fails to try. That place is beyond filthy.)

You know shay that was a good post I personaly dont agre with it all but hay thats ok I dont have 2 dosent mean anything
You have every right to live anyway you want and cleaning up is something I think we all should help with meat eater or not [lol]
You know here we dont haave any laws for smells from farms and such so your lucky and i dont know about this farm but I would think he is trying to do something about the smell just to keep the fine money

Some of you might be interested in this letter I just sent to the Discovery Channel about the pig farming segment on "Dirty Jobs."
-------
I am writing to let you know that I am deeply disappointed in your segment on pig farming on the show "Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe." I caught a rerun of it this morning and found it deeply disturbing. Mike was cutting the tails off of baby pigs and trimming their teeth while they were screaming terribly. During the entire show the pigs were making ear-piercing noises because they were obviously in pain as he took them away from their mothers, cut off their body parts, and shoved them into pens and stalls.
Mike’s attitude in general was alarming. He was callous and cold towards the pigs, names calling them and being rough with them. He obviously disregarded the fact that they are living beings that have awareness and can feel pain.
I have always regarded the Discovery Channel as reputable, educational, entertaining, and suitable for children and adults alike. However, this was blatant ANIMAL CRUELTY AND IT DISGUSTS ME THAT YOU WOULD SHOW IT. While these farming practices may be the norm, the Discovery Channel should make it a point to educate people that animal cruelty is never okay. Animals are sentient beings and should be treated with respect regardless of whether they are raised as pets or for food.
The farmer on the show informed television viewers that the practices of clipping pig’s teeth and tails are necessary. He justified it by saying that when baby pigs are put into crowded nurseries they will turn cannibalistic and chew each other’s tails off if they are not clipped. If he truly knew anything about farm animals and their behavior he would know that this happens only because pigs are stressed and nervous when confined to a space which is entirely too small and overpopulated. It is not natural for pigs to live in that type of environment. They don’t want to be chewing each other’s tails off. They would much rather be nursing and nestling in with their mothers and brothers and sisters and exploring as baby animals should do.
Just imagine being a helpless farm animal imprisoned with dozens, maybe hundreds, of other animals. Most people wouldn’t treat their pets that way. They wouldn’t think it was all right to confine 30 cats or dogs into a tiny space like that. It is not all right with farm animals either. I hope that in the future the Discovery Channel will be a little more diligent in choosing what to air on television. I hope that it will not stand for or promote animal cruelty in any form. I am 26 and I was intensely bothered by what I saw…I can’t imagine what a child would have thought seeing that episode of “Dirty Jobs." Shame on your network.

Marissa Cartoceti
Killingworth, CT

Hiya,

It's the DISCOVERY channel. If you don't want to discover the realities of life on this planet...you shouldn't watch shows that put it in your face.

IMHO...it's the viewers that need to be more "diligent" in what they pick to watch. Especially in what they let their children watch.

The people that are upset by this episode should take a page from Mikes book and go spend some time on a pig farm...or whatever. ; )

Hebea
Going back to watching
the Dirty Jobs Marathon.
{{{{{Mike & Dirty Jobs Crew}}}}}}

You and people like you are the same people who say save the pigs but kill the babies. It's a pig. They squeal and scream when you touch them, even with tender love and care. Who cares? If only you could show so much concern over humans.

I love to pop this post up again to say something about this letter, and about this post in general.

First off, those piglets were squealing because they obviously HATE being handled, and would rather be in with their litter mates undesturbed. Now don't take this statement as I agree with what you animal activists say because most of the time if not all I don't. Course they'd feel pain but only for a short while then everythings' all hunkey-dorey when they are put back with their litter-mates. Ears need to be docked to better identify them. Tails need to be docked because when pigs are bored (NOT stressed and nervous!!) and need something to do they start chewing on another pigs' tail and then once the blood starts flowing, all heII breaks loose. If YOU have any sense and experience with farm animals those un-docked tails do not get chewed on until the animal is weaned and in with a pen with a few other gilts or barrows. Of course they are not in a natural environment, but if you think on it enough pigs in their natural environment can become feral and dangerous to other livestock, pets, people, and animals in general, more dangerous as bears "tamed" by human inhabitance or other animals that should be just plain left alone. Sows are in pens so they don't roll over and crush their young, although there still are cases that even with those farrowing pens young still are crushed to death if they are too weak to get away quick enough. I've also heard of horror stories that sows, especially first-farrowers, can make a real blood-bath of their litters because they don't understand that these little beings that came out of their back end are their "children" and need their caring. They get dumb but curious of these little things running around and decide to taste one of them, and, upon liking the taste of their own little piglets, decide to eat the rest of the litter. How's that for animal cruelty, eh?

Mike was being rough with them because they were squirming non-stop to get out of his grasp and he needed to hold on tight to those little rugrats so they don't get away on him. Cute little piggies and calves and lambs do not tolerate being handled PERIOD, that's just the way they are: they are not like puppies and kitties who's parents have been around humans all their lives.

quote:

Originally posted by marissajude:
Some of you might be interested in this letter I just sent to the Discovery Channel about the pig farming segment on "Dirty Jobs."
-------
I am writing to let you know that I am deeply disappointed in your segment on pig farming on the show "Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe." I caught a rerun of it this morning and found it deeply disturbing. Mike was cutting the tails off of baby pigs and trimming their teeth while they were screaming terribly. During the entire show the pigs were making ear-piercing noises because they were obviously in pain as he took them away from their mothers, cut off their body parts, and shoved them into pens and stalls.
Mike’s attitude in general was alarming. He was callous and cold towards the pigs, names calling them and being rough with them. He obviously disregarded the fact that they are living beings that have awareness and can feel pain.
I have always regarded the Discovery Channel as reputable, educational, entertaining, and suitable for children and adults alike. However, this was blatant ANIMAL CRUELTY AND IT DISGUSTS ME THAT YOU WOULD SHOW IT. While these farming practices may be the norm, the Discovery Channel should make it a point to educate people that animal cruelty is never okay. Animals are sentient beings and should be treated with respect regardless of whether they are raised as pets or for food.
The farmer on the show informed television viewers that the practices of clipping pig’s teeth and tails are necessary. He justified it by saying that when baby pigs are put into crowded nurseries they will turn cannibalistic and chew each other’s tails off if they are not clipped. If he truly knew anything about farm animals and their behavior he would know that this happens only because pigs are stressed and nervous when confined to a space which is entirely too small and overpopulated. It is not natural for pigs to live in that type of environment. They don’t want to be chewing each other’s tails off. They would much rather be nursing and nestling in with their mothers and brothers and sisters and exploring as baby animals should do.
Just imagine being a helpless farm animal imprisoned with dozens, maybe hundreds, of other animals. Most people wouldn’t treat their pets that way. They wouldn’t think it was all right to confine 30 cats or dogs into a tiny space like that. It is not all right with farm animals either. I hope that in the future the Discovery Channel will be a little more diligent in choosing what to air on television. I hope that it will not stand for or promote animal cruelty in any form. I am 26 and I was intensely bothered by what I saw…I can’t imagine what a child would have thought seeing that episode of “Dirty Jobs." Shame on your network.

Marissa Cartoceti
Killingworth, CT

And you, Ms. Cartoceti, have a remote along with your television, do you not?

So if you do, that means that you have every right to switch the channel on the tube if you did not like to see this "animal cruelty". That goes for all of you who were horrified with what you saw in this Dirty Jobs episode. If you don't like what you see, please, by all means, don't be too f@#$in' lazy to switch to something else, so you can sleep better at night.

I get rattled at the fact that people who come on here, on the Discovery discussion boards just to down-grade a very good show showing the workings of a farm and how things are done for the betterment of the livestock AND the farmer in terms of safety and humane treatment of animals. If they had enough brains to go to EXCELLENT animal-research websites like the Journal of Animal Science, extension of Oklahoma or Kentucky State universities, and READ INTO what and how animals are handled, GO to and INSIDE the farms that raise livestock and ASK questions of why the producer does what he/she does and see and understand the whys, whats, hows, etc then I think they wouldn't be so bloody brain-washed with the crap that PETA goes to all lengths to advertise to those dumb enough to believe it all.

I mean, come on, for those meats that are "contaminated" hormones and antibiotics I think is a little far-fetched. No meat, no matter if it is deemed "hormone and antibiotic-free" can never be "hormone" free. There are trace amounts of hormones in the meat, and these are from NATURAL hormones that are secreted by the body in times of stress, sleep, procreation, the list goes on. As for antibiotics, only a farmer that shouldn't be a farmer in the first place and fails to read the label on the vaccine would be dumb enough to slaughter an animal before the withdrawal-time that is highly recommended by the label of the vaccine to follow. A GOOD farmer who reads the label will keep an animal back from slaughter until the withdrawal time that a vaccine is allowed to leave the body is expired. Colon cancer comes from anything that has transfats in it: in this case, fast food and junk food like potato chips. And in this regard, I know I have heard of scientists say that there is NO definite reason of what cancer is caused by or what actually causes it...that's the reason why there's so many funds raised by so many groups to SUPPORT CANCER RESEARCH. Keyword: research!

Oh and by the way, I wouldn't be surprise if the vegetables that we get at the supermarket are more harmful than the meat we buy. I've heard more cases of Salmonella or other diseases coming from vegetables than meat.

Finally, I commemorate MIKE ROWE for going to these livestock farms to help with different aspects of livestock industry and show us, the general public, an idea of what and why producers do what they do and where our food comes from. I als commemorate Mike for having the courage to do all the dirty jobs out there that help make the cities and human population in general exist and live our daily lives.