Joykissed

Guest Writer

When I saw that there was a section on animal cruelty, I knew that I just had to write something. I know some of the things that I have heard are not true, but there are some instances when I can just sense a tale's reality. I hope you can tell about these for yourself.

Most summers I go on a biking trip across the American Midwest, for one week. In Iowa there is not much to see but farms. When I passed the pig pens and the cows, I smelled one of the most strong and foul smells that I know of. Now, I realize how dirty the animals must have been, I mean they are pretty much living in their own filth and waste. However, I think it would be wrong to accuse the farmers about this, since they are probably quite poor and humble people. Although, it can't cost much to hose the animals off once in a while, could it?

One tale I have heard from my sister was that when preparing the cows, the animals are stunned, not killed. This is extremely disturbing since this means that the cows are still alive when they are skinned and crippled.

Back to my bike rides -- each night we camp out, and one night my dad and I were camped out beside a race track with a slaughterhouse next to that. Once I sat down after setting up the tent, I heard a high pitched screech. I concluded it must be the machinery at the slaughterhouse. However I asked my father anyway, and he told me what the noise really was... the screams of the pigs being slaughtered. EEEKKK!!!

Ok, enough gross stuff today, now for ice cream.

Joykissed.