Comments on: A “Pressing” Issue

By: Batya Bauman

Batya Bauman — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:28:36 +0000

It’s true that not everyone wants to become a vegan, as Gersh says. But then, the animals do not want to be slaughtered either. Unfortunately, the animal loses here, because it is simply a case of the strong overpowering the weak. It is a case of a frivolous human desire to satisfy taste buds against the animal’s desire to live. “Choose life,” our sources tell us. Are we to interpret that as meaning only our own lives?
How can the schechting of the goats be called humane? It may be humane up until the time the animal is being restrained and slaughtered. But who can honestly say that the very process of slaughtering is humane? Of course, if we are dealing in relative terms, it is more humane than prevailing slaughterhouse practices, kosher or not. But there is no way to humanely slaughter. Slaughter is an act of extreme violence, no matter into what cultural/religious/righteous frame of mind the slaughterer puts himself to absolve himself of blame for this purposeful violent act against another being. This act is the very opposite of what is meant by the Jewish prohibition against tsaar baalei chayim.

I can understand that it is difficult to give up a lifelong habit of eating meat. But to make a virtue of not doing so is something I simply cannot understand. It would be more honest to admit a weakness rather than finding arguments to justify it.

Killing an animal is possible only because of the human penchant to objectify other animals. It couldn’t be done otherwise. If we perceived other animals as fellow beings on this earth who are just as worthy of living their lives according to their own desires and agenda as we are, we would never be able to slaughter, cut them up, cook them and eat them.

Instead of spending so much time and energy trying to justify killing and eating the flesh of other animals, maybe the time and effort would
be better spent in working toward overcoming this terrible human
condition: the desire to eat flesh. Granted, it is not easy, but slaughtering is not easy, either. Choose Life. Choose ultimate kashrut. Do it gradually if you must, but do have the goal of ridding ourselves of this terrible need to eat flesh.
I like what Isaac Basheva Singer said: “To be a vegetarian is to disagree–to disagree with the course of things today. Starvation, world hunger, cruelty, waste, wars–we must make
a statement against these things. Vegetarianism is my statement. And I think it’s a strong one.”

By: Gersh

Gersh — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:22:38 +0000

Richard,
I appreciate that you want everyone to become a vegan. You need to appreciate that not everyone wants to be.

By: Chana Brock

Chana Brock — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:00:53 +0000

I am infuriated that Hazon is planning to shecht a goat. I saw footage of slaughterhouse two decades ago on PBS. That is what turned me vegetarian. Plenty of video footage exists (of REAL slaughterhouses … the way it REALLY is in the REAL world … crowded, filthy, painful, terrifying) to use at the event. Killing a goat is absolutely horrifying and pointless.

I’m with Gila. Ms. Koening, what is wrong with letting people see how their meat is obtained (in the REAL world)? To show shechitah in a way it really does NOT take place - in the real world, MOST of the time - is inaccurate. In fact, it’s outright dishonest. People can not get a true picture of where their meat comes from, nor make an informed decision.

By: Leah Koenig

Leah Koenig — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:46:30 +0000

Gila - while there is some value in showing a video - it misses the point. Showing a video of factory farm brutality has the express purpose of outraging people enough that they stop eating meat. Fine - that’s a worthy goal. But the problems with it are 1. that tactic simply doesn’t work on everyone and 2. It sets up a false “dialogue” - with a prescribed answer.

On the contrary, bringing together a group of people to bear witness to a schecting allows 1. the opportunity for people to see an alternative to factory farm cruelty 2. the opportunity for real discussion and self reflection. Some people might come away as vegetarians. Some might decide to only eat meat on very special occasions or if it can be raised and slaughtered in an ethical way (which at this point means not often!) Either way, that’s a much worthier goal than trying to shock people into doing something they’re not going to do.

By: Richard Schwartz

Richard Schwartz — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:36:26 +0000

Rabbi Shmuel,

Thanks for your comments.

Can you deny that animals are very cruely treated on factory farms, that the Torah mandate of tsa’ar’ar ba’alei chaim is violated; that animal-based diets have been scientifically linked to many chronic, degenerative dieases; that raising over 50 billion animals worldwide annually seriously harms the environment; that, as a UN FAO report indicated in 2006, animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars, trucks and other forms of transport worldwide. At a time when there is increasing water and food scarcity in many areas, isn’t it scandalous to have a diet that requires up to 14 times as much water as a vegan diet and incvolves feeding 70 percent of the grain produced in the US to animals destined for slaughter, while an estimated 20 million people die of hunger and its effects annually worldwide? There is much more I could add, but I hope this will serve for starters.

By: Gila

Gila — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 03:29:56 +0000

Why do you find it necessary to slaughter an animal when there is plenty of footage showing animal slaughter the way it is in the real world (brutal, filthy, painful, crowded, and terrifying)? This is what you should show.

By: Rabbi Shmuel

Rabbi Shmuel — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:33:06 +0000

“JVNA also appreciates Hazon’s objective of increasing awareness of the slaughter process, but feels that its objective can far better be carried out by showing videos of slaughterhouse practices.”

What a sucker punch if I’ve ever seen one. I screened their movie the other day and it’s basically Richard’s generic talking points (and boy can he talk) with scandalous stock footage of factory farms - the footage is designed not to educate or stimulate debate - it’s designed to inflame, disgust and intimidate. Then there’s the cow shedding a tear, a cinematic subtlety that they had to show three (count ‘em) times and in slo mo to underscore the point! obviously a hamfisted tribute to the commercial which showed a Native American canoing and shedding a tear over the pollution. Their touching footage of pigs under factory farm conditions were especially touching and certainly relevant to Richard’s intended audience.
Leah, I agree that they should be the first ones to support Hazon’s efforts on this one. Their failure to do so reveals their extreme underlying agenda of eliminating any animal consumption. I’m glad the conference -and it’s center stage publicity stunt - outed them.