This week I’d like to share with you Trudi’s most recent blog.
It was a response to the current public outrage at Australia’s live animal-export trade.
She actually beat me to the punch – I was in the process of writing a similar article myself!
To read more of her wonderful and totally inspired writings you can follow her blogs at: http://heartlandretreat.com.au/blog/
They’re well worth the read!
ANIMAL CRUELTY
There has been an outrage at the animal cruelty that was filmed recently in Indonesia. Let’s be honest folks, animal cruelty has been going on forever, AND in our own country! It’s only when we are made aware of it that we say “that’s terrible!” While we are kept in the dark, we are none the wiser and that’s the way a lot of our industry wants to keep us – uninformed and unaware.
I remember many years ago when I was a member of “animal liberation” , I learnt many things about the cruelty to animals that is done and accepted every day in Australia, never mind in other countries! We know someone who was working at an abattoir, and he told us that the animals definitely know what’s going on. Animals are not stupid – and if you think they are…. you had best think again about who is the stupid one…….
In my early 20’s, I took some info into my place of work from animal liberation, and one of my co-workers said “don’t show me that, I don’t want to know!” Ignorance is bliss? I don’t think so. I don’t think anyone really wants to change how they live – not if they can help it. And finding out about animal cruelty and then still eating meat may cause us to feel guilty, so we would rather not know. Bury our heads in the sand & continue to eat meat – or find out about what’s really going on and make a conscious choice based on truth.
Friend’s of mine grow their own food – including meat. They have a cow who gives birth to a calf that they call “chops”. They feed it & love it, but always know that one day chops will become his name on their dinner plate. That is truly making a conscious choice isn’t it? I know, that’s not possible for city people to have a cow grazing in your backyard – but that’s also no excuse for not finding out about the truth.
Did you know that in Australia pigs are classed as “crop” and so can be tethered for its whole life (you don’t want it to use up valuable energy by grazing when it could simply be fattened up a lot quicker if it can’t move), a chicken never gets to stretch its wings and in a lot of cases grow so quickly (growth enhancers) that their little legs cannot hold the weight of their bodies and so their legs snap. They experience their whole lives in an area no bigger than an A4 sheet of paper. Look at a piece of A4 paper now and see a grown chicken standing in that one place – for its whole life. No natural sunlight & never to touch foot on a blade of grass. And if it’s unlucky (??) enough to be born as an egg laying hen, it will be forced to double its output of eggs by having 2 days in 1. Yes folks, they turn the lights on at night so the chicken thinks its daylight again & lays another egg. When they can’t be forced to lay any more, they end up in your chicken pie. Yum yum?
Rabbits are used to test products as they don’t have tear-ducts, so their eyes are forced open and samples of your makeup, mascara or facial cremes and put into the rabbits eyes while the lab assistant gauges the animals response. Some “cruelty free” products have used ingredients that were tested on animals – it’s just that the end product wasn’t. To be sure, check with animal liberation – they have pamphlets on which products are truly cruelty-free.
I mean, if you REALLY care what goes on – not just in Indonesia but here as well – find out about the truth. Become a consciously aware human being and make an informed choice. I agree that this is an uncomfortable subject – but it’s far more uncomfortable if you are born an animal on this planet today.
Trudi Dyer
You can respond directly to Trudi at: [email protected]
I send you boundless love!
Les