New York Times: U.S. Research Lab Lets Livestock Suffer in Quest for Profit

[phesina]

Your (American) tax dollars at work... sigh....

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/20/dining/animal-welfare-at-risk-in-experiments-for-meat-industry.html?_r=0

[Lady's Human]

Looks like someone needs their budget trimmed.

[lizbud]

Seems like this department (study) has crossed over the line from valid research into out & out cruelty. It should be stopped immediately.
What gives them the right to play God? There is no need to re-engineer animals to suit human greed. I wonder how many other government
departments are running on "auto pilot" without any outside scrutiny? There was a video connected to this article where they talked to one
of the scientists involved with these experiments.

http://www.nytimes.com/video/multimedia/100000003440750/animal-welfare-at-a-research-center.html?mabReward=A1&module=WelcomeBackModal&contentCollection=Food&region=FixedCenter&action=click&src=recg&pgtype=article

[Lady's Human]

Seems like this department (study) has crossed over the line from valid research into out & out cruelty. It should be stopped immediately.
What gives them the right to play God? There is no need to re-engineer animals to suit human greed. I wonder how many other government
departments are running on "auto pilot" without any outside scrutiny? There was a video connected to this article where they talked to one
of the scientists involved with these experiments.


The answer to that question? TNTC.

Too many to count.

Long ago the Rural Electrification commission was "ended".

How did it end? It was buried in the Department of Agriculture. It still exists.

Rural America has been electrified for a long time, yet the department in charge of making that happen is still around.

In 1992, well after the Army had eliminated teletypes in the field, they were still training teletype technicians.

Government inertia is a wonderful thing.

[phesina]

Some reader response to the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/23/opinion/outrage-cruelty-at-a-us-meat-lab.html

[phesina]

An editorial in today's paper: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/opinion/farming-science-without-the-conscience.html

Who decides the funding for this horror show travesty? Senate? House? Dept. of Agriculture? Elsewhere? What organization/persons do we contact with our outrage?

[Lady's Human]

An editorial in today's paper: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/opinion/farming-science-without-the-conscience.html

Who decides the funding for this horror show travesty? Senate? House? Dept. of Agriculture? Elsewhere? What organization/persons do we contact with our outrage?

The funding is decided in the budget, and would be a part of the Ag department budget.

Killing this, however, will likely be a tough row to hoe, particularly with the makeup of the current Congress. I'd start by finding out which committees your rep and senators sit on. If any of them are on the federal oversight committee, they might be able to help.

[phesina]

Thank you, LH!

I just discovered that Michigan's Senator Debbie Stabenow is the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

And our new Senator Gary Peters is a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, "the chief oversight committee of the U.S. Senate."

As for the House, no such luck with the Committee on Agriculture or the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

[Lady's Human]

You will probably have better luck in the Senate, as the republicans in the house would be aghast at cutting an Ag department item. The ranking House Republicans are largely from the midwest, and would be disproportionately friendly to Ag programs.

[phesina]

There are a couple of Michigan reps on the House Agriculture Committee, both Republicans, one according to his biography "...an avid hunter and fisherman and a proud member of the NRA and the GOA." GOA is Gun Owners of America.

Somehow I doubt he'd care too much about farm animals being tortured for "research."

[Bonny]

At the very end of the article it mentions a mistake in the article that twins & embryo's were not the goal but the number of eggs the artificial breeding would produce. In swine breeding it is called flushing. It looks like they don't have enough help or aren't paying attention to whatever breeding program they have decided to try. Government as usual stupid people in charge of something they don't know anything about. :mad: Which in turn makes farmers & ranchers look bad.

[Lady's Human]

There are a couple of Michigan reps on the House Agriculture Committee, both Republicans, one according to his biography "...an avid hunter and fisherman and a proud member of the NRA and the GOA." GOA is Gun Owners of America.

Somehow I doubt he'd care too much about farm animals being tortured for "research."

I think most hunters would beg to differ. Hunting and gun ownership does not equate to abuse. Most (not all...) hunters are excellent stewards of nature and hate to see animals suffering.

[phesina]

I think most hunters would beg to differ. Hunting and gun ownership does not equate to abuse. Most (not all...) hunters are excellent stewards of nature and hate to see animals suffering.

Okay, I hope you're right, LH, and shame on me for stereotyping!

This guy is also a Republican, though, so that might tip the odds.

[lizbud]

There are a couple of Michigan reps on the House Agriculture Committee, both Republicans, one according to his biography "...an avid hunter and fisherman and a proud member of the NRA and the GOA." GOA is Gun Owners of America.

Somehow I doubt he'd care too much about farm animals being tortured for "research."


Pat, Read a little bit of good news today in this article.

https://www.thedodo.com/meat-experiments-bill-welfare-973646124.html

[phesina]

Oh, that's wonderful news! Thanks, Liz.

[lizbud]

I am so glad to read of any progress in improving the lives of all animals. It is good to know that people, once informed, are willing to include farm animals (food
animals) in their circle of compassion. I believe the more people become aware of cruelty, the more they will respond and make things better & treat all animals humanely.

https://www.thedodo.com/community/MarcBekoff/food-animals-aware-act-989236151.html

[phesina]

Thanks, Liz. I just sent a message to my Representative, Debbie Dingell, asking her to support this bill.