As the month of November comes to a close, yellow and orange leaves decorate the wet ground subtly reminding us all to be thankful. I find lately I am grateful for the simple things that fall grants us. For example, I am very appreciative of my extra hour of sleep, and in this rain, money saved on car washes. However, the thing I have to be most thankful for is my exclusion in America’s annual turkey slaughtering.
Yes, the dead carcass propped on your holiday platter is just one victim in approximately 45 million turkeys that are butchered in the holocaust that is Thanksgiving. This holiday-demanded killing spree forces overcrowding (even though most coops are crammed year round anyway) leading farmer’s to debeak and declaw the friendly fowl in order to prevent injury to other birds. This inhumane practice can cause infection, bleeding and even death. However, it seems for a turkey this is the least of its problems. Living in America where the love of breasts is so deeply embedded in our culture, the turkey is no exception to this societal expectation. Turkey’s are now genetically modified to be top heavy, and just like the back pain of a woman carrying a pair of Double D’s so do the turkeys suffer. Since their organs and muscles are not prepared for this sudden shift in cup size most are unable to walk and can only stand for a few seconds at time. There they sit, most likely in their own feces and await a sudden and early death at approximately 14-18 weeks of age.
Because of our demand to uphold tradition, a pastime that is likely fueled by meat manufacturers with an appetite for paper, we treat animals with cruelty and ultimately endanger our health by eating meat with harmful additives. Every bite of artificially inseminated turkey has absorbed multiple growth hormones and antibiotics that help them stay healthy while they live out their short lives in a pathogen cesspool. After which we happily ingest these drugs and call it dinner. These antibiotics and other scientific additions in our meat are actually causing the development of “superbugs," or particular strains of bacteria that may be resistant to antibiotics.
Unfortunately even “free range” turkey’s are not necessarily much healthier or happier. According to the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) the term “free range” can mean as little as five minutes of fresh air and vitamin D. Try and took for more official Eco-labels on packaging that might help you understand the mystery in the meat. For more help interpreting these various food claims and stamps click on the following website http://www.psr.org/chapters/oregon/safe-food/csf-meat-eco-label-guide.pdf
With that said, hope you all have a peaceful Thanksgiving and remember what the holiday represents, gratitude! Read the upcoming blog about the environmental effects of livestock production as we uncover more secrets of the meat industry.
Thank you,
Brittany Lawrence
Eco-Rooted Writer
For the low-down on the history of Thanksgiving and what Turkey has got to do with it check out the link below http://www.adoptaturkey.org/aat/issues/thanksgiving.html
