Misplaced Priorities

Was stuck in jury duty today and they had Oprah on TV. It was a show about the conditions that farm animals have to live in, particularly ones that breed, so chickens laying eggs, pigs birthing, etc.. Basically the idea is that the animals have to live in very confined quarters. In the state of California on Election Day California residents will get to vote on Proposition 2, which enforces farmers to raise their livestock "free-range." Proponents argued that this was basic humane treatment of animals. Opponents argued that this would wreck the industry because it would be far too expensive to raise the animals in this way, and that free-range eggs and meat and poultry products are far more expensive than the ones breeded in the normal means.

I'm all for caring for the creation, but these people who are pushing this proposition really get under my skin. If people demand livestock to be raised "free-range", and that extra demand moves the market in that way, then fine. Then maybe someday down the line the prices will go down as the situation stabilizes. However, people have to eat, and most people would probably prefer to know that their eggs were laid and their meat and poultry was raised locally. That way, through responsible legislation, it is possible for them to have a say in ensuring a degree of safety of this food for their consumption. If you make it difficult for the farmers local production would go down and you'd be importing your food from elsewhere. It is simply not acceptable to force a situation where farmers must change the way they do things that will inevitably hurt the industry and the consumer at the end. Care for these animals must be done in such a way that minimizes damage to human beings. These goofballs who want to impose these restrictions by legislative fiat are doing so because they want to feel good about themselves later when they're sitting at the martini bar running up a large tab.

The funny thing about all of this is that Oprah sure as heck cares a lot about this kind of stuff but doesn't give a rat's you-know-what about the unborn child in a mother's womb. Those are disposable. But man, we gotta make sure them chickens have their space!