Aug 15 2011
“Humane” Meat: Past HSUS vs. Present HSUS
The Humane Society of the United States has become more radical since animal rights activist Wayne Pacelle took the helm in 2004. That’s especially true regarding HSUS’s attitude toward the diet of the vast majority of Americans. And a discovery from the vaults of HSUS history adds some new context.
In 1993 HSUS co-published “The Humane Consumer and Producer Guide.” What’s unique about this guide is that it is a comprehensive survey of farms across the country producing animal products in what HSUS termed “humane sustainable agriculture.”
Was HSUS promoting meat? Not exactly, but it’s worth a closer look.
The guide is a collection of responses to a questionnaire mailed to hundreds, if not thousands of farms. Each farm was queried on a number of animal husbandry practices, such as whether the animals were confined, whether antibiotics were used, and so on. HSUS was essentially promoting organic production methods.
A disclaimer in the guide says that nothing should be construed as an HSUS endorsement of any of the farms. That’s fair enough, and likely due to the fact that HSUS didn’t verify that what the farmers submitted was necessarily accurate. But HSUS’s overall message appears to be positive: In the foreword, HSUS asks readers to “join with us to support this agriculture,” which certainly is supportive of eating (some) animal products.
But can anybody imagine HSUS publishing such a guide today? We doubt it. HSUS’s message is much more negative and disparaging towards animal products, even the "humanely raised" variety.
Consider this: In 2006 HSUS’s then-vice president for farm-animal issues said that “we don’t want any of these animals to be raised and killed [for food] ... we work on promoting veganism.” HSUS’s farm-animal campaign director Paul Shapiro is on the record saying that “eating meat causes animal cruelty” and that “nothing is more important than promoting veganism.” Shapiro, in the year before he joined HSUS, remarked that Pacelle had “already implemented a 'no animal products in the office' policy” just 10 weeks after taking charge. In other words, “humane sustainable agriculture” isn’t welcome at 2100 L St Washington, DC.
Today you won’t find an HSUS guide to humane meat producers, but you will find a “Guide to Meat-free Meals,” a “Guide to Vegetarian Eating,” and a website full of recipes that won’t even use a single egg (even the organic, free-range kind). HSUS’s message is “eat fewer animal products” first; “eat humanely produced foods” gets lip service.
HSUS’s rhetorical shift is subtle—in part because only 1 percent of Americans agree with HSUS’s vegan prescription—but more and more people are getting the picture that HSUS’s ultimate view is that there is no “humane” meat, no matter how it’s raised. Even if everybody in America switched to animal products raised under the old “humane” and “sustainable” banner, HSUS’s present orthodoxy wouldn’t be satisfied.
The blowback to the cognitive dissonance is growing. The governor of Nebraska is boldly drawing lines in the sand. As the word spreads, we don’t think he’ll be the only one.
Comments
There is no doubt that the HSUSs are con-artists. They will pat you on the back and call you friend. Later you learn they had a knife up that same sleeve.
These ARs radicals are con-artists that will pat you on the back, put their arm around your neck, call you friend and offer to help. Later you learn, there was a knife up their sleeve.
They always start with cats and dogs, The HSUS director for NC was quoted, “animal rights in NC will progress in BABY STEPS”. Our food, service, and companion animal breeders clearly understand the meaning of those “knife up the sleeve/BABY STEPS” comments.
Today, I had a country ham/egg/cheese sandwich and a glass of cow’s milk for breakfast. For lunch, I had a three steak taco. For dinner, I had vegetable soup that contained pork, corned-beef and chicken. HSUS says all of my today’s minu resulted from animal abuse.
America needs to watch out for HSUS’s “BABY STEPS”. Messing with the food on my table is a lot of BABY STEPS from the poop in a dog kennel.
Doris M.:
I suspect that it is near impossible for a child to properly develop, mentally and physically, from birth to adulthood, without a good balanced diet of vegetable and animal protein. God made us that way and HSUS can’t change it.
Bill; Your suspicions are wrong, you need protein, but does not have to come from an animal, you find great sources of protein in soy products, the difference is, animal protein is accompained with cholesterol LDL, the bad one that you try to avoid.
Please don’t bring a child into this, I would still respect your decision of eating meat for the taste of it, not because you need it. Eating meat is nothing but a learned behavior. Not to mention the cruelty that goes on on slaughterhouses, have you seeing how they treat those inocent animals out there, it’s barbaric!
And please, don’t bring God into this, HE has nothing to do with your decision on remaining radically uncompassionate. Thank you.
Hi Doris.. I would bet that you would not like to see the extinction of domestic animals.. right? HSUS and their vegan philosphy is just such a path to extinction for many forms of domestic animals.. why would a vegan need a cow ? no milk, ice cream or cheese needed.. no steers.. because?? that’s right no meat eaten.. how about chickens.. surely we would still have those in a vegan society right?/ umm no.. no need for those.. no eggs eaten.. no fowl either.. no fish.. no dogs or cats for what would you feed them.. you would have to kill something to keep a pet..a vegan view of the world includes the extinction of all domestic animals..
Doris:
We have to bring babies into it, because the are human babies. It would be criminal child abuse to deny a child the required animal protein needed for development—including animal milk. God is already in it. He created the babies and the cows. If you start experimenting with the diet of a baby, you will windup in jail.
I raised my daughter the vegan way, breastfed her for a year. She got sick twice in her life. Today she is 22 years old, and she is perfectly healthy and very strong. She goes to college and works as a physical trainer, and in all her years as a child, her teachers knew about her vegan diet, and eveybody else. We have a large group of police officers in the family, and no one ever thought that the fact that she was never fed with animal protein, was a child abuse and could lead to jail. In fact people started to imitate our ways, when they saw the great results in my daughter’s perfect health. So I think you need to inform yourself, and like I said, nobody will judge you just because you decide to eat meat just for the flavor of it, and not caring about the slaughter and daily torture of the poor animals, it’s your decision and it’s your concience.
I am 14 and have been almost vegan since i was about 8. I just eat eggs, milk, and cheese. Other than that i eat no animals or products that come from animals. I know several vegans who eat no animal products and whom are very healthy. My family still eats meat it is just my personal decision. I love meat, but i love animals more. I would just like to mention that you should not judge other peoples opionins on childcare. I wil allow my children to choose if and when i have them but, i respect others opinions. Today we have many subsitutes for protein, and dairy. Yes, meat is a good source of protein but i believe as humans we should have a choice.
Basically my point is that it is very rude and offensive to tell someone how to raise their baby/child. Of course on the internet you can do whatever you please,i just believe that as the intelligent person you seem to be you should have manners not to say such things.
Thank you and im sorry if i was offensive.
-Emily
Doris and Emily:
This is America. Anyone that wants be vegan has that right and should do so without being critized. The part that concerns me deeply, is that HSUS, PETA and ASPCA are trying to force veganism on the rest of the world through their political animal rights agenda. The attempt by HSUS to damage animal agriculture equals a terrorist threat to our nation’s food supply and should be carefully watched by our HomeLand Security.
Emily, you have your choice but HSUS is trying to take away mine. That’s the part that you, I and other thinking Americans should work to see this never happens.
Doris, I very thankful that your daughter is doing well in college. I’m sure you know that your breasr milk was the best kind of animal protein for your daughter’s first year. We also known that a baby’s diet should be balanced with sonething else. (Apparently those third world starving babies that we see pictured in their mother’s arms gets only breast milk. Those children need food, reguardless—meat or vegetable.
Yes I’ve seen and used slaughter houses. Have you? Or have you just seen HSUS pictures? I for years have helped with on farm slaughter and meat processing. I assure you there is nothing unhumane about the way the animal are put down. In the slaughter house there is USDA inspector on duty and an USDA Vet on call. They enfore the guide lines for meat processing.
I hate to break this to you, Emily, but you’re not a “vegan”. You’re an Ovo-Lacto VEGETARIAN, and according to those H$U$/PETA/AR religious extremists with whom you so identify, you’re the ultimate traitor. They actually hate you even more than they hate me, because you CALL yourself a “vegan” but you still eat eggs and dairy.
If you want a good insight into how much your fellow travelers really “respect” you, think about the fact that PETA is getting ready to launch a porn website. Because nothings says “we respect women” like a porn website.
Comments are moderated, and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. Extremely lengthy comments and those that contain obscenities may be edited before they are posted.
Add a comment:
I think the fact that HSUS is promoting veganism, as a prevention of animal cruelty is just great!!! It’s a huge step forward for this institution that has been deteriorating with bad decisions froms his CEO, like supporting Michael Vick.
This however would erase all the bad deeds by the HSUS. I truly hope that HSUS continues to promote this great and compassionate way of treating other species that are here with us, and should, by all means not be given any less of consideration than we demand for us humans!!!
Kudos for the HSUS on this new project!!!