Pigs in large scale industrial operations have their tails docked. In more honest terms, their tails are cut down to tiny nubs when they are piglets. This is done to prevent infections caused when pigs bite each other's tails. Michael Pollan, the "The Omnivore's Dilemma," asserts that the tail biting is caused by an unnaturally early weaning: weaning after 10 days rather than 13 weeks (pg 218). According to Pollan, the problem is that a pig kept in a crowded indoor structure is too demoralized to fight back when another pig bites his tail. But if the tail is docked, the biting becomes so much more painful "that even the most demoralized pig will struggle to resist it." This is not the only view. According to this paper, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/liru_afs/pdf/CANNIBALISMINGROWINGPIGS.pdf, the reason pigs bite each other's tails is unknown. A study showed this behavior occurring in pigs that were kept in litter groups for 9 weeks. It is unspecified whether they were allowed to nurse for those 9 weeks. It is shown in the paper that tail docking did nothing to deter tail biting.
So how does this relate to kosher? Well, some people believe that God's kosher laws were designed to prevent cruelty to animals. The idea being that you can't just eat any animal, prepared any way. The laws demand that you respect the animals and butcher them humanely. Now, I'm sure there are many reasons for the kosher laws, but I find this one compelling personally. What if we created a new kind of kosher? A kosher that required that animals have the opportunity to be animals, for example: wandering through pastures, wagging their un-mutilated tails, pecking at the ground, etc. Thanks to the vegan movement, there are farms which are recreating this ideal. I'm not about to give up eating animal products, but I am going to continue researching animal treatment and try to eat animals which were treated humanely. It would be simpler to be vegan, sure, and to those who have the discipline for it, great. All I'm saying is that maybe we ought to give some consideration to the food we eat. This is one way we can bring God's restoration into the world.
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2 comments:
Okay, now I want you to put a warning at the top of your blogs dealing with animal mistreatment. I really can't read any more of them. I hugely hate agribusiness, and would change it if I could.
Don't mean to tell you not to write it. It may awaken people's sensitivity. Just make the title plain so I can avoid the pain I already feel!
I know, I know. I used to want to remain in ignorance about where my food came from too. Turns out that just a tiny bit of information is enough.
I promise more explicit titles.
Changing your purchasing habits is like voting: it may not be THE thing that changes agribusiness, but it is a step towards changing it.
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