Photo: Charles Hartley
While checking out the cows and sheep and other farm animals at the San Diego County Fair on Tuesday, I got to thinking about a ballot initiative I'd seen. So when I got back to work I promptly looked it up: Proposition 2 on the November ballot, would prohibit "cruel confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs" after January 1, 2015.
This doesn't directly apply to the fair, both because nothing like that seemed to be happening there, but also the initiative, Proposition 2, would exempt rodeos, state and county fairs, and 4-H programs from its provisions.
But in my mind, as with all the initiatives I'm asked to vote on, the question became 'why.' Why is this necessary? Assuming the cause is just, how has the current law failed, and will this proposed change lead to a better something-or-other?
Paul Shapiro
July 02, 2008 at 08:24 PM
There are millions of animals in California who are confined in tiny cages where they can't even engage in basic movement. Most are egg-laying hens, who crammed into battery cages so small that each bird has less space than a sheet of paper on which to live for more than a year before they're slaughtered. It's hard to imagine a more cruel and inhumane fate.
Prop 2 is endorsed by the Humane Society of the US, the Center for Food Safety, and hundreds of California veterinarians.
More info is available at www.YesOnProp2.org
Matthew C. Scallon
July 02, 2008 at 09:28 PM
As one of those tree-hugging liberals, I normally love anything which calls for more regulation of animal husbandry. That said, I wonder if, by changing the law, more money will go toward enforcement.
You see, the treatment of livestock is already regulated, but, either from inadequate or ineffective monitoring, we've seen recent horror stories of how poorly animals are treated even by existing law's standards.
When the Humane Society released videos on the Internet of the treatment of cattle at Chino (or maybe it was Chico; I can't remember), they did a better job of exposing problems at the slaughterhouse than the on-site inspectors did. Maybe we need more public transparency than more laws, because, frankly, we're not enforcing as it stands.
I'd hate to have another law which is practiced only in the breech. There's enough of those already.
TJ
July 09, 2008 at 07:22 PM
Great write-up Chuck. Your overarching point is well taken -- we're all feeling a bit bleached out with this more-laws-is-better mentality.
Your article did leave me wondering if the intent of Prop 2 isn't embodied somewhere in a generic existing law, e.g., Animal Neglect/Abuse?
That said, I would hope that the majority would agree that animals should not be treated cruelly.
Chuck
from Escondido, CA
July 11, 2008 at 12:20 AM
TJ - I think the majority certainly are against abuse and neglect of animals, which just begs the question of why this initiative, if necessary, needs a six-year waiting period prior to implementation.
