Posted on 07/19/2007 12:50:37 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The Humane Society of the U.S. has, for years, been trying to frighten people away from consuming meat, milk and eggs -- but its recent testimony before a congressional committee reached a new low when the HSUS president, Wayne Pacelle, made the unsupported claim that pigs could be harboring the infamous and deadly British ‘mad cow” disease.
Swine veterinarians quickly pointed out that “mad cow,” or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, has never occurred naturally in swine. At the height of the British “mad cow” epidemic, both swine and cattle were exposed to the tissues from thousands of infected cattle and the swine were not affected.
“Mad Cow” fatally infected about 150 Britons in the late 1980 and early 1990s, after Britain tried to create a more fuel-efficient system for rendering animal carcasses into useful meat and bone meal. The disease was caused by tiny bits of DNA called prions, which science had not even known existed until the “mad cow” infections were discovered. Tens of thousands of British cattle were infected, though fortunately the disease proved to be barely communicable. The epidemic was ended by a ban on feeding the meat and bone meal back to animals of the same species, and that ban is now in effect in countries around the world.
Pacelle was evidently just testing a new way to frighten people into giving up meat and milk. That, of course, is the avowed mission of the HSUS, though it should forewarn consumers about the organization’s biases.
There is no current threat of a “mad cow” epidemic in the world from cattle or any other livestock -- which hardly excuses the HSUS for trying to create needless public panic in support of a highly questionable goal. Livestock products provide key nutrients, especially for children, including vitamins, minerals and key amino acids that the human body has difficulty absorbing from non-livestock food sources. As an example, lots of vegetable sources carry Vitamin A, but little of it becomes bio-available to the human body when we eat them. The key sources of vitamin A are meat, milk, and eggs.
In a similar vein, milk is the primary dietary source of calcium to prevent osteoporosis in later life . . . a point often hard to make to teen-age girls.
“The Humane Society of the U.S. isn’t the kind-and-gentle organization running animal shelters,” said Philip Lobo of the Animal Health Alliance. “These are the people tell your daughters to risk bone disease rather than drink milk—and claiming the meat is bad for our health when it’s actually the source of many key nutrients.”
Pacelle told the congressional panel: “Scientific studies have pointed to the possibility of pigs, whose diet can include ground-up cattle remains, may harbor a porcine form of mad cow disease.” Pacelle later provided a list of supposedly scientific references to an industry magazine and said he stands by the testimony.
Tom Burkgren, executive director of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, said that he remained unimpressed after reviewing Purcelle’s material. “There was very little science. The testimony was basically sensationalism and fearmongering,” said Burkgren. “What leads researchers to pursue answers on diseases is the exact opposite of what motivates the HSUS.”
Keep that in mind the next time you read a story put out by the Humane Society of the U.S.
-----------------------------------------------
DENNIS T. AVERY is a senior fellow for Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. and is the Director for Center for Global Food Issues (www.cgfi.org). He was formerly a senior analyst for the Department of State. Readers may write him at Post Office Box 202, Churchville, VA 24421.
I lost a good friend to CJD (biopsy authenticated) seven years ago. Here is a site that gives many links to this disease:
The bastards won’t be happy until we’re all eating plankton.
The reason men of science prefer experimenting on Beagles is because they're such trusting dogs, less likely to bit. When God gave us dominion over the animals does anyone for so much as one second think He had this in mind? The messenger may be mad but that doesn't necessarily negate his message. Why must conservatives, by default it seems, take sides against anyone decrying the treatment of animals?
These magnificent creatures, guardians of our homes, companions to our children, our best friends, are they not angels? And these twisted little Mengeles, these evil wizards treat them thus and if any of us "fanatics" dare to complain they invoke the holy name of Science and we must prostrate ourselves in the dust.
It's because they're not equal to us that we must treat animals, wanderers on the same anfractuous road of life as we, with compassion, with mercy. This should be obvious. PETA and others, to no small extent, hurt their case with excessive zeal. Then again, watch the video of the veritable men of science brutally pummeling Beagles: Can't you taste PETA's fury? Does your thinking, if only a little, become unhinged?
The contempt science has for the sacredness of life: cloning, stem cell research, all manner of abortion procedures, when was the line crossed that led to such horrors? With vivisection, with experiments on animals. Science regards life like some sadistic child who's been gifted a chemistry set, an ant farm, and a magnifying glass. Life is a mere riddle to be solved; death, a problem to be overcome. This despicable vanity, this mad hubris, we shoul neither tolerate nor defend it.
[2ndDivisionVet, I've just noticed I'm on a bit of a tangent here, but considering how often conservatives remain silent in the face of brutality simply because they disdain the company of animal activists I think this thread is as good a place as any for a defense of SOME of what PETA does.]
N.C. Counties Accuse PETA of Killing Animals:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,160498,00.html
PETA Employees Face 31 Felony Animal-Cruelty Charges for Killing, Dumping Dogs Center for Consumer Freedom Has Warned ‘Ethical Treatment of Animals’ Workers Routinely Kill Animals:
http://sev.prnewswire.com/environmental-services/20050616/DCTHV01016062005-1.html
PETA Kills Animals:
http://www.petakillsanimals.com/petaKillsAnimals.cfm
I would like to kindly point out to the Humane Society that they eat cats in China. And indeed, maybe instead of putting these little kitties to sleep after they have not been adopted, maybe we should just eat them like the Chinese food?
Because afterall, everyone knows Americans like Chinese food. :)
That's the problem. We're inclined to dismiss all pleas for compassion because we don't want to be among their ranks. We never hear about class-acts like Matthew Scully, conservative Christian and speechwriter of the president.
Fanatics can cast dispersions on any position. Look at the abortion debate, where the crude caricature of mad bombers is used to portray those who are simply pro life.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.