3-27 IAT Real Justice for Ag-Gag

A coalition of animal activists is suing Idaho in federal court over the new so-called ag-gag law that makes it illegal to secretly film animal abuse at agricultural facilities. The Los Angeles-based animal rights group Mercy for Animals released the videos, which showed workers at Bettencourt Dairy beating, stomping and otherwise abusing cows in 2012. I've done so many stories on how incredulous I was as I watched the videos of several sadistic maniacs as they tortured dairy cows. I called Mercy for Animals media person Ari Solomon: "If it weren't for undercover investigators going into that dairy and documenting that, those people might still be working there. These laws basically ensure that never would any animal activists uncover any of that animal abuse. It is just about transparency, allowing your practices to be open. A big part of what we do are undercover investigations on factory farms." I have to confess that these horrifying videos could help bring an end to animal abuse perpetrated by sadistic workers. Bare in mind, the owners of the dairy had no culpability in any of this. The vast majority of them cared deeply about their animals. But in talking with my colleague, Susan Allen, an agricultural advocate and animal lover, she brought up an interesting question. Who could stand by and passively videotape a maniac beating, stomping and literally pitch forking a poor dairy animal without stepping in and screaming stop. If I was there taking video, I too would beat, stomp and abuse, but it wouldn't be to the dairy cow... it would be to the real animal who was perpetrating this horrendous crime.