The Unvegan

According to an article in the New York Times, rural farmers of California have begun a movement to secede and create a second California. This is due to the city folk passing measures to regulate the conditions of animals on farms. It is clear that these city folks do not understand what it takes to be a farmer, to live off of the land. As a city folk myself, I can only imagine the hardships of life on the farms. The people passing these measures are putting the welfare of animals above the welfare of people, because if a farm is unable to maximize profit, they will not be sustainable and then the farmers will suffer.

Besides, the grocery stores that used to get their meat from California farmers now have to buy it from other states where the cost of production is cheaper.

Here’s a question. Do you really want to eat the meat of happy animals? People have this picture of farms like in Charlotte’s Web, where the animals run around and cavort in the fields. This is the life that most city folk wish the farms would return to, but this ignores the truth that no matter what the animals due in their lives, they will still be converted to meat. Would you rather cut short the life of an animal who is happy and free or an animal that has been cooped up? Only a sadist would want to eat the happy one.

As a devout eater of animals, I take the side of the farmers in this one. Although I don’t advocate poor treatment of animals, it is better than the alternative (farm closures!). And why aren’t there any rules regarding how closely vegetables can be grown to each other. If putting animals in confined spaces is bad, why is it okay for the plants? Do plants not have feelings? If you cut them, do they not leak some sort of sticky substance? It seems these measures are a little one-sided.

If the farmers ever do secede, I will be happy to join them. I can even think of some good names for the new state. Perhaps Unveganifornia? Califarmia? Meatopia?