(Nov. 4, 2008) – Voters in California approved an historic ballot measure to halt the inhumane confinement of animals on factory farms by an overwhelming margin. As of 11 PM PST, Prop 2 was leading 62% to 38%.
“California voters have taken a stand for decency and compassion and said that the systemic mistreatment of animals on factory farms cannot continue," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, the primary back of the YES! on Prop 2 campaign. "All animals deserve humane treatment, including animals raised for food.”
Proposition 2 ends the practice of confining certain animals raised for food in crates and cages so small the animals can barely move. Prop 2 requires that factory farms provide enough space for animals to stand up, turn around and extend their limbs. It applies to breeding pigs, egg laying hens and veal calves. Prop 2 goes into effect in January of 2015, giving factory farms six years to shift to different housing systems.
The YES! on Prop 2 campaign received donations from 25,000 individual contributors across the country. Thousands of volunteers worked to collect signatures, distribute campaign literature, and rallied to get out the vote for Prop 2.
Prop 2 attracted support from a broad coalition of organizations and leaders, including the California Veterinary Medical Association, United Farm Workers, State Humane Association of California, the Center for Food Safety, and the Consumer Federation of America, to name a few.
The opponents of Proposition 2 – agribusiness companies from throughout the nation – spent $9 million to try to defeat the ballot initiative.
I am of course thrilled that Californians made the right move here to make the lives of factory farmed animals a bit better. It's still not a life as far as I'm concerned, but any action to end or reduce suffering is a move in the right direction. I still want to point out that although these animals will have some more room to breath and move, they are still going to be oppressed, most likely tortured, and definitely slaughtered. Anyone who thinks that factory farmed animals will now have a great life thanks to Prop 2 is sadly mistaken. These animals are still in jail, it's just that they'll have bigger jail cells. The best thing anyone can do for these animals is to go vegetarian, or better yet, to end their suffering and the oppression of animals altogether, GO VEGAN.
I always have mixed feelings when it comes to news like this. I want to feel victorious... to feel like the score is now "animals 1, mean money making factory farm giants 0". Then I start thinking... woah... these farms have SIX YEARS to get rid of their battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates. SIX YEARS!! That is a hell of a long time! Do you think that anybody is going to put in the effort and money required to change their farms until the absolute last second?... doubtful. These are not little local farmers we're talking about. These are farms that put MILLIONS of dollars into opposing Proposition 2. (There is a little joy for the fact that they just spent all those millions for nothing!). Maybe I'm being negative, maybe I should just feel good that the law was passed... but I think 2 or 3 years would have been plenty of time to change over.
The 2nd thing that bugs me is this... Will the population now think that eating chicken, pigs and baby cows is "OK" because they have some more room to move. Will they think now that these animals are being farmed humanely?? Are they going to be blinded to the fact that these animals are still kicked, punched, thrown about, thrown into garbage dumpsters alive, blown up just for fun, slammed against the wall and more attrocities that I don't even want to know about? Is this just fueling the whole "Happy Meat" campaign? Let's not waste our time being too victorious about providing bigger jail cells... make a real change for the animals and GO VEGAN.
source: www.yesonprop2.com
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