ALL ABOUT COWS

THERE ARE NO DUMB ANIMALS, JUST DUMN PEOPLE WHO MISTREAT THEM.
Let's talk about cows. They are social animals and prefer to spend their time together,
forming complex relationships, very much like dogs forming packs. All animals have
strong maternal bonds with their children, and cows on dairy farms and cattle ranches
are no exception. If you happen to get close to these bovine creatures, you may hear
them crying out for their calves for days on end after they are separated, taken away,
never to return.

In the US, more than 41 million of these sensitive animals suffer and die for the meat
and dairy industries every year. When still young, cows are branded with hot irons,
their testicles are ripped out of their scrotums (castration), horns are cut or burned
off -- no pain killers are used. When big enough, they are sent to massive, muddy
feedlots to be fattened for slaughter on factory dairy farms. There, they will be
repeatedly impregnated, separated from their calves until their bodies give out and
they are sent to die. Factory dairy farms are far removed from the rural setting, where
you will find Tom, Dick and Sarah rising at 5 a.m. to milk gentle bossy.

Cattle raised for beef may be born in one state, fattened in another and slaughtered
in yet another. They are then transported hundreds of miles in all weather extremes
to the slaughterhouse. On the way there, they are packed in like sardines and many die
before reaching their destination.

The survivors are shot in the head with a bolt gun, hung up by their legs, taken on to
the killinng floor, where their throats are cut and they are skinned. Some cows remain
fully conscious throughout the entire process -- according to a slaughterhouse worker,
in an interview with the Washington Post, "They die piece by piece." I saw and heard
the video and the memory will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Sorry, I am not through yet. Calves for veal are kept in stalls so small that they can't
turn around. Can you even begin to imagine such cruelty. Anyone for "Osso Buco"
or "Braised veal short ribs?" For those of you who revel in Steak, the "I'll have mine rare."
crowd is saying as their teeth sink in to the remains of a dead animal's flesh.

Just a couple of more things. Want to live better, longer? There are thousands of
hearty, healthy, delicious recipes on the internet. Just google in, Vegetarian or
Vegan recipes. Bon appetite! Your comments, good or bad are welcome.