Community organizing plays a big role in the issue of inhumane treatment of animals in slaughterhouses. Without people caring about the issue, knowing about the issue, or having the motivation to participate in combating the issue- no action will take place to change the problem at hand. This is the challenge that is being faced right now with people who are trying to make change on behalf of the animals being treated unethically, not enough people are aware of what is going on. Most people would rather not know how the meat on their plate got there. But without enough passionate people, it will be hard to make change.
There are a few national organizations I found that take initiative against the unethical treatment of animals in factory farms. To name a few of the top ones there is Mercy for Animals, The Humane Society of the United States, United Poultry Concerns, Farm Animal Rights Movement, Vegan Outreach, Farm Sanctuary, and Compassion Over Killing. These organizations, on behalf of animals rights, raise awareness, fight for better conditions for animals, and attempt to end this injustice. They also promote solutions, fight for legislation, rescue animals, and make investigations.
Some problems that come to mind when thinking of community organizing for advocacy against slaughterhouses are that most people are unaware of the problem, or too busy to participate in actively fighting the issue. Without passionate people, there is no change. If we can raise awareness and educate people on what is happening, we have a better chance of persuading people to fight for the cause. The more people taking a stance, the better chance we have of combating injustice.
The most important things to consider when thinking about community organizing and changing the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses are that the issue is at a national level, that people need to be made aware of what is going on, and solutions need to be made quick and easy for busy people to be able to participate in. Activists have to work on making investigations that reveal to the people the unethical things that are going on behind the walls of slaughterhouses. Then we must work to pass legislation that will support the animals who are being tortured. It is also important to educate people on the issue and then give off solutions that are at a smaller level and are easier for anyone to participate in.
As a personally responsible citizen, some people are participating in “meatless mondays” or something similar to this idea. As participatory citizens, other people are organizing local groups, like colleges student organizations, that participate in buying food from companies that are known to treat their animals humanely. Social-Justice oriented citizens are trying to figure out ways for companies to be efficient and profitable while still treating their animals more ethically. The last example is what we must strive to do. Without getting to the root of the problem, it will never get fixed. The long-term solution lies in how companies will still make efficient profit while providing their animals with ethical conditions.
I found a TedX video presented by some passionate middle schoolers. They brought up some good points including that the animals in slaughterhouses are obviously treated terribly, but the employees are also enduring psychologically unhealthy circumstances. Constantly killing animals can create a mind that learns to not care or make attachments and can create a violent mindset. The speakers also brought up the point that besides choosing the obvious but tougher solution and becoming a vegetarian, there are other smaller ways to combat this issue like buying from local and small farms.
