Rep. Lee Nerison, R-Westby, is proposing an ag-gag bill, and no, this strange name is no acronym. Rather, it’s “gagging” journalists and whistleblowers alike from videotaping animal cruelty on farms in Wisconsin.
Nerison claims the bill won’t restrict the video recording of animal abuse but rather focus on reporting abuse. While Nerison does not go into full details of the bill, several other states like Missouri have adopted a 24-hour period in which one is required to report abuse to local law enforcement. It is likely Nerison would take this route in an attempt to push the bill through.
In Wisconsin, animal abuse is an issue that quickly comes to dissension: either you stand with farmers or with the animal rights activists. Jumping to conclusions and sides too quickly can prove harmful. If you simply hate modern farmers due to the 45-second video you saw on YouTube, you’re probably not informed enough to take a correct opinion.
Regardless of the changes to animal abuse law, one of the aspects of the debate that needs to be addressed is the context under which these instances of abuse occur. So, who are the predators in such a wicked crime, and under what circumstances do these atrocities occur?
The farmers of our nation are the prime suspects of abuse. While there is surmounting evidence against the malpractice of the farmers, the story isn’t complete by hearing only one side. In the rush of eager and young animal advocates to protest animal abuse, there are most likely few who have actually been on a farm, let alone understand the techniques farmers use.
Mass production and more efficient farming practices have become an effect of a growing population and a demand for meat. A few farmers raise thousands of cows and pigs at once as they push for more efficiency. Mechanical lines and conveyer belts transport cows and pigs to their deaths to meet the demand of our hungry stomachs.
The irony lies in the fact that it is our American meat obsession driving efficiency and mass production in farming. As a result, our society has advanced to the point that our meat is produced more like cars than animals, and we can’t get enough. This is the system in which farmers must make a living, and this must be taken into consideration. However, the trouble comes when this societal trend collides with another trend: the wide-spread use and availability of video recording devices.
Suddenly, the wrong-doings of anybody can be recorded and put on YouTube. Discretion has died, and our world has opened up. Obviously, video cameras have landed in the hands of animal advocates who sacrifice countless days to exposing animal abuse on American farms.
However, there is actually some danger in the free-range documentation of people and accusing them simply on this basis. While video can provide some very useful evidence, context is rarely considered. While animal advocates have every right to fume at the kicking and inhumane killing of animals, they tend to have limited knowledge on farming techniques and practices, and they do not consider the American mechanization of the meat market.
Therefore, if the ag-gag bill truly limits the right to free speech, either directly or indirectly, then it deserves no second look. However, in the future where disputes of documentation flood the headlines, we mustn’t sprint to the side of the whistleblowers too quickly. It is healthier to walk to conclusions, taking in all the information of both sides to arrive at the most informed judgment.
Alex Mohney ([email protected]
