What is it about Iowa?

Iowa has one of the worst reputations when it comes to factory farming. A major polluter and purveyor of animal cruelty, that state’s governor recently signed a bill that makes it a crime to expose farm animal cruelty.  Unlike dogs and cats, it’s OK in Iowa to be as mean as you want to a farm animal and the government doesn’t care. And with the recent law, the chances of having such cruelty exposed is practically non-existent.

Enter Iowa Rep. Steve King, who is now trying to change the federal  farm law when it expires in September so that every state would be immune from factory farm cruelty. The Humane Society of the United States notes that the measure could potentially void “any laws to protect animals, and perhaps… laws to protect the environment, workers, or public safety.”

Actions like the one King is pursuing is why Iowa stinks, and we are talking about the tremendous amount of animal waste that finds its way into the ground and water, eventually making its way to other state’s rivers and streams. Unfortunately, our federal government is no match for any state whose government is motivated by greed and profit. The federal government seems unable or incapable of enacting laws that protect the basic rights of farm animals, farm workers and our environment.

As we have said in the past, the only way to stop factory farm animal cruelty and worker abuse (to say nothing of protecting the environment) is to stop eating meat, especially pork, or if you simple must have your pound of flesh, please buy from a certified local farmer who uses humane methods of raising and slaughtering its animals.

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