Since there's so much attention to the Occupy Wall Street movement and the outcry that we are the 99%, I thought it would be appropriate to share another statistic. This one has nothing to do with Wall Street - at least, not directly. But it does have to do with the economy. The economics of the agriculture industry.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, 98% of all animals with whom we interact directly (i.e. have as pets or eat) are farm animals. And 10 billion of them per year in the U.S. are raised and then killed for their meat, eggs and milk. We spend a lot of time worrying about the welfare of our dog and cat companions (and rightly so!) but our society turns a blind eye to the other 98%; the farm animals that are treated solely as commodities and whose welfare often runs counter to profits.
The Animal Welfare Act, which governs the humane care, handling, treatment and transportation of many animals, including dogs and cats, does not apply to farm animals. Since they are considered livestock with an end use of food, they are excluded. We don't think of them as sentient beings but they feel pain, fear, love and loss just like humans and our pet friends do. Ask any dairy farmer the worst part of their job, and they'll often tell you it's when they have to separate a mother cow from her calf.
It doesn't have to be this way. We can refuse to support this inhumane system. A vegan or vegetarian diet is the most compassionate thing you can do. And it makes all the difference to the silent 98%.
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