In this modern day, everyone wants their meat to have come from a happy, free living animal killed in a way that honors the life taken. People can shop for the organic way but for the masses this is probably impossible.
So as a step towards the utopia, enter the death warrant. This document registers that you, as a sentient person, are willing to take responsibility for the death of a specific animal for your meal. I say this because I have a problem with killing for production sake rather than for an actual end purchase.
In an age where clocks are accurate to a hundred trillionth of a second and where a sensor has been placed 15,313 million km from earth, is it not possible to have an document that respects where humanities origins lie.
I am thinking that if each animal has a produce number then those databases could have a column for a consumer's name. No consumer, no kill order.
The order at your butcher just got real.-- wjt, Sep 15 2013 Hitchhikers cow/pig whatever http://www.youtube....watch?v=C1nxaQhsaaw [not_morrison_rm, Sep 15 2013] Video cameras monitor the abbatoir, recorded HD direct to networked servers. In the supermarket, each cut of meat is Radio-tagged. When a customer handles the piece of meat, a giant screen behind the chiller display plays the abbatoir footage.-- pocmloc, Sep 15 2013 I don't think I want to desensitize or revolt, just make sure the thought of respect is there. But nice.
If respect starts here, who knows what other aspects of life will be respected.-- wjt, Sep 15 2013 <Virtually obligatory reference to that cow/pig in hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy>-- not_morrison_rm, Sep 15 2013 I know everyone is expecting me to bring this up, but in all seriousness, go hunting. If you don't own a rifle sign up for a guided trip and they'll lend you one and teach you how to use it safely. There is no better way to learn respect for the animal you are eating than to hunt, kill, dress, and butcher it yourself. If you can't hunt, find a small-time farm where they still do the butchering on site and ask if you can purchase and dress your own animal (a meat rabbit from such a farm is a lower cost, less labor intensive option). This idea is on the right track, but it doesn't go far enough; there's still a detachment between the living creature and the end-consumer.
Anyone who is on the fence ethically about the meat they are eating A) is thinking about the issue properly and B) will find they no longer question their choice after this experience, whether or not they choose to consume meat afterward.-- Alterother, Sep 15 2013 What [Alterother] said.-- 8th of 7, Sep 15 2013 //No consumer, no kill order.// So, if I just want a burger, do I sign a 'warrant to wound'? More specifically, unless we're talking about chickens or rabbits that are typically eaten by one person, how does this work?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Sep 15 2013 This occurs when selecting a lobster from a tank - so already Boiled. And what [8th] and [Alter] said.-- AusCan531, Sep 15 2013 //This occurs when selecting a lobster from a tank//
That just gave me an idea for an edible petting zoo.-- DIYMatt, Sep 15 2013 //That just gave me an idea for an edible petting zoo.//
Well post it then.
[Alt]'s comment pretty much sums it up. I for one am happy to occupy the place of apex predator - however I've done the deed many times myself, and I'd prefer it if I could avoid killing by proxy, if lifestyle allowed it. Unfortunately it doesn't, so I still get to be slightly offput by the fact that I have no control of how it's done.
I have never, and will never understand the distinction people make between fish, foul, and large ruminant animals. They all die, and suffer to a greater or lesser degree when being "processed" for consumption. In fact, it could be easily argued that fish suffer the most - if we drowned and crushed cows to death there would be uproar. Knocking them insensible and rapidly exanguinating them is (if done properly) rather suffering free. I think one of the biggest differences is that people don't appreciate that the proper handling of fish for the table, is as important as the proper handling of larger animals - in terms of meat quality.
Anyhoo, this idea would not work to fulfil it's aim. However the intent of more closely linking the treatment of the animals, with their eventual consumer, is a noble one (which would be good for everyone).-- Custardguts, Sep 16 2013 //In fact, it could be easily argued that fish suffer the most //
I spent three months on a long-line freezer/trawler once. Had to have a competition with the other deck-hand as to which one of us could gut the most fish before the skipper would let me keep conking them on the head first before gutting them, wagered against dish-duty for the entire trip.I won.The fish didn't win one way or the other... but I bet they tasted better... and died easier.
...except for that one salmon that wriggled back to life and tried to swim away during the second glazing.
...freaked me right out it did. No...
No, they didn't believe me either.
and that's... ok-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Sep 16 2013 You're absolutely right, "conking" them on the head is far more humane than the normal treatment - which is to let them die of suffocation, or crushing in the net. Or in the case of long-liners, gut them alive.
Me, I try to iki jimi them (brain spike) as soon as I can get my greasy mits on 'em. To me, that's the least ammount of suffering.
See me, I'd be happy to pay a bit more for meat or fish, if I were to know with certainty that the extra money went into better, more humate handling of the animals (as well as better living conditions). The crux here, is that paying more doesn't necessarily influence either of those things. Perhaps some system of assurance along these lines would be a more positive line of thought to achieve [wjt]'s aims here?-- Custardguts, Sep 16 2013 Erm, that's how poultry butchers worked in Cairo back in the 1990's. You pick the (live) chicken you want, it goes in the back, 5 minutes later one warm ex-chicken comes back, complete with the head looking accusingly at you, from inside the body cavity.-- not_morrison_rm, Sep 17 2013 random, halfbakery