We have mad cow disease in the USA.

It apparently takes mad cow disease crossing the border to get some people�s attention. Last week, we, the United States of America, the single most powerful country in the world, watched in disbelief as Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman acknowledged that our first case of mad cow disease stems from a single immobile Holstein from Washington State. Did you read that? I said immobile. The disease came from an animal that could not move or stand under its own power. People, it shouldn�t take a college degree or a government rating to understand that we shouldn�t be eating sick animals! But we do. When an animal cannot walk down the path at the slaughter house they are pushed, alive and often screaming, with a bulldozer into the food chain and onto the shelves of your local Safeway. I have been screaming about this for years in any venue I could find, letters to the editor, statesmen, diaries, anyone that would listen. The fact that we as humans are now threatened is what finally gets attention. This disturbs me. Now a week after the Secretary�s announcement, amid the fear within the beef industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a ban on the slaughter and sale of nonambulatory cattle for food. (For human consumption anyway. Rest assured this will not affect the pet food industry!) The ban was announced on Tuesday, December 30, after a barrage of media coverage and an outpouring of public concern.
It�s a hard battle for animal rights, but it is a victory anytime laws are created that regulate such grotesque industries as factory farming.
Anytime laws are made, or changed for that matter, there is an economic effect. To be fair, let�s visit those ramifications. Earlier this year when another downed cow in Canada was discovered to have mad cow, BSE, a very large number of countries, including the United States, immediately placed a ban on Canadian beef. Reportedly Canada suffered a one million dollar a day loss during that ban. Now in the wake of that decision, the US has had the majority of the remaining word ban beef from the US. Some of these countries include Australia, Mexico, Japan, South Korea and Russia. Call me crazy and whatever else you wish, but this minor monetary setback pales in comparison to even one animal�s pain and suffering on the slaughter house floor. Imagine being so sick as to not be able to move, and having a chain wrapped around your neck and drug by truck or dozer, only to die a slow horrible death in a pile of other tortured, dead and dying cattle. All this so some steak house in Kansas gets a cheap cut of rib eyes so the Thursday special goes on. You know, God gave us the beasts to look after, even sustain us, but somehow I don�t think this is what God had in mind.
~t

Here are some sites that may be of interest that depict that horrible treatment of animals. So you want to know what I expect YOU to do? I�m glad you asked! Choose a group and join, then give donations to help pursue the better treatment of all animals. If you can�t afford to, I understand, but you can tell others of these animals� plights. Include a link on your homepage, like The Meatrix, that is both entertaining and educational. Spread the word!

More links�
factoryfarming.com
HSUS
animalconcerns.org
animal-law.org

The below for when you are really angry and ready for a more radical approach�

animalliberationfront.com (ALF)
animaldefemse.com
peta.org

If you need any more information, or have questions, feel free to contact me. There are numerous orginazations out there on a local level. I�d be happy to help you find them.