Green Deen

The 2008 election made history in more ways than one. California
voters passed Proposition 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty
Act.

Proposition 2 will amend the lives of millions of farm animals, (like the chickens on the right)
confined in small crates and cages where they can hardly move for
essentially their entire lives.

The purpose of this act is to outlaw the cruel and inhumane
confinement of animals which applies to breeding pigs, egg laying hens
and veal calves.

By January of 2015, California farms are obligated to provide enough
space for animals to stand up, turn around and extend their limbs. For
animals, this means they no longer have to live and suffer in
miserable conditions.

For Californians, this means improved health and food safety. Filthy,
unkempt, unsafe and crammed cages are breeding grounds for diseases
such as Salmonella, which can be passed on to consumers.

Proposition 2 also supports Californian family farmers and, protects
air and water and safeguards the environment.

Fisher student Ashley Grinnell is an animal lover of all kinds.

"I hope New York follows in California's footsteps. It's so sad to
think these animals treated as objects," Grinnell said.

The Rochester area is also taking strides to protect animals. Last
month, Monroe County Legislators sent a memorializing referral to
local grocers and food markets to stop selling eggs from hens in
battery cages.

Rochester animal rights activist, Adam Durand, is the campaign
director for Animal Rights International. (ARI). ARI seeks to reduce
animal suffering of all kinds; refining agricultural methods is one
effort.

Durand, supporter of Proposition 2, says this referral is a big step
to abolish the use of battery cages.

"Whole foods, college campuses and universities, including the
University of Rochester, have ended or greatly reduced their use of
caged hens," Durand said.

In 2004, Adam Durand and two other investigators documented the
appalling animal cruelty taking place at New York State's largest egg
farm, Wegmans Egg Farm, which supplies the Wegmans grocery store
chain.

They found hens living in disgusting conditions. Many were covered in
feces and many were dead due to not having access to food or water.

Up to nine hens were stuffed in cages the size of file drawers and
many had painful infections due to their skin and feathers rubbing
against the rough wire.

In December of 2005, St. John Fisher held a screening of the
documentary "Wegmans Cruelty." This documentary raised a lot of
attention locally and nationally. Durand was arrested for trespassing
and spent a month in jail. In 2007, Wegmans sold its egg farm.

"Most likely, Wegmans continues to sell battery caged eggs," Durand
said.

St. John Fisher student Melissa Dempsey followed Proposition 2.

"I am really happy it passed. I saw Oprah's show about Prop 2. I had
heard about farm cruelty but to witness it on this show was eye-
opening," Dempsey said. "Seeing cage-free hens on an organic farm and
then the farm with hens stuffed in cages where they could barely move,
was enough for me. I now only purchase eggs that are cage-free."

There are people who care where their meat and dairy products come
from, those who don't know, or those who just don't care.
Fisher student Jake Andrews was not aware of Proposition 2 and thinks
other issues are more important.

"Animals like pigs and chickens were put on this earth to be consumed.
I don't think it matters how they are raised, they are going to die or
be killed anyway," Andrews said.

Reference: Cardinal Courier Online
Image: http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2007/07/24/egg3.jpg