“If you ask me, what is the moral equivalent of fighting slavery today? I would say fighting factory farming.”  —Rutger Bregman

I was listening to a recent NY Times interview pod with Rutger Bregman, and something he said struck a sensitive chord. By equating the unchecked, barbaric practices of the current factory farming industrial complex to the horrors of the human slave trade, a seemingly obvious argument to anyone with even an ounce of empathy was framed in a uniquely clear, fresh context.

The parallels are undeniable. Sentient, feeling, and intelligent beings were ripped away from their families against their will, torn from their homes, thrown into cages, and dropped into terrifying foreign environments. They were mercilessly beaten if they resisted, didn’t follow commands, or tried to escape. Their bodies were battered, bullied, and manipulated for profit…until they were too weak, sick, or physically able to continue.

Disease was rampant, due to despicably unsanitary conditions, and little attention was paid to hygiene or disinfection. Sickness spread unabated throughout the population, weakening the body and breaking the will. It was cheaper and more expedient to simply let death take over, since even the concept of medical care for “property” was a laughable notion.

Rape was relentless, and the children who were a product of that violation were quickly stolen from their mothers and put to work. Females lamented the loss of their offspring, but their cries fell on deaf ears as their heartbreak was coldly dismissed as exaggerated nonsense.

At auction, potential buyers poked and prodded the flesh, checked for muscle tone, examined teeth, and looked for skin lesions, scars, and deformities. Then, after extensive haggling, a purchase price was negotiated.

There was a pervasive sense of general public apathy, as most people accepted these atrocities as an ordinary, typical aspect of society.

But there were those who resisted.

Some brave souls understood at a gut level that perpetuating a cycle of unrelenting abuse, mistreatment, and suffering was simply wrong. At the risk of arrest, punishment, or incarceration, they stood up to speak for the voiceless…and the slow unraveling of the human slave trade began.

Future generations will look back at our behavior toward animals today with the same level of shock and disgust. 

Be a part of the solution, not just another indifferent cog in the incessantly spinning wheel of torment, agony, anguish, and heartbreak.

Make informed decisions and humane, sympathetic choices. 

Don’t wait for the inevitable regret.

These modern slaves are counting on you.

Adolescence Interrupted