Factory Farming: One of Many Hearts of Darkness

With food being such a big part of our lives and culture, you'd think we'd pay more attention to where it comes from and how it's raised. I'm not talking about fruits and vegetables (although there are a lot of issues surrounding the production of those on a massive scale that I'm not going to get into), I'm talking about animal products. Meat, dairy, all that good stuff that comes from living, breathing organisms. When I chose to write my junior theme about factory farming last year, I got my first real look into how terrible this industry really is. I could go on and on about all the awful things done to animals in factory farms, but I think most of us have seen the movie Food, Inc. at this point and already have some idea of what goes on, both in the places where the animals are raised and where they're slaughtered. If you haven't seen the movie, just search for factory farming in google images. Now, I'm not saying our heart of darkness is that we kill animals and eat their meat- we've been doing that forever- but it's that these animals destined to be our food are treated so abhorrently before they're killed.
Don't be the ignorant, blind Europeans from Heart of Darkness. Educate yourself about where the meat and dairy products you buy come from. Buy free-range, grass-fed beef, and buy certified organic eggs (cage-free doesn't necessarily mean the chickens have outdoor access). It can be hard and expensive to find animal products that come from humane farming operations, but it's possible and it's worth it.