Emma Hartman @Steal_Your_Hart [Staff Writer]

Animals rights. People automatically think of some granola green-freak from PETA complaining about McDonald’s hamburgers, but what if we took the term “animal rights” and redefined it? Supporting animals rights could be as simple as expecting the highest standards from food industry, as far as how animals are treated and dealt with. However, these type of expectations are failed due to the need for mass meat production.

We’ve all seen the videos. Hundreds of cows being stabbed with electric prongs, chickens encaged in dark and dirty coops, pigs being battered and abused on their way to the butcher house. These types of events occur daily in the food industry. Though animals are obviously not as valuable as human beings, they are still living creatures. Animals deserve to be treated humanely in their short and humble lives.

Opting for only “farm-fresh” and “free-range” is an option to consider, though it comes at an outrageous price. To buy products that come from animals that were treated with care, the costs almost double that of regular meats, eggs, and dairy. Is it worth it? Not to suggest that everyone boycott all animal by-products and mob the local farm, but everyone should keep themselves informed on where your food is truly coming from. There are dozens of websites to be found just by searching “animal rights” that provide videos giving the facts about the food industry. Don’t be fooled by the quaint little red barn on the packaging, get in the know.