Once Again Sam, You’ve Got It Wrong

Cameron, author of AusVegan.com.au with Holly from Farm Animal Rescue
Cameron, author of AusVegan.com.au with Holly from Farm Animal Rescue

I never thought I would see the day where I actually agreed with something that Sam Trethewey says when he is bagging out animal ‘activists’ and vegans, though that is exactly what has happened with his latest article, Pulped fiction hurts farmers.

Just like Mr Trethewey, I too find it sad when people make decisions about what to eat or not to eat based on assumptions or skewed information about agricultural production. And, It’s hard for people to determine the difference between information that is universally true and that which confirms their bias or values – but even with that in mind, it must take a brain devoid of inquisitiveness to shift ingrained behaviour like eating habits to suit a belief based on misinformation and no personal experience.

Though that is about all where I can agree with him.

In his scathing attack on Sam de Brito’s, Confessions of a vegan, Trethewey is just guilty of the exact same level of self righteousness and ignorance that he has levelled at de Brito.

As much as Mr Trethewey would like to deny it, ALL animal ‘farming’ in Australia is factory farming. It is just that some is more ‘intensive’ than others.

Starting with the definition of Factory Farm, Merriam Webster defines it as “a large industrialized farm; especially :  a farm on which large numbers of livestock are raised indoors in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost”

The other thing that Mr Trethewey needs to remember is that whilst farmers in the animal agriculture industry may profess their love for the animals they are raising, these animals are nothing more than a product. A product that is ‘grown’ to create the maximum profit for the ‘farmer’, and once ‘it’ is no longer deemed to be commercially viable is discarded or sold off.

What really interests me is that Trethewey would make mention of de Brito’s comment of “spooning the misery of other creatures into my mouth”. Supposedly this is ‘news’ to him despite Trethewey’s claims of working in the industry, .

I guess that means that he believes that food animals are ‘happy’ and ‘content’ being loaded onto trains and trucks and herded into pens at the slaughterhouse whilst waiting to be ‘stunned’ with a captive bolt or electric shock.

If he can’t see the looks of ‘misery’ on the faces of those animals, I guess he is either blinded by his own ignorance or really doesn’t care. If it is the latter, it probably makes him good at what he does, writing pieces that are solely designed to create a further divide between the two ‘sides’ of this issue.

I ask you this Sam, please explain to me how going vegan is unrealistic, unsustainable, inefficient and uneconomical? Let us not forget that when ‘we’ consume animals, we are taking part in what realistically has to be the most inefficient production method there is. We grow a crop that is suitable for humans, pick it, process it, and transport it only to feed to those animals that we then eat.

[GARD]Having read through de Brito’s piece a number of times, I am still trying to figure out where the generalisation, misinformation and outright lies are.

Is it that we need to consume other animals to survive?
Is it that there is ‘suffering’ in animal agriculture?
Is it that animal agriculture is wasteful, not only of land, of resources too?

Whilst it is easy for you to say that you offered to take Sam de Brito around on a harvester, and you are yet to hear back about, please remember that I have extended a similar invitation to you. And just like you,  I am yet to be taken up on it.

Despite knowing that you will ignore it once again, I am offering you to come to Qld and visit a farm animal rescue where you will be able to understand exactly what it is that we are talking about.

Isn’t it time that both sides left the rhetoric at the gate and sat down for a rational discussion?

In closing, I’m sorry to say this Sam, your piece is full of the kind of diatribe makes my blood boil – it adds fuel to the fire of misinformation that rips through urban Australia without shedding new light on the issue.

That being said either way, Sam, it’s about time to wipe your mouth and get a bit of s**t on your boots.

4 thoughts on “Once Again Sam, You’ve Got It Wrong”

  1. Thanks for the link to the Sam de Brito piece. I note the typical crap that follows in the comments section. When a vegan comments about the plight of non-human individuals we are being ‘aggressive’ but when the yee ha crowd bag us it’s acceptable. Unfortunately there are too few vegans who will take these people on I notice. I am seeing an increase in vegans criticising vegans, which I suspect gets back to many who wilt in the face of seeming to be socially unacceptable. Thanks for standing up Cam.

    Reply
    • Thank you for the comment Kerry.

      As with a majority of journalists who try to set the record straight about things, Mr Trethewey has done exactly the same thing that he has accused Mr de Brito of. Promoting a kind of diatribe makes my blood boil – it adds fuel to the fire of misinformation that rips through urban Australia without shedding new light on the issue. (his words)

      Whilst I do agree that there are far too few vegans who are willing to respond to these sorts of articles, it is also unfortunate for us as vegans, that the ones that do respond do so in a way that reinforces the accepted stereotype of vegans.

      As readers of this site will know, I am not shy in saying the things that need to be said 🙂

      Reply
  2. Hey cam you might be right mate he semms to have his head stuck up his own arse ive tried to chat with the man & im just ignored…You,re right mate.

    Reply
    • I emailed him a while ago about this, as he has asked in this tweet, though I am still waiting for a response.

      Have to wonder about people who can dish it out, yet can’t take a dose of their own medicine…

      Reply

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